Predicting the movement speeds of animals. The project seeks to reveal how marsupials modify their movement patterns and speeds as they navigate risky environments, and show how movement contributes to vulnerability and resilience. Movement is central to animal behaviour and the survival of species, because it underlies feeding, mating and the ability to escape from predators. However, we lack a framework for predicting how fast animals should move through their habitats given their needs to con ....Predicting the movement speeds of animals. The project seeks to reveal how marsupials modify their movement patterns and speeds as they navigate risky environments, and show how movement contributes to vulnerability and resilience. Movement is central to animal behaviour and the survival of species, because it underlies feeding, mating and the ability to escape from predators. However, we lack a framework for predicting how fast animals should move through their habitats given their needs to conserve energy, avoid detection by predators and minimise risks of injury or death. This project aims to develop mathematical models to predict how fast animals should move and then test these predictions using native species of conservation concern. This is expected to extend the field of performance ecology as well as inform management strategies for vulnerable marsupials.Read moreRead less
Reading the isotopic archive: carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios as recorders of plant physiological processes. This project will investigate how plant physiological processes are reflected in stable isotope ratios of carbon and oxygen in plant tissues. Results will contribute towards a mechanistic understanding of the processes that cause isotopic modifications, thereby enabling an improved interpretation of naturally occurring stable isotope signals.
Bulk nanobubbles: from fundamentals to biomedical applications. This project aims to extend optical and acoustic tools to detect bulk nanobubbles, control their size-distributions, and understand how they interact with biomolecules. Liquids containing nanobubbles have numerous applications particularly in biomedicine. Using interdisciplinary approaches, this project expects to gain convincing evidence of the existence of bulk nanobubbles. This is expected to advance existing fundamental knowle ....Bulk nanobubbles: from fundamentals to biomedical applications. This project aims to extend optical and acoustic tools to detect bulk nanobubbles, control their size-distributions, and understand how they interact with biomolecules. Liquids containing nanobubbles have numerous applications particularly in biomedicine. Using interdisciplinary approaches, this project expects to gain convincing evidence of the existence of bulk nanobubbles. This is expected to advance existing fundamental knowledge at the forefront of soft matter research, and give Australia a decisive technological head start in a competitive and lucrative industry through patentable technology.Read moreRead less
Plasmonic nanoparticle catalysis for nitrogen-based synthesis. Light can generate an optical force to capture small objects. This requires intense light – a laser, which limits optical trapping in catalysis applications. This project aims to apply plasmonic nanoparticles with normal-intensity light to take advantage of plasmonic-generated optical forces for catalytic chemical synthesis. The optical trapping/releasing of small molecules is highly selective and responsive to molecule structure and ....Plasmonic nanoparticle catalysis for nitrogen-based synthesis. Light can generate an optical force to capture small objects. This requires intense light – a laser, which limits optical trapping in catalysis applications. This project aims to apply plasmonic nanoparticles with normal-intensity light to take advantage of plasmonic-generated optical forces for catalytic chemical synthesis. The optical trapping/releasing of small molecules is highly selective and responsive to molecule structure and so presents a great opportunity to radically alter chemical synthesis pathways, which will be illustrated with reactions on liquid-solid and gas-solid interfaces. This highly innovative strategy will be used to discover new nitrogen-based syntheses which are both fundamentally and industrially important.Read moreRead less
Direct simulation of composite microstructures in fluid and elastic media. The proposed innovative computational methodology will improve the design and performance of a wide range of mechanisms and industrial processes involving particulate inclusions, from engineering to biological applications. The resultant technology will make a contribution to maintain and enhance Australia's role in the development of advanced engineering materials through manipulating their composite microstructures. The ....Direct simulation of composite microstructures in fluid and elastic media. The proposed innovative computational methodology will improve the design and performance of a wide range of mechanisms and industrial processes involving particulate inclusions, from engineering to biological applications. The resultant technology will make a contribution to maintain and enhance Australia's role in the development of advanced engineering materials through manipulating their composite microstructures. The proposed computational method will also lead to new opportunities for Australian companies that develop computer simulation software. Our researchers in computational mechanics will gain further opportunities to extend the advances this project will make.Read moreRead less
