Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101313
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$383,536.00
Summary
New chromatography-electrophysiology methods for semiochemical discovery. The aim of this research is to develop new tools for discovering natural products that mediate insect-insect and plant-insect communication. Knowledge of such semiochemicals is critical for many applications in conservation biology, agriculture, and horticulture. Many of these compounds are difficult to identify with current chemical and electrophysiological methods. The goal is to develop new technology combining state-of ....New chromatography-electrophysiology methods for semiochemical discovery. The aim of this research is to develop new tools for discovering natural products that mediate insect-insect and plant-insect communication. Knowledge of such semiochemicals is critical for many applications in conservation biology, agriculture, and horticulture. Many of these compounds are difficult to identify with current chemical and electrophysiological methods. The goal is to develop new technology combining state-of-the-art chemical separation techniques and electroantennography to enable detection and identification of a broad range of chemicals of biological importance. The intended outcome is to apply this technology to pollination systems of plants of conservation and evolutionary significance, and of commercial importance in terms of insect control and pollination.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100311
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Mimicking nature: computational design of better antioxidants. The project will address a major challenge in biochemistry: how to design antioxidants that effectively scavenge harmful free radicals. This will involve the use of state-of-the-art quantum chemistry calculations to determine the molecular mechanisms of natural antioxidants and to design artificial antioxidants with higher efficacy. This project will introduce new concepts and methodologies that build on recent breakthrough research, ....Mimicking nature: computational design of better antioxidants. The project will address a major challenge in biochemistry: how to design antioxidants that effectively scavenge harmful free radicals. This will involve the use of state-of-the-art quantum chemistry calculations to determine the molecular mechanisms of natural antioxidants and to design artificial antioxidants with higher efficacy. This project will introduce new concepts and methodologies that build on recent breakthrough research, revealing a novel mechanism of action of natural antioxidants. This will unravel the reaction mechanisms underlying defence against radical damage to key biomolecules, and will allow the design of bioinspired antioxidants for the treatment of oxidative-damage related diseases that affect millions of people.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101350
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,038.00
Summary
A synthetic biology approach for mining the secondary metabolomes of fungal phytopathogens. Synthetic biology approaches will be employed to identify the secondary metabolites produced by the two important wheat pathogens, Stagonospora nodorum and Mycosphaerella graminicola. This will lead to the discovery of novel chemicals and facilitate our understanding of the roles of secondary metabolites in wheat diseases.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100112
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$348,575.00
Summary
Design and synthesis of new radical and heterometallic magnetic molecules. This project aims to build upon recent advances in developing magnetic molecules for use in electronic devices. The development of new electronic devices based on quantum systems will lead to the development of faster more efficient computers. Magnetic molecules are promising candidates for the data storage components in these systems. Despite the potential of these materials, the temperature at which they operate needs t ....Design and synthesis of new radical and heterometallic magnetic molecules. This project aims to build upon recent advances in developing magnetic molecules for use in electronic devices. The development of new electronic devices based on quantum systems will lead to the development of faster more efficient computers. Magnetic molecules are promising candidates for the data storage components in these systems. Despite the potential of these materials, the temperature at which they operate needs to be increased above that of liquid helium. This project is focused on the development of new magnetic lanthanide molecules with higher working temperatures. The outcomes will provide a greater understanding of how structure impacts on the magnetic properties of the molecule.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101824
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,970.00
Summary
Capturing Latent Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Production. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The natural gas industry produces significant methane emissions through collateral venting with nitrogen gas. Recovering waste methane will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the revenue of natural gas processors. This project will develop the technology needed to capture the latent methane and significantly reduce its concentration in nitrogen gas ri ....Capturing Latent Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Production. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The natural gas industry produces significant methane emissions through collateral venting with nitrogen gas. Recovering waste methane will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the revenue of natural gas processors. This project will develop the technology needed to capture the latent methane and significantly reduce its concentration in nitrogen gas rich vent streams. New adsorbents for separating these gases, such as molecular trapdoor zeolites, will be designed and tested over wide ranges of pressure and temperature. Dual reflux pressure swing adsorption cycles will be tested using the best materials to demonstrate how latent methane emissions can be reduced to part-per-million levels.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101330
