CHARACTERISATION OF NOVEL BIOACTIVES FROM AUSTRALIAN HONEY WITH THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL. Honey from specific Australian flowering plants has been identified that contain significant therapeutic properties in wound healing and other treatments. The research project proposed will identify and fully characterise the bioactive components of selected Australian honey (Medihoney) with antibiotic and growth promoting activites. These aims will be supported by high resolution mass spectrometry interfaced ....CHARACTERISATION OF NOVEL BIOACTIVES FROM AUSTRALIAN HONEY WITH THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL. Honey from specific Australian flowering plants has been identified that contain significant therapeutic properties in wound healing and other treatments. The research project proposed will identify and fully characterise the bioactive components of selected Australian honey (Medihoney) with antibiotic and growth promoting activites. These aims will be supported by high resolution mass spectrometry interfaced with HPLC and or affinity chip surfaces, 750 MHz NMR analysis and a range of relevant bioassays on specific organisms and cell lines. These outcomes will not only enhance the value of current honey-based products but have the potential to identify new therapeutic lead molecules.Read moreRead less
Zirconium alloying and grain refinement of magnesium alloys with ZirCAST. Zirconium alloying and grain refinement is a key issue restricting the commercial production of value-added zirconium-containing magnesium alloys for use in the automotive industry. This 3-year linkage program builds on the applicants' invention of a proprietary grain refiner ZirCAST, and is undertaken to investigate the major fundamental aspects of zirconium alloying and grain refinement with ZirCAST. In addition to an ex ....Zirconium alloying and grain refinement of magnesium alloys with ZirCAST. Zirconium alloying and grain refinement is a key issue restricting the commercial production of value-added zirconium-containing magnesium alloys for use in the automotive industry. This 3-year linkage program builds on the applicants' invention of a proprietary grain refiner ZirCAST, and is undertaken to investigate the major fundamental aspects of zirconium alloying and grain refinement with ZirCAST. In addition to an excellent postgraduate training environment, it aims to provide and develop, in partnership with industry, optimum zirconium alloying and grain refinement technology with ZirCAST and enhance Australia's leading global position in this strategically and commercially important area.Read moreRead less
Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Signifi ....Doped alumina with tailored material properties for battery applications. This project aims to develop tailored alumina materials for lithium ion battery separators through a novel in-situ approach that will: (1) produce uniform doped alumina for improved safety, (2) target specific surface and bulk material properties to increase the overall performance, and (3) reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the process with new technology developed for the production of high purity alumina. Significant advances are proposed for overcoming current manufacturing limitations of doped alumina. Building research capacity and knowledge in battery material manufacturing will benefit a range of industries across Australia, whilst providing new opportunities for growth in local communities.Read moreRead less
Particle design and recovery of bioactives by crystallisation and precipitation. This project will develop new strategies for economically viable recovery of bioactives from complex solutions of biomaterials eg. separation of biopharmaceuticals from genetically engineered cell culture, food ingredient processing, functional food and nutraceutical extraction from natural sources. Crystallisation and precipitation will be used as primary separation techniques. We propose a new paradigm in which ....Particle design and recovery of bioactives by crystallisation and precipitation. This project will develop new strategies for economically viable recovery of bioactives from complex solutions of biomaterials eg. separation of biopharmaceuticals from genetically engineered cell culture, food ingredient processing, functional food and nutraceutical extraction from natural sources. Crystallisation and precipitation will be used as primary separation techniques. We propose a new paradigm in which molecular studies of protein interactions will be used to predict good crystallisation conditions and linked to process crystalliation studies. Studies will use a model system of egg white protein mixtures and a real system of industrial importance - the purification of valuable protein products from soy beans (valued at $500 million per year world wide). Soy beans studies will include pilot scale tests at Dupont's industrial reseach laboratories.Read moreRead less
Covalent Hydrogen Bond Mimetics of Helical Peptide Hormones. Peptide hormones have been identified that adopt a helical shape when bound to their receptor. The project will produce new versions of these hormones by the use of directly bonded chemical linkers in place of the relatively weak helix hydrogen bonds. The resulting hormone mimics will be more stable, have lower molecular weight and be more selective than the natural hormones making them more suitable as drugs. Our new chemical techn ....Covalent Hydrogen Bond Mimetics of Helical Peptide Hormones. Peptide hormones have been identified that adopt a helical shape when bound to their receptor. The project will produce new versions of these hormones by the use of directly bonded chemical linkers in place of the relatively weak helix hydrogen bonds. The resulting hormone mimics will be more stable, have lower molecular weight and be more selective than the natural hormones making them more suitable as drugs. Our new chemical techniques allow us for the first time to fully investigate this approach which if successful will be applicable to many other helical peptides and therefore could be an important drug development technique.Read moreRead less
