Three dimensional polymer structures for bionic applications. The polymer based three dimensional (3D) structures targeted for production in this project will bring unique capabilities to the field of bionics research. A multi-modal 3D scaffold capable of delivering biofactors, supporting cell growth and providing power for stimulation will significantly advance the efforts being made in bionic research. This will have profound effects on the quality of life for those suffering from a range of m ....Three dimensional polymer structures for bionic applications. The polymer based three dimensional (3D) structures targeted for production in this project will bring unique capabilities to the field of bionics research. A multi-modal 3D scaffold capable of delivering biofactors, supporting cell growth and providing power for stimulation will significantly advance the efforts being made in bionic research. This will have profound effects on the quality of life for those suffering from a range of medical conditions, from spinal cord injury through to epilepsy. Here we will demonstrate the capabilities of these novel polymer structures both in-vitro and in-vivo.Read moreRead less
Effects of climate change on temperate benthic assemblages on the continental shelf in eastern Australia. Benthic habitats on the continental shelf in southeast Australia support some of Australia's most productive fisheries and manifest high levels of biodiversity and endemism. However, the region is experiencing rates of ocean warming 3.8 times the global average and nutrient depletion because of increased influence of the East Australian Current. This work will, for the first time, provide a ....Effects of climate change on temperate benthic assemblages on the continental shelf in eastern Australia. Benthic habitats on the continental shelf in southeast Australia support some of Australia's most productive fisheries and manifest high levels of biodiversity and endemism. However, the region is experiencing rates of ocean warming 3.8 times the global average and nutrient depletion because of increased influence of the East Australian Current. This work will, for the first time, provide a clear indication of the relationship between the physical environment on the shelf and the distribution of benthic assemblages, predict future changes in temperature and nutrients in the area, and predict the effects of these changes on the associated benthic biota. These predictions are critical to an informed adaptation response to climate change.Read moreRead less
A changing climate for calcification on the Great Barrier Reef: past, present and future. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a national and international icon, recognised through its inscription as a World Heritage Area and economic and social value to Australians. Maintenance of the GBR as we know it is now compromised by a rapidly changing climate. Ocean acidification, warming water temperatures and increased freshwater will progressively be detrimental to the fundamental reef-building process ....A changing climate for calcification on the Great Barrier Reef: past, present and future. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a national and international icon, recognised through its inscription as a World Heritage Area and economic and social value to Australians. Maintenance of the GBR as we know it is now compromised by a rapidly changing climate. Ocean acidification, warming water temperatures and increased freshwater will progressively be detrimental to the fundamental reef-building process of calcification. Informed policy and management strategies in a rapidly changing physical environment require determination, for short and long time frames, of the regional consequences and impacts of changing reef-building capacity.Read moreRead less
Nanoimaging the cellular architecture of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The immediate benefit of this work will be in the understanding and treatment of malaria - a disease that kills approximately 1 million children annually. The ability to image the three-dimensional structure of cells at high resolution will allow us to ask fundamental questions about the cellular architecture of the malaria parasite and to design novel antimalarial strategies. By developing new methods for cor ....Nanoimaging the cellular architecture of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The immediate benefit of this work will be in the understanding and treatment of malaria - a disease that kills approximately 1 million children annually. The ability to image the three-dimensional structure of cells at high resolution will allow us to ask fundamental questions about the cellular architecture of the malaria parasite and to design novel antimalarial strategies. By developing new methods for correlating structure and elemental location, the work in this proposal will offer a new paradigm for the study of cellular function and disease. This represents an important advance in the suite of investigative tools available to the biotechology sector and will see a corresponding improvement in our understanding of a wide range of disease states.Read moreRead less
Future Industries Research - Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Small talk: Communication networks in microbes. We will use the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility to address the multifaceted mechanisms of microbial interactions and produce new knowledge about the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of death in cystic fibrosis patients. We will characterise the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the emerging fungal pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum as a proactive step towards be ....Future Industries Research - Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Small talk: Communication networks in microbes. We will use the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility to address the multifaceted mechanisms of microbial interactions and produce new knowledge about the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of death in cystic fibrosis patients. We will characterise the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the emerging fungal pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum as a proactive step towards better understanding of pathogen communication. Improved understanding of pathogen interactions should facilitate the development of novel anti-adhesives as therapeutics. Our project will train young scientists in a new integrated approach to biology.Read moreRead less