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$376,470.00
Summary
Electron Density - Reactivity Correlation through Experimental Quantum Crystallography. X-ray wavefunction refinement provides a novel approach to the determination of reliable chemical properties through an amalgamation of x-ray diffraction data and ab initio calculations. Detailed knowledge of these properties will greatly improve our understanding of reactivity and selectivity control in chemical processes, two of the most important and challenging questions in chemistry. This project involve ....Electron Density - Reactivity Correlation through Experimental Quantum Crystallography. X-ray wavefunction refinement provides a novel approach to the determination of reliable chemical properties through an amalgamation of x-ray diffraction data and ab initio calculations. Detailed knowledge of these properties will greatly improve our understanding of reactivity and selectivity control in chemical processes, two of the most important and challenging questions in chemistry. This project involves the synthesis of hypercoordinated molecules that serve as sterically frozen intermediates along the pathways of nucleophilic substitution reactions. Comparison of their properties with those of textbook compounds will provide a direct link to the classical Lewis notion of bonding and show that the concept of hypervalency is obsolete.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100482
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$364,536.00
Summary
Indoleamides as Molecular Interventions for Tuberculosis. This project aims to develop chemical probes capable of inhibiting the transport of essential mycolic acid across the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The emergence of resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis necessitates the identification of new, validated biological target(s) in the current control of tuberculosis. Preliminary data in this proposal demonstrate the discovery of indoleamides as a novel chemical entity. Dev ....Indoleamides as Molecular Interventions for Tuberculosis. This project aims to develop chemical probes capable of inhibiting the transport of essential mycolic acid across the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The emergence of resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis necessitates the identification of new, validated biological target(s) in the current control of tuberculosis. Preliminary data in this proposal demonstrate the discovery of indoleamides as a novel chemical entity. Development of these indoleamides may provide insights into a novel mechanism of action that could be targeted in combination with existing antitubercular agents.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101456
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Electrochemical behaviour of toxic gases and explosives in room temperature ionic liquids. This project will examine the behaviour of toxic gases and volatile explosive materials in ionic liquids. The information generated from this work will provide fundamental knowledge that will allow for the design of improved sensors for toxic gases, nerve agents and explosives, for applications in the mining and security sectors.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100517
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Organocatalysis: A New Horizon for Synthesis of Organic Structures. The current technologies to synthesise organic substances, an important part of human life, often involve the use of excess amounts of reagents or precious and toxic metal catalysts, which incur high production costs and severe environmental impact. This project aims to use organocatalysis, chemical processes catalysed by stable, small, easily accessible, non-metallic organic compounds, to find a solution for these issues. Novel ....Organocatalysis: A New Horizon for Synthesis of Organic Structures. The current technologies to synthesise organic substances, an important part of human life, often involve the use of excess amounts of reagents or precious and toxic metal catalysts, which incur high production costs and severe environmental impact. This project aims to use organocatalysis, chemical processes catalysed by stable, small, easily accessible, non-metallic organic compounds, to find a solution for these issues. Novel organocatalytic methods will be designed and developed in order to promote environmentally friendly, highly efficient and selective chemical procedures for low cost production of laboratory organic substances and application in the industrial synthesis of potential agrochemicals and medicinal agents.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101578
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,116.00
Summary
Quantitative structure-property relations for molecular crystals. Most of the known molecular compounds exist in crystalline form, and their stability and properties depend upon the structure and interactions in crystals. This project aims to develop methods in the field of quantum crystallography to accurately estimate the electronic properties of molecular crystals, their stability, and associated energetics. The outcomes will be directly applicable in the design of new solid-state forms of ph ....Quantitative structure-property relations for molecular crystals. Most of the known molecular compounds exist in crystalline form, and their stability and properties depend upon the structure and interactions in crystals. This project aims to develop methods in the field of quantum crystallography to accurately estimate the electronic properties of molecular crystals, their stability, and associated energetics. The outcomes will be directly applicable in the design of new solid-state forms of pharmaceutical drugs with enhanced solubility and efficacy and hence reduced drug dosage. Understanding the electronic properties in molecular semiconductor crystals, and the strategies to tune and control these properties will contribute to future generation electronic device material manufacturing.Read moreRead less