Supercritical-microfluidics technology for targeted delivery to the colon. This research will develop nanosystems to target delivery of drugs to the colon. Our nanosystems will permit the combination of clinically used chemotherapy drugs within a single dosage form. This will improve the efficiency of delivery to the colon while reducing unwanted side-effects. A novel supercritical microfluidics system will be developed to produce therapeutic nano-carriers in a continuous mode with lower labour ....Supercritical-microfluidics technology for targeted delivery to the colon. This research will develop nanosystems to target delivery of drugs to the colon. Our nanosystems will permit the combination of clinically used chemotherapy drugs within a single dosage form. This will improve the efficiency of delivery to the colon while reducing unwanted side-effects. A novel supercritical microfluidics system will be developed to produce therapeutic nano-carriers in a continuous mode with lower labour requirement, higher production rate and better quality control than conventional production methods. The new process will combine benefits from both supercritical fluid technology (green process) and microfluidics (high mass & heat transfer).Read moreRead less
Advanced microelectronic transistor structures for novel biosensor technology. This international, interdisciplinary team aims to develop an electronic biosensor technology that will significantly advance biomedical research to combat human disease. This is likely to have a major social impact on the community, improve health outcomes and generate substantial economic potential for the pharmaceutical industry. The principal benefit of this research will be the fabrication of electronic devices b ....Advanced microelectronic transistor structures for novel biosensor technology. This international, interdisciplinary team aims to develop an electronic biosensor technology that will significantly advance biomedical research to combat human disease. This is likely to have a major social impact on the community, improve health outcomes and generate substantial economic potential for the pharmaceutical industry. The principal benefit of this research will be the fabrication of electronic devices based on advanced materials, significantly reducing the time, the biological material used and the complexity of assessing human cell function. In addition to improving health through novel biosensor techniques, this technology is expected to lead to the creation of commercially important intellectual property.Read moreRead less
X-Ray Activation of Photocatalytic Titania-Coated Biomedical Implants in Situ. The main causes of biomedical implant failure are loosening and infection, which may require revision surgery. The project has the potential to solve these widespread and expensive problems by formation of a coating of strongly (chemically) bonded and photocatalytically active titania on the titanium implant surface and short-term low-dose X-irradiation. This work has the potential to provide the biomedical industry w ....X-Ray Activation of Photocatalytic Titania-Coated Biomedical Implants in Situ. The main causes of biomedical implant failure are loosening and infection, which may require revision surgery. The project has the potential to solve these widespread and expensive problems by formation of a coating of strongly (chemically) bonded and photocatalytically active titania on the titanium implant surface and short-term low-dose X-irradiation. This work has the potential to provide the biomedical industry with a revolutionary development in both implant coating design and quality with self-disinfection capacity after implantation.Read moreRead less
High-resolution elastography – Using optical micro-imaging of tissue mechanics to identify disease. Optical elastography, the probing of tissue’s micro-mechanical properties using optical imaging, offers new tools in surgery and pathology to improve differentiation of tissues. This project lays the groundwork for optical elastography to become a new medical micro-imaging modality by removing impediments to progress in this rapidly emerging field. On the micro-scale, between the scales of cells a ....High-resolution elastography – Using optical micro-imaging of tissue mechanics to identify disease. Optical elastography, the probing of tissue’s micro-mechanical properties using optical imaging, offers new tools in surgery and pathology to improve differentiation of tissues. This project lays the groundwork for optical elastography to become a new medical micro-imaging modality by removing impediments to progress in this rapidly emerging field. On the micro-scale, between the scales of cells and organs. This project will elucidate the origins of tissue mechanical contrast and determine limits on its measurement. It will develop a suite of probes: noncontact, endoscopic and needle, to enable access to all tissues in the body. To progress toward a new modality and inform our research, the project will test our tools on breast cancer tissues and burn scars.Read moreRead less
Three dimensional (3D) optical coherence tomography in cancer. This project will establish for the first time how well 3D optical coherence tomography, a form of medical imaging, can image cancer. Based on this, a version built into a needle will be developed which will enable extension much deeper into tissues than previously possible to image cancer and to guide related surgical procedures.
