Navigating brains: the neurobiology of spatial cognition. Navigation is one of the most crucial and most challenging problems animals face. Behavioural analyses have shown that animals make use of a number of different mechanisms to navigate, but very little is known of how different forms of spatial information are processed and integrated by the brain. The project aims to tackle this by placing tethered ants in a virtual-reality simulation of their real environment allowing precise control of ....Navigating brains: the neurobiology of spatial cognition. Navigation is one of the most crucial and most challenging problems animals face. Behavioural analyses have shown that animals make use of a number of different mechanisms to navigate, but very little is known of how different forms of spatial information are processed and integrated by the brain. The project aims to tackle this by placing tethered ants in a virtual-reality simulation of their real environment allowing precise control of visual navigational cues, as well as the opportunity to study the brains of the tethered ants as they solve the real-world challenge of finding home. This may reveal how simple brains efficiently solve navigational tasks, which may inform both cognitive biology and bio-inspired computation.Read moreRead less
Arbovirus Activation And Modulation Of NLRP3 Inflammasome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$779,720.00
Summary
This project aims to establish how mosquito borne viruses such as Ross River and dengue viruses interacts with the human host to cause disease, including how the virus evades the host’s immune response to persist and cause disease for prolonged periods. Knowing how differences in the virus and the host’s immune system interplay to cause asymptomatic to severely disabling disease will assist in devising new treatments and prevention programs to lessen the impact of these diseases in Australia.
Mosquito-borne alphaviruses such as Ross River and chikungunya viruses cause widespread epidemics and exert extreme pressure on the public health systems of affected regions. Alphaviruses spreads to joints and triggers a severe disease in those affected. There are no effective treatments or vaccines. The project will investigate virus-host interaction at the bite site. The outcome will be new knowledge to treat infection at the mosquito bite site to prevent joint disease.
Novel Insights Into The Pathobiology Of Alphavirus Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$827,660.00
Summary
Infections with mosquito-borne viruses are increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Ross River virus is endemic in parts of Australia, PNG and Pacific islands, while chikungunya virus is distributed globally and causes recurrent pandemics that involve millions of people. These viruses cause severe musculoskeletal disease for several months after infection. This project aims to establish how these viruses interact with the human host to cause disease and may provide a basis for new treatments.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision. Robots are vital to Australia's future prosperity in the face of high relative wages, low or decreasing productivity, and impending labour shortages. However the work and workplaces of our most important industries are unstructured and changeable and current robots are challenged by their inability to quickly, safely and reliably "see" and "understand" what is around them. The Centre's research will create the fundamental science and technologies th ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision. Robots are vital to Australia's future prosperity in the face of high relative wages, low or decreasing productivity, and impending labour shortages. However the work and workplaces of our most important industries are unstructured and changeable and current robots are challenged by their inability to quickly, safely and reliably "see" and "understand" what is around them. The Centre's research will create the fundamental science and technologies that will allow robots to see as we do, and overcome the last barrier to the ubiquitous deployment of robots into society for the benefit of all.Read moreRead less
Analysing the protective role of platelets during malaria infection. Platelets protect the host during malarial infection. This project aims to study how platelets kill the malaria parasite by investigating the role of host molecules and their potential as novel antimalarial agents. The role of platelets in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria syndrome will also be investigated.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100203
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,000.00
Summary
Autonomous benthic observing system. This project seeks to improve our ability to monitor marine habitats and characterise their variability by enhancing the Integrated Marine Observing system (IMOS) Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Facility. The new AUV infrastructure will reduce operating costs, increase robustness of the sampling effort and insure continued operation for the next decade.