Safe and efficient biomedical nanomaterials. This project aims to rationally engineer nanomaterials with controlled biological responses. Nanomaterials are becoming widespread in biomedicine and engineering, but are inefficient and unsafe. This project will develop atomic scale models to understand interactions between engineered nanoparticles and the crowded cellular environment. It will design extremely sensitive biosensors and theranostic nanodevices combining medical imaging capacity with pr ....Safe and efficient biomedical nanomaterials. This project aims to rationally engineer nanomaterials with controlled biological responses. Nanomaterials are becoming widespread in biomedicine and engineering, but are inefficient and unsafe. This project will develop atomic scale models to understand interactions between engineered nanoparticles and the crowded cellular environment. It will design extremely sensitive biosensors and theranostic nanodevices combining medical imaging capacity with precision targeted drug delivery to improve efficiency and safety of nanomaterials for biomedical applications in both vitro and in vivo enabling cost effective early diagnostics and more efficient treatments.Read moreRead less
Understanding biomolecular interactions of nanoparticles for engineering efficient biomedical materials and devices. Recent studies suggest that proteins bind differently to nano-patterned materials. This phenomenon holds a great potential for engineering of novel materials and devices for biomedical applications. At the same time, there are increasing concerns due to formation of biomolecular "coronas" of nanoparticles which can change their biological identity. This project will develop knowle ....Understanding biomolecular interactions of nanoparticles for engineering efficient biomedical materials and devices. Recent studies suggest that proteins bind differently to nano-patterned materials. This phenomenon holds a great potential for engineering of novel materials and devices for biomedical applications. At the same time, there are increasing concerns due to formation of biomolecular "coronas" of nanoparticles which can change their biological identity. This project will develop knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of nanomaterials interactions with molecular components of biological environment which will be exploited to improve molecular recognition needed in biosensors and drug delivery applications. The project outcomes will help formulate rational design principles for efficient biomedical materials and nanodevices.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101546
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$288,900.00
Summary
Development of computer-based optimisation to improve hypersonic aerodynamic design. Next-generation launch vehicles using high-speed jet engines will make it cheaper and more reliable for humankind to engage in activities in space. This project will contribute to the technology of high-speed jet engines by developing optimised air intake systems. The research aims to advance the use of computational engineering and apply this to improve the design of air intake systems. The outcomes of this pro ....Development of computer-based optimisation to improve hypersonic aerodynamic design. Next-generation launch vehicles using high-speed jet engines will make it cheaper and more reliable for humankind to engage in activities in space. This project will contribute to the technology of high-speed jet engines by developing optimised air intake systems. The research aims to advance the use of computational engineering and apply this to improve the design of air intake systems. The outcomes of this project will advance the technology of high-speed jet engines with the goal of replacing existing rocket systems.Read moreRead less
Hydrodynamics of Bubble Column Reactors. This project will study the hydrodynamics of bubble columns with the aim of optimising these reactors for offshore gas-to-liquid plants. Along with experiments using the state-of-art techniques such as the particle image velocimetry, radioactive particle tracking, electrical capacitance tomography and optical probes, computational fluid dynamics simulations will be conducted to gain a deeper insight into bubble-induced turbulence and regime transitions in ....Hydrodynamics of Bubble Column Reactors. This project will study the hydrodynamics of bubble columns with the aim of optimising these reactors for offshore gas-to-liquid plants. Along with experiments using the state-of-art techniques such as the particle image velocimetry, radioactive particle tracking, electrical capacitance tomography and optical probes, computational fluid dynamics simulations will be conducted to gain a deeper insight into bubble-induced turbulence and regime transitions in these reactors. This information will then be used to devise scale-up strategies of these complex and industrially important equipment.Read moreRead less
Horizontal convection at ocean-relevant proportions. This project aims to determine the role of buoyancy differences from solar radiation and vertical confinement. Flows created by lateral variation in heat or buoyancy are poorly understood when the horizontal length greatly exceeds the height, precisely the conditions relevant to industry and understanding the role of horizontal convection in Earth's oceans and in turn the delicate current system that maintains Earth's temperate climate. This p ....Horizontal convection at ocean-relevant proportions. This project aims to determine the role of buoyancy differences from solar radiation and vertical confinement. Flows created by lateral variation in heat or buoyancy are poorly understood when the horizontal length greatly exceeds the height, precisely the conditions relevant to industry and understanding the role of horizontal convection in Earth's oceans and in turn the delicate current system that maintains Earth's temperate climate. This project proposes computational and experimental efforts to probe the ultimate regime of heat transport in very shallow horizontal convection, benefiting humankind through improvements to future ocean and climate modelling efforts.Read moreRead less