A nanoengineered solution to drug delivery in bone. This project presents an exciting new approach of applying nanotechnology to bone research. By combining our expertise in nanoengineering of new materials, mathematical modelling and bone biology, this project will result in a well-characterised model for drug delivery into bone and lead to a new therapeutic approach for treating bone diseases.
Theoretical and experimental study of elastic properties of porous media permeated by aligned fractures. The aim of the project is to develop a theoretical model for the elastic properties of fractured porous reservoir rocks, taking into account the wave-induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. This will be done by theoretical analysis based on the model of fractures as planes of discontinuity in porous rock, and on the theory of wave propagation in anisotropic porous media. The theoretic ....Theoretical and experimental study of elastic properties of porous media permeated by aligned fractures. The aim of the project is to develop a theoretical model for the elastic properties of fractured porous reservoir rocks, taking into account the wave-induced fluid flow between pores and fractures. This will be done by theoretical analysis based on the model of fractures as planes of discontinuity in porous rock, and on the theory of wave propagation in anisotropic porous media. The theoretical model will be verified using numerical simulations and ultrasonic measurements made on synthetic porous and fractured samples. The results are expected to benefit seismic exploration and the production of oil and gas in fractured reservoirs.Read moreRead less
WAVE TRAPPING BARRIERS. Traditional noise barriers have poor performance when installed as parallel barriers in front of noise sources with large reflection surfaces. This is because that the reflected noise from the far side barrier or from the source surfaces contributes significantly to the noise level at the receiver location. This project involves the investigation of a novel barrier, the wave trapping barrier (WTB), which is capable of retaining the noise between the source and the barrier ....WAVE TRAPPING BARRIERS. Traditional noise barriers have poor performance when installed as parallel barriers in front of noise sources with large reflection surfaces. This is because that the reflected noise from the far side barrier or from the source surfaces contributes significantly to the noise level at the receiver location. This project involves the investigation of a novel barrier, the wave trapping barrier (WTB), which is capable of retaining the noise between the source and the barrier and to provide maximum sound absorption at the frequencies of concern, and thus to minimize the contribution due to the reflection. The aim is to develop a theoretical and experimental model for the physical understanding and optimal design of the WTB. Outcomes include a new generation of noise barriers that are potentially light-weighted, fiberless and with higher insertion loss.Read moreRead less
Seismic response of partially saturated petroleum reservoir zones: towards quantitative recovery monitoring. In most Australian reservoirs less than 50% of the original oil in place is recovered. A major factor that contributes to low recovery rates is bypassed oil/gas. Even a small, 1% improvement in recovery is of substantial economic significance. The proposed project aims to develop quantitative models for reservoir monitoring of zones with bypassed hydrocarbons using time-lapse (4D) seismic ....Seismic response of partially saturated petroleum reservoir zones: towards quantitative recovery monitoring. In most Australian reservoirs less than 50% of the original oil in place is recovered. A major factor that contributes to low recovery rates is bypassed oil/gas. Even a small, 1% improvement in recovery is of substantial economic significance. The proposed project aims to develop quantitative models for reservoir monitoring of zones with bypassed hydrocarbons using time-lapse (4D) seismic measurements, and thus to improve the hydrocarbon recovery factors. Developing these models will be a cutting edge research achievement, which will make a significant contribution to the knowledge base of the discipline and advance the international reputation of Australian science.Read moreRead less
Seismic attenuation and dispersion in reservoir rocks: broad-band experiments versus theoretical modelling. We propose to develop theoretical models of seismic attenuation and dispersion in hydrocarbon reservoirs, and a new method for experimental testing of these models. These models will provide new information to substantially improve characterisation of hydrocarbon reservoirs from geophysical data. The results will help optimise exploration and improve oil and gas recovery through developmen ....Seismic attenuation and dispersion in reservoir rocks: broad-band experiments versus theoretical modelling. We propose to develop theoretical models of seismic attenuation and dispersion in hydrocarbon reservoirs, and a new method for experimental testing of these models. These models will provide new information to substantially improve characterisation of hydrocarbon reservoirs from geophysical data. The results will help optimise exploration and improve oil and gas recovery through development of new technologies for quantitative reservoir characterisation in Australian basins. This research will enhance Australian competitiveness in basic and applied geophysical research, and will benefit the Australian geophysical industry as a provider of advanced geophysical technologies for oil exploration and production.Read moreRead less