Predicting Environmental Effects on Structure and Reactivity. This project tackles one of the most important and fundamental problems in theoretical chemistry: solvent effects on chemical reactions. The new methods and computer programs generated will be freely available to the Australian (and international) scientific communitities and will further enhance Australia's strong reputation in Theoretical Chemistry.
The applications chosen will allow new technologies in biosensing and strategies in ....Predicting Environmental Effects on Structure and Reactivity. This project tackles one of the most important and fundamental problems in theoretical chemistry: solvent effects on chemical reactions. The new methods and computer programs generated will be freely available to the Australian (and international) scientific communitities and will further enhance Australia's strong reputation in Theoretical Chemistry.
The applications chosen will allow new technologies in biosensing and strategies in computational drug design to be investigated. This will benefit the Australian biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and may substantially aid in understanding the mechanism and treatment of disease. Read moreRead less
Process Chemistry for Distributed Manufacture of Nitric Acid. This project will benefit Australia by enabling a new approach to the manufacture of explosives for the country's mining industry which will provide the entire explosives supply chain with greater safety and security. Development of this technology will enhance Orica's competitive position as the largest manufacturer of mining explosives in the world and will produce wealth for the country through the continued success of this ASX Top ....Process Chemistry for Distributed Manufacture of Nitric Acid. This project will benefit Australia by enabling a new approach to the manufacture of explosives for the country's mining industry which will provide the entire explosives supply chain with greater safety and security. Development of this technology will enhance Orica's competitive position as the largest manufacturer of mining explosives in the world and will produce wealth for the country through the continued success of this ASX Top 50 company and the export of the technology.Read moreRead less
Centre For Clinical Research Excellence In Respiratory And Sleep Medicine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,200,000.00
Summary
The CCRE will enhance Australia's international research reputation in clinical respiratory and sleep medicine by enhancing links between hospital-based investigators. This will foster development of new clinical researchers in these fields. Major research projects will include reducing side effects of asthma therapy in the elderly, better and cheaper ways of diagnosing disorders such as sleep apnoea and blood clots in the lung, keeping patients with chronic lung diseases out of hospital and avo ....The CCRE will enhance Australia's international research reputation in clinical respiratory and sleep medicine by enhancing links between hospital-based investigators. This will foster development of new clinical researchers in these fields. Major research projects will include reducing side effects of asthma therapy in the elderly, better and cheaper ways of diagnosing disorders such as sleep apnoea and blood clots in the lung, keeping patients with chronic lung diseases out of hospital and avoiding accidents due to lack of sleep.Read moreRead less
Chemistry at the threshold: unusual mechanisms and unexpected products. The chemical processes in combustion and in the atmosphere are complex and understood incompletely; for example 30-60 million tonnes of acids in the atmosphere are unaccounted for. The project will measure and model three new chemical processes that may account for the atmospheric acids, and other unexplained occurrences in combustion chemistry.
Atmospheric photochemistry - it's a lot more complicated than we thought. The project plans to develop a more accurate model of the changing atmosphere. The chemical composition of Earth’s atmosphere is changing because of anthropogenic activities. Predicting the consequences of this change requires accurate chemical models. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is the most important radical in the atmosphere, yet atmospheric models predict its concentration in forested regions to be about 10 times lower th ....Atmospheric photochemistry - it's a lot more complicated than we thought. The project plans to develop a more accurate model of the changing atmosphere. The chemical composition of Earth’s atmosphere is changing because of anthropogenic activities. Predicting the consequences of this change requires accurate chemical models. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is the most important radical in the atmosphere, yet atmospheric models predict its concentration in forested regions to be about 10 times lower than measured. These models also predict the amount of organic acids to be lower than measured. This project hypothesises two new chemical processes to account for these discrepancies. Photo-isomerisation of carbonyls to enols is suggested to be a source of organic acids. Reaction of extraordinarily hot carbonyl photofragments with oxygen is hypothesised to be an important source of OH radicals.Read moreRead less
Molecular signatures of complex photodissociation reactions. All energy on earth comes from the sun, either directly (e.g photosynthesis) or indirectly (e.g fossil fuels). Photochemistry is the study of how this light is absorbed and what happens to a molecule afterwards. Despite significant experimental and theoretical advances in the past decade (some in our lab), scientists still cannot predict the outcomes of most photochemical reactions. In this project we will determine the reactivity o ....Molecular signatures of complex photodissociation reactions. All energy on earth comes from the sun, either directly (e.g photosynthesis) or indirectly (e.g fossil fuels). Photochemistry is the study of how this light is absorbed and what happens to a molecule afterwards. Despite significant experimental and theoretical advances in the past decade (some in our lab), scientists still cannot predict the outcomes of most photochemical reactions. In this project we will determine the reactivity of several small, fundamental organic molecules. Not only are these molecules pollutants around our cities, but discovery of how they react in the presence of light will allow us to understand and predict the photochemistry of a much wider range of organic species.Read moreRead less
We will conduct a survey of respiratory symptoms, lung function, smoking status, occupational exposures, and other risk factors among 3200 people aged 40 years and over living in five Australian communities: Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania, Busselton (WA), and the Kimberley region (WA). In the Kimberley we will survey 400 Aboriginal people and 400 non-Aboriginal people. We will use a survey methodology that has been developed by an international expert panel and has been implemented in many other co ....We will conduct a survey of respiratory symptoms, lung function, smoking status, occupational exposures, and other risk factors among 3200 people aged 40 years and over living in five Australian communities: Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania, Busselton (WA), and the Kimberley region (WA). In the Kimberley we will survey 400 Aboriginal people and 400 non-Aboriginal people. We will use a survey methodology that has been developed by an international expert panel and has been implemented in many other countries (in North and South America, Asia, and Europe). This study will provide the first nationally-representative information on the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the opportunities for health gain by improving the management of this illness. In Australia, COPD is a relatively silent and under-recognised disease but nevertheless is the third most important contributor to the burden of disease and the third leading cause of hospital admission as well as being the underlying cause of 4.2% of all deaths. The information we will collect is needed to form a basis for prevention and disease management interventions to reduce the burden of COPD, particularly among population sub-groups who are disproportionately affected, either due to greater exposure to risk factors (mainly tobacco smoking and occupation), greater susceptibility, under-recognition and under-diagnosis, or inadequate disease management. Importantly, the study will serve to raise awareness about the hazards of smoking for all Australians. By identifying target groups, prevalent exposures and management deficiencies, it will lead the way towards policy-relevant randomised controlled trials testing community-based interventions to prevent COPD and-or manage it more effectively. The information collected will help advance knowledge of the prevalence, burden and treatment of COPD that will be relevant to communities throughout the world.Read moreRead less
The Clinical Utility Of Small Airway Function Tests In Paediatric Respiratory Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$64,631.00
Summary
Respiratory disease is an important child health issue with long term implications into adulthood. The evaluation of small airways involvement in disease processes, using an accurate sensitive measures of function, such as forced oscillation technique and multiple breath washout, potentially facilitates not only early detection of disease, but instigation of earlier treatment, better assessment of response to treatment, and ultimately better outcome.