Carbonaceous adsorbents for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. This project aims to develop a new generation of mechanically and thermally stable carbon-nanocarbon composite adsorbents for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. The structure of adsorbents will be constructed according to advanced core-shell design with non-porous carbon central core and porous shell formed by highly ordered uniform nanocarbon particles. The unique properties of carbon-nanocarbon composite adsor ....Carbonaceous adsorbents for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. This project aims to develop a new generation of mechanically and thermally stable carbon-nanocarbon composite adsorbents for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. The structure of adsorbents will be constructed according to advanced core-shell design with non-porous carbon central core and porous shell formed by highly ordered uniform nanocarbon particles. The unique properties of carbon-nanocarbon composite adsorbents will put liquid chromatography to qualitatively new levels of the separation performance that may open new possibilities for medicine and biodiagnostics. The resulting technology also has a strong potential to be used in other priority areas such as preparation of electrodes and supercapacitors for energy storage devices.Read moreRead less
On-fibre separation science with ambient ionisation mass spectrometry. This project aims to combine fibre-based electrofluidics and ambient ionisation mass spectrometry. Fibre-based electrophoresis is a separation technology which is cheaper, simpler and faster than pre-MS analyses. This project will use the fibre simultaneously as the ionisation platform for ambient mass spectrometry, combining the processes of separation and ionisation in a portable and flexible platform. The developed technol ....On-fibre separation science with ambient ionisation mass spectrometry. This project aims to combine fibre-based electrofluidics and ambient ionisation mass spectrometry. Fibre-based electrophoresis is a separation technology which is cheaper, simpler and faster than pre-MS analyses. This project will use the fibre simultaneously as the ionisation platform for ambient mass spectrometry, combining the processes of separation and ionisation in a portable and flexible platform. The developed technology is expected to provide new capability in bioanalysis, proteomics and rapid clinical diagnostics. Future benefits may include new commercial fibre based technologies which could be applied within industrial and clinical laboratories within the next ten years.Read moreRead less
Wave-ice models of Antarctic sea ice. This project aims to design and execute autonomous observations above (unmanned aerial vehicles), below (autonomous underwater vehicles) and within (wave-ice interaction buoys) sea ice on international Antarctic research voyages. The project intends to advance the parameterisation of wave-ice interaction, critical to the seasonal advance and retreat of Antarctic sea ice, in climate models that do not reproduce the observed trends in regional Antarctic sea ic ....Wave-ice models of Antarctic sea ice. This project aims to design and execute autonomous observations above (unmanned aerial vehicles), below (autonomous underwater vehicles) and within (wave-ice interaction buoys) sea ice on international Antarctic research voyages. The project intends to advance the parameterisation of wave-ice interaction, critical to the seasonal advance and retreat of Antarctic sea ice, in climate models that do not reproduce the observed trends in regional Antarctic sea ice extent. The project expects to improve prediction of sea ice’s responses and feedbacks to changes in ocean and atmospheric forcing around the Southern Ocean. This work should place Australia at the forefront of polar climate research. Greater accuracy in climate projections will help to optimise the balance between human populations, economic growth and environmental protection in an uncertain future.Read moreRead less
Lectin based open tubular micro-reactors for probing protein-protein binding. This project seeks to develop non-invasive technology for the measurement and quantitation of lectin-carbohydrate binding events, in the first instance glycopeptides and glycoproteins. The goal is not only to provide accurate protein-protein association and dissociation constant data within the developed system, but to do so within an enclosed micro-fluidic environment, with the added advantages of also providing ‘trap ....Lectin based open tubular micro-reactors for probing protein-protein binding. This project seeks to develop non-invasive technology for the measurement and quantitation of lectin-carbohydrate binding events, in the first instance glycopeptides and glycoproteins. The goal is not only to provide accurate protein-protein association and dissociation constant data within the developed system, but to do so within an enclosed micro-fluidic environment, with the added advantages of also providing ‘trap and release’ extraction capabilities, and being easily coupled to both chromatographic and mass spectrometry systems. Read moreRead less
