Tuneable “Nano-Shearing”: An Innovative Mechanism for the Accurate and Specific Capture of Cells and Molecules. Recent investigations have discovered a tuneable electro-hydrodynamic force which drives lateral fluid motion within a few nanometers of an electrode surface. Because the magnitude of this fluid shear force can be tuned externally (for example, via the application of an AC electric field), it provides a new capability to physically displace weakly (non-specifically) bound cellular and ....Tuneable “Nano-Shearing”: An Innovative Mechanism for the Accurate and Specific Capture of Cells and Molecules. Recent investigations have discovered a tuneable electro-hydrodynamic force which drives lateral fluid motion within a few nanometers of an electrode surface. Because the magnitude of this fluid shear force can be tuned externally (for example, via the application of an AC electric field), it provides a new capability to physically displace weakly (non-specifically) bound cellular and molecular analytes. By performing research to further understand and develop this tuneable effect, this project aims to build and test a new platform technology to enable highly efficient capture and specific detection of low concentration pathogenic molecules and circulating tumour cells (CTCs).Read moreRead less
Nanoelectromechanical Mass Spectrometry with Molecular Imaging. This project aims to develop new technology to enable simultaneous measurement of the mass and conformation of single molecules. Mass spectrometry and high-resolution microscopy are independent analytical tools used widely to characterise the chemical and physical properties of molecules. This project aims to develop new technology based on advanced nanoelectromechanical systems that combines the capabilities of these complementary ....Nanoelectromechanical Mass Spectrometry with Molecular Imaging. This project aims to develop new technology to enable simultaneous measurement of the mass and conformation of single molecules. Mass spectrometry and high-resolution microscopy are independent analytical tools used widely to characterise the chemical and physical properties of molecules. This project aims to develop new technology based on advanced nanoelectromechanical systems that combines the capabilities of these complementary instruments. This would enable synchronous measurement of molecular mass and conformation with nanometre resolution. In contrast to current mass spectrometry, this technology could be operated in fluid and detect neutral species. This significant change in capability could be applied to advance biological and medical research.Read moreRead less
Novel imaging technologies for continuous measurement of tracer kinetics in awake animals. The fates of biologically relevant molecules, such as proteins and antibodies, in the body are fundamentally important for understanding the mechanisms and treatment of disease. This project will enable for the first time continuous imaging of the location and time course of labelled molecules in conscious, freely moving animals.
The RGG/RG motif as an RNA chaperone: advancing CRISPR-Cas RNA technology. This project investigates the way in which protein molecules interact effectively with RNA molecules and also aims to enhance the CRISPR-Cas13a system for RNA detection. Innovative approaches will be used to test the role of a particular protein motif, called the RGG/RG motif, in remodelling RNA structure and enhancing the Cas13a protein. This knowledge is expected to shift our understanding of protein-RNA interactions th ....The RGG/RG motif as an RNA chaperone: advancing CRISPR-Cas RNA technology. This project investigates the way in which protein molecules interact effectively with RNA molecules and also aims to enhance the CRISPR-Cas13a system for RNA detection. Innovative approaches will be used to test the role of a particular protein motif, called the RGG/RG motif, in remodelling RNA structure and enhancing the Cas13a protein. This knowledge is expected to shift our understanding of protein-RNA interactions that are fundamental to almost every aspect of cell biology. The project is intended to benefit Australia through contributing to fundamental knowledge in the field, facilitating the development of new CRISPR-Cas biotechnologies for RNA detection and through the training of young researchers in frontier technologies. Read moreRead less
Surface tension-confined microfluidics: moving towards a flexible platform for diagnostics. The point-of-care industry is poised to fulfil the international need for effective and mobile diagnostics tools; however current strategies are restricting this from becoming a reality. Surface tension-confined microfluidics provide an opportunity to meet the requirements necessary for flexible platform for point-of-care devices.
