Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silic ....Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silicon electrodes where irradiating with light causes an increase in conductivity at the illumination spot. The project will explore the variables that influence the spatial resolution and apply the ideas to making soft connects for nanoelectronics and making high density electrode arrays for electroanalysis.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100732
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,544.00
Summary
Electrostatic Catalysis: guiding reactive interfaces using electric fields. This project seeks to gain quantitative understanding of the role of electrostatics over chemical processes. Chemical transformations of organic compounds at interfaces underpin some of the most important processes, from the production of fine chemicals for pharmaceuticals to assisting bio-degradation of pollutants in clean technologies. Recent computational studies suggest that by applying oriented electric fields at in ....Electrostatic Catalysis: guiding reactive interfaces using electric fields. This project seeks to gain quantitative understanding of the role of electrostatics over chemical processes. Chemical transformations of organic compounds at interfaces underpin some of the most important processes, from the production of fine chemicals for pharmaceuticals to assisting bio-degradation of pollutants in clean technologies. Recent computational studies suggest that by applying oriented electric fields at interfaces, the rate and the selectivity of chemical processes can be altered at will. The project intends to test these theoretical findings. The knowledge generated by this research may translate into new technologies for the fine-chemical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
The photons take charge: Elucidating the structure and stability of distonic radical anions by mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy. Recent work has discovered that certain radical anions have electronic configurations that defy chemical convention and exhibit exceptional radical stability. Exploitation of this breakthrough first requires experimental elucidation of the intrinsic electronic structure of these compounds and how it relates to their remarkable properties. This project w ....The photons take charge: Elucidating the structure and stability of distonic radical anions by mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy. Recent work has discovered that certain radical anions have electronic configurations that defy chemical convention and exhibit exceptional radical stability. Exploitation of this breakthrough first requires experimental elucidation of the intrinsic electronic structure of these compounds and how it relates to their remarkable properties. This project will probe the fundamental structure and energetics of radical anions by modifying instrumentation to enable multi-step gas-phase ion synthesis to be efficiently coupled with anion photoelectron spectroscopy. These investigations are essential to revealing the scope of this phenomenon in free radical chemistry and biology and could inform future development of new catalysts for polymerisation.Read moreRead less
Nanoscale silicon field-effect transistor diagnostic technology. This project aims to overcome barriers to the implementation of silicon field-effect transistor biosensors. It will investigate the biosensors’ physical and structural properties. This knowledge, combined with technological and conceptual advances, could foster the development of an advanced and translational point-of-care diagnostic technology to rapidly and sensitively detect malignant tissues. Such technology would have commerci ....Nanoscale silicon field-effect transistor diagnostic technology. This project aims to overcome barriers to the implementation of silicon field-effect transistor biosensors. It will investigate the biosensors’ physical and structural properties. This knowledge, combined with technological and conceptual advances, could foster the development of an advanced and translational point-of-care diagnostic technology to rapidly and sensitively detect malignant tissues. Such technology would have commercial potential and important societal benefits.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100888
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Illuminating drug activity in the brain with nanocrystalline beacons. The project focuses on developing technologies to understand the activity of drugs and precisely locate their target sites in the brain. Novel nanocrystalline beacons and ultrahigh-sensitivity optical imaging technology developed in the project have the aim to help visualise opioid and other related drug molecules over extended periods, which is impossible with current methods. Quantifying drug target distribution in the brain ....Illuminating drug activity in the brain with nanocrystalline beacons. The project focuses on developing technologies to understand the activity of drugs and precisely locate their target sites in the brain. Novel nanocrystalline beacons and ultrahigh-sensitivity optical imaging technology developed in the project have the aim to help visualise opioid and other related drug molecules over extended periods, which is impossible with current methods. Quantifying drug target distribution in the brain and imaging their dynamics on a single molecule level will shed light on drug-target interactions.Read moreRead less
A gold-coated magnetic nanoparticle biosensor for detecting microRNA. The project aims to develop a biosensor for detecting short sequences of RNA, called microRNA (miRNA) in blood. There are about 100 miRNA sequences that are involved in most biological processes. Changes in the levels of some miRNA sequences can serve as a biomarker for many diseases including cancers. The miRNA will be detected using gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with DNA sequences complementary to the miRNA of ....A gold-coated magnetic nanoparticle biosensor for detecting microRNA. The project aims to develop a biosensor for detecting short sequences of RNA, called microRNA (miRNA) in blood. There are about 100 miRNA sequences that are involved in most biological processes. Changes in the levels of some miRNA sequences can serve as a biomarker for many diseases including cancers. The miRNA will be detected using gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles modified with DNA sequences complementary to the miRNA of interest to capture the miRNA. Application of a magnetic field allows the levels of miRNA to be detected electrochemically. The expected outcome is a commercialisable biosensor for miRNA both as a diagnostic early detection device and a prognostic device for a range of miRNA biomarkers.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
Liquids to semiconductors: the formation of solution-processed electronics. This project aims to understand and control the formation of solution-processed organic semiconductors. This project will create unique experimental methodologies to study, in situ, the evolution of the structure and the emergence of electrical transport all the way from the initial solution to the final film. These findings will be used to formulate design rules and principles that will accelerate the development of sol ....Liquids to semiconductors: the formation of solution-processed electronics. This project aims to understand and control the formation of solution-processed organic semiconductors. This project will create unique experimental methodologies to study, in situ, the evolution of the structure and the emergence of electrical transport all the way from the initial solution to the final film. These findings will be used to formulate design rules and principles that will accelerate the development of solution-processed semiconductors beyond current trial-and-error approaches. This will provide significant benefits, such as unlocking the potential of soft and flexible semiconductors for new technologies based on sustainable manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100467
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Unravelling the intrinsic structure and stability of multiply charged anions in the gas-phase using photoelectron spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Molecules possessing multiple negative charges are common constituents in chemistry, influencing a range of processes ranging from photochemical smog formation to protein structure in vivo. This project will develop new technologies to probe their molecular structure in the gas-phase, leading to a more rigorous understanding of these species.
How electric fields can facilitate reversible protein binding to surfaces. The aim of this project is to develop the first biosensors that prevent nonspecific protein adsorption and allow reversible protein binding. The project expects to achieve this using a combination of novel surface chemistry and pulsed electric fields that dynamically change a sensing interface. The impact of electric fields on the binding of proteins to this interface will be followed using a novel single molecule fluores ....How electric fields can facilitate reversible protein binding to surfaces. The aim of this project is to develop the first biosensors that prevent nonspecific protein adsorption and allow reversible protein binding. The project expects to achieve this using a combination of novel surface chemistry and pulsed electric fields that dynamically change a sensing interface. The impact of electric fields on the binding of proteins to this interface will be followed using a novel single molecule fluorescence microscope previously developed that can locate the position of proteins with 2 nanometer resolution. The expected outcomes of this project is a class of biosensor that can continuously monitor protein biomarkers for wearable sensors that provide information on a user’s wellness and nutrition.Read moreRead less