Designed peptides as functional surfactants. Surfactants are essential in many applications for making oil-water mixtures, e.g. in dissolving drugs, extracting crude oil or spraying crops. However, chemical surfactants are toxic and can accumulate in the environment. This work will develop biodegradable surfactants that can be switched "on" and "off" as needed and do not cause toxicity to living organisms. One of many potential applications is in vaccines for use in remote Aboriginal communities ....Designed peptides as functional surfactants. Surfactants are essential in many applications for making oil-water mixtures, e.g. in dissolving drugs, extracting crude oil or spraying crops. However, chemical surfactants are toxic and can accumulate in the environment. This work will develop biodegradable surfactants that can be switched "on" and "off" as needed and do not cause toxicity to living organisms. One of many potential applications is in vaccines for use in remote Aboriginal communities. In these communities, skin infections from scabies and streptococcus are epidemic, and can lead to kidney failure and heart disease. A non-damaging skin cream based on the peptides could both treat short-term discomfort and deliver a vaccine to prevent long-term health consequences.Read moreRead less
Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management. This project aims to assess the impact of lianas (woody vines) and their removal on forest health and value. New field infrastructure, removal experiments and global datasets will be used to compare forest health under varying liana dominance, determine whether lianas are preventing recovery, and to predict regional and global impacts. The project expects to generate new knowledge regarding ecosystem function and global cha ....Understanding the importance of lianas for forest health and management. This project aims to assess the impact of lianas (woody vines) and their removal on forest health and value. New field infrastructure, removal experiments and global datasets will be used to compare forest health under varying liana dominance, determine whether lianas are preventing recovery, and to predict regional and global impacts. The project expects to generate new knowledge regarding ecosystem function and global change biology, building collaboration between ecologists, economists and forest managers. The project expects to have significant implications for forest health and the global economy. The expected benefit will be implementation of restoration methods in priority areas and subsequently improved forest health.Read moreRead less
The mechanochemical basis of cell polarity. This project aims to study how epithelial cells initiate polarisation, a major question in biology that conventional biochemical, cell biological and genetic approaches have not answered. This project will investigate the mechanochemical basis of symmetry breaking in the cellular cortex, a thin layer of actomyosin filaments underneath the plasma membrane, and how this forms signalling zones. Understanding polarity is expected to improve epithelia manip ....The mechanochemical basis of cell polarity. This project aims to study how epithelial cells initiate polarisation, a major question in biology that conventional biochemical, cell biological and genetic approaches have not answered. This project will investigate the mechanochemical basis of symmetry breaking in the cellular cortex, a thin layer of actomyosin filaments underneath the plasma membrane, and how this forms signalling zones. Understanding polarity is expected to improve epithelia manipulation in disciplines from tissue engineering to regenerative biology and reveal how epithelial architecture and physiology are generated.Read moreRead less
Automated structural analysis of proteins by nuclear magnetic resonance (ASAP-NMR): a leap forward in structural studies of proteins using NMR spectroscopy. Proteins form the machinery that makes life possible, and this research will revolutionise study of their three-dimensional structure by making the process faster and cheaper. This approach will be applied to study proteins isolated from animal venoms in order to identify and develop novel pharmaceuticals and bio-insecticides.
Watching planets grow in real time. This project will conduct the first in-depth examination of the atmospheres of newly born small planets around other stars, yielding a better understanding of how planets evolve early in their lives. The atmosphere of our Earth is its most distinguishing feature. Key outcomes of this project include unveiling the mechanisms that drive the erosion of early planetary atmospheres, leading to a better understanding of the processes that sculpt all planets, includi ....Watching planets grow in real time. This project will conduct the first in-depth examination of the atmospheres of newly born small planets around other stars, yielding a better understanding of how planets evolve early in their lives. The atmosphere of our Earth is its most distinguishing feature. Key outcomes of this project include unveiling the mechanisms that drive the erosion of early planetary atmospheres, leading to a better understanding of the processes that sculpt all planets, including those in our own Solar System. The project leverages Australian and international expertise across exoplanetary, stellar, and Solar System astrophysics, with key outcomes in developing techniques for Australian utilisation of world-class multi-wavelength space facilities. Read moreRead less