Operator Decision Modelling in Autonomous Systems. The incorporation of humans as decision-makers into a complex system comprising of many autonomous agents is becoming increasingly important in areas such as defence, search-and-rescue, special emergency services, bush-fire and ecology management. This project will address how human decisions are made in such systems through the formulation and demonstration of innovative algorithms which model the operator decision making process. Generating so ....Operator Decision Modelling in Autonomous Systems. The incorporation of humans as decision-makers into a complex system comprising of many autonomous agents is becoming increasingly important in areas such as defence, search-and-rescue, special emergency services, bush-fire and ecology management. This project will address how human decisions are made in such systems through the formulation and demonstration of innovative algorithms which model the operator decision making process. Generating solutions to this increasingly important area will provide Australia's industry and community services the necessary knowledge for deploying such systems and thus improving service effectiveness, as well as the implementation of autonomous systems into new areas and thus increasing economic growth.Read moreRead less
How, What and Who in Human Communication: Movement of Face and Voice. The aim of this project is to identify the essential characteristics of tone, affect, and identity from face and voice using a combination of signal processing, biological, and behavioural techniques in order to develop a comprehensive model of auditory-visual speech processing and communication. This research will significantly improve understanding of the basis of auditory-visual perception and production in tonal languages ....How, What and Who in Human Communication: Movement of Face and Voice. The aim of this project is to identify the essential characteristics of tone, affect, and identity from face and voice using a combination of signal processing, biological, and behavioural techniques in order to develop a comprehensive model of auditory-visual speech processing and communication. This research will significantly improve understanding of the basis of auditory-visual perception and production in tonal languages and in affective communication, facilitate links between neurophysiological processes and auditory-visual speech processing; and contribute to applications in automatic person recognition, automatic speech recognition, text-to-speech systems, and talking head aids for the hearing impaired.Read moreRead less
Automated Interaction Technologies for Mobile Hand-held Devices. This project is concerned with developing intelligent technologies that support human interaction through handheld devices, connected to wireless digital networks. Intelligent software assistants running on these devices will interact with one another in order to coordinate the activities of multiple users. Such automated coordination may facilitate scheduling of meetings, collaboration among different members of a team, and negoti ....Automated Interaction Technologies for Mobile Hand-held Devices. This project is concerned with developing intelligent technologies that support human interaction through handheld devices, connected to wireless digital networks. Intelligent software assistants running on these devices will interact with one another in order to coordinate the activities of multiple users. Such automated coordination may facilitate scheduling of meetings, collaboration among different members of a team, and negotiating conflicts that may arise between the activities of different connected users. This will enable context-dependent task support and coordination of workers involved in industrial applications involving mobility and dynamism.Read moreRead less
The role of turgor in hyphal extension of the Ascomycete Neurospora crassa. Cellular expansion is an absolute necessity during the growth and development of plants and fungi. This process relies heavily upon the accumulation of inorganic ions. Osmotically driven water influx then creates the hydrostatic pressure that underlies the increase in cell volume. Cellular expansion is normally asymmetric and localised in one small region, such as hyphal tip. How does the cell maintain the turgor that dr ....The role of turgor in hyphal extension of the Ascomycete Neurospora crassa. Cellular expansion is an absolute necessity during the growth and development of plants and fungi. This process relies heavily upon the accumulation of inorganic ions. Osmotically driven water influx then creates the hydrostatic pressure that underlies the increase in cell volume. Cellular expansion is normally asymmetric and localised in one small region, such as hyphal tip. How does the cell maintain the turgor that drives expansion? How is expansion controlled spatially? These questions will be addressed in this project by comprehensive study of ion transport processes in a model organism, Neurospora crassa, using osmotic sensitive and transport mutants.Read moreRead less
Conductance states of a brain glutamine transporter. Brain transporters are the target for many neuroactive drugs that are used to treat anxiety, depression and other psychotic disorders. Transport processes are also targeted to deliver neurotransmitter precursors to the brain to treat disorders such as Parkinson's disease. In this project we will study a transport process crucial for the function of neurons that release glutamate and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) as neurotransmitters. The stud ....Conductance states of a brain glutamine transporter. Brain transporters are the target for many neuroactive drugs that are used to treat anxiety, depression and other psychotic disorders. Transport processes are also targeted to deliver neurotransmitter precursors to the brain to treat disorders such as Parkinson's disease. In this project we will study a transport process crucial for the function of neurons that release glutamate and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) as neurotransmitters. The study of this transport process will be important for understanding disorders like epilepsy and other disorders affecting neuronal excitability.Read moreRead less
