Tools for manipulating neuronal activity for behavioural studies. This project aims to develop optogenetic tools neuroscientists can use to better understand brain circuitry and the functional effects of specific neurons on behaviour. Linking the activity of individual neurons in the brain to specific behaviours is a major challenge in neuroscience. Optogenetics achieve this by using light to control the activity of neurons. This has advanced understanding of behaviour and neurocircuitry. This p ....Tools for manipulating neuronal activity for behavioural studies. This project aims to develop optogenetic tools neuroscientists can use to better understand brain circuitry and the functional effects of specific neurons on behaviour. Linking the activity of individual neurons in the brain to specific behaviours is a major challenge in neuroscience. Optogenetics achieve this by using light to control the activity of neurons. This has advanced understanding of behaviour and neurocircuitry. This project is expected to increase understanding of brain function at the cellular and system levels, and advance Australia’s multidisciplinary research capacity in neuroscience, cognitive sciences and nanobiotechnology to ultimately treat neurological disorders.Read moreRead less
Bridging scales in remote sensing of vegetation stress. This project aims to develop operational upscaling algorithms to map vegetation stress indicators from space-borne missions’ optical observations of the Earth. These approaches use computer radiative transfer models and unmanned aircraft systems called drones, and will pave the way for regular satellite monitoring of plant health in extensive and inaccessible Australian and Antarctic areas. More accurate and timely remote sensing maps of ea ....Bridging scales in remote sensing of vegetation stress. This project aims to develop operational upscaling algorithms to map vegetation stress indicators from space-borne missions’ optical observations of the Earth. These approaches use computer radiative transfer models and unmanned aircraft systems called drones, and will pave the way for regular satellite monitoring of plant health in extensive and inaccessible Australian and Antarctic areas. More accurate and timely remote sensing maps of early stress symptoms will provide early warnings of droughts, diseases and pests, tell when and where to protect ecological functions of wild natural systems, and help to sustain or even increase agricultural food production.Read moreRead less
The magnetisation of Earth’s lithosphere: a new view from space. Earth’s magnetic field is an invaluable resource for studying the structure and dynamics of our planet, yet the full nature of Earth's magnetisation remains poorly understood. This project will uncover the dominant sources of magnetisation close to Earth's surface using next-generation satellite data and recent theoretical advances. Expected outcomes include the development of innovative models of lithospheric magnetisation that wi ....The magnetisation of Earth’s lithosphere: a new view from space. Earth’s magnetic field is an invaluable resource for studying the structure and dynamics of our planet, yet the full nature of Earth's magnetisation remains poorly understood. This project will uncover the dominant sources of magnetisation close to Earth's surface using next-generation satellite data and recent theoretical advances. Expected outcomes include the development of innovative models of lithospheric magnetisation that will be used to gain crucial insights into the dynamic evolution of our planet's crust and uppermost mantle. The benefits of the project address both economic and environmental issues, unravelling the nature of structures that control both mineral systems and heat flow variations beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. Read moreRead less
Interpreting biological sequence information: untangling hybridisation. Hybridisation is believed to be important during adaptive radiations where species rapidly colonise new niches and respond to new environments, e.g. in times of climate change. This project will create the statistical tools and software required for evolutionary biologists to understand how hybridisation has helped shape the Australian flora.
