Conducting polymer materials. This project aims to understand the optical, electrical and optoelectronic properties of conductive polymers by studying how ions influence the charge transport through the polymeric structure. The discovery of conductive polymers in the 1970s led to smartphone and laptop touch displays and solar cells. These materials promise even more still – but how they operate at the atomic level is not understood. This project could lead to an ability to harness and control th ....Conducting polymer materials. This project aims to understand the optical, electrical and optoelectronic properties of conductive polymers by studying how ions influence the charge transport through the polymeric structure. The discovery of conductive polymers in the 1970s led to smartphone and laptop touch displays and solar cells. These materials promise even more still – but how they operate at the atomic level is not understood. This project could lead to an ability to harness and control these properties for energy storage and wearable displays. These materials’ biological neutrality could lead to drug delivery and sensing applications in the agriculture and healthcare spaces.Read moreRead less
The stability and predictability of the Southern Hemisphere coupled ocean-atmosphere climate system. Our ability to adapt to and manage the effects of a changing climate is limited by our understanding of the ocean's response to changes in the atmospheric circulation. This project will establish the basis for the predictability of the climate system and provide state-of-the-art forecasts for climate adaptation.
Novel graphene-based soft materials for versatile applications. This research program will develop new techniques to convert natural graphite into new carbon nanomaterials for use in energy storage/conversion devices, water purification, sensors and biomedical devices. It will enable many technological innovations in related areas and enhance Australia's engineering and manufacturing innovations.
Image correlation spectroscopy on gold nanorod based plasmonic random media for nanophotonic applications. The push for high capacity storage and high speed plasmonic switching beyond terahertz (THz) is continuing, but the question remains whether this limit can be overcome. This project tackles these issues using plasmonic random media, which will help realise the elusive terabyte storage capacity and THz switching speed.
Platform technologies for multifunctional nanocarrier systems. Smart targeted nanocarriers offer new opportunities for drug delivery. This project aims to develop new platforms for reproducibly producing and screening targeted nanocarriers. The platform technologies developed in this project aim to revolutionise current strategies for designing and evaluating drug delivery systems, and will accelerate the clinical translation of targeted drug delivery. This will include a novel one-step microflu ....Platform technologies for multifunctional nanocarrier systems. Smart targeted nanocarriers offer new opportunities for drug delivery. This project aims to develop new platforms for reproducibly producing and screening targeted nanocarriers. The platform technologies developed in this project aim to revolutionise current strategies for designing and evaluating drug delivery systems, and will accelerate the clinical translation of targeted drug delivery. This will include a novel one-step microfluidic platform technology for reproducibly producing targeted polymer nanocarriers having systematically varied properties, a dual-templating method for making targeted silica nanocapsules and new design of in vivo-mimicking 'Tissue Chips' for screening and evaluating the nanocarriers.Read moreRead less
High performance compound semiconductor nanowire optoelectronic devices. Semiconductor nanowires are emerging nano-materials with substantial opportunities for novel photonic and electronic device applications. This project aims at developing a new generation of high performance nanowire-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers and photodetectors, which will make great contribution to the nation in the areas of science, technology and industry.
Efficient and convergent first-principles chemical dynamics. This project develops a new method for studying chemical systems using first principles quantum mechanics. The new method can solve a much larger range of chemical problems than its predecessors, allowing detailed and accurate descriptions of reactions and dynamics driven by thermal energy or activated by light.
Enhance ferromagnetic ordering by exchange coupling and defect engineering. This project aims to achieve room temperature ferromagnetism in two-dimensional materials via magnetic element doping and defect and interface engineering. Achieving high spin polarisation, high spin diffusion length and effective spin manipulation, the pre-requisites for functional spintronics devices, makes research into two-dimensional materials for spintronics applications difficult. This project could establish a so ....Enhance ferromagnetic ordering by exchange coupling and defect engineering. This project aims to achieve room temperature ferromagnetism in two-dimensional materials via magnetic element doping and defect and interface engineering. Achieving high spin polarisation, high spin diffusion length and effective spin manipulation, the pre-requisites for functional spintronics devices, makes research into two-dimensional materials for spintronics applications difficult. This project could establish a solid foundation for realising qualified spintronics materials for spintronics devices. The expected outcomes are low power, high speed, spintronics devices, enhancing Australia’s strength in spintronics research.Read moreRead less
How microbes build their environments through evolutionary feedback. The fitness landscape, a key evolutionary concept, relates genes or traits to reproductive fitness. However, this has been challenged by organisms that distort the landscape by changing their environments. This project aims to develop a new mathematical model that restores the landscape concept by extending it to accommodate niche construction. This framework will be applied to microorganisms that alter their environments, for ....How microbes build their environments through evolutionary feedback. The fitness landscape, a key evolutionary concept, relates genes or traits to reproductive fitness. However, this has been challenged by organisms that distort the landscape by changing their environments. This project aims to develop a new mathematical model that restores the landscape concept by extending it to accommodate niche construction. This framework will be applied to microorganisms that alter their environments, for example, by provoking and subverting the host immune system, and by inducing behavioural change in hosts. These processes alter how natural selection operates on microbes and thus lead to important evolutionary feedback. The model will be used to examine antibiotic resistance, pathogen virulence and how microbiomes develop.Read moreRead less
Engineering nanosheet-based novel structures. Microscopic structures will be engineered based on super thin materials, which promise to deliver significant advancements in the development of high sensitivity detectors, and efficient energy conversion and storage devices. This project will develop techniques that are not only green but also possess the flexibility to tailor-make novel structures.