Mapping sites of visceral convergence connecting the colon and bladder. This project aims to develop multiple neuroanatomical approaches to identify where in the central nervous system the sensory signalling from the colon and bladder merge. The combination of such technologies is novel to the study of the central circuits relaying colon/bladder convergence into the brain and will generate new and detailed knowledge of the central pathways in which pelvic organ sensory (discomfort) and motor (de ....Mapping sites of visceral convergence connecting the colon and bladder. This project aims to develop multiple neuroanatomical approaches to identify where in the central nervous system the sensory signalling from the colon and bladder merge. The combination of such technologies is novel to the study of the central circuits relaying colon/bladder convergence into the brain and will generate new and detailed knowledge of the central pathways in which pelvic organ sensory (discomfort) and motor (defecation/urination) functions are coordinated. The expected outcomes are predicted to aid future discovery of mechanisms of cross-organ sensitisation and are anticipated to provide significant benefit to therapy development for chronic visceral pain syndromes associated with bowel and bladder dysfunction.Read moreRead less
Cellular bases of enteric neural circuitry underlying gut propulsion. This project aims to investigate the neural bases of behaviour in the mammalian gut. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) plays a critical role in the propulsion of intestinal contents. This project expects to establish how specific functional classes of enteric neurons control propulsion along the gut. By recording the simultaneous neural activity from hundreds of different functional classes of enteric nerve cells simultaneously ....Cellular bases of enteric neural circuitry underlying gut propulsion. This project aims to investigate the neural bases of behaviour in the mammalian gut. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) plays a critical role in the propulsion of intestinal contents. This project expects to establish how specific functional classes of enteric neurons control propulsion along the gut. By recording the simultaneous neural activity from hundreds of different functional classes of enteric nerve cells simultaneously, whilst recording intestinal muscle electrical activity and the movements of the gut wall, the project expects to identify which enteric neurochemical classes of neurons generate specific motor patterns along the intestine.Read moreRead less
Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing ....Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing nonlinear control strategies. The expected outcomes will include new system and control theories, concepts, principles and technologies in controller design that can provide reliable flight control for bio-inspired, flapping-wing systems.Read moreRead less
How does timing affect mammalian brain development and evolution? This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge on the origin of diversity in mammalian brain circuits by studying development of marsupials and rodents. The expected outcome is to elucidate how differences in the timing, rate and sequence of development of gene expression, cell differentiation and circuit formation can relate to the origin of key evolutionary innovations in the mammalian brain. The significance of understandi ....How does timing affect mammalian brain development and evolution? This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge on the origin of diversity in mammalian brain circuits by studying development of marsupials and rodents. The expected outcome is to elucidate how differences in the timing, rate and sequence of development of gene expression, cell differentiation and circuit formation can relate to the origin of key evolutionary innovations in the mammalian brain. The significance of understanding the dynamics of developmental systems that shape complex brain traits includes establishing new developmental paradigms in evolutionary theory, generating new tools to investigate and manipulate brain gene expression in vivo, and the potential discovery of the causes of neurodevelopmental dysfunction.Read moreRead less
How Spinal Afferent Neurons Control Appetite and Thirst . This project aims to provide major new insights about how the gut communicates with the brain, to regulate how much food and fluids have been consumed. The proposal expects to generate new knowledge about gut-brain communication and how one of the major sensory nerves from the gut relays information about thirst and appetite sensations. The project addresses fundamental questions that rely on techniques only recently developed in our labo ....How Spinal Afferent Neurons Control Appetite and Thirst . This project aims to provide major new insights about how the gut communicates with the brain, to regulate how much food and fluids have been consumed. The proposal expects to generate new knowledge about gut-brain communication and how one of the major sensory nerves from the gut relays information about thirst and appetite sensations. The project addresses fundamental questions that rely on techniques only recently developed in our laboratory. We expect to demonstrate a major new sensory nerve pathway from the gut to the brain that plays a major role in appetite and thirst sensations. We will learn how gut to brain communication underlies the feeling of "fullness" when people consume food and drink.
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Conducting coatings for control and eradication of unwanted marine biofilms. Biofilms grow on all surfaces and environments posing environmental threats and economic issues globally, costing billions each year to those attempting to eradicate them. To date, biofilm's detailed response to variations in electrochemically generated redox stress and shear is unknown in marine environments. The project aims at (i) developing novel electrically conducting carbon based paints that are stable in marine ....Conducting coatings for control and eradication of unwanted marine biofilms. Biofilms grow on all surfaces and environments posing environmental threats and economic issues globally, costing billions each year to those attempting to eradicate them. To date, biofilm's detailed response to variations in electrochemically generated redox stress and shear is unknown in marine environments. The project aims at (i) developing novel electrically conducting carbon based paints that are stable in marine environments and (ii) investigating how marine biofilms respond to these coatings. The expected outcome of this project is the development of a green alternative antifouling technology that can be used on demand in marine applications. This provides a new solution for controlling the biofouling of surfaces immersed in oceans.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the mechanics of facet dislocation and fracture in the neck. This project aims to address shortcomings in understanding the mechanics of neck trauma. Understanding the mechanical factors leading to cervical facet dislocation and fracture is necessary to improve injury prevention strategies and their assessment. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of spinal injury biomechanics, developing and using new experimental techniques. The project expects to provide know ....Elucidating the mechanics of facet dislocation and fracture in the neck. This project aims to address shortcomings in understanding the mechanics of neck trauma. Understanding the mechanical factors leading to cervical facet dislocation and fracture is necessary to improve injury prevention strategies and their assessment. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of spinal injury biomechanics, developing and using new experimental techniques. The project expects to provide knowledge necessary to improve crash test dummy design, associated injury criteria, and computational models, which provide the potential for improved injury prevention measures and methods for assessing existing and new technologies. The anticipated benefits of this project will be significant in reducing the personal and economic burden of spinal injuries.Read moreRead less
Two-price quantitative finance. This project aims to establish a novel field, namely two-price quantitative finance, and explore its applications. The new field will integrate two major schools for modelling and explain the presence of two prices, the buying and selling prices, widely observed in the real-world markets, and the equilibrium approach from the fundamental law of one price. The outcomes would deepen our understanding of the fundamental relationship among liquidity, prices, risk and ....Two-price quantitative finance. This project aims to establish a novel field, namely two-price quantitative finance, and explore its applications. The new field will integrate two major schools for modelling and explain the presence of two prices, the buying and selling prices, widely observed in the real-world markets, and the equilibrium approach from the fundamental law of one price. The outcomes would deepen our understanding of the fundamental relationship among liquidity, prices, risk and the economy. This project expects to bring about long-term impact on quantitative finance and related applications through providing a deep understanding of, and a new perspective for, the design, risk and fairness of the finance, property and insurance markets.Read moreRead less
How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misf ....How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misfolded proteins during ageing, within the nervous system of a living animal. Expected outcomes of this project will generate new knowledge of brain physiology and ageing relevant to all animals. This should provide significant benefits, such as a greater understanding of long-term brain functions including memory.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innov ....Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innovative genome editing, mathematical modelling and proteomic approaches, to study how biochemical modifications of a key protein called tau help encode and retrieve memories. These molecular insights will make a significant advance in the current understanding of a brain function that is essential to all human activities.Read moreRead less