Reducing rocket resonance is the key to safer spaceflight. This fellowship considers a particularly dangerous component of rocket launch, which is the potential for destructive feedback loops to form either in the nozzle, or between the nozzle and the launch pad. CI Edgington-Mitchell is a world leader in the study of resonance in jet engines, having developed best-in-field methodologies for the problem. In this innovative fellowship, he will apply these methodologies to better understand the da ....Reducing rocket resonance is the key to safer spaceflight. This fellowship considers a particularly dangerous component of rocket launch, which is the potential for destructive feedback loops to form either in the nozzle, or between the nozzle and the launch pad. CI Edgington-Mitchell is a world leader in the study of resonance in jet engines, having developed best-in-field methodologies for the problem. In this innovative fellowship, he will apply these methodologies to better understand the dangerous resonances that can occur during rocket launch, using a combination of experimental, numerical, and theoretical techniques, in partnership with NASA, Stanford, and the CNRS.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100933
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,183.00
Summary
Noise-reduction mechanisms in jet engines: chevrons are the answer. This project aims to develop new models to study the influence of chevrons on the exhaust of aircraft engines, which is one of the strongest sound sources during take-off. As constant exposure to high-amplitude noise in areas close to airports leads to a myriad of health problems, new strategies have been sought to mitigate this noise component. Chevrons may modify the dynamics of the noise-generating coherent structures, but mo ....Noise-reduction mechanisms in jet engines: chevrons are the answer. This project aims to develop new models to study the influence of chevrons on the exhaust of aircraft engines, which is one of the strongest sound sources during take-off. As constant exposure to high-amplitude noise in areas close to airports leads to a myriad of health problems, new strategies have been sought to mitigate this noise component. Chevrons may modify the dynamics of the noise-generating coherent structures, but most of their parameters are chosen by trial and error, and the mechanism that maximises noise reduction is not clear. By understanding the underlying noise-reduction mechanisms, this project will facilitate the optimal design of quieter exhaust nozzles, ameliorating the effect of aircraft noise on the local community.Read moreRead less
Modelling, Design and Development of a Novel Wave-Energy Converter. Australia has an abundant source of wave-energy commercially untapped due to technical limitations of current wave-energy devices. This project aims to develop a novel wave-energy converter (WEC) that integrates energy capture and electricity generation through a single mechanism. This novel WEC can overcome or significantly reduce the drawbacks of existing WECs, is compact and light-weight (about 30 times less), ensures surviva ....Modelling, Design and Development of a Novel Wave-Energy Converter. Australia has an abundant source of wave-energy commercially untapped due to technical limitations of current wave-energy devices. This project aims to develop a novel wave-energy converter (WEC) that integrates energy capture and electricity generation through a single mechanism. This novel WEC can overcome or significantly reduce the drawbacks of existing WECs, is compact and light-weight (about 30 times less), ensures survivability, and has low-cost installation and maintenance. The project expects to deliver novel theoretical results in fluid-structure interaction, control systems and electrical conversion for WECs and other applications. The WEC will be demonstrated via a tested proof-of-concept physical model.Read moreRead less
Structural And Drug Discovery Studies Of Medically Important Protein Complexes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,577.00
Summary
My research is focused on structural studies of medically important biological systems, where specific protein complex formation contributes to human illnesses. I use X-ray crystallography to visualize the whole complex at atomic resolution as well as to determine whether binding partners have undergone changes in shape upon complex formation. This structural information then helps me in drug design with goals to either disrupt or modulate the complex.
Recent evidence suggests that the Siah proteins are involved in sensing low oxygen levels in cells, and subsequently activating processes to help the cell survive under these conditions. Low oxygen conditions occur in cancer and sites of inflammation, suggesting that inhibiting Siah may improve patient outcomes in diseases such as cancer and arthritis. We aim to perform a high throughput screen for drugs that inhibit Siah protein function and to test these in cancer cells.
Structural Characterisation Of SNARE Protein Complexes Involved In Insulin-regulated Glucose Transport
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,803.00
Summary
Insulin-regulated glucose transportation is defective in type 2 diabetes, a disease that is a major health problem worldwide and in some cases can lead to death. The aim of this work is to investigate the molecular structure and function of proteins critical to the transportation and delivery of glucose to muscle and fat cells, which will lead to the validation of new therapeutic targets and the development of new treatments for diabetes.
Investigation Of An LMO4- And BRCA1 -containing Complex Involved In Breast Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,250.00
Summary
Breast cancer will affect one in twelve Australian women and a quarter of those will die from breast cancer. At present we still know little about what causes the disease, and there is currently a lot of activity in the field of breast cancer research that will ultimately increase our ability to both detect its development at early stages and to provide effective treatments for the disease. We do know that losing the function of a few genes (breast cancer susceptibility genes) leads to a very hi ....Breast cancer will affect one in twelve Australian women and a quarter of those will die from breast cancer. At present we still know little about what causes the disease, and there is currently a lot of activity in the field of breast cancer research that will ultimately increase our ability to both detect its development at early stages and to provide effective treatments for the disease. We do know that losing the function of a few genes (breast cancer susceptibility genes) leads to a very high likelihood of developing cancer, and we know that the normal roles of the proteins that are produced from these genes are to prevent cancers from occurring in a spontaneous fashion. However, the inheritance of mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes accounts for only a few percent of breast cancer cases. A recently discovered protein, known as LMO4, has been found at abnormal levels in over 50% of non-inherited breast tumors. This protein has been found to both interact with the protein from the most commonly occurring breast cancer susceptibility gene, known as BRCA1, and to prevent the normal activity of BRCA1. Thus, if we could develop reagents that prevent LMO4 from interacting with BRCA1, we could use those reagents as lead compounds for the development of anti-breast cancer drugs. Before we can develop such reagents we need to fully understand both what these proteins look like and how they interact. We already know that two other proteins, known as ldb1 and CtIP are involved in the LMO4:BRCA1 interaction. We will investigate the ways in which all of these proteins interact, from determining how strong each interaction is, to getting atomic level information about which surfaces of the proteins make the most contribution to each interaction. This should let us identify good targets for the design and development of anti-breast cancer drugs.Read moreRead less