Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100199
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,000.00
Summary
Establishment of the Protein Quantitation Centre of South Australia (PQCSA). Determining the protein quantities in culture cells, plant material, biological fluids and entire organisms will provide critical information regarding biological processes in plants and other organisms. The facility will allow the project to progress the understanding of complex biological systems.
Biological control of grapevine scales. Wine grapes can be grown with a minimum of pesticide and fungicide applications in some regions, but biological control is still required to maintain populations of major pests. This project is concerned with grapevine and frosted scales, which are common pests of grapevines. The distribution and identity of different grapevine scales, and their main parasitoids, in the various grape growing regions of Australia will be determined by initial surveys. Exper ....Biological control of grapevine scales. Wine grapes can be grown with a minimum of pesticide and fungicide applications in some regions, but biological control is still required to maintain populations of major pests. This project is concerned with grapevine and frosted scales, which are common pests of grapevines. The distribution and identity of different grapevine scales, and their main parasitoids, in the various grape growing regions of Australia will be determined by initial surveys. Experiments and laboratory studies of the interaction of the various predators and parasitoids will be undertaken to develop a biological control program of the scales aimed at reducing pesticide input.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668294
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,000.00
Summary
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility for Nitrogen and Water Analysis in Plants. Continual improvement to agricultural plant production is key to maintaining future sustainable growth in Australian agriculture. Our respective research teams are focussed on improving how plants utilise both nitrogen and water. Many questions remain with respect to where, how and when plants use and or access these important nutrients. The proposed facility will enable plant scientists to begin in-depth anal ....Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility for Nitrogen and Water Analysis in Plants. Continual improvement to agricultural plant production is key to maintaining future sustainable growth in Australian agriculture. Our respective research teams are focussed on improving how plants utilise both nitrogen and water. Many questions remain with respect to where, how and when plants use and or access these important nutrients. The proposed facility will enable plant scientists to begin in-depth analysis of both nitrogen transport mechanisms and the ability to model root development and water allocation in crop species. This research will ultimately lead to improved knowledge on how plants respond to their environment and where modifications can be made to generate sustainable crops suited to Australian agriculture.Read moreRead less
Pacific Labour and Australian Horticulture. This 18-month research project will investigate the costs and benefits of increasing labour mobility between the Pacific and Australia, including the feasibility of a seasonal labour program to employ agricultural workers from Pacific Island nations in the Swan Hill/Mildura region during periods of peak labour demand. It will forge a ground-breaking collaboration between an international development agency and local government to investigate how such a ....Pacific Labour and Australian Horticulture. This 18-month research project will investigate the costs and benefits of increasing labour mobility between the Pacific and Australia, including the feasibility of a seasonal labour program to employ agricultural workers from Pacific Island nations in the Swan Hill/Mildura region during periods of peak labour demand. It will forge a ground-breaking collaboration between an international development agency and local government to investigate how such a scheme might contribute simultaneously to economic and social development in Pacific Island nations (through remittances and skills transfers) and in regional Australia (by improving the labour supply to key horticultural industries).Read moreRead less
Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. This project aims to develop healthy new beverages, by studying the effect of chemistry and physical interactions of insoluble dietary fibre with other food ingredients. Insoluble fibre reduces the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This project will research how insoluble-fibre linked phytochemicals behave in complex matrices and contribute to malodorous flavours; and design adv ....Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. This project aims to develop healthy new beverages, by studying the effect of chemistry and physical interactions of insoluble dietary fibre with other food ingredients. Insoluble fibre reduces the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This project will research how insoluble-fibre linked phytochemicals behave in complex matrices and contribute to malodorous flavours; and design advanced experimental protocols to prevent undesirable sensory characteristics in liquid systems.Read moreRead less
