Integrating electrophysiology and molecular biology to understand the role of cell membranes in bacterial responses to chill and osmotic stress. Modern food manufacture is driven by competing demands: consumers prefer foods that are 'natural', i.e. having received minimal processing and containing less preservatives, and last, but are safe. Thus, a challenge is to find minimal sets of treatments and preservatives that limit microbial growth.
Current methods to for determining limits to microbi ....Integrating electrophysiology and molecular biology to understand the role of cell membranes in bacterial responses to chill and osmotic stress. Modern food manufacture is driven by competing demands: consumers prefer foods that are 'natural', i.e. having received minimal processing and containing less preservatives, and last, but are safe. Thus, a challenge is to find minimal sets of treatments and preservatives that limit microbial growth.
Current methods to for determining limits to microbial growth are time and consuming and empirical. We will assess the potential of a new method (MIFE) to rapidly measure limits of bacterial growth under combinations of treatments. At the same time we will study how cells, and in particular how the cell membrane, responds to these stresses to provide insights for the development of new, minimal - yet safe - food preservation technologies.
Read moreRead less
Quantum Generative Diffusion Models for Molecular Research. This project will devise quantum generative diffusion models to equip classical counterparts with the ability to harness quantum data that naturally arise in molecular research. Theoretical foundations for analysing fast sampling methods with the help of inductive bias regarding the input data and employed circuits will validate efficient quantum generative diffusion models that have training and sampling advantages over classical count ....Quantum Generative Diffusion Models for Molecular Research. This project will devise quantum generative diffusion models to equip classical counterparts with the ability to harness quantum data that naturally arise in molecular research. Theoretical foundations for analysing fast sampling methods with the help of inductive bias regarding the input data and employed circuits will validate efficient quantum generative diffusion models that have training and sampling advantages over classical counterparts. Outcomes include applications in molecular conformation generation, compound screening, and drug design. The innovative research will significantly benefit Australia’s science, industry and health, and will maintain Australia’s global leading role in quantum machine learning and molecular research.Read moreRead less
Triggering the dormant capacity of fish to make omega 3 fatty acids. Marine fisheries cannot expand further, leaving aquaculture (fish farming) with the challenge of meeting the growing demand for fish, whose consumption is known to enhance human health. Fish oil is an essential component of the feed used in aquaculture, but there is a decreasing global supply of this commodity. This innovative nutritional biochemistry project boosts the capacity of fish to produce their own fish oil from vegeta ....Triggering the dormant capacity of fish to make omega 3 fatty acids. Marine fisheries cannot expand further, leaving aquaculture (fish farming) with the challenge of meeting the growing demand for fish, whose consumption is known to enhance human health. Fish oil is an essential component of the feed used in aquaculture, but there is a decreasing global supply of this commodity. This innovative nutritional biochemistry project boosts the capacity of fish to produce their own fish oil from vegetable oils in their diet. Therefore, this project will enable the expansion of aquaculture as an economically and environmentally sustainable means to produce the highest quality, nourishing fish for human consumption.Read moreRead less
Biofilm responses to cold atmospheric plasma . This project is focused on understanding the interaction of cold atmospheric plasmas with biofilms, with the aim of biofilm eradication and ultimately offering an environmentally friendly alternative to current detergents and antibiotics. The research expects to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of action for breakthrough plasma intervention technologies, which are sufficiently active to cope with the resistant nature of biofilms, yet are of low ....Biofilm responses to cold atmospheric plasma . This project is focused on understanding the interaction of cold atmospheric plasmas with biofilms, with the aim of biofilm eradication and ultimately offering an environmentally friendly alternative to current detergents and antibiotics. The research expects to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of action for breakthrough plasma intervention technologies, which are sufficiently active to cope with the resistant nature of biofilms, yet are of low energy, do not adversely affect surface properties and critically leave no residual chemistry. This should provide significant benefits by delivering a new method to tackle the ubiquitous problem of biofilm contamination in food, water and medical areas.Read moreRead less
Genetic Basis of Variable Expression of Glycan Xeno-Autoantigens by Cattle. Meat and dairy products from cattle contain sugar structures (glycans) that are not made by humans. These structures can be recognised by the immune system and lead to allergic reactions, inflammation and potentially cancer. These non-human structures are called xeno-autoantigens or XAs. We have discovered individual cattle that do not produce one of these XAs. We will study the gene required to make XA in the XA-free ca ....Genetic Basis of Variable Expression of Glycan Xeno-Autoantigens by Cattle. Meat and dairy products from cattle contain sugar structures (glycans) that are not made by humans. These structures can be recognised by the immune system and lead to allergic reactions, inflammation and potentially cancer. These non-human structures are called xeno-autoantigens or XAs. We have discovered individual cattle that do not produce one of these XAs. We will study the gene required to make XA in the XA-free cattle to find the underlying mutation. The same approach will be used to look for natural XA-free individuals in other food species. This knowledge may enable us to create a test to facilitate the natural breeding of non-GMO, XA-free livestock to benefit Australian primary producers and provide safer food for consumers.Read moreRead less
