New insulins for the improved management of diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes has increased dramatically over the past few decades and now this condition is widely considered the world’s fastest growing disease. New insulins with improved pharmacological and storage properties are desperately needed, and this project will work on chemical synthesis enabling designer insulins to be prepared for improved management of diabetes.
The recovery of Cu from chalcopyrite-pyrite containing concentrates, ores and tailings. Chalcopyrite, a major source of Cu, is often associated in ores with the valueless mineral pyrite. The development of more efficient methods for the retrieval of the Cu is of considerable economic importance to Australian minerals processing companies. We aim to develop methodologies allowing the more efficient :
- separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite;
- leaching of Cu from ores and tailing in a heap leach ....The recovery of Cu from chalcopyrite-pyrite containing concentrates, ores and tailings. Chalcopyrite, a major source of Cu, is often associated in ores with the valueless mineral pyrite. The development of more efficient methods for the retrieval of the Cu is of considerable economic importance to Australian minerals processing companies. We aim to develop methodologies allowing the more efficient :
- separation of chalcopyrite and pyrite;
- leaching of Cu from ores and tailing in a heap leach environment and
- leaching of Cu in a concentrated chalcopyrite-pyrite reactor environment.
These aims will be achieved via an integrated surface-solution speciation approach allowing the manipulation of surface properties.
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Development of Dry Coated Pigment Particles: Durability and Dispersion. Tiwest is the only business in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titanium dioxide products in one region. Tiwest has a major impact on the Western Australian economy with more than 700 full time and contract jobs, export earnings of $400M (in 2004) and regular incomes for an estimated 500 businesses. The current wet pigment particle coating process, to ensure ease of handling and longevity, is a major ....Development of Dry Coated Pigment Particles: Durability and Dispersion. Tiwest is the only business in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titanium dioxide products in one region. Tiwest has a major impact on the Western Australian economy with more than 700 full time and contract jobs, export earnings of $400M (in 2004) and regular incomes for an estimated 500 businesses. The current wet pigment particle coating process, to ensure ease of handling and longevity, is a major cost. An optimised pigment dry-coating process would ensure Tiwest's competitiveness through reduced processing costs and improved performance. This development has the potential to increase Tiwest's profitability by 10%.Read moreRead less
Surface engineering of oriented nano-layers for performance control. This research project will deliver knowledge on how to graft oriented, self assembled films from a surface, develop structure-property relationships at a nano-scale, develop a means to control these properties and develop characterization techniques at nano-scales. This research project, if successful, will deliver the ability to tailor the properties of a surface in a manner and over a range of properties that is not even cont ....Surface engineering of oriented nano-layers for performance control. This research project will deliver knowledge on how to graft oriented, self assembled films from a surface, develop structure-property relationships at a nano-scale, develop a means to control these properties and develop characterization techniques at nano-scales. This research project, if successful, will deliver the ability to tailor the properties of a surface in a manner and over a range of properties that is not even contemplated today.
In addition to the scientific benefits, there are also immediate commercial applications in Australia and worldwide for ophthalmic products (e.g. anti-fog and easy to clean lenses), if the balance of properties can be obtained.
