Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354797
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
The Australian Tissue Engineering Network. Driven by four key nodes across the country, the Initiative aims to bring together geographically and financially separated groups into a critical mass of cell and tissue engineering research. This new and rapidly-growing field uses a bio-synthetic approach to replace, repair or regenerate damaged tissues and organs. The Initiative will build the framework which will enable the Network to: identify appropriate expertise, manage duplication, enhance co ....The Australian Tissue Engineering Network. Driven by four key nodes across the country, the Initiative aims to bring together geographically and financially separated groups into a critical mass of cell and tissue engineering research. This new and rapidly-growing field uses a bio-synthetic approach to replace, repair or regenerate damaged tissues and organs. The Initiative will build the framework which will enable the Network to: identify appropriate expertise, manage duplication, enhance communication, bring together innovative skill sets, create linkages, generate focussed research programs and foster novel commercial opportunities. Ultimately the Initiative and Network will deliver an improved quality of life, reduced healthcare costs, and increased productivity to Australia.Read moreRead less
Development and characterization of a technology platform to study the mechanisms of scaffold/Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP) augmented large segmental bone healing. This project will increase understanding of bone engineering and in doing so will lead to superior treatments for bone defects. Such a treatment would be valuable in addressing the ever-increasing problems of diminished productivity and reduced quality of life associated with bone disorders as the population ages. The multidisciplin ....Development and characterization of a technology platform to study the mechanisms of scaffold/Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP) augmented large segmental bone healing. This project will increase understanding of bone engineering and in doing so will lead to superior treatments for bone defects. Such a treatment would be valuable in addressing the ever-increasing problems of diminished productivity and reduced quality of life associated with bone disorders as the population ages. The multidisciplinary and international team will be valuable in establishing Australia's prominence in this field and training the next generation of young scientists and engineers. The technologies developed will be of great interest to a large number of research groups and companies worldwide and will assist with fostering international collaboration and placing Australia at the forefront of this emerging field.Read moreRead less
Thermo-electro-chemo-mechanical properties of biological systems. The proposal is aimed at developing a new theoretical framework for piezoelectric biological materials and structures, through theoretical analysis, computation and numerical simulations, as well as experimental investigations, to produce high-reliability, high-performance hydrogel components and smart soft tissue structures. It is envisaged that successful outcomes of this program will give the Australian biological industry a te ....Thermo-electro-chemo-mechanical properties of biological systems. The proposal is aimed at developing a new theoretical framework for piezoelectric biological materials and structures, through theoretical analysis, computation and numerical simulations, as well as experimental investigations, to produce high-reliability, high-performance hydrogel components and smart soft tissue structures. It is envisaged that successful outcomes of this program will give the Australian biological industry a technology edge over their competitors and provide easy-to-use guidelines for the design of smart biological systems.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC180100024
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies. The ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies aims to train a new generation of interdisciplinary engineers and to transform the orthopaedic and maxillofacial implant industry in Australia. In collaboration with industry, universities and hospitals, the Centre will build a dynamic training environment for interdisciplinary engineers to develop and evaluate personalised implants and surgeries. It will create new networks, internatio ....ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies. The ARC Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies aims to train a new generation of interdisciplinary engineers and to transform the orthopaedic and maxillofacial implant industry in Australia. In collaboration with industry, universities and hospitals, the Centre will build a dynamic training environment for interdisciplinary engineers to develop and evaluate personalised implants and surgeries. It will create new networks, international collaborations and a generation of industry-ready researchers critical for growing Australia’s industry. The advances in materials and savings in time for procedures will reduce costs.
