Next generation core-shell materials based on biomolecular dual-templating. This project aims to discover and develop new methods and knowledge for the precision engineering of next-generation core-shell materials using sustainable biomolecular dual-templating processes. This research builds on a recent breakthrough - emulsion and biomimetic dual-templating technology for facile preparation of silica capsules, and is expected to revolutionise current approaches for making core-shell materials. S ....Next generation core-shell materials based on biomolecular dual-templating. This project aims to discover and develop new methods and knowledge for the precision engineering of next-generation core-shell materials using sustainable biomolecular dual-templating processes. This research builds on a recent breakthrough - emulsion and biomimetic dual-templating technology for facile preparation of silica capsules, and is expected to revolutionise current approaches for making core-shell materials. Significant outcomes are expected to be achieved through building fundamental understanding around this breakthrough, including new concepts for hierarchical nanomaterials based on biomolecular design, new molecular and engineering design rules for core-shell materials, and novel materials for applications in sustained release and delivery systems.Read moreRead less
Engineering floating liquid marbles for three-dimensional cell cultures. This project aims to understand the physics of three-dimensional cell cultures in a liquid marble floating on a liquid free surface. New methodology developed can produce these cell cultures without using matrices or scaffolds and with run-times well beyond existing technologies. This methodology closely mimics a normal in-vivo environment and produces spheroids needed in cell transplantation therapies. This project will re ....Engineering floating liquid marbles for three-dimensional cell cultures. This project aims to understand the physics of three-dimensional cell cultures in a liquid marble floating on a liquid free surface. New methodology developed can produce these cell cultures without using matrices or scaffolds and with run-times well beyond existing technologies. This methodology closely mimics a normal in-vivo environment and produces spheroids needed in cell transplantation therapies. This project will resolve uncertainties in the underlying phenomena. The expected outcome should support future high quality cell cultures suitable for transplantation therapies.Read moreRead less
Mitigating the Severity of Level Crossing Accidents and Derailments. Ongoing increases in the number of level crossings and heavy road vehicles cause more frequent and severe level crossing accidents and derailments. Despite the use of active warning systems, each year, on average, 100 level crossing accidents occur in Australia. With a view to mitigating these crashes, this research aims to formulate theories for reduction in crash energy and effective wheel constraints to prevent derailment by ....Mitigating the Severity of Level Crossing Accidents and Derailments. Ongoing increases in the number of level crossings and heavy road vehicles cause more frequent and severe level crossing accidents and derailments. Despite the use of active warning systems, each year, on average, 100 level crossing accidents occur in Australia. With a view to mitigating these crashes, this research aims to formulate theories for reduction in crash energy and effective wheel constraints to prevent derailment by modifying the levels of road and rail crossings and providing guard rails in the recesses of these modified level crossings. The theories are intended be developed using nonlinear dynamic computational methods and laboratory experiments. The outcomes are expected to enable reduction in the severity of level crossing accidents and hence save lives and costs of derailment.Read moreRead less
Engineering improved technology for nanoparticle-based adjuvant manufacture. Over the next decade nanotechnology will redefine vaccines for animal and human health. Nanoparticle adjuvants will boost engineered vaccines that use minimal antigens such as recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides. This project aims to develop a platform technology for making and controlling the properties of inulin nanoparticles by optimising the engineering and manufacturing aspects of inulin nanoparticles to fu ....Engineering improved technology for nanoparticle-based adjuvant manufacture. Over the next decade nanotechnology will redefine vaccines for animal and human health. Nanoparticle adjuvants will boost engineered vaccines that use minimal antigens such as recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides. This project aims to develop a platform technology for making and controlling the properties of inulin nanoparticles by optimising the engineering and manufacturing aspects of inulin nanoparticles to fundamentally understand the relationship between physical-chemical properties and efficacy. Completion of this project aims to produce potent nanoparticle-based adjuvants underpinned by novel manufacturing technology, to ultimately facilitate the development of more effective and protective vaccines for animals and humans.Read moreRead less
Ultrasound-assisted fabrication of biofunctional materials. The project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanism involved in the synthetic process in order to control the physical and functional properties of core-shell biomaterials. Biofunctional core-shell materials are of scientific interest due to their potential use in a variety of applications including food manufacturing. Among existing methodologies for the synthesis of core-shell biomaterials, ultrasonic technology o ....Ultrasound-assisted fabrication of biofunctional materials. The project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanism involved in the synthetic process in order to control the physical and functional properties of core-shell biomaterials. Biofunctional core-shell materials are of scientific interest due to their potential use in a variety of applications including food manufacturing. Among existing methodologies for the synthesis of core-shell biomaterials, ultrasonic technology offers versatility and a wider choice of core and shell materials possessing specific biofunctionality. The outcomes of this project may include the establishment of a versatile technology for the fabrication of tailor-made biofunctional materials suitable for specific applications.Read moreRead less
