Caveospheres: A versatile peptide delivery system. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the way we treat many diseases. This project will investigate a new type of nanoparticle, the caveosphere, and tests its effectiveness as a peptide delivery system. Caveospheres can protect delicate cargo from degradation, target cargo to specific cells that induce the maximum therapeutic response, and can be synthesised in large-scale, cost-effective batch fermentation. This study will:
1: Engineer ....Caveospheres: A versatile peptide delivery system. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the way we treat many diseases. This project will investigate a new type of nanoparticle, the caveosphere, and tests its effectiveness as a peptide delivery system. Caveospheres can protect delicate cargo from degradation, target cargo to specific cells that induce the maximum therapeutic response, and can be synthesised in large-scale, cost-effective batch fermentation. This study will:
1: Engineer biological function into caveospheres
2: Investigate the cellular behavior of the engineered caveospheres
3: Determine the therapeutic activity of caveospheres in vitro
It will develop a fundamental understanding of nanoparticles trafficking in cells, to make improved nanoparticle delivery systems.Read moreRead less
Next generation enzymes using stimuli responsive protein/polymer hybrids. Improved stability and control over activity are key to unlocking the full potential of enzymes. Advanced polymer synthesis and synthetic biology will be combined to engineer stable, bioresponsive enzyme/polymer hybrids. This study will:
1: Develop a rapid screening method to identify the optimal sites for polymer-to-enzyme attachment
2: Evaluate the stability and bioresponsive activity of enzyme/polymer hybrids
3: Formula ....Next generation enzymes using stimuli responsive protein/polymer hybrids. Improved stability and control over activity are key to unlocking the full potential of enzymes. Advanced polymer synthesis and synthetic biology will be combined to engineer stable, bioresponsive enzyme/polymer hybrids. This study will:
1: Develop a rapid screening method to identify the optimal sites for polymer-to-enzyme attachment
2: Evaluate the stability and bioresponsive activity of enzyme/polymer hybrids
3: Formulate enzyme/polymer hybrids into a targeted nanoparticle delivery system
This project will examine the performance of polymer-enzyme hybrids with cells, however these innovations will also have significant applications in other fields using enzymatic processes, such as food processing, biofuel production, and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Creation of a super-resolution map of the bacterial cytokinesis machinery . Cell division is a fundamental process essential for life. Yet our understanding of this process on a molecular level is limited, mostly hampered by the inability to visualize the different components of the division machinery inside these tiny cells with adequate resolution. To overcome this barrier, capitalizing on recent advancements in imaging and molecular technologies combined with innovative engineering, this proj ....Creation of a super-resolution map of the bacterial cytokinesis machinery . Cell division is a fundamental process essential for life. Yet our understanding of this process on a molecular level is limited, mostly hampered by the inability to visualize the different components of the division machinery inside these tiny cells with adequate resolution. To overcome this barrier, capitalizing on recent advancements in imaging and molecular technologies combined with innovative engineering, this project aims to create a spatial and temporal map of the division machinery inside bacterial cells at unprecedented resolution. The expected outcomes are new knowledge on the mechanism of bacterial division and technological advances in biological imaging, informing applications in a wide variety of sectors.Read moreRead less
Bioinks that Advance 3D bioprinting of cells to the 4th dimension. The aim of this research is to provide a simple method for creating complex 3D cell cultures for in vitro cell based assays using 3D printing. A versatile polymer system as a bioink made from entirely commercially available components, will be advanced that gives a full range of soft tissue mimics and which can be dynamically change on-demand after printing of the 3D cell cultures. The latter will provide in vitro mimics of in vi ....Bioinks that Advance 3D bioprinting of cells to the 4th dimension. The aim of this research is to provide a simple method for creating complex 3D cell cultures for in vitro cell based assays using 3D printing. A versatile polymer system as a bioink made from entirely commercially available components, will be advanced that gives a full range of soft tissue mimics and which can be dynamically change on-demand after printing of the 3D cell cultures. The latter will provide in vitro mimics of in vivo events never previously possible with more realistic models of what is found in vivo. Applications are in fundamental cell biology, studying diseases and developing new drugs. The outcomes from this research will be new knowledge on designing cheap extracellular matrix mimics and high throughout 3D cell assays.Read moreRead less
Laser-free on-chip super-resolution microscopy. The project aims to develop a compact, cost-effective on-chip super-resolution microscope through an innovative combination of imaging algorithms, optics and integrated photonics. This project addresses limitations in imaging algorithms that increase laser system complexity and constrain imaging speed and applications, as well as nanostructure fabrication issues. Expected outcomes include the discovery of emitter self-interference microscopy, new k ....Laser-free on-chip super-resolution microscopy. The project aims to develop a compact, cost-effective on-chip super-resolution microscope through an innovative combination of imaging algorithms, optics and integrated photonics. This project addresses limitations in imaging algorithms that increase laser system complexity and constrain imaging speed and applications, as well as nanostructure fabrication issues. Expected outcomes include the discovery of emitter self-interference microscopy, new knowledge in imaging, photonics and biophysics, the world’s fastest super-resolution technology, compact on-chip nanoscopy that can be added to existing technology and proof of concept in three areas. Benefits are anticipated in commercialisation, improved photonics devices and usage in biophysics.Read moreRead less
