Surveillance of the mechanisms controlling proteome foldedness. This project aims to measure how cells keep the proteome folded. Cells have extensive quality control networks to govern synthesis, folding and transport of every protein but the buffering capacity of this system is not definable. This capacity is needed to understand how problems arise in managing proteome foldedness, a central feature of human diseases and biotechnology and synthetic biology applications that need cell-based produ ....Surveillance of the mechanisms controlling proteome foldedness. This project aims to measure how cells keep the proteome folded. Cells have extensive quality control networks to govern synthesis, folding and transport of every protein but the buffering capacity of this system is not definable. This capacity is needed to understand how problems arise in managing proteome foldedness, a central feature of human diseases and biotechnology and synthetic biology applications that need cell-based production of engineered proteins such as hormones and antibodies. The outcomes are expected to provide basic knowledge of this fundamental process and provide biosensors and screening methods for use in health and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Biophysics-informed deep learning framework for magnetic resonance imaging. This project aims to bring about a paradigm shift from the conventional non-quantitative magnetic resonance imaging to ultra-fast, quantitative, and artefact free imaging. This project integrates biophysics and artificial intelligence, and it is expected to bring new knowledge in both fields. The expected outcomes of this project include next generation magnetic resonance imaging methods with a fundamental shift in the ....Biophysics-informed deep learning framework for magnetic resonance imaging. This project aims to bring about a paradigm shift from the conventional non-quantitative magnetic resonance imaging to ultra-fast, quantitative, and artefact free imaging. This project integrates biophysics and artificial intelligence, and it is expected to bring new knowledge in both fields. The expected outcomes of this project include next generation magnetic resonance imaging methods with a fundamental shift in the approach to image artefacts and image quantification. This project is expected to advance both single subject and population level biomedical imaging with greater accuracy and cost-effectiveness. This project also promotes explainable and generalisable artificial intelligence in medical imaging.Read moreRead less
Quest for trace biomarkers in complex media through innovative nanoscale science of fluids, molecules, particles and light. This project will break new ground in the detection of rare molecules in biological samples by exploiting the interactions of fluids, molecules and particles confined in nanoscale channels. By revealing yet unknown biomarkers the project will bring a radical change in medical diagnostics and in the science and technology used to map the Human Proteome.
Understanding surface acoustic wave atomisation for pulmonary delivery of drug aerosols in personalised medicine. Delivering drugs via the lung is hampered by development costs and inadequate technology. This project will provide an understanding of atomisation in our unique respire system, enabling not only the delivery of new vaccines and drugs but also the rapid and cost effective development of new disease treatments personalised to the patient.
Miniaturised biosensors with high selectivity . This project aims to develop a technological platform for the fabrication of miniaturised and flexible sensors that enable the quantitative detection of important bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and biogenic amines. By utilising multi-enzymatic reactions in solid phase and engineering task-specific inks, chemiresistive sensors will be printed seamlessly as a whole. The sensors will respond to complex target biomolecules via a series of enzy ....Miniaturised biosensors with high selectivity . This project aims to develop a technological platform for the fabrication of miniaturised and flexible sensors that enable the quantitative detection of important bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and biogenic amines. By utilising multi-enzymatic reactions in solid phase and engineering task-specific inks, chemiresistive sensors will be printed seamlessly as a whole. The sensors will respond to complex target biomolecules via a series of enzymatic reactions through which the analyte will convert to much simpler, reactive and hence measurable molecules. This project will enable to design miniaturised sensors for point-of-care detection of biomolecules that cannot be yet evaluated by the end users.Read moreRead less
