New high resolution radiation dose mapping of special type polymer-gel dosimeters using mini-MRI scanner of high (4.7 Tesla) magnetic field. Gel dosimeters main advantage is dose determination in 3-dimensions. Their main limitation is low spatial-resolution. We propose fabrication of special-type gels and for the first time use the 4.7 Tesla mini-scanner for dose mapping. Increased magnetic field combined with a small aperture for field dissipation will greatly improve spatial resolution down t ....New high resolution radiation dose mapping of special type polymer-gel dosimeters using mini-MRI scanner of high (4.7 Tesla) magnetic field. Gel dosimeters main advantage is dose determination in 3-dimensions. Their main limitation is low spatial-resolution. We propose fabrication of special-type gels and for the first time use the 4.7 Tesla mini-scanner for dose mapping. Increased magnetic field combined with a small aperture for field dissipation will greatly improve spatial resolution down to micrometers (micro-dosimetry). This new technique will render gel-dosimeters suitable for applications in radiotherapy, industrial and all other radiation fields. Moreover, we will employ new parameter for dose mapping, which is expected to be more sensitive to radiation than the currently used relaxation timesRead moreRead less
Impact and Effectiveness of Personal Ventilation in Open Plan Offices: a study of the Task Air system. Centralised air-conditioning systems are the standard for commercial office buildings in Australia. These systems are energy intensive, typically accounting for around 50% of building energy use. However, lack of occupant control over set temperatures or air movement tends to reduce thermal comfort, which can adversely affect worker productivity. The benefit of this project is that it will qu ....Impact and Effectiveness of Personal Ventilation in Open Plan Offices: a study of the Task Air system. Centralised air-conditioning systems are the standard for commercial office buildings in Australia. These systems are energy intensive, typically accounting for around 50% of building energy use. However, lack of occupant control over set temperatures or air movement tends to reduce thermal comfort, which can adversely affect worker productivity. The benefit of this project is that it will quantify the improvements to occupant comfort and energy savings possible with a PV system. This study will enable PV systems to be evaluated as an alternative to traditional air-conditioning, thereby demonstrating their effectiveness as a means of improving the sustainability rating of commercial office buildings in Australia.Read moreRead less
Novel concepts to engineer low cost blood diagnostics. Novel concepts to engineer low cost blood diagnostics. This project aims to deliver the next generation of on-paper blood diagnostics: cheap, fast, easy to use, reliable, specific and robust. Transformational methods in on-paper and thread-based diagnostics could make indirect and weak blood typing possible. This project expects on-paper testing for fibrinogen to assess clotting capability could revolutionise treatment of massive blood loss. ....Novel concepts to engineer low cost blood diagnostics. Novel concepts to engineer low cost blood diagnostics. This project aims to deliver the next generation of on-paper blood diagnostics: cheap, fast, easy to use, reliable, specific and robust. Transformational methods in on-paper and thread-based diagnostics could make indirect and weak blood typing possible. This project expects on-paper testing for fibrinogen to assess clotting capability could revolutionise treatment of massive blood loss. Expected results of this project are a new class of on-paper and thread-based diagnostic tests with enhanced sensitivity, readability and lower cost, which could significantly affect trauma, rural medicine and developing nations.Read moreRead less
Electronic skin nanopatches for continuous blood pressure monitoring. Electronic skin nanopatches for continuous blood pressure monitoring. This project aims to develop soft, thin, wearable and non-invasive heart health monitors that continuously monitor blood pressures anytime anywhere, using an electronic skin technology platform with the world’s thinnest gold nanowires. Nanotechnologists, electrical engineers, clinicians, information technologists and industrial designers will collaborate to ....Electronic skin nanopatches for continuous blood pressure monitoring. Electronic skin nanopatches for continuous blood pressure monitoring. This project aims to develop soft, thin, wearable and non-invasive heart health monitors that continuously monitor blood pressures anytime anywhere, using an electronic skin technology platform with the world’s thinnest gold nanowires. Nanotechnologists, electrical engineers, clinicians, information technologists and industrial designers will collaborate to develop blood pressure correlation algorithms and evaluate sensing performances. New knowledge and commercial technologies will make Australian medical technology industries competitive global leaders in wearable technology industries.Read moreRead less
Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. This project aims to develop a novel biosensor prototype based on CYBERNOSE® technology to rapidly identify volatile traces of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals in concealed environments. The CYBERNOSE® technology employs sensors using the highly sophisticated and sensitive olfactory receptors of microscopic nematode worms linked to an optoelectronic det ....Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. Rapid CYBERNOSE ® detection of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals. This project aims to develop a novel biosensor prototype based on CYBERNOSE® technology to rapidly identify volatile traces of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals in concealed environments. The CYBERNOSE® technology employs sensors using the highly sophisticated and sensitive olfactory receptors of microscopic nematode worms linked to an optoelectronic detector. The need for rapid, non-contact screening devices to detect and identify illicit drugs and precursors entering Australia has never been greater. Law enforcement agencies should directly benefit from the capability to more rapidly screen people and cargo, improving efficiency of illicit drug detection and protection of our borders.Read moreRead less
