Mobility of water in cartilage as a probe of molecular structure and function. Clinical diagnosis of early-stage osteoarthritis is difficult, and most patients are not diagnosed until a substantial degradation of cartilage has occurred as a result of the disease. This research will study the interaction between different components of articular cartilage and investigate, how this interaction can be exploited for the development of reliable and non-invasive techniques of cartilage imaging. Mobili ....Mobility of water in cartilage as a probe of molecular structure and function. Clinical diagnosis of early-stage osteoarthritis is difficult, and most patients are not diagnosed until a substantial degradation of cartilage has occurred as a result of the disease. This research will study the interaction between different components of articular cartilage and investigate, how this interaction can be exploited for the development of reliable and non-invasive techniques of cartilage imaging. Mobility of water molecules is a potent indicator of the microscopic structure of the cartilage scaffold. We will use this fundamental biophysical relationship to measure the internal architecture of collagen fibres; observe the changes effected by mechanical load; and distinguish between healthy and osteoarthritic cartilage.
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Functional magnetic resonance imaging: Decoding the palimpsest. This project aims to model the dynamics of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to image new physiology and attain higher resolution. This will enable new aspects of brain dynamics to be imaged, achieving higher resolution and improving interpretation. This project is expected to improve the use and power of fMRI, unlock new avenues for probing brain function and save experimental costs. This will have many uses in neuroscie ....Functional magnetic resonance imaging: Decoding the palimpsest. This project aims to model the dynamics of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to image new physiology and attain higher resolution. This will enable new aspects of brain dynamics to be imaged, achieving higher resolution and improving interpretation. This project is expected to improve the use and power of fMRI, unlock new avenues for probing brain function and save experimental costs. This will have many uses in neuroscience, brain imaging technology and fMRI analysis software.Read moreRead less
Measuring the flushing time of waters in the Great Barrier Reef. There are concerns both in the scientific community and in the general public about the possible implications of agricultural runoff to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Due to this, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has developed a "Reef Water Quality Protection Plan" (RWQPP) which may have significant economic implications to the grazing, sugar, and other primary industries. In order to protect the GBR, whilst also minimiz ....Measuring the flushing time of waters in the Great Barrier Reef. There are concerns both in the scientific community and in the general public about the possible implications of agricultural runoff to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Due to this, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has developed a "Reef Water Quality Protection Plan" (RWQPP) which may have significant economic implications to the grazing, sugar, and other primary industries. In order to protect the GBR, whilst also minimizing the impacts on agricultural industries, it is important to understand the processes that affect the buildup and broad-scale dispersion of contaminants in the GBR. This project will facilitate that understanding.Read moreRead less
Contribution of surf zone wind stress to storm surge inundation. In the present era of climate change, storm surge forecasting is becoming an increasingly important part of disaster management planning. The responsible state and national agencies require accurate forecasting tools in order to best safeguard communities and plan infrastructure. Storm surges result from low pressure atmospheric conditions and wind forces on the ocean. However, the wind forces on the surf zone are unknown, with the ....Contribution of surf zone wind stress to storm surge inundation. In the present era of climate change, storm surge forecasting is becoming an increasingly important part of disaster management planning. The responsible state and national agencies require accurate forecasting tools in order to best safeguard communities and plan infrastructure. Storm surges result from low pressure atmospheric conditions and wind forces on the ocean. However, the wind forces on the surf zone are unknown, with the result that inaccurate warnings are issued to communities. This project will lead to significant improvements in forecast accuracy by providing this missing data and by developing new models for the surf zone wind forcing. Read moreRead less