New Insights into the Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth. This project aims to provide new insights into the origin of life on Earth, life’s diversification through the Precambrian, and the co-evolution of life and early Earth environments. It will be discipline-leading in that it will take the study of early life to the sub-micrometre and hence sub-cellular level. This will facilitate new opportunities for identifying the types of life present during early Earth history, their metabolisms, c ....New Insights into the Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth. This project aims to provide new insights into the origin of life on Earth, life’s diversification through the Precambrian, and the co-evolution of life and early Earth environments. It will be discipline-leading in that it will take the study of early life to the sub-micrometre and hence sub-cellular level. This will facilitate new opportunities for identifying the types of life present during early Earth history, their metabolisms, cellular chemistry and interactions with their environment. This project aims to also provide new search engines and more robust assessment criteria for life on other planets, and help to resolve specific scientific controversies, for example, the validity of claims for cellular life from 3.5 billion-year-old rocks.Read moreRead less
Autonomous platforms and biotagging data: new approaches for understanding variability and change across the Antarctic ocean/sea-ice climate system. This project aims to advance our ability to assess and monitor climate change across the Antarctic ocean/sea-ice system. Ocean/sea-ice interactions have a critical role in the global climate and there is an urgent need to determine how these are responding to climate change. This project will overcome gaps in existing observational datasets that cur ....Autonomous platforms and biotagging data: new approaches for understanding variability and change across the Antarctic ocean/sea-ice climate system. This project aims to advance our ability to assess and monitor climate change across the Antarctic ocean/sea-ice system. Ocean/sea-ice interactions have a critical role in the global climate and there is an urgent need to determine how these are responding to climate change. This project will overcome gaps in existing observational datasets that currently limit our understanding of spatiotemporal variability and change in ocean around Antarctica. This study will use two new approaches, biotagging and autonomous platforms, to greatly improve our capacity to model and predict the impacts of climate change on the Antarctic ocean/sea ice system and beyond.Read moreRead less
Harnessing light and electricity to drive chemical synthesis. This project will explore and establish original strategies that use inputs of energy (light and electricity) to break or form chemical bonds, which can provide new or improved access to valuable compounds. In this way, this research will augment or enhance existing methods for the selective and direct manipulation of molecules by creating tools that allow chemists to prepare molecules under particularly mild conditions. The outcomes ....Harnessing light and electricity to drive chemical synthesis. This project will explore and establish original strategies that use inputs of energy (light and electricity) to break or form chemical bonds, which can provide new or improved access to valuable compounds. In this way, this research will augment or enhance existing methods for the selective and direct manipulation of molecules by creating tools that allow chemists to prepare molecules under particularly mild conditions. The outcomes of the project will include the development of new technology for organic synthesis and forging novel approaches for chemical alkylation and cross-coupling reactions. This can contribute to making important compounds more efficiently, safely and cheaper to produce in the future.Read moreRead less
General relativistic light propagation effects: new insight into cosmic voids, dark matter, dark energy, and Einstein's theory of gravity. This project aims to be the first to develop new methods which will allow accurate study of light propagation effects. These methods remove the “noise” (light propagation effects) from observational data, resulting in unprecedented accuracy of the analyses and new insight into properties of dark energy. At the same time these methods use the “noise” as the ac ....General relativistic light propagation effects: new insight into cosmic voids, dark matter, dark energy, and Einstein's theory of gravity. This project aims to be the first to develop new methods which will allow accurate study of light propagation effects. These methods remove the “noise” (light propagation effects) from observational data, resulting in unprecedented accuracy of the analyses and new insight into properties of dark energy. At the same time these methods use the “noise” as the actual signal to measure properties of the Universe, especially the mass distribution inside cosmic voids (places in the Universe avoided by galaxies), which will solve the problem of dark matter distribution inside cosmic voids. The project aims to use light propagation effects to test Einstein's theory of gravity at cosmological scales.Read moreRead less
Rapid motor responses in young and older adults. This proposal aims to contribute to our understanding of basic neural mechanisms mediating rapid motor actions across our lifespan. One in four Australians will be over the age of 65 by the year 2056. The project plans to investigate how changes in brain structure and function, as well as alterations in cognitive processing abilities that occur in older age, affect rapid choices between various alternative motor actions as well as our ability to s ....Rapid motor responses in young and older adults. This proposal aims to contribute to our understanding of basic neural mechanisms mediating rapid motor actions across our lifespan. One in four Australians will be over the age of 65 by the year 2056. The project plans to investigate how changes in brain structure and function, as well as alterations in cognitive processing abilities that occur in older age, affect rapid choices between various alternative motor actions as well as our ability to stop motor responses once they are planned. It plans to combine noninvasive brain stimulation with novel behavioural experiments and computational modelling techniques to develop fundamental new knowledge of the natural processes that characterise age-related changes in rapid motor actions.Read moreRead less
Faster, greener, stronger: a new approach to synthesis of polymer materials. The project will investigate new approaches towards polymer material synthesis in the complete absence of hazardous solvents, with the aim of creating materials that have superior physical or chemical properties compared to those prepared using existing methods. This project is significant for driving advances in material design and characterization using simple starting materials and environmentally sustainable conditi ....Faster, greener, stronger: a new approach to synthesis of polymer materials. The project will investigate new approaches towards polymer material synthesis in the complete absence of hazardous solvents, with the aim of creating materials that have superior physical or chemical properties compared to those prepared using existing methods. This project is significant for driving advances in material design and characterization using simple starting materials and environmentally sustainable conditions. Expected outcomes include the production of unique nanomaterials, hydrogels and polymer monoliths with targeted applications, in addition to advances in 3D printing. This project will significantly benefit the sustainable material manufacturing industry into the future.Read moreRead less