Nanoengineering materials to combat antimicrobial resistance. This project aims to understand how nanoengineered materials can be designed to kill bacteria and fungi without causing antimicrobial resistance. Resistance to antimicrobial drugs already leads to many thousands of deaths annually and costs society billions of dollars. Nanomaterials have unique abilities to attack microbes in multiple ways that could limit resistance. This project will engineer new antimicrobial nanomaterials tailored ....Nanoengineering materials to combat antimicrobial resistance. This project aims to understand how nanoengineered materials can be designed to kill bacteria and fungi without causing antimicrobial resistance. Resistance to antimicrobial drugs already leads to many thousands of deaths annually and costs society billions of dollars. Nanomaterials have unique abilities to attack microbes in multiple ways that could limit resistance. This project will engineer new antimicrobial nanomaterials tailored to selectively kill microbes with reduced likelihood of developing resistance by using synergies between inorganic nanoparticles and antimicrobial peptides. This technology could be used to prevent infections and biofilms on surfaces in a wide range of future applications, such as medical / veterinary devicesRead moreRead less
Engineering a nanovaccine for cost-effective influenza poultry vaccination. The project aims to develop a new single-dose, room temperature-stable nanovaccine for cost-effective influenza poultry vaccination. The nanovaccine is based on viral protein assembly modularised to present multiple copies of influenza antigen. Particularly, this project focuses on the engineering of this vaccine manufacturing and formulation for a room temperature-stable vaccine. The resulting engineered vaccine would p ....Engineering a nanovaccine for cost-effective influenza poultry vaccination. The project aims to develop a new single-dose, room temperature-stable nanovaccine for cost-effective influenza poultry vaccination. The nanovaccine is based on viral protein assembly modularised to present multiple copies of influenza antigen. Particularly, this project focuses on the engineering of this vaccine manufacturing and formulation for a room temperature-stable vaccine. The resulting engineered vaccine would play an important role in preventing avian influenza outbreaks, which are currently affecting both developed and developing countries, costing millions of dollars due to the death and culling of infected poultry.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100136
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$557,389.00
Summary
Large-volume, multi-use micro-computed tomography. This project aims to augment the existing X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) scanning capabilities in South Australia and Australia by introducing a large-volume micro-CT scanner. This will enable three-dimensional scanning of large and heavy samples including whole machine parts, limbs/segments, prosthesis devices, large animals and vertebrates, fossils and plant root systems. The project expects to allow experimental testing rigs to be plac ....Large-volume, multi-use micro-computed tomography. This project aims to augment the existing X-ray micro-computed tomography (CT) scanning capabilities in South Australia and Australia by introducing a large-volume micro-CT scanner. This will enable three-dimensional scanning of large and heavy samples including whole machine parts, limbs/segments, prosthesis devices, large animals and vertebrates, fossils and plant root systems. The project expects to allow experimental testing rigs to be placed inside the scanner to test samples, such as mechanical testing of femurs or medical devices, while scanning, to study the structure-function relationships. This will build unlimited computer simulations of mechanical tests, valuable for precious specimens. Benefits will include aiding in risk reduction, decision making on products and a higher quality workforce.Read moreRead less
Engineered plant receptors as orthogonal neuronal switches. This project aims to develop synthetic biology methods to study brain function by utilising engineered plant receptors. This project will expand our ability to manipulate nerve cell function with high specificity and without side effects in freely behaving animals. Plant receptors will be developed into molecular tools in an iterative process that improves key properties using rational protein design. Expected outcomes include innovativ ....Engineered plant receptors as orthogonal neuronal switches. This project aims to develop synthetic biology methods to study brain function by utilising engineered plant receptors. This project will expand our ability to manipulate nerve cell function with high specificity and without side effects in freely behaving animals. Plant receptors will be developed into molecular tools in an iterative process that improves key properties using rational protein design. Expected outcomes include innovative and broadly-applicable neuroscience methods and an understanding of receptors involved in plant growth and defense. Benefits of this project include an enhanced capacity to generate knowledge, multidisciplinary training opportunities and patentable synthetic biology technologies.Read moreRead less
Photoreversible hydrogels to study stem cell memory and fate. This project will develop materials whose stiffness can be reversibly increased and decreased by the simple application of light, and use these to build knowledge of how stem cell fate is regulated. The influence of mechanical cues on the structure and organisation of the nucleus will be determined. Expected outcomes are new synthetic and light-reversible culture materials, and fundamental insights into how forces change the nucleus t ....Photoreversible hydrogels to study stem cell memory and fate. This project will develop materials whose stiffness can be reversibly increased and decreased by the simple application of light, and use these to build knowledge of how stem cell fate is regulated. The influence of mechanical cues on the structure and organisation of the nucleus will be determined. Expected outcomes are new synthetic and light-reversible culture materials, and fundamental insights into how forces change the nucleus to alter stem cell aging and fate. The findings will provide critical information required for the future development of assays to measure cell potency and instructive biomaterials to drive stem cell expansion and tissue-regeneration and will have impact by underpinning future advances in stem cell technologies.Read moreRead less