Material Transfer Agreements and Open Science in the Genome Era. Research paradigms are changing rapidly in the Genome Era. Open access databases are increasingly popular and are required by public funding agencies. The role of material transfer agreements (MTAs) in this open access era is not clear. This project aims to assess the extent to which MTAs facilitate exchanges of biological materials between organisation in Australia and internationally. The project will assess whether MTAs are refl ....Material Transfer Agreements and Open Science in the Genome Era. Research paradigms are changing rapidly in the Genome Era. Open access databases are increasingly popular and are required by public funding agencies. The role of material transfer agreements (MTAs) in this open access era is not clear. This project aims to assess the extent to which MTAs facilitate exchanges of biological materials between organisation in Australia and internationally. The project will assess whether MTAs are reflecting the open data access movement or maintaining traditional closed proprietary practices. The project will make policy, ethical and legal recommendations for the development of MTAs to promote exchange of materials nationally and internationally and to facilitate the developing collaborative research culture. Read moreRead less
Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability t ....Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability through the convergence of expertise and innovation in analytical chemistry, materials science and cellular biology, ultilising the latest technology and understanding of 3D micro/electrofluidics, to enable the study and stimulation of advanced biological models, sustained within precisely controlled 3D micro-environments.Read moreRead less
The Inception of Criminal Deportation in Colonial Australia . This project aims to undertake the first comprehensive study of criminal deportation in colonial Australia. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on freely arrived colonists who were tried, sentenced to transportation, and criminally deported within the Australian colonies. The project spans the disciplines of history and criminology, developing a new methodological framework that aims to facilitate important insights on the societa ....The Inception of Criminal Deportation in Colonial Australia . This project aims to undertake the first comprehensive study of criminal deportation in colonial Australia. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on freely arrived colonists who were tried, sentenced to transportation, and criminally deported within the Australian colonies. The project spans the disciplines of history and criminology, developing a new methodological framework that aims to facilitate important insights on the societal attitudes, systems, and circumstances that led to criminal deportation. This should provide significant benefits by articulating the unexplored deep history of Australian criminal deportation practices. The project also aims to preserve fragile colonial documents foundational to the nation’s history.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanisms underpinning complex sociality. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the formation of complex social systems in vertebrates. Our understanding of these mechanisms is strongly biased towards a few model systems. We have identified a novel Australian model system with a wide range of sociality for this purpose. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how the social environment interacts with the brain during social organisation. Expected ....Understanding the mechanisms underpinning complex sociality. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the formation of complex social systems in vertebrates. Our understanding of these mechanisms is strongly biased towards a few model systems. We have identified a novel Australian model system with a wide range of sociality for this purpose. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how the social environment interacts with the brain during social organisation. Expected outcomes include the refinement of social theory and capacity building via international collaboration and postgraduate training. This work will provide significant benefits by increasing our understanding of how the brain and social environment interact to moderate aggression and enhance social associations.Read moreRead less
How do myelinating cells alter brain circuits to facilitate learning? This project aims to identify the brain circuits that receive new insulation and characterise the molecular mediators of this process. This project will apply innovative technologies to understand how the nervous system remains adaptable throughout life. This new knowledge, of the cellular mechanisms that allow brain circuits to remain adaptable throughout life, may have application in the development of interventions aimed at ....How do myelinating cells alter brain circuits to facilitate learning? This project aims to identify the brain circuits that receive new insulation and characterise the molecular mediators of this process. This project will apply innovative technologies to understand how the nervous system remains adaptable throughout life. This new knowledge, of the cellular mechanisms that allow brain circuits to remain adaptable throughout life, may have application in the development of interventions aimed at improving educational outcomes or counteracting age-related memory decline. Potential future benefits include facilitating the development of drugs to circumvent memory loss resulting from brain diseases, and improving the design of neuromorphic hardware for computing.Read moreRead less
Selectivity enhancement in separation science using responsive materials. Increasing public demand for quality products from the chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and food industries requires access to innovative methods of chemical analysis. This project will establish a new class of separation materials of enhanced selectivity and resolving power for the fast, sensitive and reliable analysis of these products.