A microscopical examination of curdlan production by an Agrobacterium sp. We will investigate the secretion of the insoluble polysaccharide curdlan, a (1,3)-beta-glucan, from the surfaces of Agrobacterium cells and the assembly of the individual polysaccharide chains into microfibrils. Using state-of-the-art techniques in time lapse and electron microscopy we will compare the images of wild type curdlan-producing cells with those of mutants impaired in the production of curdlan. The outputs will ....A microscopical examination of curdlan production by an Agrobacterium sp. We will investigate the secretion of the insoluble polysaccharide curdlan, a (1,3)-beta-glucan, from the surfaces of Agrobacterium cells and the assembly of the individual polysaccharide chains into microfibrils. Using state-of-the-art techniques in time lapse and electron microscopy we will compare the images of wild type curdlan-producing cells with those of mutants impaired in the production of curdlan. The outputs will be information on the mechanics of curdlan production that will complement that emerging from our molecular biological and biochemical studies. These will have implications for understanding bacterial polysaccharide production in general and may have a commercial outcome in enhanced curdlan production.Read moreRead less
Ubiquinone in Giardia: Amitochondrial component in an amitochondriate parasite. Giardia intestinalis is a fascinating organism, it is one of the most primitive nucleated organisms known and is responsible for ~280 million infections annually. Ubiquinone is usually associated with mitochondrial function, however it has been found in Giardia, which lacks this organelle. Our initial studies show that in Giardia, ubiquinone plays essential roles in electron transport pathways associated with membr ....Ubiquinone in Giardia: Amitochondrial component in an amitochondriate parasite. Giardia intestinalis is a fascinating organism, it is one of the most primitive nucleated organisms known and is responsible for ~280 million infections annually. Ubiquinone is usually associated with mitochondrial function, however it has been found in Giardia, which lacks this organelle. Our initial studies show that in Giardia, ubiquinone plays essential roles in electron transport pathways associated with membrane energisation and oxidative stress management. Elucidation of these mechanisms will have a major impact on the understanding of Giardia and other anaerobic organisms as well as being of significant evolutionary and medical importance.
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Regulation of proteolysis by specialised adaptor proteins. Training research scientists of the future forms an integral part of this research program and this collaboration will provide an excellent opportunity for young Australian scientists to be exposed to the very professional and competitive environment of basic research, as it exists in Germany. It will expose early career researchers to new ideas and emerging methodologies arming them with valuable skills, which they will transfer to Aust ....Regulation of proteolysis by specialised adaptor proteins. Training research scientists of the future forms an integral part of this research program and this collaboration will provide an excellent opportunity for young Australian scientists to be exposed to the very professional and competitive environment of basic research, as it exists in Germany. It will expose early career researchers to new ideas and emerging methodologies arming them with valuable skills, which they will transfer to Australia. The involvement of Prof. Turgay in the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Priority Programme: Proteolysis in Prokaryotes also provides a unique opportunity for these young researchers to interact with several of the worlds leading scientists in the area of proteolysis, enhancing Australia's reputation at the forefront of science.Read moreRead less
Molecular basis of the antifungal and antimalarial activity of a plant defensin. The plant defensin NaD1 has potent inhibitory activity against a number of agronomically important fungal pathogens. These species are major pathogens of cotton and other important agricultural crops such as canola and potatoes. These pathogens cause serious economic losses and threaten the future of the cotton industry in Australia. NaD1 also has potential as a new antibiotic for treatment of infections in human ....Molecular basis of the antifungal and antimalarial activity of a plant defensin. The plant defensin NaD1 has potent inhibitory activity against a number of agronomically important fungal pathogens. These species are major pathogens of cotton and other important agricultural crops such as canola and potatoes. These pathogens cause serious economic losses and threaten the future of the cotton industry in Australia. NaD1 also has potential as a new antibiotic for treatment of infections in humans.Read moreRead less
Acoustic Filter Functions from Morphological Measurements. This project works toward enabling the broadcast of high-fidelity 3D audio. By developing an efficient technique for deriving personalised acoustic filter functions based on image data of the listener's head and ears, we hope to enable high-fidelity 3D audio decoding and rendering. Morphological parameterisation techniques and databases recently developed at the University of York will be combined with the statistical synthesis technique ....Acoustic Filter Functions from Morphological Measurements. This project works toward enabling the broadcast of high-fidelity 3D audio. By developing an efficient technique for deriving personalised acoustic filter functions based on image data of the listener's head and ears, we hope to enable high-fidelity 3D audio decoding and rendering. Morphological parameterisation techniques and databases recently developed at the University of York will be combined with the statistical synthesis techniques and databases developed at the University of Sydney to substantially reduce the development time required for either group alone. Psychoacoustic experiments carried out at the University of Sydney will demonstrate the fidelity of the delivered 3D audio.Read moreRead less