Micro/nano smart surfaces to unlock the potential of multipotent stem cells. This project aims to determine the interplay of micro/nanostructures on stem cell mechanotransduction and to control the cellular environment. It is expected that this will expand our knowledge on how to control stem cell fate. Expected outcomes are novel scalable technologies for micro/nanostructures and smart surfaces, controlled stem-cell expansion and differentiation, and the creation of a library of protein express ....Micro/nano smart surfaces to unlock the potential of multipotent stem cells. This project aims to determine the interplay of micro/nanostructures on stem cell mechanotransduction and to control the cellular environment. It is expected that this will expand our knowledge on how to control stem cell fate. Expected outcomes are novel scalable technologies for micro/nanostructures and smart surfaces, controlled stem-cell expansion and differentiation, and the creation of a library of protein expression based on the cell interactions. These outcomes will provide critical information required for the future development of instructive biomaterials to drive stem cell expansion and tissue-regeneration. Those materials should benefit the future development of efficient and cost-effective regenerative medicine solutions.Read moreRead less
Controlling the adhesome to regulate cell fate on biomaterials. Mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering practices are hampered worldwide by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the matrix-mediated cues that must be provided during adhesion and spreading to drive cells to definitive tissue end points. This project will address these knowledge deficiencies by combining high throughput array technologies, a set of tailorable self-assembling biomaterials and real-time biosensors to r ....Controlling the adhesome to regulate cell fate on biomaterials. Mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering practices are hampered worldwide by the lack of appreciation and understanding of the matrix-mediated cues that must be provided during adhesion and spreading to drive cells to definitive tissue end points. This project will address these knowledge deficiencies by combining high throughput array technologies, a set of tailorable self-assembling biomaterials and real-time biosensors to rapidly, at high resolution, elucidate how mechanotransductive cues determine the fate choice of mesenchymal stem cells, and furthermore, how to manipulate them with smart biomaterial design to achieve desired outcomes for tissue engineering. Read moreRead less
An anti-senescence nanoplatform and its underlying mechanism. The project will bring together complementary expertise and skills by combining biomaterials, cell and molecular biology, and engineering, to develop a novel nano-biomaterial platform for anti-senescence and gain an in-depth understanding of its underlying mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms of senescence remain elusive and bone substitutes with anti-senescence property have not been explored and becoming a growing field of interest ....An anti-senescence nanoplatform and its underlying mechanism. The project will bring together complementary expertise and skills by combining biomaterials, cell and molecular biology, and engineering, to develop a novel nano-biomaterial platform for anti-senescence and gain an in-depth understanding of its underlying mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms of senescence remain elusive and bone substitutes with anti-senescence property have not been explored and becoming a growing field of interest in bone regeneration. The project will develop a well-defined and efficient nanomaterial platform with optimal combination of nano-surface features and chemistry for cell rejuvenation, and it will give unprecedented depth of interdisciplinary understanding of senescence rejuvenation mechanisms.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100043
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,000.00
Summary
Development of an ultra-high speed spinning disk confocal micro-particle image velocimetry (PIV) platform for the investigation of cardiovascular disease . This facility will establish a microscope system specifically designed to investigate the function of blood cells in the context of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100200
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$270,427.00
Summary
AutoStem: a high performance, automated stem cell bioengineering facility. This project aims to establish an automated stem cell bioengineering ("AutoStem") facility that will enable critical insights into the molecular mechanisms that underly the loss in stem cell function and tissue homeostasis as we age. The AutoStem facility expects to lead to the discovery of the key drivers of stem cell ageing and the development of novel technological solutions to maintain tissue function with age. The o ....AutoStem: a high performance, automated stem cell bioengineering facility. This project aims to establish an automated stem cell bioengineering ("AutoStem") facility that will enable critical insights into the molecular mechanisms that underly the loss in stem cell function and tissue homeostasis as we age. The AutoStem facility expects to lead to the discovery of the key drivers of stem cell ageing and the development of novel technological solutions to maintain tissue function with age. The outcomes produced from the AutoStem facility will have significant economic and social benefits in enabling healthy ageing and increased productivity for an ageing Australia.Read moreRead less