Stimulation of the mammalian reproductive system by olfactory pathways. This project answers fundamental questions about mammalian reproductive biology but, because we work with the sheep model, our findings can be applied to two of Australia's biggest export industries, wool and sheepmeat. Understanding the reproductive responses of our production animals to exteroceptive factors such as socio-sexual signals, photoperiod and nutrition is an important first step towards refining the management ....Stimulation of the mammalian reproductive system by olfactory pathways. This project answers fundamental questions about mammalian reproductive biology but, because we work with the sheep model, our findings can be applied to two of Australia's biggest export industries, wool and sheepmeat. Understanding the reproductive responses of our production animals to exteroceptive factors such as socio-sexual signals, photoperiod and nutrition is an important first step towards refining the management of breeding programs. It has been argued that this approach will also minimise, and perhaps even remove the need for, exogenous hormones and drugs for controlling the reproductive process.Read moreRead less
Novel coding and decoding in suspension arrays for accelerated biomolecular discovery and personalised medicine. This project will establish an advanced multiplexing technique to rapidly analyse complex biological mixtures, such as cell lysates, food samples or body fluids. It will enable the analysis of not tens, but thousands or more distinctive molecular targets in a single test. This will build the foundations for future generation bioassays, paving the way to emerging personalised medicine. ....Novel coding and decoding in suspension arrays for accelerated biomolecular discovery and personalised medicine. This project will establish an advanced multiplexing technique to rapidly analyse complex biological mixtures, such as cell lysates, food samples or body fluids. It will enable the analysis of not tens, but thousands or more distinctive molecular targets in a single test. This will build the foundations for future generation bioassays, paving the way to emerging personalised medicine. This will lead to new personal diagnostics tools for rapid genotype profiling, to better tailor therapy to the individual patient's specific characteristics. As well as the potential to improve health outcomes, the project will generate significant intellectual property and the opportunity for development of new diagnostic instrumentation in Australia.Read moreRead less
Towards Scalable, Internet-Based RFID Traceability Networks. Food and drug safety is a major public health issue in Australia. Recent events involving poisoning of chocolate bars and paracetamol tablets in Australia have demonstrated the urgent need for improved ways of locating and recalling commercial products that have been released into the community. This project will develop novel techniques for locating items in large-scale distribution networks driven by RFID (Radio Frequency Identificat ....Towards Scalable, Internet-Based RFID Traceability Networks. Food and drug safety is a major public health issue in Australia. Recent events involving poisoning of chocolate bars and paracetamol tablets in Australia have demonstrated the urgent need for improved ways of locating and recalling commercial products that have been released into the community. This project will develop novel techniques for locating items in large-scale distribution networks driven by RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. The outcomes of the project will make it easier to rapidly and accurately pinpoint product locations in the event of problems such as an illness outbreak due to contaminated food or counterfeited drugs. Read moreRead less
Quantifying emergence and dynamics of foodborne epidemics in Australia. The project aims to greatly improve the accuracy and scope of computational epidemiological models predicting emergence and evolution of foodborne diseases in Australia. It expects to reveal key pathways for both biological evolution of microorganisms, and their spread though food supply chains and human interactions. The intended outcomes include discovering how the most dominant strains of foodborne infection emerge and se ....Quantifying emergence and dynamics of foodborne epidemics in Australia. The project aims to greatly improve the accuracy and scope of computational epidemiological models predicting emergence and evolution of foodborne diseases in Australia. It expects to reveal key pathways for both biological evolution of microorganisms, and their spread though food supply chains and human interactions. The intended outcomes include discovering how the most dominant strains of foodborne infection emerge and self-organise in complex networks, how to predict and contain the epidemics closer to their source, and which are the most vulnerable groups and communities. This should make a significant economic and social impact, improving health of the population, while also safeguarding national and international supply chains.Read moreRead less
Agri-food Applications of Genetically-Modified Organisms: Public Perceptions, Risk and Sustainability. Agricultural and food biotechnologies are being disseminated throughout Australia - despite growing consumer concerns. Employing a sociological framework, this research will investigate ways genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) - and their associated risks - are perceived by consumers. This Australia-wide study is significant because of the nation's current endorsement of GMOs, the reluctance/ ....Agri-food Applications of Genetically-Modified Organisms: Public Perceptions, Risk and Sustainability. Agricultural and food biotechnologies are being disseminated throughout Australia - despite growing consumer concerns. Employing a sociological framework, this research will investigate ways genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) - and their associated risks - are perceived by consumers. This Australia-wide study is significant because of the nation's current endorsement of GMOs, the reluctance/inability of science to recognise lay concerns, and the likelihood that some biotechnologies will compromise environmental sustainability. Outcomes will include: conceptual advances in relation to risk and trust; an understanding of consumer acceptance/rejection of GMOs; and, recognition of the potential for agri-food biotechnologies to contribute to sustainability.Read moreRead less