Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expe ....Development of modal control systems for adaptive optics. This project will develop a simple, robust and low-cost modal servo system for dynamic control and correction of the propagation and focussing properties of light beams. This new system will incorporate a novel optical sensor, which will be developed in this project, and a new optical corrector being developed at the University of Durham. Currently available astronomical adaptive-optics systems have produced excellent results but are expensive and complicated. A low-cost alternative will dramatically increase the use of adaptive optics in industrial, environmental and medical applications. The compensation of distortions in low-cost optical atmospheric sensors will be demonstrated.Read moreRead less
Broadband to the bush: Polarization as a new resource in wireless cross-layer design. 'Broadband to the Bush' is a national priority - more than 1.6 million homes, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations in rural, regional, and remote Australia are set to benefit from broadband access to phone networks and the internet. The immediate challenges lie in overcoming poor download speeds and area coverage, as well as expensive access. This research will deliver cost and power-efficient re ....Broadband to the bush: Polarization as a new resource in wireless cross-layer design. 'Broadband to the Bush' is a national priority - more than 1.6 million homes, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations in rural, regional, and remote Australia are set to benefit from broadband access to phone networks and the internet. The immediate challenges lie in overcoming poor download speeds and area coverage, as well as expensive access. This research will deliver cost and power-efficient receiver architectures to provide end-user utility, and will train postgraduate researchers across traditional discipline boundaries in mathematics and engineering. The project represents an important contribution to frontier technologies in information and communications technology for building and transforming Australian industries.Read moreRead less
A genomic approach to the mechanism of meiotic recombination in Neurospora. Recombination shuffles DNA sequences between homologous chromosomes during the reduction division in the life cycle of higher organisms. Along with mutation, it is a key process in evolution. Understanding of the molecular processes involved in recombination is largely based on yeast, which is intolerant of significant levels of sequence mismatch, limiting the resolution of analyses of normal recombination events. We hav ....A genomic approach to the mechanism of meiotic recombination in Neurospora. Recombination shuffles DNA sequences between homologous chromosomes during the reduction division in the life cycle of higher organisms. Along with mutation, it is a key process in evolution. Understanding of the molecular processes involved in recombination is largely based on yeast, which is intolerant of significant levels of sequence mismatch, limiting the resolution of analyses of normal recombination events. We have shown that Neurospora, like other less tractable multicellular eukaryotes, is tolerant of sequence mismatch, allowing high resolution analysis of individual recombination events. This project will build on fundamental advances we have already made in understanding how recombination occurs.Read moreRead less
Understanding marine biodiversity across vast spatial scales. Large-scale studies of biodiversity are frequently recommended by ecologists, but their costs are prohibitive. More efficient, yet accurate, sampling and analytical procedures are needed. This proposal will provide new quantitative knowledge on patterns of diversity of marine species (fish & invertebrates) from local to regional scales across southern Australia and northern New Zealand. An innovative feature of this research is the c ....Understanding marine biodiversity across vast spatial scales. Large-scale studies of biodiversity are frequently recommended by ecologists, but their costs are prohibitive. More efficient, yet accurate, sampling and analytical procedures are needed. This proposal will provide new quantitative knowledge on patterns of diversity of marine species (fish & invertebrates) from local to regional scales across southern Australia and northern New Zealand. An innovative feature of this research is the contribution of new ecological information with novel analytical procedures to identify the consequences of using more cost-effective techniques on quantifying patterns of biodiversity. This understanding is fundamental to the on-going advancement of ecology and conservation biology.Read moreRead less
Novel link between bacterial sugar metabolism and cell-to-cell signalling. This project aims to understand the role and function of the bacterial communication system that enables bacteria to form complex communities and alter phenotypic traits, essential for survival in their environment. Bacteria survive in their environmental niches by developing complex multicellular communities. Cell to cell communication, termed quorum sensing (QS), is critical for this process and is linked to their capac ....Novel link between bacterial sugar metabolism and cell-to-cell signalling. This project aims to understand the role and function of the bacterial communication system that enables bacteria to form complex communities and alter phenotypic traits, essential for survival in their environment. Bacteria survive in their environmental niches by developing complex multicellular communities. Cell to cell communication, termed quorum sensing (QS), is critical for this process and is linked to their capacity to detect and secrete small signalling molecules, autoinducers. This project will provide a new paradigm in bacterial adaptation through comprehensive characterisation of the Autoinducer-2 QS system. This knowledge will provide future opportunities for intervention in microbial infestation with broad potential benefits.Read moreRead less
