Economic Operability Assessment of Leaching Process at Kwinana Nickel Refinery. Process operability is concerned with systematic analysis and improvement of process performance in the face of variable operating conditions. This project will develop a rigorous methodology for analysis of process operability with respect to short-term and transient disturbances. The proposed technique will be applied to the Kwinana Nickel Refinery Leach section, in order to reduce the plant variability and increas ....Economic Operability Assessment of Leaching Process at Kwinana Nickel Refinery. Process operability is concerned with systematic analysis and improvement of process performance in the face of variable operating conditions. This project will develop a rigorous methodology for analysis of process operability with respect to short-term and transient disturbances. The proposed technique will be applied to the Kwinana Nickel Refinery Leach section, in order to reduce the plant variability and increase nickel throughput and plant availability. This can be considered as significant move by a process industry to embrace advanced theoretical developments and will act as a benchmark to promote future links between Australian industry and academia.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354636
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Australian Computational Molecular Science Network. Computational Molecular Science (CMS) involves the use of theory and computational methods to simulate and visualise molecular systems ranging from small atmospheric species to proteins, nucleic acids, chemical polymers and materials. It represents our most incisive expression of what we understand about the molecular basis of nature. The CMS network will integrate and cross-fertilize both fundamental and application-based expertize in molecula ....Australian Computational Molecular Science Network. Computational Molecular Science (CMS) involves the use of theory and computational methods to simulate and visualise molecular systems ranging from small atmospheric species to proteins, nucleic acids, chemical polymers and materials. It represents our most incisive expression of what we understand about the molecular basis of nature. The CMS network will integrate and cross-fertilize both fundamental and application-based expertize in molecular scale computations in the fields of nanoscience, biomaterials, biotechnology, biomedical science and environmental science. It will uncover and explore critical new interdisciplinary science and create new molecular-based paradigms that will drive advances in these fields over the next decade.Read moreRead less
Dynamic CFD Simulations and Scale-Up of Three-Phase Slurry Reactors for Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) Technology. The gas-liquid-solid flow patterns in three-phase slurry bubble column reactors will be studied using experiments and CFD. The effect of various reactor parameters will be studied to develop the scale-up heuristic for the slurry bubble column reactor. The Findings of this study will be used to optimise the reactor system for the offshore natural gas locations of Australia. A successful impleme ....Dynamic CFD Simulations and Scale-Up of Three-Phase Slurry Reactors for Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) Technology. The gas-liquid-solid flow patterns in three-phase slurry bubble column reactors will be studied using experiments and CFD. The effect of various reactor parameters will be studied to develop the scale-up heuristic for the slurry bubble column reactor. The Findings of this study will be used to optimise the reactor system for the offshore natural gas locations of Australia. A successful implementation of this project will bring a huge economic benefit to Australia by utilising the vast amount of remotely located and otherwise unusable stranded natural gas reserves. The project falls within one of National Research Priorities: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Using magnetic nanotechnology to aid recovery from neurotrauma. Nanotechnology is an exciting new field that holds great promise to solve challenging health issues including neurotrauma associated with brain and spinal cord injury. Current methods to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently need. The recently established research team brings together expertise in nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop new, safe ways t ....Using magnetic nanotechnology to aid recovery from neurotrauma. Nanotechnology is an exciting new field that holds great promise to solve challenging health issues including neurotrauma associated with brain and spinal cord injury. Current methods to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently need. The recently established research team brings together expertise in nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop new, safe ways to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma, and provide quality research training. Specifically designed nanomaterials will deliver drugs slowly over time and act as scaffolds to stop cells dying and stimulate them to restore broken connections and work again. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989374
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
South Australian High-Resolution and Ion-Mobility Mass Spectrometry Facility. The analytical facility will enhance (i) fundamental research to understand the mechanisms of the reactions of charged species with neutral molecules, and (ii) the provision of structural information, including the precise atomic composition of any molecule, small or large. Research supported by this facility includes (a)nanotechnology, including supramolecular chemistry, (b) bioscience: cancer research, neurodegenera ....South Australian High-Resolution and Ion-Mobility Mass Spectrometry Facility. The analytical facility will enhance (i) fundamental research to understand the mechanisms of the reactions of charged species with neutral molecules, and (ii) the provision of structural information, including the precise atomic composition of any molecule, small or large. Research supported by this facility includes (a)nanotechnology, including supramolecular chemistry, (b) bioscience: cancer research, neurodegenerate diseases (e.g. Parkinson's disease) osteoarthritis, inflammation, cardiac diseases and synthetic approaches to anticancer and other drugs.Read moreRead less
Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology. Nanotechnology and other frontier areas in science have exciting potential to solve major challenges of the 21st century, including health. The proposed research provides the real possibility of discovering ways to alleviate the many complex problems associated with neurotrauma following, for example, brain and spinal cord injury. Current delivery of therapeutics do not work effectively and new ap ....Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology. Nanotechnology and other frontier areas in science have exciting potential to solve major challenges of the 21st century, including health. The proposed research provides the real possibility of discovering ways to alleviate the many complex problems associated with neurotrauma following, for example, brain and spinal cord injury. Current delivery of therapeutics do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently needed. The recently established powerful multidisciplinary research team combines expertise in nanotechnology, glycobiology and neuroscience to develop novel, safe ways to deliver therapeutic enzymes over biological time-courses. We aim to make broken connections work again, while providing quality research training.Read moreRead less
Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in disease. Defects in mitochondria, the energy producing compartments within cells, lead to severe neurodegenerative diseases and contribute to the development of cancer. Treatment for such diseases caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA remains unsatisfactory and mostly confined to supportive measures. The identification of proteins that regulate gene expression within mitochondria provides an unexplored resource of potential disease modulators and drug ta ....Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in disease. Defects in mitochondria, the energy producing compartments within cells, lead to severe neurodegenerative diseases and contribute to the development of cancer. Treatment for such diseases caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA remains unsatisfactory and mostly confined to supportive measures. The identification of proteins that regulate gene expression within mitochondria provides an unexplored resource of potential disease modulators and drug targets. This research will lead to new strategies in the design of improved anticancer drugs, which is an important Australian research priority that will promote and maintain good health, and provide potential commercial outcomes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346892
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$689,000.00
Summary
Protein Over-Expression/Purification and Macromolecular Structure Determination by X-Ray Diffraction. This proposal seeks funds for state-of-the-art facilities for protein over-expression and macromolecular X-ray diffraction. This will build upon recent initiatives within the collaborating institutions in the field of Structural Biology. It will enable research groups in Perth to pursue the large-scale production of important proteins and to conduct high-resolution structural studies using X-ray ....Protein Over-Expression/Purification and Macromolecular Structure Determination by X-Ray Diffraction. This proposal seeks funds for state-of-the-art facilities for protein over-expression and macromolecular X-ray diffraction. This will build upon recent initiatives within the collaborating institutions in the field of Structural Biology. It will enable research groups in Perth to pursue the large-scale production of important proteins and to conduct high-resolution structural studies using X-ray crystallographic techniques. This technology, which is one of the most important tools in modern biology, provides unique insights into the chemical mechanisms of biological macromolecules and will significantly enhance a great breadth of biological research in Western Australia.Read moreRead less
Structural and Biological Chemistry of Marine Natural Products. Australia's unique marine biodiversity provides a source of novel biologically active compounds with potential for development as pharmaceuticals. This program seeks to explore the structural and biological chemistry of novel marine compounds from marine invertebrates and to evaluate their potential benefit is training of scientists in organic and biological chemistry and advancement of drug-discovery from Australian biodiversity.
Gold-based mitochondria targeted chemotherapeutics: mechanistic studies probing interactions with thiol and selenol containing proteins. Cancer affects one in four Australians and prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and second leading cause of male cancer deaths, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Current chemotherapeutics must overcome drug resistance and lack of selectivity between tumour and normal cells. To circumvent these problems we are investigating gold-base ....Gold-based mitochondria targeted chemotherapeutics: mechanistic studies probing interactions with thiol and selenol containing proteins. Cancer affects one in four Australians and prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and second leading cause of male cancer deaths, for which there is currently no effective treatment. Current chemotherapeutics must overcome drug resistance and lack of selectivity between tumour and normal cells. To circumvent these problems we are investigating gold-based compounds, which act by a novel mechanism. The research will lead to new strategies in the design of improved anticancer drugs, an important Australian research priority that will promote and maintain good health. Other benefits arise from training PhD students with interdisciplinary skills for Australian biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less