Functional Materials from Weakly-Structured Self-Assembly Fluids. This project seeks to understand how mixtures of simple molecules can form complex structured liquids. Such mixtures occur widely both in nature and industrial settings. By using an approach combining new, high-resolution experimental techniques with computer modelling, it is expected that a detailed picture of molecular arrangements in these liquids will be obtained, allowing the relationship between composition, structure and pr ....Functional Materials from Weakly-Structured Self-Assembly Fluids. This project seeks to understand how mixtures of simple molecules can form complex structured liquids. Such mixtures occur widely both in nature and industrial settings. By using an approach combining new, high-resolution experimental techniques with computer modelling, it is expected that a detailed picture of molecular arrangements in these liquids will be obtained, allowing the relationship between composition, structure and properties to be understood for the first time. The new understanding of molecular arrangements within liquids may be used to design new solvents for chemical synthesis and catalysis, new food, personal care and pharmaceutical formulations, and new, smart materials that change their properties under external stimulus.Read moreRead less
Hofmeister at work. Implementation of a paradigm shift in physical chemistry. Standard tools of measurement in environmental, industrial, colloid, nano and biosciences rest on classical theories which have been shown to be badly flawed. The faults have been remedied to give a new, predictive and usable foundation that amounts to a paradigm shift of immediate importance to many applications.
Algorithms for multi-scale problems in science and engineering. This project aims to develop theoretical formulations and algorithms for modelling fundamental problems in molecular electrostatics, dispersion force theory, acoustics and electromagnetic scattering in applications where current approaches may be useless. Many engineering applications, from microelectronics to bioengineering devices, need to operate across dimensions from a few millimetres down to a million times smaller. This large ....Algorithms for multi-scale problems in science and engineering. This project aims to develop theoretical formulations and algorithms for modelling fundamental problems in molecular electrostatics, dispersion force theory, acoustics and electromagnetic scattering in applications where current approaches may be useless. Many engineering applications, from microelectronics to bioengineering devices, need to operate across dimensions from a few millimetres down to a million times smaller. This large range of length scales means traditional modelling tools and computational techniques will rapidly become intractable. This project will meet this need to strengthen the Australian technological skill base and contribute to innovations in areas ranging from bioengineering to nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Modelling of soft multi-scale systems. This project develops realistic physical models and efficient computational methods as the platform technology for giving highly accurate predictions of the complex behaviour of soft deformable systems. The outcomes will add to our understanding of the mechano-biology of living cells and artificial soft body tissues, the cellular uptake of nutrients and drugs, the energy-efficient processing of high value pharmaceutical emulsions and the design of functiona ....Modelling of soft multi-scale systems. This project develops realistic physical models and efficient computational methods as the platform technology for giving highly accurate predictions of the complex behaviour of soft deformable systems. The outcomes will add to our understanding of the mechano-biology of living cells and artificial soft body tissues, the cellular uptake of nutrients and drugs, the energy-efficient processing of high value pharmaceutical emulsions and the design of functional polymers and proteins using molecular models. The new knowledge will advance the frontier of material design and characterisation of soft complex materials.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100169
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$319,000.00
Summary
Robust methods for solving integral equations in science and engineering. Robust, efficient numerical algorithms will be developed to solve a fundamental class of equations common in engineering, chemistry and biology. Equations describing wave phenomena in acoustics, ultrasonics and antenna design and equations describing electrostatic interactions between charge moieties in proteins and DNA as well as drug-substrate interactions are formulated as boundary integral equations. This is an efficie ....Robust methods for solving integral equations in science and engineering. Robust, efficient numerical algorithms will be developed to solve a fundamental class of equations common in engineering, chemistry and biology. Equations describing wave phenomena in acoustics, ultrasonics and antenna design and equations describing electrostatic interactions between charge moieties in proteins and DNA as well as drug-substrate interactions are formulated as boundary integral equations. This is an efficient reduction of 3D problems to 2D but at the expense of having to deal with numerical singularities. This project aims to remove such long existing theoretical difficulties and the outcome will be general and flexible open source software solutions that will be freely available to handle such fundamental problems.Read moreRead less
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
'Multi-Coloured' Tracers for Magnetic Particle Imaging . Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is predicted to be the future of imaging and will outperform all current imaging techniques by having 'colours', improved resolution and 3D precision. This project aims to create 'multi-coloured' high-performance MPI tracers by synthesising a range of the most effective magnetic nanoparticle structures. The expected outcome is the fundamental understanding of the relationships between nanoparticle structures ....'Multi-Coloured' Tracers for Magnetic Particle Imaging . Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) is predicted to be the future of imaging and will outperform all current imaging techniques by having 'colours', improved resolution and 3D precision. This project aims to create 'multi-coloured' high-performance MPI tracers by synthesising a range of the most effective magnetic nanoparticle structures. The expected outcome is the fundamental understanding of the relationships between nanoparticle structures and their magnetic properties for the formation of MPI signals with distinct ‘colours’. The benefits will be a library of MPI tracers that are able to provide ‘coloured’, high intensity, precise signals beyond what can be achieved with other imaging technologies.Read moreRead less
New strategies for characterising and monitoring protein-surface interactions: application to a biosensor for diabetic’s blood glucose regime effectiveness. This project aims to develop an antibody based biosensor for the detection of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) which serves as a marker of the effectiveness of a diabetic’s blood glucose treatment regime. Monitoring HbA1c is important as many of the long term health effects of diabetes are a consequence of high blood glucose levels. The si ....New strategies for characterising and monitoring protein-surface interactions: application to a biosensor for diabetic’s blood glucose regime effectiveness. This project aims to develop an antibody based biosensor for the detection of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) which serves as a marker of the effectiveness of a diabetic’s blood glucose treatment regime. Monitoring HbA1c is important as many of the long term health effects of diabetes are a consequence of high blood glucose levels. The simple to use technology will be a general detection strategy for proteins and hence will be applicable for the detection of a wide range of diseases and biomarkers. The research will also benefit Australia by training the new generation of scientists for Australia's biomedical diagnostics industry.Read moreRead less