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Modifying and Improving Porous Sol-Gel Materials for Water Purification. XeroCoat is commercialising nanotechnology research out of UQ's Physics department. XeroCoat has received much local and international interest in its signature product 'XeroCoat'. The company is rapidly expanding and has established new research facilities with production facilities to be set-up. This will result in high technology, employment growth for Australia. Links with Flinders could see expansion into SA. The c ....Modifying and Improving Porous Sol-Gel Materials for Water Purification. XeroCoat is commercialising nanotechnology research out of UQ's Physics department. XeroCoat has received much local and international interest in its signature product 'XeroCoat'. The company is rapidly expanding and has established new research facilities with production facilities to be set-up. This will result in high technology, employment growth for Australia. Links with Flinders could see expansion into SA. The company operates in 'Sol-Gel' nanotechnology, which has huge global, academic and commercial interest. However in Australia this technology has only been serviced by Flinders, ANSTO and ANSTO's spin-out company Ceramisphere. The project will help to build a new Australian high tech industry in sol-gel nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Highly Crosslinked Poly(urea-co-urethane) Copolymer Concrete Floor Coatings. Recently developed, poly(urea-co-urethane) concrete floor screeds are used, in the construction industry, to provide protection against corrosive chemicals and abrasive wear; properties unmatched by other commercial floor treatments. Significantly such material has reduced environmental emissions and toxicity hazards. Factors, which affect the cure and performance of poly(urea-co-urethane) flooring materials will now ....Highly Crosslinked Poly(urea-co-urethane) Copolymer Concrete Floor Coatings. Recently developed, poly(urea-co-urethane) concrete floor screeds are used, in the construction industry, to provide protection against corrosive chemicals and abrasive wear; properties unmatched by other commercial floor treatments. Significantly such material has reduced environmental emissions and toxicity hazards. Factors, which affect the cure and performance of poly(urea-co-urethane) flooring materials will now be studied, including the uncontrolled release of carbon dioxide, which results in sporadic blister formation, leading to the on-site product failures that have severely limited the product's commercial growth. Clear understanding of cure chemistry and adhesion will be established for the first, allowing for the products further development.Read moreRead less
The Nanotechnology Desalination Research Project - Low Energy Desalination Membranes. Population growth and global warming is rapidly increasing the strain placed on fresh water supplies. Environmentally sustainable solutions to this water shortage need to be found urgently. This project will develop new, low energy desalination technologies which can be powered by renewable energy sources, to enable desalination to be widely applied with low environmental impacts. It addresses several national ....The Nanotechnology Desalination Research Project - Low Energy Desalination Membranes. Population growth and global warming is rapidly increasing the strain placed on fresh water supplies. Environmentally sustainable solutions to this water shortage need to be found urgently. This project will develop new, low energy desalination technologies which can be powered by renewable energy sources, to enable desalination to be widely applied with low environmental impacts. It addresses several national priorities: Water - a critical resource; Transforming existing industries; Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity; Responding to climate change and variability; Frontier technologies and Advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Extreme temperature monitoring for minerals and metals processing. This project aims to extend the capabilities of the optical fibre temperature sensor technology developed by the research team, based on microstructured optical fibres and femtosecond laser ablation fibre Bragg gratings, to conduct a range of measurements inside industrial furnace environments that are impossible using existing technology. This device will also be validated within the furnaces located at the minerals and metals p ....Extreme temperature monitoring for minerals and metals processing. This project aims to extend the capabilities of the optical fibre temperature sensor technology developed by the research team, based on microstructured optical fibres and femtosecond laser ablation fibre Bragg gratings, to conduct a range of measurements inside industrial furnace environments that are impossible using existing technology. This device will also be validated within the furnaces located at the minerals and metals processing facility operated by Nyrstar in Port Pirie. This project is designed to enable smelter operators to improve production efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and minimise equipment failure.Read moreRead less
Pharmacological probes to facilitate preclinical development of modulators of a6 subunit containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Allosteric modulators of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have a promising future as drugs targeting attention deficits in Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia but the mechanisms underlying modulation are poorly understood. This project aims to determine its binding site and develop a radioactive labelled compound that competes with its binding. The radi ....Pharmacological probes to facilitate preclinical development of modulators of a6 subunit containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Allosteric modulators of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have a promising future as drugs targeting attention deficits in Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia but the mechanisms underlying modulation are poorly understood. This project aims to determine its binding site and develop a radioactive labelled compound that competes with its binding. The radiolabelled compound and a deeper insight into the mode of action will enable development of ligands for positron emission tomography (PET) which will aid in the development of BNC375 as well as other alpha7 modulators.Read moreRead less
Pharmacological investigation of medicinal plant products from Kaanju Homelands, Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers, Cape York Peninsula. This research will examine the potential for products to be developed from plants on Kaanju homelands. Kaanju people have an immense ecological knowledge accumulated over generations, about the natural resources in an area recognised as being one of Australia's most biologically diverse. Preservation of this knowledge is critical not only to Kaanju people but to the he ....Pharmacological investigation of medicinal plant products from Kaanju Homelands, Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers, Cape York Peninsula. This research will examine the potential for products to be developed from plants on Kaanju homelands. Kaanju people have an immense ecological knowledge accumulated over generations, about the natural resources in an area recognised as being one of Australia's most biologically diverse. Preservation of this knowledge is critical not only to Kaanju people but to the heritage of the Nation as a whole. The research also addresses the National priority 'Promoting & maintaining good health' through the investigation of novel pharmacological activities in areas of cardiovascular health, diabetes and cancer. The collaborative research partnership will serve as a model to assist other Aboriginal organisations, particularly in rural & remote areas.Read moreRead less