Defining New Building Blocks for the Construction of Artificial Genetic Circuits. By characterising the components of a natural genetic switch, we will make available a set of well defined genetic building blocks for construction of rationally designed biological circuits. The ability to build such circuits would have significant economic benefit in areas such as metabolic engineering, to improve the efficiency of production of natural compounds from micro-organisms, and in biomedicine, for the ....Defining New Building Blocks for the Construction of Artificial Genetic Circuits. By characterising the components of a natural genetic switch, we will make available a set of well defined genetic building blocks for construction of rationally designed biological circuits. The ability to build such circuits would have significant economic benefit in areas such as metabolic engineering, to improve the efficiency of production of natural compounds from micro-organisms, and in biomedicine, for the controlled release of therapeutic compounds. The involvement of Honours and Ph.D students in this project will expose the next generation of Australian scientists to this emerging discipline. International collaboration leading to publications in high impact scientific journals will enhance Australia's scientific reputation.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
SENSORS FOR AROMATIC MOLECULES BASED ON METAL ION ACTIVATED MOLECULAR RECEPTORS. This project aims to develop highly sensitive chemical sensors for aromatic compounds which will quantify their concentration, in situ, without elaborate sample preparation or instrumentation. The sensors will employ advanced supramolecular chemistry in which the aromatic molecule becomes trapped within a binding cavity in the three dimensional structure of a larger receptor molecule. Coincident with the entrapmen ....SENSORS FOR AROMATIC MOLECULES BASED ON METAL ION ACTIVATED MOLECULAR RECEPTORS. This project aims to develop highly sensitive chemical sensors for aromatic compounds which will quantify their concentration, in situ, without elaborate sample preparation or instrumentation. The sensors will employ advanced supramolecular chemistry in which the aromatic molecule becomes trapped within a binding cavity in the three dimensional structure of a larger receptor molecule. Coincident with the entrapment a change in the fluorescence level of the receptor occurs which signals the presence of the aromatic compound and its concentration. This research will stimulate economic and social benefits through the development of new environmental and medical sensing techniques and analytical diagnostics.Read moreRead less
The interplay between natural and human perturbations in structuring marine habitats. Empirical predictions of which could be the changes to natural habitats caused by human perturbations will increase the ability to prevent irreversible losses of biodiversity. This project will enable the planning of sound strategies for the conservation of valuable ecosystems, such as kelp forests, in view of the massive changes that will likely take place as a consequence of increasing exploitation of marine ....The interplay between natural and human perturbations in structuring marine habitats. Empirical predictions of which could be the changes to natural habitats caused by human perturbations will increase the ability to prevent irreversible losses of biodiversity. This project will enable the planning of sound strategies for the conservation of valuable ecosystems, such as kelp forests, in view of the massive changes that will likely take place as a consequence of increasing exploitation of marine resources and of global climatic changes. The scientific knowledge generated by this project is necessary for a sustainable development of coastal areas, which would guarantee the provision of goods and services to Australian future generations.Read moreRead less
Local and regional investigations into perturbations of marine habitat. Surprising changes to coastal ecology are forecast as increasing physical stresses (e.g. nutrient and sediment runoff) initiate changes to habitat. Lack of information about perturbations remains a major gap in marine ecology and coastal management. Multifactorial experiments will examine perturbations to one of temperate Australia's most widespread subtidal habitats (kelp forests) to test predictions derived from ecologic ....Local and regional investigations into perturbations of marine habitat. Surprising changes to coastal ecology are forecast as increasing physical stresses (e.g. nutrient and sediment runoff) initiate changes to habitat. Lack of information about perturbations remains a major gap in marine ecology and coastal management. Multifactorial experiments will examine perturbations to one of temperate Australia's most widespread subtidal habitats (kelp forests) to test predictions derived from ecological theory. Tests focus on (1) models about abrupt switches of habitat to contrasting states, and (2) responses among regions bearing striking differences in consumer control. These trans-Australian tests may change the way we view one of the world's most extensive temperate coastlines.Read moreRead less