On-demand 3D polymer scaffolds for directed stem cell differentiation. The project will develop new polymer gels that can be sculpted into shapes, representing tissues and organs. This 3D scaffold will provide a surface with biological signals to create functional tissues from stem cells. The approach will create engineered intestinal tissue with great promise to increase the survival rates of colon cancer patients.
Scalable, high throughput microfluidic platforms for tissue specific biomaterials development and tissue genesis. The co-development of novel biomaterial platforms and new generation production methods for tissue analogues will provide the necessary stimulus for improved and more relevant methods of enhanced repair or regeneration of diseased or damaged tissues. These outcomes will result in faster time-to-market new generation therapeutic products for Australia and the world. These advances wil ....Scalable, high throughput microfluidic platforms for tissue specific biomaterials development and tissue genesis. The co-development of novel biomaterial platforms and new generation production methods for tissue analogues will provide the necessary stimulus for improved and more relevant methods of enhanced repair or regeneration of diseased or damaged tissues. These outcomes will result in faster time-to-market new generation therapeutic products for Australia and the world. These advances will have a significant impact on our healthcare costs and the quality of life for all Australians.Read moreRead less
Novel and cost effective mixing technique for anaerobic digesters in municipal wastewater treatment plants. The mixing system and the models that will be developed in this project will be useful in improving the energy efficiency of anaerobic digesters operated in many towns and cities. These improvements will help to reduce greenhouse emissions significantly and also lead to reduced household water bills, as wastewater treatment costs will decrease.
A Comprehensive Kinetic Model for Sulfur Reactions in Combustion, Gasification, and Chemical Processing. Sulfur chemistry in high temperature processes is poorly understood, leading to uncertainties in the design of these processes and in the control of their emissions. In particular, new approaches to lowering greenhouse emissions which depend on the combustion and gasification of coal, biomass, or refuse-derived fuel, such as integrated gasification combined cycle processes, are especially aff ....A Comprehensive Kinetic Model for Sulfur Reactions in Combustion, Gasification, and Chemical Processing. Sulfur chemistry in high temperature processes is poorly understood, leading to uncertainties in the design of these processes and in the control of their emissions. In particular, new approaches to lowering greenhouse emissions which depend on the combustion and gasification of coal, biomass, or refuse-derived fuel, such as integrated gasification combined cycle processes, are especially affected by these uncertainties. This project seeks to combine experimental measurements and quantum chemical modelling to produce a detailed mechanistic model for the reactions of sulfur in high-temperature systems. Such a model will provide designers with a tool to optimise these complex interacting systems.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of oligomers in dense carbon dioxide. The aim of the project is to develop a novel technique for the synthesis of low molecular weight polymers (oligomers) using dense carbon dioxide as a polymerisation solvent. The use of elevated pressure is the major impediment to the commercialisation of such technology. The technique proposed in this project will enable oligomers to be produced at greatly reduced operating pressures and may lead to a more general procedure for conducting other t ....Synthesis of oligomers in dense carbon dioxide. The aim of the project is to develop a novel technique for the synthesis of low molecular weight polymers (oligomers) using dense carbon dioxide as a polymerisation solvent. The use of elevated pressure is the major impediment to the commercialisation of such technology. The technique proposed in this project will enable oligomers to be produced at greatly reduced operating pressures and may lead to a more general procedure for conducting other types of polymer synthesis in dense carbon dioxide.Read moreRead less
Process for treatment of fluorine-containing synthetic greenhouse gases. It is generally agreed that increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are leading to higher average atmospheric temperatures. This research pursues the development of an energy-efficient, non-destructive process for transforming fluorine-containing greenhouse gases (GHGs) into valuable and environmentally benign products. The application of research will lead to the development of a new non-destructive proce ....Process for treatment of fluorine-containing synthetic greenhouse gases. It is generally agreed that increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are leading to higher average atmospheric temperatures. This research pursues the development of an energy-efficient, non-destructive process for transforming fluorine-containing greenhouse gases (GHGs) into valuable and environmentally benign products. The application of research will lead to the development of a new non-destructive process and will benefit Australia, socially by reducing emission of GHGs and thus protecting the environment, and economically through licensing of the technology for treatment of the growing stockpiles of synthetic GHGs.
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Development and Modellling of Advanced Coagulation and Oxidation Processes. The success of this program will help place Australia at the forefront of water quality control and management research. It will address concerns with managing and treating waters of changing characteristics due to climate change. In addition to the socio benefits, project success will also impart economic benefits to the nation through (i) fabricating new hybrid coagulants, that are versatile with enhanced performance ....Development and Modellling of Advanced Coagulation and Oxidation Processes. The success of this program will help place Australia at the forefront of water quality control and management research. It will address concerns with managing and treating waters of changing characteristics due to climate change. In addition to the socio benefits, project success will also impart economic benefits to the nation through (i) fabricating new hybrid coagulants, that are versatile with enhanced performance for removing NOM, and possess antimicrobial properties (ii) developing a new energy efficient photocatalysis technology.The proposed research will expand the knowledge base in this area and increase Australia’s international profile as a global leader in developing cutting-edge cost effective water resource technologies.Read moreRead less
Composite Membranes for Energy-efficient Separation Technologies. Advanced separation membranes play a crucial role in the development of clean energy and sustainable water technologies. In this project, new membranes will be developed to substantially improve separation efficiencies in these areas.
A Novel Light-Weight Membrane Reactor for Converting Natural Gas to Syngas. Most of Australia’s natural gas reserves are located in the remote north-west shelf, many of which are small-scale and thus cannot be economically harnessed using conventional methods such as the pipeline transportation or gas liquefaction. In this project, novel light-weight membrane reactors will be designed for converting natural gas to syngas. By integrating advanced membrane and catalysis technologies, this projects ....A Novel Light-Weight Membrane Reactor for Converting Natural Gas to Syngas. Most of Australia’s natural gas reserves are located in the remote north-west shelf, many of which are small-scale and thus cannot be economically harnessed using conventional methods such as the pipeline transportation or gas liquefaction. In this project, novel light-weight membrane reactors will be designed for converting natural gas to syngas. By integrating advanced membrane and catalysis technologies, this projects aim to minimise reactor weight and operational costs, thus potentially making it possible to harness Australia’s remote and stranded gas reserves.Read moreRead less
Putting metal organic frameworks to work at interfaces. This project aims to develop new strategies to better synthesize ultrathin Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes by nanostructured and chemically functionalized substrates. MOF materials have enormous potential due to the extraordinary structural and chemical diversity of these crystalline microporous materials and their potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis and sensing. However, a major challenge is fabricating thi ....Putting metal organic frameworks to work at interfaces. This project aims to develop new strategies to better synthesize ultrathin Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes by nanostructured and chemically functionalized substrates. MOF materials have enormous potential due to the extraordinary structural and chemical diversity of these crystalline microporous materials and their potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis and sensing. However, a major challenge is fabricating thin robust MOF films or patterns on porous, flexible, and nonporous substrates, quickly and easily in order to construct useful devices. The project will grow ultrathin layers of molecular sieving and electroactive MOFs to produce technology platforms for large scale device manufacturing.Read moreRead less