Development of a new diet to improve insulin sensitivity and manage weight in healthy cats. This project will determine if a low carbohydrate, moderate fat, high protein diet improves insulin sensitivity and reduces weight gain in cats compared to a typical high-carbohydrate grocery line diet. It will identify risk factors for weight gain such as increased fasting insulin concentration and will also determine which simple assessment of insulin sensitivity best correlates with insulin sensitivity ....Development of a new diet to improve insulin sensitivity and manage weight in healthy cats. This project will determine if a low carbohydrate, moderate fat, high protein diet improves insulin sensitivity and reduces weight gain in cats compared to a typical high-carbohydrate grocery line diet. It will identify risk factors for weight gain such as increased fasting insulin concentration and will also determine which simple assessment of insulin sensitivity best correlates with insulin sensitivity measured by a gold standard. This project should lead to the formulation of a diet designed to improve insulin sensitivity and minimize weight gain in cats, and allow for earlier identification of cats at risk of obesity.Read moreRead less
Development of an ultrasensitive assay for human prion proteins. The aim of this work is to enable the detection of prion proteins in human blood and other tissues. The assay system to be developed will detect much lower levels of these disease-causing proteins than is possible at present; it will be more rapid and will measure prion protein levels more accurately than existing assays. The outcome of the work is expected to facilitate the production and certification of prion-free blood and bl ....Development of an ultrasensitive assay for human prion proteins. The aim of this work is to enable the detection of prion proteins in human blood and other tissues. The assay system to be developed will detect much lower levels of these disease-causing proteins than is possible at present; it will be more rapid and will measure prion protein levels more accurately than existing assays. The outcome of the work is expected to facilitate the production and certification of prion-free blood and blood products. Prions cause Bovine Spongiform Encaphalopathy and Creutzfeld Jacob Disease and attempts to control of these diseases would be greatly abetted by an optimal test for the disease-causing agent.Read moreRead less
A scalable debugging framework for petascale computers. Supercomputing underpins a wide range of areas of importance to the Australian economy; mining, agriculture, engineering, medical research and pharmaceutical development to name a few. It is of critical importance that software solutions in these areas behave correctly and do not generate erroneous results. This project will develop software tools and techniques that make it possible to detect and locate errors as software is converted to r ....A scalable debugging framework for petascale computers. Supercomputing underpins a wide range of areas of importance to the Australian economy; mining, agriculture, engineering, medical research and pharmaceutical development to name a few. It is of critical importance that software solutions in these areas behave correctly and do not generate erroneous results. This project will develop software tools and techniques that make it possible to detect and locate errors as software is converted to run on the next generation of 'petascale' supercomputers. We will deploy the tools both commercially through our industry partner, and also on national high performance computing facilities.Read moreRead less
Development and Testing of Novel Contrast Agents for Diagnostic Imaging. Demand for diagnostic imaging in the Australian healthcare system is growing at over 5% per annum. To facilitate imaging, Australia imports radiographic contrast media costing in excess of $50 million every year. Existing iodine-based agents are not ideal for X-ray absorption in current CT scanners and also cause moderate to severe allergic reaction in around 5% of all patients, sometimes with fatal results. New radiograph ....Development and Testing of Novel Contrast Agents for Diagnostic Imaging. Demand for diagnostic imaging in the Australian healthcare system is growing at over 5% per annum. To facilitate imaging, Australia imports radiographic contrast media costing in excess of $50 million every year. Existing iodine-based agents are not ideal for X-ray absorption in current CT scanners and also cause moderate to severe allergic reaction in around 5% of all patients, sometimes with fatal results. New radiographic media, which give enhanced contrast and provide greater patient comfort and safety are essential. Even a small fraction of the international market would generate millions of dollars in income, support growth and expertise in Imaging Technologies, and provide new markets for Australian mining of rare earth and bismuth metals.Read moreRead less
Radio-magnetic nanoparticles as bimodal positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents for dendritic cell tracking. Biomedical imaging is limited by a lack of commercial dual-mode contrast agents, which may be simultaneously used for magnetic resonance (MR) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This project will develop a nanotechnology-based biocompatible dual-mode contrast agent for simultaneous PET and MR imaging, reducing associated side effects.