Arsenic speciation in Cleveland Bay, and controls on its uptake in commercial crab species. Marine organisms from the Great Barrier Reef exhibit elevated arsenic concentrations. It is not known if arsenic constitutes a human health risk since its chemical form has not been determined. The factors which control arsenic uptake in the GBR environment are unknown, making it difficult to predict how changes in water quality (such as phosphate which is chemically similar to arsenic) may alter arsenic ....Arsenic speciation in Cleveland Bay, and controls on its uptake in commercial crab species. Marine organisms from the Great Barrier Reef exhibit elevated arsenic concentrations. It is not known if arsenic constitutes a human health risk since its chemical form has not been determined. The factors which control arsenic uptake in the GBR environment are unknown, making it difficult to predict how changes in water quality (such as phosphate which is chemically similar to arsenic) may alter arsenic concentrations in these organisms. This project will determine the chemical form of arsenic in biota, sediment and water, and will test the hypothesis that the elevated arsenic levels reflect the low phosphate concentrations in the water.Read moreRead less
Development of Liposaccharide Peptide Conjugates for Peptide Drug Delivery. We aim to adapt the Solid Phase Oligosaccharide Synthesis technology patented by Alchemia to develop methodologies that will allow the assembly of sugar, lipid and peptide units on a single solid phase resin. This synthetic technology will then be used to generate a library of liposaccharide conjugates of two model peptides (LHRH and TRH) to investigate and optimise a broadly applicable peptide drug delivery system whic ....Development of Liposaccharide Peptide Conjugates for Peptide Drug Delivery. We aim to adapt the Solid Phase Oligosaccharide Synthesis technology patented by Alchemia to develop methodologies that will allow the assembly of sugar, lipid and peptide units on a single solid phase resin. This synthetic technology will then be used to generate a library of liposaccharide conjugates of two model peptides (LHRH and TRH) to investigate and optimise a broadly applicable peptide drug delivery system which improves peptides oral absorption, metabolic stability and bioavailability.Read moreRead less
Examination of unique tear lipids and their role in the tear film's structure and function. The tear film lipid layer covers the eye, stabilises the tears and prevents their evaporation. Yet its structure, function and composition are yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of this project is to fully characterise the unique lipids in this layer, the long-chain omega-hydroxy fatty acids (not found elsewhere in the body), and to determine their role in its structure and function. The project is signi ....Examination of unique tear lipids and their role in the tear film's structure and function. The tear film lipid layer covers the eye, stabilises the tears and prevents their evaporation. Yet its structure, function and composition are yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of this project is to fully characterise the unique lipids in this layer, the long-chain omega-hydroxy fatty acids (not found elsewhere in the body), and to determine their role in its structure and function. The project is significant because the unique combination of skills including synthetic chemistry, mass spectrometry, lipidomics, biochemistry, biophysics which aim to result in a major shift in the understanding of this layer.Read moreRead less
Links between carbon and nitrogen cycling processes in forest soils: An innovative approach with both NMR and stable isotope techniques. Understanding the critical links between soil carbon and nitrogen cycling processes in forest ecosystems is necessary for developing effective site management to enhance forest productivity and environmental benefits. In the first application of 14N-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to soil humic acid (HA), we have discovered that surprisingly nitrate-N is prese ....Links between carbon and nitrogen cycling processes in forest soils: An innovative approach with both NMR and stable isotope techniques. Understanding the critical links between soil carbon and nitrogen cycling processes in forest ecosystems is necessary for developing effective site management to enhance forest productivity and environmental benefits. In the first application of 14N-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to soil humic acid (HA), we have discovered that surprisingly nitrate-N is present in soil HAs, with the HA-nitrate N extremely sensitive to forest management practices. This project represents the first attempt to integrate the use of advanced NMR and stable isotope techniques to examine both chemical and biological linkages between carbon and nitrogen cycling processes in Australian and US forest ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Darwin Harbour corals as environmental data archives and bio-monitors. The forecast rapid population growth and industrial development of the Darwin Harbour catchment necessitates research into novel environmental monitoring techniques to aid the sustainable management of the Harbours resources. This project will develop a powerful and cost-effective bio-monitoring system by using chemical data stored in yearly growth bands of coral skeletons stretching back at least two centuries. Such data wil ....Darwin Harbour corals as environmental data archives and bio-monitors. The forecast rapid population growth and industrial development of the Darwin Harbour catchment necessitates research into novel environmental monitoring techniques to aid the sustainable management of the Harbours resources. This project will develop a powerful and cost-effective bio-monitoring system by using chemical data stored in yearly growth bands of coral skeletons stretching back at least two centuries. Such data will form a comparative baseline against which present and future coral data on pollutants released by urban, industrial and other developments can be assessed.Read moreRead less