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Using nanostructured biomaterials and stem cells to repair spinal cord injuries. There is currently no effective cure for spinal cord injuries and the consequences to the patient are devastating. Spinal cord injuries affects limb, bowel, bladder and sexual function, and many people with these injuries strugle to maintain their independence. Because people can live for many years after spinal cord damage, the financial and social costs are immense, as many are dependent on the help of others for ....Using nanostructured biomaterials and stem cells to repair spinal cord injuries. There is currently no effective cure for spinal cord injuries and the consequences to the patient are devastating. Spinal cord injuries affects limb, bowel, bladder and sexual function, and many people with these injuries strugle to maintain their independence. Because people can live for many years after spinal cord damage, the financial and social costs are immense, as many are dependent on the help of others for their survival. This proposal tackles this urgent problem by applying advanced nanostructured materials with stem cells, to assist the body in the repair of the spinal cord following injury. Read moreRead less
Functional Strontium Phosphate Coated Magnesium Alloys For ?Orthopaedic Use. This project aims to develop a functional strontium-release surface on magnesium-based orthopaedic implants to suppress the rapid degradation rate of magnesium, facilitate new bone formation and ultimately shorten the healing process. The development of practical, bone-favourable and degradation-inhibiting surfaces for magnesium implants are in demand and can bring significant patient benefits. The project seeks to esta ....Functional Strontium Phosphate Coated Magnesium Alloys For ?Orthopaedic Use. This project aims to develop a functional strontium-release surface on magnesium-based orthopaedic implants to suppress the rapid degradation rate of magnesium, facilitate new bone formation and ultimately shorten the healing process. The development of practical, bone-favourable and degradation-inhibiting surfaces for magnesium implants are in demand and can bring significant patient benefits. The project seeks to establish an understanding of the formation mechanisms of strontium-releasing coatings and determine the critical release rate of strontium to activate bone cell responses.Read moreRead less
Theoretical and experimental studies on magnetoelectroelastic bone remodelling process. The project combines biotechnology and material science which will have national economic, social and environment impact. It can benefit industry by providing knowledge that help scientists understand remodeling under coupled fields and is used to develop bone replacement. By better understanding remodeling due to multi-field loading, we can assist scientists in aeronautical industry in developing countermeas ....Theoretical and experimental studies on magnetoelectroelastic bone remodelling process. The project combines biotechnology and material science which will have national economic, social and environment impact. It can benefit industry by providing knowledge that help scientists understand remodeling under coupled fields and is used to develop bone replacement. By better understanding remodeling due to multi-field loading, we can assist scientists in aeronautical industry in developing countermeasures that reduce or eliminate bone loss resulting from long-duration space flight. It can provide knowledge that can be used to explore underlying mechanisms controlling bone remodeling and self-repair in gaining insight into debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis, to develop high-performance prosthetics for medical injury healing.Read moreRead less
Generating multi-component scaffolding to influence the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Nervous system diseases are debilitating and will develop in over 50 per cent of people at some time in their life. This project will develop strategies so that stem cells can be utilised to encourage brain repair for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The technology developed will also be of benefit for the treatment of other nervous system disorders.
New Biomimetic Nanostructured Coatings for Hip Implants. Over 30,000 hip implants operations take place in Australia each year, due largely to a significant and growing proportion of the population suffering from conditions such as osteoporosis. The coating on the implants, required to cause good bone ingrowth and adhesion between bone and implant, is far from perfect. We propose to spray coatings which mimic the structure of bone, and thus offer improved mechanical properties such as appropriat ....New Biomimetic Nanostructured Coatings for Hip Implants. Over 30,000 hip implants operations take place in Australia each year, due largely to a significant and growing proportion of the population suffering from conditions such as osteoporosis. The coating on the implants, required to cause good bone ingrowth and adhesion between bone and implant, is far from perfect. We propose to spray coatings which mimic the structure of bone, and thus offer improved mechanical properties such as appropriate rigidity and toughness, and stimulate better bone growth at the interface. In this way the implant should be much longer lasting and the need for undesirable revision surgery reduced. The processing technique proposed could also be a useful platform coating technology in a number of other industries.Read moreRead less
Structures and properties of tissue engineering matrices for cartilage and bone: Imaging, visualising and modelling tissue/scaffold constructs in 3D. Tissue engineering of bone and cartilage has the potential to lower costs and improve outcomes. The first stage requires the design of porous 3D scaffolds. To date they have been found less than ideal for clinical applications. Our ability to design and optimise scaffolds has been ad hoc, as local structure and properties have not been measurable ....Structures and properties of tissue engineering matrices for cartilage and bone: Imaging, visualising and modelling tissue/scaffold constructs in 3D. Tissue engineering of bone and cartilage has the potential to lower costs and improve outcomes. The first stage requires the design of porous 3D scaffolds. To date they have been found less than ideal for clinical applications. Our ability to design and optimise scaffolds has been ad hoc, as local structure and properties have not been measurable during tissue growth and repair. In this proposal, an interdisciplinary group from three universities will utilise microCT imaging, visualisation and numerical modelling to determine these structures and properties. This will provide an invaluable understanding for the further development of tissue engineering scaffolds.Read moreRead less