Manipulation of Biological Particles Using Dielectrophoresis. Dielectrophoretic manipulation and separation of particles has numerous biological and medical applications, e.g. identification and characterisation of individual cells, purification of cell subpopulations from mixture suspensions, etc. This research project aims to develop a high-efficiency and low-cost DEP device for bio-particle manipulation. It will contribute significantly to the advancements in the field of biological Micro-Ele ....Manipulation of Biological Particles Using Dielectrophoresis. Dielectrophoretic manipulation and separation of particles has numerous biological and medical applications, e.g. identification and characterisation of individual cells, purification of cell subpopulations from mixture suspensions, etc. This research project aims to develop a high-efficiency and low-cost DEP device for bio-particle manipulation. It will contribute significantly to the advancements in the field of biological Micro-Electrical-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology. Industry will benefit from the expertise on micro/nano-structures and micro/nano-manufacturing achieved by this project.Read moreRead less
New Surfaces for the Control of Endothelial Cell Function: Application in the Design of Biocompatible Stents. Using dewetting of thin polymer films, the present proposal will develop new structured biocompatible surfaces with controlled chemistry and topography, which will allow the growth of a normal (non-activated) monolayer of endothelial cells. Sophisticated molecular parameters will be used to assess that endothelial cells maintain their normal quiescent phenotype. The project sets the grou ....New Surfaces for the Control of Endothelial Cell Function: Application in the Design of Biocompatible Stents. Using dewetting of thin polymer films, the present proposal will develop new structured biocompatible surfaces with controlled chemistry and topography, which will allow the growth of a normal (non-activated) monolayer of endothelial cells. Sophisticated molecular parameters will be used to assess that endothelial cells maintain their normal quiescent phenotype. The project sets the ground work for the design of improved, more biocompatible structured stents to minimise the abnormal growth of cells on and around the stent, thereby reducing the occurrence of vascular complications. Thus this research could improve the success rate of stents implanted into patients with cardiovascular disease and reduce health costs.Read moreRead less
Blood flow routes in muscle. Ageing well, ageing productively. The Australian population is ageing. The proportion of the population over the age of 65 is expected to greatly increase, reaching 22% by the year 2030. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in this older population is thought to be ~20%, compared to ~6% in younger populations. An initial cause of type 2 diabetes may be microvascular dysfunction brought on by physical inactivity. Therefore this project addresses the concepts of microvasc ....Blood flow routes in muscle. Ageing well, ageing productively. The Australian population is ageing. The proportion of the population over the age of 65 is expected to greatly increase, reaching 22% by the year 2030. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in this older population is thought to be ~20%, compared to ~6% in younger populations. An initial cause of type 2 diabetes may be microvascular dysfunction brought on by physical inactivity. Therefore this project addresses the concepts of microvascular function and microvascular fitness by using the latest technology to map blood flow routes in muscle under a number of relevant situations. Read moreRead less
Microdialysis for monitoring changes in microvascular flow patterns in muscle. Microdialysis is a technique for sampling interstitial fluid. Factors altering vascular delivery and removal of nutrients and hormones can affect muscle metabolism by altering exchange with the interstitium. This project focuses on microdialysis for assessing the impact of microvascular blood flow patterns on skeletal muscle metabolism and contractility. The aim is to develop and refine the technology, including equat ....Microdialysis for monitoring changes in microvascular flow patterns in muscle. Microdialysis is a technique for sampling interstitial fluid. Factors altering vascular delivery and removal of nutrients and hormones can affect muscle metabolism by altering exchange with the interstitium. This project focuses on microdialysis for assessing the impact of microvascular blood flow patterns on skeletal muscle metabolism and contractility. The aim is to develop and refine the technology, including equations, specifically for monitoring the nutritive fraction of blood flow in muscle by agents and factors relating to health and disease. This technique could be used for screening drugs in the treatment of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and related conditions.Read moreRead less
Developing the basis for an quality control platform for human pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated derivatives. Biophotonic techniques based on spectroscopy have the potential to provide low-cost, automatable measurements for the quality control of stem and differentiated cells produced for use in industry and regenerative medicine. This project is aimed at acquiring the fundamental scientific knowledge base required to bring this about.