Understanding And Ameliorating The Human Health Effects Of Exposure To Air Pollution: From Knowledge To Policy And Public Health Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,584,848.00
Summary
Urban consolidation and sprawl, traffic congestion, mining, climate change, heating and cooling living environments, and power generation – these manifestations of modernity produce regular headlines. Air pollution and its effects on human health are the focus of much popular concern. This CRE will build an integrated research capacity in the field of air pollution and its effects on human health that will allow Australia to address these major challenges - now and in the future.
Energy Transitions, Air Pollution And Health In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,491,229.00
Summary
Emissions from burning biomass (including fossil fuels) are major features of our environment and are the 4th leading global risk factor for premature death. As countries shift their patterns of energy use in response to global warming, new challenges are emerging. Understanding this is crucial to our ability to maintain health and stability in uncertain times. This CRE will examine the health consequences of (1) fossil fuel combustion, (2) landscape fires and (3) alternatives to fossil fuels.
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC160100025
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,259,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. This centre aims to create an innovation platform of food safety researchers and industry personnel who can significantly advance the safety of fruit and vegetables in Australia. The intended outcomes are safer food, leading to enhanced health and wellbeing; industry growth in the food/agribusiness sector; enhanced trust and international reputation; and increased a ....ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. ARC Training Centre in Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry. This centre aims to create an innovation platform of food safety researchers and industry personnel who can significantly advance the safety of fruit and vegetables in Australia. The intended outcomes are safer food, leading to enhanced health and wellbeing; industry growth in the food/agribusiness sector; enhanced trust and international reputation; and increased access to growing export markets. Intended benefits to industry are ready-to-use technologies for strengthened food safety, and a new generation of highly-skilled food safety scientists with experience in conducting industry-focused research.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100229
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understand ....Time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of complex mixtures in oils, ancient rocks, recent sediments, natural products and atmospheric aerosols. Research benefits will be:1. More effective remediation of petroleum spills through better understanding of degradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impact of spills.
2. Better understanding of the role of urban aerosols in human health impacts and climate change.
3. More effective development of finite petroleum resources by better understanding of processes altering crude oil in the sub-surface.
4. Identification of natural products from algae, cyanobacteria, plants and mushrooms as new sources of pharmaceutical agents. 5. Improved knowledge of early evolution of life on Earth, helping maintain Australian scientists as world leaders in this field. 6. Greater understanding of the source and migration of petroleum in frontier areas.Read moreRead less
Understanding the health effects of landscape burning and biomass smoke in Australian towns and cities. Bushfires are increasingly affecting Australian towns and cities directly and indirectly from episodes of severe air pollution. An approach to manage bushfires is to reduce fuel loads by setting planned fires under stable weather conditions, yet this strategy is controversial because of community concerns about ecological sustainability and negative health impacts from smoke. The relative im ....Understanding the health effects of landscape burning and biomass smoke in Australian towns and cities. Bushfires are increasingly affecting Australian towns and cities directly and indirectly from episodes of severe air pollution. An approach to manage bushfires is to reduce fuel loads by setting planned fires under stable weather conditions, yet this strategy is controversial because of community concerns about ecological sustainability and negative health impacts from smoke. The relative importance of air pollution from planned and unplanned bushfires vs. wood heaters, agricultural burning and other sources of air pollution will be determined. Our study will enable evidence-based bushfire smoke management, help formulate national air quality standards and shape policies regarding biomass smoke and bushfire management.Read moreRead less
Bushfire smoke and the relationship between human and landscape health. A team of landscape ecologists, environmental chemists and public health specialists will determine the ecological causes and adverse health effects of different levels of bushfire smoke in Darwin. Darwin is an ideal setting for this research because the only source of air pollution is the high incidence of controlled and uncontrolled bushfires during the dry season causing variable air quality: a preliminary study found a ....Bushfire smoke and the relationship between human and landscape health. A team of landscape ecologists, environmental chemists and public health specialists will determine the ecological causes and adverse health effects of different levels of bushfire smoke in Darwin. Darwin is an ideal setting for this research because the only source of air pollution is the high incidence of controlled and uncontrolled bushfires during the dry season causing variable air quality: a preliminary study found a link between smoke pollution levels and asthma. The findings of the proposed research will contribute to improved fire management practices to reduce injurious smoke pollution events and contribute to setting appropriate national air quality standards.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC140100024
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,061,605.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. The Australian food industry, and the fresh produce sector in particular, offers enormous opportunities for growth and diversification through development of innovative new products that are safe, convenient, affordable and healthy. The Training Centre will develop fresh foods with improved shelf life and sensory quality, through a suite of food science and market analysis projec ....ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. ARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products. The Australian food industry, and the fresh produce sector in particular, offers enormous opportunities for growth and diversification through development of innovative new products that are safe, convenient, affordable and healthy. The Training Centre will develop fresh foods with improved shelf life and sensory quality, through a suite of food science and market analysis projects relevant to the horticultural supply chains of Woolworths supermarket. A new model for researcher training, integrating formal course-work and workplace-integrated learning, will deliver professionals who are industry relevant, understand food product innovation and have a trans-disciplinary approach to delivering products that satisfy market demand.Read moreRead less
Integrating electrophysiology and molecular biology to understand the role of cell membranes in bacterial responses to chill and osmotic stress. Modern food manufacture is driven by competing demands: consumers prefer foods that are 'natural', i.e. having received minimal processing and containing less preservatives, and last, but are safe. Thus, a challenge is to find minimal sets of treatments and preservatives that limit microbial growth.
Current methods to for determining limits to microbi ....Integrating electrophysiology and molecular biology to understand the role of cell membranes in bacterial responses to chill and osmotic stress. Modern food manufacture is driven by competing demands: consumers prefer foods that are 'natural', i.e. having received minimal processing and containing less preservatives, and last, but are safe. Thus, a challenge is to find minimal sets of treatments and preservatives that limit microbial growth.
Current methods to for determining limits to microbial growth are time and consuming and empirical. We will assess the potential of a new method (MIFE) to rapidly measure limits of bacterial growth under combinations of treatments. At the same time we will study how cells, and in particular how the cell membrane, responds to these stresses to provide insights for the development of new, minimal - yet safe - food preservation technologies.
Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100015
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Purchase of an ultra-performance liquid chromatograph - triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The diverse research supported by the proposed instrument group addresses several national research priorities. It will lead to a better fundamental understanding of the hormonal control of plant growth, improved catalysts for organic synthesis including pharmaceuticals and improved food safety. In forestry it will help to increase forest productivity through mitigating losses from insect and mamm ....Purchase of an ultra-performance liquid chromatograph - triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The diverse research supported by the proposed instrument group addresses several national research priorities. It will lead to a better fundamental understanding of the hormonal control of plant growth, improved catalysts for organic synthesis including pharmaceuticals and improved food safety. In forestry it will help to increase forest productivity through mitigating losses from insect and mammalian pests and enhancing wood quality. In pharmaceutics, improved treatments for asthma are expected. This facility will provide the infrastructure essential for many researchers to maintain internationally competitive profiles in their areas and continue to offer postgraduate training and postdoctoral opportunities.Read moreRead less