Nanopore sensors for multiplexed, ultra-fast gene detection. The aim of this research is to develop the application of protein nanopores for multiplex identification of DNA samples for ultrafast gene detection. This is a type of barcoding of organism DNA that allows for rapid gene identification. This technology aims to address a significant need for rapid, on-the-spot identification of organisms. Applications include rapid identification of pathogenic bacteria in infections and identification o ....Nanopore sensors for multiplexed, ultra-fast gene detection. The aim of this research is to develop the application of protein nanopores for multiplex identification of DNA samples for ultrafast gene detection. This is a type of barcoding of organism DNA that allows for rapid gene identification. This technology aims to address a significant need for rapid, on-the-spot identification of organisms. Applications include rapid identification of pathogenic bacteria in infections and identification of organisms in environmental sampling. Current methods are relative slow, require DNA amplification and specialised laboratories.
This proposal aims to fine tune the properties of the large nanopore, polyC9, with respect to size and charge, as well as to identify and characterise novel large nanopores. Read moreRead less
Precise, Cytosolic Dendrimer Delivery Systems. This project aims to use precisely targeted dendrimer technology to improve the delivery of poorly permeable molecules to their subcellular sites of action. Our cutting edge approach combines innovative phage screening techniques and advanced dendrimer synthesis. The outcomes of this proposal will be: 1) a targeting system that is manufacturable at scale and reasonable cost, 2) a dendrimer delivery system that is rapidly internalised into specifc ta ....Precise, Cytosolic Dendrimer Delivery Systems. This project aims to use precisely targeted dendrimer technology to improve the delivery of poorly permeable molecules to their subcellular sites of action. Our cutting edge approach combines innovative phage screening techniques and advanced dendrimer synthesis. The outcomes of this proposal will be: 1) a targeting system that is manufacturable at scale and reasonable cost, 2) a dendrimer delivery system that is rapidly internalised into specifc target cells and 3) bio-responsive dendrimers that promote delivery of their cargo into the cytosol. This work will strengthen a highly successful collaboration between the Australian biotech company Starpharma and Monash University, to design the next generation of nanomaterials delivery systems.Read moreRead less
Soft Plasmene Nanosheets for Stretchable Plasmonic Skins. Conventional plasmonic sensors and devices are rigid, planar, and not stretchable. This project aims to apply plasmene materials developed at Monash's Nanobionics lab to design highly stretchable plasmonic devices (artificial plasmonic skins). Systematic experimental and theoretical studies will be undertaken to understand how the plasmonic skins respond to strains and how they can be used for fabricating novel stretchable devices. Such s ....Soft Plasmene Nanosheets for Stretchable Plasmonic Skins. Conventional plasmonic sensors and devices are rigid, planar, and not stretchable. This project aims to apply plasmene materials developed at Monash's Nanobionics lab to design highly stretchable plasmonic devices (artificial plasmonic skins). Systematic experimental and theoretical studies will be undertaken to understand how the plasmonic skins respond to strains and how they can be used for fabricating novel stretchable devices. Such studies will generate important new knowledge of fabrication, characterisation, and modelling of stretchable plasmene, hence, contributing to further Australian standing in the field of nanotechnology and plasmonics. It may also incubate patentable technologies, bringing potential economic gains.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100321
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Optical Metasurface for Single Small Extracellular Vesicle Analysis. This project aims to develop an innovative nanobiotechnology to study small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) – small biological particles that are important in intercellular communication. The technology will enable unprecedented depth of analysis and single particle resolution. It will generate new knowledge in both engineering and biological sciences by improving sEV image resolution and collecting information regarding the dist ....Optical Metasurface for Single Small Extracellular Vesicle Analysis. This project aims to develop an innovative nanobiotechnology to study small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) – small biological particles that are important in intercellular communication. The technology will enable unprecedented depth of analysis and single particle resolution. It will generate new knowledge in both engineering and biological sciences by improving sEV image resolution and collecting information regarding the distribution of different sEV subpopulations based on their protein phenotypes. Expected outcomes include a universal and ultrasensitive platform with many applications in analytical biochemistry such as disease diagnostics, environmental sciences, food safety and agriculture.Read moreRead less