Design and Fabrication of Molecular Machines: the Nanomachines of the Future. Nanotechnology that incorporates the use of nanomachines and molecular machines is an exciting new area of translational research, with broad potential in biomedical technology and industrial applications. We are developing new molecular machines and optimising their assembly. Recent innovation in the world of nanotechnology concerns the design and manufacture of synthetic and hybrid machines, based on existing biologi ....Design and Fabrication of Molecular Machines: the Nanomachines of the Future. Nanotechnology that incorporates the use of nanomachines and molecular machines is an exciting new area of translational research, with broad potential in biomedical technology and industrial applications. We are developing new molecular machines and optimising their assembly. Recent innovation in the world of nanotechnology concerns the design and manufacture of synthetic and hybrid machines, based on existing biological molecular machines but incorporating synthetic parts. Australia has an opportunity to be at the forefront of these new developments in nanotechnology, with a new generation of Australian scientists being trained across the foundation disciplines of chemistry, physics and molecular biology.Read moreRead less
Australia Surveys the Galaxies: The Central Role of Environment. The success of Australia's premier astronomical facilities is critical to the development of Australian astronomy in the 21st century. Understanding how galaxies grow and evolve (including our Milky Way) is one of the principal goals of these facilities. This program aims to understand galaxy evolution, by exploring the connection between galaxies and their environments. The Super Science Fellows will gain new insights into the lon ....Australia Surveys the Galaxies: The Central Role of Environment. The success of Australia's premier astronomical facilities is critical to the development of Australian astronomy in the 21st century. Understanding how galaxies grow and evolve (including our Milky Way) is one of the principal goals of these facilities. This program aims to understand galaxy evolution, by exploring the connection between galaxies and their environments. The Super Science Fellows will gain new insights into the longstanding problem of galaxy evolution, and build upon Australia's investment in 21st century astrophysics.Read moreRead less
Neutral Hydrogen in the Universe. This proposal will improve our understanding of the origin and continuing evolution of galaxies like our own Milky Way. It will do so by using powerful new telescopes such as the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), being constructed by CSIRO in Western Australia, and new supercomputers to be provided by the new Pawsey High Performance Computing Centre for Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Science in Perth. Combined with expertise in areas of astroph ....Neutral Hydrogen in the Universe. This proposal will improve our understanding of the origin and continuing evolution of galaxies like our own Milky Way. It will do so by using powerful new telescopes such as the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), being constructed by CSIRO in Western Australia, and new supercomputers to be provided by the new Pawsey High Performance Computing Centre for Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Science in Perth. Combined with expertise in areas of astrophysics and information technology, the research outlined in this proposal will further advance the case for Australia's bid to host the SKA by establishing a strong community of scientists capable of developing the science and Information and Communication Technologies components for one of the SKA's most important goals.Read moreRead less
New Dimensions in Radio Astronomy: Mining Sparse Datasets with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Radio astronomy is entering a new era, driven by technological advances that make rapid surveys of the sky possible. As leaders of three major surveys for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, we will explore three new dimensions of astronomy: searching for transient sources, detecting faint galaxies and investigating cosmic magnetism. The project will pu ....New Dimensions in Radio Astronomy: Mining Sparse Datasets with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. Radio astronomy is entering a new era, driven by technological advances that make rapid surveys of the sky possible. As leaders of three major surveys for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope, we will explore three new dimensions of astronomy: searching for transient sources, detecting faint galaxies and investigating cosmic magnetism. The project will put Australian astronomers at the forefront of international research. In addition to novel scientific results we will produce data resources and software that will be critical for future Square Kilometre Array projects. These will be available online to amateur astronomers and the general public. We will train the next generation of astronomers with the skills required to make breakthrough discoveries.Read moreRead less
Exploiting the discovery of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies in the southern hemisphere sky. The scientific exploitation of newly discovered southern hemisphere ultra-faint Milky Way satellite galaxies will make Australia a leader in this rapidly developing research field. It will be enabled by access to national and international telescope facilities such as the Anglo- Australian Telescope (AAT), Gemini and Magellan, and by access to national computing resources for theoretical simulations. National ....Exploiting the discovery of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies in the southern hemisphere sky. The scientific exploitation of newly discovered southern hemisphere ultra-faint Milky Way satellite galaxies will make Australia a leader in this rapidly developing research field. It will be enabled by access to national and international telescope facilities such as the Anglo- Australian Telescope (AAT), Gemini and Magellan, and by access to national computing resources for theoretical simulations. National benefit will also flow from collaborations between the team and its Super Science Fellows and researchers at overseas institutions. Results from the project will motivate research programs for the coming era of extremely large telescopes and will position the Fellows as potential future leaders in the exploiting the scientific potential of those facilities.Read moreRead less