Tropical sand beach ridges - a new approach to palaeotempestology. Investigations of sand beach ridges in northern Australia will considerably reduce the impact of future tropical cyclones on communities. These ridges record a detailed history of cyclones over the past 5,000 years. Due to the great length of record we will now be able to identify cycles of cyclone activity, which will allow us to better predict the consequences of these hazards under an enhanced greenhouse climate and reduce the ....Tropical sand beach ridges - a new approach to palaeotempestology. Investigations of sand beach ridges in northern Australia will considerably reduce the impact of future tropical cyclones on communities. These ridges record a detailed history of cyclones over the past 5,000 years. Due to the great length of record we will now be able to identify cycles of cyclone activity, which will allow us to better predict the consequences of these hazards under an enhanced greenhouse climate and reduce the threat to human life and economic loss.Read moreRead less
Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices. The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain thei ....Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices. The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain their behaviour, and use this knowledge to create bio-compatible hi-tech materials and devices. We anticipate significant benefits from the perspectives of basic science and utilisation of biomaterials for new green technologies.Read moreRead less
From structures to systems: A hierachical approach to understanding sub-cellular components. This program will dramatically extend the range of biomolecular systems that can be modelled with near atomistic precision. It will provide a better understanding of the structure and function of proteins involved in the regulation of membrane fusion and fission as well as shedding light on the assembly of large-scale protein-protein and protein-membrane complexes in general. The work will help place Au ....From structures to systems: A hierachical approach to understanding sub-cellular components. This program will dramatically extend the range of biomolecular systems that can be modelled with near atomistic precision. It will provide a better understanding of the structure and function of proteins involved in the regulation of membrane fusion and fission as well as shedding light on the assembly of large-scale protein-protein and protein-membrane complexes in general. The work will help place Australia at the forefront of developing simulation techniques in biomolecular systems, which are widely used within the chemical and pharmaceutical industries for modelling processes ranging from protein-drug interactions to the phase behaviour of lipids and surfactants. Read moreRead less
Synthesis of Unique Mesoporous Graphitic Carbons and their Application to Fundamental Problems in Adsorption Science. The development of synthesis techniques to create porous graphitic carbons with highly ordered pore structures, easily accessible pore volume and good electrical conductivity can underpin technological advancements in many industrial applications such as energy storage, removal of pollutants from exhaust streams, direct-methanol fuel cells and lithium ion batteries. Techniques de ....Synthesis of Unique Mesoporous Graphitic Carbons and their Application to Fundamental Problems in Adsorption Science. The development of synthesis techniques to create porous graphitic carbons with highly ordered pore structures, easily accessible pore volume and good electrical conductivity can underpin technological advancements in many industrial applications such as energy storage, removal of pollutants from exhaust streams, direct-methanol fuel cells and lithium ion batteries. Techniques developed in this project are also applicable to creating other materials important to advanced sensors and optoelectronics. The fundamental study of water adsorption and hysteresis using these carbons will help us create better models for adsorption. This will underpin theoretical studies, characterisation and optimisation of carbon materials into the future. Read moreRead less
The origin of the First Australians: a genomic approach. The earliest known inhabitants of Australia lived more than 42,000 years ago on the shores of Lake Mungo. This project will present data that show it is feasible to recover complete genomes of some early Australians, in addition to the sex and mitochondrial genomes of others. These data will provide a new understanding of the robust and gracile morphologies of these people, as well as the dispersal patterns of modern humans out of Africa. ....The origin of the First Australians: a genomic approach. The earliest known inhabitants of Australia lived more than 42,000 years ago on the shores of Lake Mungo. This project will present data that show it is feasible to recover complete genomes of some early Australians, in addition to the sex and mitochondrial genomes of others. These data will provide a new understanding of the robust and gracile morphologies of these people, as well as the dispersal patterns of modern humans out of Africa. Ideas about Australia’s First People have been central to the development of theories about the origin of modern humans generally, and therefore this study will be of international significance. Read moreRead less
The origin of the first Australians. Using new DNA methods researchers aim to uncover the origins of the first Australians and to provide new evidence for when people came here and where they came from. This exciting work aims to determine some of the physical and metabolic characteristics of these early people.