Improving water use efficiency of grapevine production in the Great Western region using effluent water and soil amelioration practices. Irrigation of vineyards with municipal wastewater is a desirable option for the viticulturists of the Great Western region of Victoria, but only if vineyard soil structure is not adversely affected. This project will (1) study the impact of dissolved chemicals in the waste water on the structure of the local sandy soils; (2) model the data to enhance understand ....Improving water use efficiency of grapevine production in the Great Western region using effluent water and soil amelioration practices. Irrigation of vineyards with municipal wastewater is a desirable option for the viticulturists of the Great Western region of Victoria, but only if vineyard soil structure is not adversely affected. This project will (1) study the impact of dissolved chemicals in the waste water on the structure of the local sandy soils; (2) model the data to enhance understanding of the key chemical and physical mechanisms controlling grey water impact in heterogeneous environments. The resulting predictive tools will have direct application in the Great Western region's vineyards, and for irrigation of grey water in vineyards across Ausralia.Read moreRead less
Understanding the structure-function relationship of dietary fibre for engineering novel food products with superior textural properties and nutrition. The focus of this project will be on the merits of dietary fibre from underutilised agricultural by-products as valuable ingredients in food products. This project aims to innovate by developing high quality foods using dietary fibre, hence delivering socioeconomic benefits through a healthier population and increased financial returns to agri-fo ....Understanding the structure-function relationship of dietary fibre for engineering novel food products with superior textural properties and nutrition. The focus of this project will be on the merits of dietary fibre from underutilised agricultural by-products as valuable ingredients in food products. This project aims to innovate by developing high quality foods using dietary fibre, hence delivering socioeconomic benefits through a healthier population and increased financial returns to agri-food processors.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC140100027
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,150,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Functional Grains. ARC Training Centre for Functional Grains. The Training Centre aims to improve the profitability of the Australian grains industry. It plans to achieve this by adding value to rice, canola and pulses through: the development of a better understanding of market opportunities; improving storage technologies; the development of products which improve returns to the industry and result in better health outcomes for consumers; and improving processing method ....ARC Training Centre for Functional Grains. ARC Training Centre for Functional Grains. The Training Centre aims to improve the profitability of the Australian grains industry. It plans to achieve this by adding value to rice, canola and pulses through: the development of a better understanding of market opportunities; improving storage technologies; the development of products which improve returns to the industry and result in better health outcomes for consumers; and improving processing methods to generate these products.Read moreRead less
Creation of a new branch of food research by utilising whey protein in the development of novel products of low calorie content and glycemic response. Australian consumers are demanding healthy foods, yet our society is suffering from 'diseases of choice' such as obesity that largely result from our lifestyle. One particular problem is the low intake of nutrients in contemporary diet. Growing consumer interest in readily available and affordable foods with good nutrition has focused the industry ....Creation of a new branch of food research by utilising whey protein in the development of novel products of low calorie content and glycemic response. Australian consumers are demanding healthy foods, yet our society is suffering from 'diseases of choice' such as obesity that largely result from our lifestyle. One particular problem is the low intake of nutrients in contemporary diet. Growing consumer interest in readily available and affordable foods with good nutrition has focused the industry on the merits of whey protein in processed products. This project will address the issue of consumer acceptability of whey-protein based products by rationalising at the molecular level the interactions of the protein with soluble dietary fibre and starch leading to added value formulations of appealing texture, low-calorie content and low glycemic load.Read moreRead less
Novel enzymatic processing methods and stabilization technologies for omega-3 oils. New and existing lipases will be applied to the concentration of omega-3 lipids from fish and algal oils. The primary aim of this project is to replace current chemical processes and high temperature distillation with milder enzymatic methods, providing high quality omega-3 concentrates for food and pharmaceutical purposes. The project aims to develop new immobilisation technology to enable multiple re-use of lip ....Novel enzymatic processing methods and stabilization technologies for omega-3 oils. New and existing lipases will be applied to the concentration of omega-3 lipids from fish and algal oils. The primary aim of this project is to replace current chemical processes and high temperature distillation with milder enzymatic methods, providing high quality omega-3 concentrates for food and pharmaceutical purposes. The project aims to develop new immobilisation technology to enable multiple re-use of lipases for the cost effective production of omega-3 concentrates and to apply new microencapsulation strategies to the stabilisation of omega-3 concentrates, enabling the delivery of omega-3s and other bioactive ingredients to a range of food and beverage products.Read moreRead less