Monitoring intuitive expertise in the context of airport security screening. During airport security screening and processing, confusion and error are greatest when systems or contexts are unfamiliar. Poorly designed systems compromise the interactions of airport security personnel and decrease their ability to promptly and accurately respond to situations. This project aims to deliver a suite of automated methods to monitor security operator knowledge and engagement, to assess the real-time sec ....Monitoring intuitive expertise in the context of airport security screening. During airport security screening and processing, confusion and error are greatest when systems or contexts are unfamiliar. Poorly designed systems compromise the interactions of airport security personnel and decrease their ability to promptly and accurately respond to situations. This project aims to deliver a suite of automated methods to monitor security operator knowledge and engagement, to assess the real-time security screening context, and to detect unusual passenger behaviour at the screening check-point. This monitoring aims to provide new knowledge and techniques to enhance security operator performance, refine the screening process, improve passenger experience and, most critically, ensure safety at Australian airports.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100067
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,000.00
Summary
The Vevo 2100 Micro-ultrasound plus LAZR Photoacoustic Imaging Platform . The Vevo 2100 micro-ultrasound plus LAZR photoacoustic imaging platform: The Vevo/LAZR ultrasound/photoacoustic imaging facility will allow researchers to achieve multiple outcomes: to visualise and quantify, non-invasively, tissue and molecular structures; the movement and behaviour of cells; and the delivery patterns of administered imaging dyes and nanoparticles in mouse models and reconstructed tissues. This will enabl ....The Vevo 2100 Micro-ultrasound plus LAZR Photoacoustic Imaging Platform . The Vevo 2100 micro-ultrasound plus LAZR photoacoustic imaging platform: The Vevo/LAZR ultrasound/photoacoustic imaging facility will allow researchers to achieve multiple outcomes: to visualise and quantify, non-invasively, tissue and molecular structures; the movement and behaviour of cells; and the delivery patterns of administered imaging dyes and nanoparticles in mouse models and reconstructed tissues. This will enable researchers to obtain anatomical, functional, physiological and molecular data simultaneously and in real-time, with resolution down to 40 micrometres. This will translate into both user efficiency and laboratory cost effectiveness, but more significantly is expected to result in greater understanding of fundamental mechanisms regulating the body's cell and tissue functions.Read moreRead less
Platform technologies for multifunctional nanocarrier systems. Smart targeted nanocarriers offer new opportunities for drug delivery. This project aims to develop new platforms for reproducibly producing and screening targeted nanocarriers. The platform technologies developed in this project aim to revolutionise current strategies for designing and evaluating drug delivery systems, and will accelerate the clinical translation of targeted drug delivery. This will include a novel one-step microflu ....Platform technologies for multifunctional nanocarrier systems. Smart targeted nanocarriers offer new opportunities for drug delivery. This project aims to develop new platforms for reproducibly producing and screening targeted nanocarriers. The platform technologies developed in this project aim to revolutionise current strategies for designing and evaluating drug delivery systems, and will accelerate the clinical translation of targeted drug delivery. This will include a novel one-step microfluidic platform technology for reproducibly producing targeted polymer nanocarriers having systematically varied properties, a dual-templating method for making targeted silica nanocapsules and new design of in vivo-mimicking 'Tissue Chips' for screening and evaluating the nanocarriers.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100876
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,000.00
Summary
Unifying chemical concepts for advanced molecular electronics applications. This project aims to build a physical-organic chemistry framework of transferable molecular descriptors for a relatively new but a rapidly developing area of unimolecular electronics (UE) using advanced computational chemistry tools. Established structure-property relationships will drive the cutting-edge applications of UE in sensing and catalysis and significantly expand our understanding of charge transport involving ....Unifying chemical concepts for advanced molecular electronics applications. This project aims to build a physical-organic chemistry framework of transferable molecular descriptors for a relatively new but a rapidly developing area of unimolecular electronics (UE) using advanced computational chemistry tools. Established structure-property relationships will drive the cutting-edge applications of UE in sensing and catalysis and significantly expand our understanding of charge transport involving free radicals and non-covalent assemblies. Expected outcomes of this project include new design guidelines and candidate molecular architectures for such practical applications as organocatalysis inside molecular junctions, molecular spintronics and molecular sensors for reactive oxygen species and nitroaromatic pollutants.Read moreRead less
Evaluating 21st century learning environments. As yet there is little rigorous evidence attesting to the efficacy of which learning environments are the most appropriate for 21st century learning in a digital and knowledge age. This project will evaluate technology-enhanced learning environments, which will determine how effective they are in the senior secondary and higher education sectors.