Multiscale viscoelastic lubrication of soft matter systems. The project aims to develop new principles of viscoelastic lubrication in soft contacts. New insights into friction behaviour arising from complex fluid-substrate interactions are expected to be generated using techniques and interdisciplinary approaches that bridge rheology, tribology and surface science. The intended outcome is a lubrication model that interprets the contribution of viscoelastic effects occurring across multiple lengt ....Multiscale viscoelastic lubrication of soft matter systems. The project aims to develop new principles of viscoelastic lubrication in soft contacts. New insights into friction behaviour arising from complex fluid-substrate interactions are expected to be generated using techniques and interdisciplinary approaches that bridge rheology, tribology and surface science. The intended outcome is a lubrication model that interprets the contribution of viscoelastic effects occurring across multiple length and time scales. This should provide significant benefits to diverse fields including advanced materials and complex fluids, engineering tribology, bio-lubrication and food structure design.Read moreRead less
Electrochemical sensors as early alert screening tools for water quality assessment. This project will impact on water safety assessment and provide better management tools for water pollutant control. It will address a real need to develop on-line detection technologies for application in the water industry and will demonstrate the potential broad applicability of this technology to a wide range of analytes of concern.
Enabling the design of superior healthy snack foods and beverages through innovative assessment of oral processing and mucosal film interactions. Reducing sugar and fat in foods generally leads to products that are perceived as less flavoursome and appealing. A significant contributor to this is the interaction of foods and beverages with oral mucosal substrates, which play a key role in perceptual processes that drive unacceptable mouthfeel sensations. This project seeks to develop and use oral ....Enabling the design of superior healthy snack foods and beverages through innovative assessment of oral processing and mucosal film interactions. Reducing sugar and fat in foods generally leads to products that are perceived as less flavoursome and appealing. A significant contributor to this is the interaction of foods and beverages with oral mucosal substrates, which play a key role in perceptual processes that drive unacceptable mouthfeel sensations. This project seeks to develop and use oral mimetic substrates to permit objective and quantified rheological and tribological responses, imitating the underlying physics occurring during food oral processing that drive dynamic sensory responses. The project aims to enable a mechanism-based approach to minimise the amounts of fat, salt and sugar required for sensory properties that meet consumer expectations.Read moreRead less
Engineering biomimetic lubrication with mucin. Engineering coatings for water to be an effective lubricant is a significant challenge. The project seeks to emulate how nature builds highly lubricating water-rich polymer films on biological surfaces. This is intended to be achieved by directing the self-assembly of mucin macromolecules onto polymer brushes attached to a substrate, and then cross-linking the constituents to obtain a hydrated gel-like lubricating coating. This research is expected ....Engineering biomimetic lubrication with mucin. Engineering coatings for water to be an effective lubricant is a significant challenge. The project seeks to emulate how nature builds highly lubricating water-rich polymer films on biological surfaces. This is intended to be achieved by directing the self-assembly of mucin macromolecules onto polymer brushes attached to a substrate, and then cross-linking the constituents to obtain a hydrated gel-like lubricating coating. This research is expected to provide new insights on the mechanisms by which mucin-rich fluids lubricate and protect biosurfaces, which is important to human health, nutrition and well-being. It may also lead to new discoveries for engineering surface coatings for biomaterials and nanomaterials.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100085
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Soft matter and responsive materials characterisation facility. The processing of minerals, foods and pharmaceutical materials underpins the delivery of these materials to the community. The industries associated with the named areas have cost-driven demands for higher throughput and constraints imposed by water and energy conservation requirements. Technological advances in the processing of soft matter and responsive materials therefore offer a gateway to revolutionary changes in many aspects ....Soft matter and responsive materials characterisation facility. The processing of minerals, foods and pharmaceutical materials underpins the delivery of these materials to the community. The industries associated with the named areas have cost-driven demands for higher throughput and constraints imposed by water and energy conservation requirements. Technological advances in the processing of soft matter and responsive materials therefore offer a gateway to revolutionary changes in many aspects of our everyday lives. The outcomes from research addressing these classes of advanced materials will translate into improvements in Australian industries and in training the next generation of world leading Australian scientists and engineers using state-of-the-art technology.Read moreRead less
Building bio-inspired smart nanochannels for virus detection. This project aims to harness high-precision silicon nanofabrication methods to create the next generation of bio-inspired viral biosensors. The new technology would enable prompt, cost-efficient, and accurate detection of virus contamination of our water and food supplies. The project plans to fabricate arrays of parallel double-layered nanochannels in silicon via templated etching, with surface functionalisation to display receptors. ....Building bio-inspired smart nanochannels for virus detection. This project aims to harness high-precision silicon nanofabrication methods to create the next generation of bio-inspired viral biosensors. The new technology would enable prompt, cost-efficient, and accurate detection of virus contamination of our water and food supplies. The project plans to fabricate arrays of parallel double-layered nanochannels in silicon via templated etching, with surface functionalisation to display receptors. These nanochannels are designed to act as size-selective filters for electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence sensing. The project plans to explore innovative signal amplification and multiplexing capabilities for ultrasensitive detection of norovirus and bacteriophages.Read moreRead less
Functional nano-porous metal membranes for sustainable separation in industrial processes. There are many waste streams that need to be purified which degrade conventional membranes. This project with local company AMS aims to develop nano-porous metal membranes as a sustainable alternative to conventional membrane materials. Highly porous and ultra-thin metal membrane sheets with narrowly distributed nano-scale pores will be fabricated and functionalised to purify both model and industrial wast ....Functional nano-porous metal membranes for sustainable separation in industrial processes. There are many waste streams that need to be purified which degrade conventional membranes. This project with local company AMS aims to develop nano-porous metal membranes as a sustainable alternative to conventional membrane materials. Highly porous and ultra-thin metal membrane sheets with narrowly distributed nano-scale pores will be fabricated and functionalised to purify both model and industrial wastewaters. This intends to lead to the production of stronger, more versatile and chemically stable membrane materials that will exhibit longer lifespan and performance. The most significant outcome is expected to be low cost metal alloys with pores below the current 100 nm benchmark and assess their thermo-chemical stability.Read moreRead less