Inverse problems with partial data. This project aims to use mathematics, in particular the theory of micro-local analysis, to determine the amount of measurements one needs in order to reconstruct an image by some of the tomography methods commonly used in medical imaging. Expected outcomes of this project include showing that an arbitrarily small set of boundary measurements is sufficient to reconstruct the coefficients of various important partial differential equations such as Schrodinger eq ....Inverse problems with partial data. This project aims to use mathematics, in particular the theory of micro-local analysis, to determine the amount of measurements one needs in order to reconstruct an image by some of the tomography methods commonly used in medical imaging. Expected outcomes of this project include showing that an arbitrarily small set of boundary measurements is sufficient to reconstruct the coefficients of various important partial differential equations such as Schrodinger equation, Dirac operators, and Maxwell equations. In addition to providing a theoretical foundation upon which one can build numerical algorithms, this project will also provide the missing link between inverse problems and unique continuation theory. The downstream impact of this research will lead to more efficient and accurate tomography methods which can be implemented in a range of imaging applications.Read moreRead less
Advanced computational algorithms for brain imaging studies of freely moving animals. Current brain imaging technology requires the animal to be unconscious. This project will remove this barrier by developing computational algorithms that measure brain function in freely moving animals. These technologies will provide brain scientists with new tools to study behaviour altering diseases, such as schizophrenia and depression.
Rapid point-of-care detection of genomic variations for personalised medicine. Selecting treatment based on a person’s genetic profile can improve drug safety and efficacy, but the application is hampered by the inconvenience, slow result turnaround and high cost of current lab-based tests. Full implementation of personalised medicine in clinical practice requires a point-of-care testing system. This project aims to overcome the challenges involved in developing such a system by validating novel ....Rapid point-of-care detection of genomic variations for personalised medicine. Selecting treatment based on a person’s genetic profile can improve drug safety and efficacy, but the application is hampered by the inconvenience, slow result turnaround and high cost of current lab-based tests. Full implementation of personalised medicine in clinical practice requires a point-of-care testing system. This project aims to overcome the challenges involved in developing such a system by validating novel rapid genotyping methods and developing ultrasensitive real-time DNA detection that will be integrated on a single chip platform to facilitate a small, low cost and reliable test device. The technology will be readily adaptable to areas where prompt access to genomic information is valuable, such as disease diagnosis and risk prediction.Read moreRead less
Microwave Head Monitor Using Compressed Sensing and Differential Techniques. The aim of this project is the design and development of a low-cost, non-ionising, and non-invasive microwave technology that can be used to diagnose and localise early brain injuries of premature newborn babies. It proposes to include a switched antenna array and wide-band microwave transceiver. The system aims to use a combination of compressed sensing and differential imaging techniques to produce, within a few secon ....Microwave Head Monitor Using Compressed Sensing and Differential Techniques. The aim of this project is the design and development of a low-cost, non-ionising, and non-invasive microwave technology that can be used to diagnose and localise early brain injuries of premature newborn babies. It proposes to include a switched antenna array and wide-band microwave transceiver. The system aims to use a combination of compressed sensing and differential imaging techniques to produce, within a few seconds, microwave images of the brain making it a real-time monitoring tool. By providing vital information about the brain at the incubator side, the proposed compact technology would avoid the risky move of critically ill babies to the expensive and bulky conventional scanners which, furthermore, cannot operate as frequent monitoring tools.Read moreRead less
Engineering the next generation of portable microwave scanners. This project aims to engineer a disruptive technology based on microwave hybrid imaging for biomedical applications. The project will deliver superfine resolution images using a combination of uniform near-field microwave irradiation and infrared imaging. The project will explore novel microwave antenna design, and engineer a portable platform for diagnostic applications. The proposed low-cost, non-invasive, and safe microwave techn ....Engineering the next generation of portable microwave scanners. This project aims to engineer a disruptive technology based on microwave hybrid imaging for biomedical applications. The project will deliver superfine resolution images using a combination of uniform near-field microwave irradiation and infrared imaging. The project will explore novel microwave antenna design, and engineer a portable platform for diagnostic applications. The proposed low-cost, non-invasive, and safe microwave technology will offer significant advantages over conventional diagnostic platforms. Among many potential applications, this innovation will introduce the first portable microwave scanner that can be used for the early detection of skin cancer.Read moreRead less