The elusive upper bound of heat transfer in horizontal convection. The question as to whether lateral variation in global ocean buoyancy resulting from low solar radiation near the poles and higher temperatures in the tropical regions (known as horizontal convection) is a driver for global ocean currents is critical to our understanding of this complex and delicate system that maintains Earth's temperate climate. This question hinges on the relationship between heat transport and strength of buo ....The elusive upper bound of heat transfer in horizontal convection. The question as to whether lateral variation in global ocean buoyancy resulting from low solar radiation near the poles and higher temperatures in the tropical regions (known as horizontal convection) is a driver for global ocean currents is critical to our understanding of this complex and delicate system that maintains Earth's temperate climate. This question hinges on the relationship between heat transport and strength of buoyancy forcing towards global scales; this project proposes a landmark experimental effort supported by detailed simulations to probe the ultimate regime of heat transport in horizontal convection. The project is expected to inform the direction of future ocean and climate modelling efforts to the benefit of humanity.Read moreRead less
Transition of thermal boundary layers on heated flat and curved surfaces. This project aims to study the laminar to turbulent transition of the thermal boundary layer (TBL). The state of the TBL determines the heat transfer rate and energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers and heat dissipation systems. The intended outcome is to understand the TBL’s transitional behaviour and develop effective strategies for stimulating TBL transition to enhance heat transfer. This project will de ....Transition of thermal boundary layers on heated flat and curved surfaces. This project aims to study the laminar to turbulent transition of the thermal boundary layer (TBL). The state of the TBL determines the heat transfer rate and energy efficiency of natural convection heat exchangers and heat dissipation systems. The intended outcome is to understand the TBL’s transitional behaviour and develop effective strategies for stimulating TBL transition to enhance heat transfer. This project will develop a high-resolution, low-cost and easy-to-implement three-dimensional volumetric flow measurement technique based on stereoscopic shadowgraph and use it to study the TBL transition. This technique should provide a powerful tool for fluid mechanics and heat transfer research.Read moreRead less
Design guidelines for safety-critical controllers in high-risk environments. This project aims to generate novel product design guidelines for developing safer controllers for use by potentially stressed individuals in high-risk situations. It will do this by generating specific insights and verifying generalisable solutions from the context of total artificial heart recipients –who must engage with critical controllers constantly. This project expects to generate new knowledge in design by esta ....Design guidelines for safety-critical controllers in high-risk environments. This project aims to generate novel product design guidelines for developing safer controllers for use by potentially stressed individuals in high-risk situations. It will do this by generating specific insights and verifying generalisable solutions from the context of total artificial heart recipients –who must engage with critical controllers constantly. This project expects to generate new knowledge in design by establishing a new research topic around an under-examined user cohort. Expected outcomes of this project include interaction design theory developments and improved controller design techniques. This should provide significant benefits and competitive advantages by lowering stress and improving safety across a range of contexts.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101259
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
A predictive, ab initio design of enhanced plasmonic photocatalysts. Plasmonic catalysis is a promising platform for sunlight-driven chemical reactions that employs optically absorptive plasmonic-metal/semiconductor nanostructures. However, it suffers from poor external quantum efficiencies. The aim of this project is to rationally design an efficient plasmonic photocatalyst utilizing state-of-the-art ab initio computations. The project is expected to provide insights on various atomic-level rea ....A predictive, ab initio design of enhanced plasmonic photocatalysts. Plasmonic catalysis is a promising platform for sunlight-driven chemical reactions that employs optically absorptive plasmonic-metal/semiconductor nanostructures. However, it suffers from poor external quantum efficiencies. The aim of this project is to rationally design an efficient plasmonic photocatalyst utilizing state-of-the-art ab initio computations. The project is expected to provide insights on various atomic-level reaction steps involved and consequently develop a set of catalyst design principles to guide experiments. The project will largely benefit Australia’s and international renewable energy sector and chemical industries by generating knowledge in catalysis relevant for hydrogen production and greenhouse gas reduction. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100200
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$635,000.00
Summary
A high-performance cloud resource for computational modelling. This project aims to build a relatively low-cost graphical-processing-unit-based cloud-accessible facility. Much current cutting-edge research is based on intensive computational models and simulations, which are used to deepen our understanding and predict real-world phenomena. This facility will provide a specialised computational platform for high-fidelity predictive models and simulations. It will underpin research in critical fi ....A high-performance cloud resource for computational modelling. This project aims to build a relatively low-cost graphical-processing-unit-based cloud-accessible facility. Much current cutting-edge research is based on intensive computational models and simulations, which are used to deepen our understanding and predict real-world phenomena. This facility will provide a specialised computational platform for high-fidelity predictive models and simulations. It will underpin research in critical fields of science and engineering and be used by researchers from across Australia. This facility's computational capabilities are expected to complement other national computing resources, keep Australia globally competitive, and enhance research in fields including engineering, biology and materials science.Read moreRead less