New Polymers for Cellulose-based Bioplastics. We will design new cellulose derivatives by combining carefully engineered synthetic polymers to cellulose. We will explore the fundamental science underpinning the manufacture of these bioplastics, and apply the concept to the design of two new materials, with (super)hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. These materials have the potential to replace synthetic plastics, which comprise one of the major outputs of the chemical industry worldwide. P ....New Polymers for Cellulose-based Bioplastics. We will design new cellulose derivatives by combining carefully engineered synthetic polymers to cellulose. We will explore the fundamental science underpinning the manufacture of these bioplastics, and apply the concept to the design of two new materials, with (super)hydrophobic and antibacterial properties. These materials have the potential to replace synthetic plastics, which comprise one of the major outputs of the chemical industry worldwide. Plastic is present everywhere in human life, but its manufacture and disposal have a strong negative impact on the environment; the new materials manufactured in this project are viable alternatives to plastics, and are sustainable from a production and disposal point of view.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100023
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,000.00
Summary
Australian high field electron paramagnetic resonance facility. This project aims to establish Australia’s first a high-field (3 T, 94 GHz) high-field pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) facility. EPR is a powerful technique to study chemical, biological and materials systems. It represents a sensitive, non-invasive, site-selective spectroscopy for the analysis of both molecular and macroscopic properties. This facility will allow the further development and implementation of new multidi ....Australian high field electron paramagnetic resonance facility. This project aims to establish Australia’s first a high-field (3 T, 94 GHz) high-field pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) facility. EPR is a powerful technique to study chemical, biological and materials systems. It represents a sensitive, non-invasive, site-selective spectroscopy for the analysis of both molecular and macroscopic properties. This facility will allow the further development and implementation of new multidimensional pulse EPR techniques, enabling domestic and international collaborations with diverse applications in structural biology, solvation science and catalysis.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668374
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,000.00
Summary
State-of-the-art NMR Facilities. This proposal will significantly enhance the NMR research capability and capacities at UoW and ANU. These schools have internationally recognised strengths in fundamentals of synthetic organic chemistry, therapeutic drug design and synthesis, protein chemistry and structural biology. This equipment will enhance the productivity of these researchers, increase their collaborative and scientific outputs and allow for training of students in the latest technologies ....State-of-the-art NMR Facilities. This proposal will significantly enhance the NMR research capability and capacities at UoW and ANU. These schools have internationally recognised strengths in fundamentals of synthetic organic chemistry, therapeutic drug design and synthesis, protein chemistry and structural biology. This equipment will enhance the productivity of these researchers, increase their collaborative and scientific outputs and allow for training of students in the latest technologies and importantly, contribute to Australia's development as a knowledge-based economy.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237664
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$900,000.00
Summary
High Resolution Mass Spectrometer for (MS)n Chemical Characterisation. A Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance ("FT-ICR") mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionisation (ESI) plus a "benchtop" matrix assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer are required to support the research of ca 28 research groups, including 44 postdoctoral fellows, and 138 honours and postgraduate students. By means of its high resolution and (MS)n capabilities, the FT- ....High Resolution Mass Spectrometer for (MS)n Chemical Characterisation. A Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance ("FT-ICR") mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionisation (ESI) plus a "benchtop" matrix assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer are required to support the research of ca 28 research groups, including 44 postdoctoral fellows, and 138 honours and postgraduate students. By means of its high resolution and (MS)n capabilities, the FT-ICR-MS will provide key structural information on a wide range of synthetic and natural chemical substances, including sequence (e.g. peptides) and fragmentation patterns, while the MALDI-TOF instrument will be used primarily for high through-put proteomic analyses.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100185
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility. High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility:
To support the emerging research area of microbial heterogeneity and variation in response to conditions, this project aims to establish a facility centred on a 24-microbioreactor system for high throughput microbial culturing. This is designed to be connected to two complementary analysis techniques – flow cytometry and high resolution infra-red mi ....High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility. High throughput microbial microculture and single cell analysis facility:
To support the emerging research area of microbial heterogeneity and variation in response to conditions, this project aims to establish a facility centred on a 24-microbioreactor system for high throughput microbial culturing. This is designed to be connected to two complementary analysis techniques – flow cytometry and high resolution infra-red microscopy – for the non-destructive measurement of metabolic activities and mapping of constituents of whole cells. This would help us to determine the variation in response between organisms, to guide cell line development and process optimisation for a wide range of biotechnology applications. Expected outcomes may apply to Australia’s brewing, wine, food processing, aquaculture, biofuels, biomedical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
A unique soft matter high-performance scanning probe microscopy (HP-SPM) facility. Soft matter research touches every aspect of our lives as it covers materials from the range of plastics found in cars, television sets and other mass-manufactured products, to new medical materials for tissue engineering and sensors. The proposed facility will enable Australia's leading scientists in this area to understand better how soft matter, including both biological and new advanced soft materials, behave ....A unique soft matter high-performance scanning probe microscopy (HP-SPM) facility. Soft matter research touches every aspect of our lives as it covers materials from the range of plastics found in cars, television sets and other mass-manufactured products, to new medical materials for tissue engineering and sensors. The proposed facility will enable Australia's leading scientists in this area to understand better how soft matter, including both biological and new advanced soft materials, behaves on the nano-scale level. This will put Australian researchers and engineers in a leading position for developing new treatments against cancer and other diseases, as well as harnessing the power of biology for application in areas such as waste treatment and energy production.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346891
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Characterization facilities for new macromolecular architectures. The proposed facility is essential for characterization of the new polymeric architectures such as copolymers for tissue engineering, nanogels for automotive paints and biodegradable polymeric packaging. The facilities include characterizations of (1) molar mass and molecular sizes of novel polymer architectures (MU); (2) viscoelastic mechanical properties of tensile, bending, bulk and flow (RMIT); and (3) thermal properties of c ....Characterization facilities for new macromolecular architectures. The proposed facility is essential for characterization of the new polymeric architectures such as copolymers for tissue engineering, nanogels for automotive paints and biodegradable polymeric packaging. The facilities include characterizations of (1) molar mass and molecular sizes of novel polymer architectures (MU); (2) viscoelastic mechanical properties of tensile, bending, bulk and flow (RMIT); and (3) thermal properties of compositions (CSIRO). These new polymeric architectures cannot be sufficiently characterized by existing facilities. The success of the project will significantly enhance the new macromolecular research and facilitate collaborations. This project also falls within the nano and biomaterials of the Designated Priority area of Research.Read moreRead less
Development of Optimised Processes for Manufacturing Melamine-Urea-Formaldehyde Type Resins, and Improved Resins and Reconstituted Wood Products Derived from Resins. Melamine-urea-formaldehyde resins are used to manufacture water-resistant particleboards, papers and laminates. This project is expected to provide more efficient processes for the industrial preparation of these resins, and improved resins and reconstituted wood products derived from the resins. Methods will be developed to assess ....Development of Optimised Processes for Manufacturing Melamine-Urea-Formaldehyde Type Resins, and Improved Resins and Reconstituted Wood Products Derived from Resins. Melamine-urea-formaldehyde resins are used to manufacture water-resistant particleboards, papers and laminates. This project is expected to provide more efficient processes for the industrial preparation of these resins, and improved resins and reconstituted wood products derived from the resins. Methods will be developed to assess the structure of the resins, in order to relate resin synthesis with structure and function, and therefore optimise performance as well as simplify the manufacturing process. Potential replacements for melamine will be prepared and evaluated. It is anticipated that these will confer particular properties on the resins and the wood products, such as strength and durability.Read moreRead less