Discovery of Novel Respiratory Viruses Causing Influenza-Like Illness in Healthy Australian Adults Aged 18 to 64 Years. This work will inform our understanding of the causes of acute respiratory illnesses in Australia at the present time by looking for both known and previously undiscovered respiratory viruses. Increasing the knowledge base regarding causes of disease will have downstream relevance for health policy planners seeking to assess the burden of disease due to different causes. Early ....Discovery of Novel Respiratory Viruses Causing Influenza-Like Illness in Healthy Australian Adults Aged 18 to 64 Years. This work will inform our understanding of the causes of acute respiratory illnesses in Australia at the present time by looking for both known and previously undiscovered respiratory viruses. Increasing the knowledge base regarding causes of disease will have downstream relevance for health policy planners seeking to assess the burden of disease due to different causes. Early identification and description of new diseases will allow pre-emptive evaluation of new public health threats. This information will help to ensure availability and marketability of vaccines to prevent infection.Read moreRead less
Rational lateral-bracing design for steel-framed domestic structures. For the 150,000 new Australian houses built annually to remain safe, despite expected increases in structural loading due to climate change, rational design approaches are desperately needed. This project will provide the industry with the necessary tools to develop optimised and innovative solutions to brace houses for extreme events and yet maintain affordability.
A high speed, high fidelity 3D printer for fabricating microfluidic devices. This project aims to develop a novel 3D printer offering the highest resolution available and fastest printing speed for the single-step manufacturing of complex microfluidic devices. New resins developed to exploit the inert liquid interface layer printing approach will provide unprecedented capability to create micron sized channels interconnected in 3D space and fabricate Lab-on-a-Chip systems that cannot be generate ....A high speed, high fidelity 3D printer for fabricating microfluidic devices. This project aims to develop a novel 3D printer offering the highest resolution available and fastest printing speed for the single-step manufacturing of complex microfluidic devices. New resins developed to exploit the inert liquid interface layer printing approach will provide unprecedented capability to create micron sized channels interconnected in 3D space and fabricate Lab-on-a-Chip systems that cannot be generated by any current fabrication approach. This novel high speed, high fidelity 3D printer and the new resins to be developed are expected to lead to more effective manufacturing approaches for portable chemical devices and to promote complex chemical analysis into the knowledge immediacy culture of today.Read moreRead less
Novel Self Assembled Particle Systems as a Key to Next Generation Biosensor Technology. Development and commercialisation of products utilising nanotechnology is crucial to future wealth creation for Australia. The translational research in this proposal will progress innovative concepts in nanotechnology-based biosensors, with potential for substantial improvements in disease diagnosis, leading to more economical and timely therapy. The products that arise from this research will also provide f ....Novel Self Assembled Particle Systems as a Key to Next Generation Biosensor Technology. Development and commercialisation of products utilising nanotechnology is crucial to future wealth creation for Australia. The translational research in this proposal will progress innovative concepts in nanotechnology-based biosensors, with potential for substantial improvements in disease diagnosis, leading to more economical and timely therapy. The products that arise from this research will also provide further employment for Australians, building on Universal Biosensor’s proven record of commercialization in Australia. The project will lead to training of Australian researchers in nanotechnology and in utilization of key Australian science infrastructure including the Australian Synchrotron and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication.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
Artificial intelligence to explore and combat eukaryotic pathogens. The revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) provides unprecedented opportunities for integrative analyses of complex multi-omics data sets and for creating radically new strategies to control some of the world’s most serious animal diseases. In a strong partnership with international experts, we will use AI-based methods to make major conceptual advances in our understanding of eukaryotic pathogens and host-pathogen interacti ....Artificial intelligence to explore and combat eukaryotic pathogens. The revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) provides unprecedented opportunities for integrative analyses of complex multi-omics data sets and for creating radically new strategies to control some of the world’s most serious animal diseases. In a strong partnership with international experts, we will use AI-based methods to make major conceptual advances in our understanding of eukaryotic pathogens and host-pathogen interactions, discover the "choke-points" in biological pathways, and develop novel treatments, vaccines and diagnostics. This leap forward will substantially enhance the global profile of pathogen research in Australia, build major capacity in a priority area, and enable access to international research funding and networks.Read moreRead less
Fabrication and Application of Ion-Sensors Based on the Voltammetry of Nanocrystals Adhered to Electrode Surfaces. A significant need exists for the low cost determination of cations and anions in biologically (blood, urine), industrially (process streams) and environmentally (rivers, lakes) important fluids. In this project, skills in sensor design, scientific instrumentation, materials science, electrochemistry and analytical science provided by a consortium of scientists at Monash University ....Fabrication and Application of Ion-Sensors Based on the Voltammetry of Nanocrystals Adhered to Electrode Surfaces. A significant need exists for the low cost determination of cations and anions in biologically (blood, urine), industrially (process streams) and environmentally (rivers, lakes) important fluids. In this project, skills in sensor design, scientific instrumentation, materials science, electrochemistry and analytical science provided by a consortium of scientists at Monash University, the Victorian Institute for Chemical Sciences, Oxford Biosensors and Oxford University will be integrated to fabricate and develop applications of commercially viable ion-sensing systems. The principles to be utilised are based on novel forms of voltammetry of nanocrystals adhered to electrode surfaces.Read moreRead less
Use of an animal model to understand mechanisms underlying reductions in body weight associated with use of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. At least one in ten Australians is classified as morbidly obese and as such are eligible for bariatric surgery. Those undergoing the surgery will achieve an average excess weight loss of up to 60 per cent, they will have reduced or eliminated diabetes and will appreciably improve their prospects of survival. These experiments aimed at understandin ....Use of an animal model to understand mechanisms underlying reductions in body weight associated with use of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. At least one in ten Australians is classified as morbidly obese and as such are eligible for bariatric surgery. Those undergoing the surgery will achieve an average excess weight loss of up to 60 per cent, they will have reduced or eliminated diabetes and will appreciably improve their prospects of survival. These experiments aimed at understanding the mechanisms underpinning this success have the potential to further improve surgical approaches and outcomes and provide insights that will better enable weight loss therapies for all overweight and obese Australians.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.
New hyphenated chromatographic and spectroscopic methods for oil analysis. This project aims to use novel chemical separation methods combined with spectroscopy to identify useful markers in olive oil and essential oil to ensure purity, quality and authenticity, which are all ongoing issues in these industries in Australia and overseas. The project plans to compare and integrate results of multidimensional gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared analyses ....New hyphenated chromatographic and spectroscopic methods for oil analysis. This project aims to use novel chemical separation methods combined with spectroscopy to identify useful markers in olive oil and essential oil to ensure purity, quality and authenticity, which are all ongoing issues in these industries in Australia and overseas. The project plans to compare and integrate results of multidimensional gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared analyses with data libraries to generate precise molecular identification. The outcome is expected to help monitor adulteration of oils and maintain the high quality standards of Australian produce.Read moreRead less