A Micro-Physiological System to Mimic Human Microbiome-Organ Interactions. This project aims to mimic gut microbiome-organ interactions by developing a microbial-gut coculture chip, which can reversibly interface with other organs-on-chips. This is achieved through the systematic integration of highly customisable biofabrication and microfluidic technologies. This project fills a critical technological gap in the availability of an animal-alternative system to investigate microbiome-host interac ....A Micro-Physiological System to Mimic Human Microbiome-Organ Interactions. This project aims to mimic gut microbiome-organ interactions by developing a microbial-gut coculture chip, which can reversibly interface with other organs-on-chips. This is achieved through the systematic integration of highly customisable biofabrication and microfluidic technologies. This project fills a critical technological gap in the availability of an animal-alternative system to investigate microbiome-host interactions, which will greatly complement existing meta-omics approaches. The deliverables include a proof-of-concept system validated for gut-liver axis as well as the creation of new knowledge and framework to assimilate design thinking and advanced manufacturing to elevate tissue engineering into physiology engineering. Read moreRead less
Design and Fabrication of an Engineered Bone Graft System (EBGS) by combining a composite scaffold and growth factor delivery system. The lifetime risk for long bone fractures in Caucasians over the age of 50 is 17% for women and 6% for men. The prevalence of age-related fractures - and with it higher mortality rates due to complications following bone fractures - is therefore bound to increase over the coming decades. There is clearly a great need for therapies that take age-related changes in ....Design and Fabrication of an Engineered Bone Graft System (EBGS) by combining a composite scaffold and growth factor delivery system. The lifetime risk for long bone fractures in Caucasians over the age of 50 is 17% for women and 6% for men. The prevalence of age-related fractures - and with it higher mortality rates due to complications following bone fractures - is therefore bound to increase over the coming decades. There is clearly a great need for therapies that take age-related changes into consideration, in particular the diminishing capacity of bone to heal with age. In an effort to address the therapeutic challenges of providing bone grafts, we aim to mesh two leading-edge technologies to design and fabricate an Engineered Bone Graft System (EBGS) system. Read moreRead less
The Material Science of Biomimetic Soft Network Composites. Nature combines stiff and strong collagen fibres intertwined within a weak polymer matrix of proteoglycans into soft tissues with outstanding mechanical durability and biological properties. We converge a biomimetic design strategy inspired in the architecture of natural soft tissues and a novel additive manufacturing technology termed melt electrowriting (MEW) to manufacture advanced biomimetic soft network composites (BSNC). The SNCs ....The Material Science of Biomimetic Soft Network Composites. Nature combines stiff and strong collagen fibres intertwined within a weak polymer matrix of proteoglycans into soft tissues with outstanding mechanical durability and biological properties. We converge a biomimetic design strategy inspired in the architecture of natural soft tissues and a novel additive manufacturing technology termed melt electrowriting (MEW) to manufacture advanced biomimetic soft network composites (BSNC). The SNCs are composed of a weak polymer matrix and a MEW reinforcing fibrous phase printed at the nanometre scale, containing patterns mimicking the natural tissue architectures. Advanced computational tools are applied for the rational design of the SNC while reducing costs and times associated to experimental work.Read moreRead less
Development and validation of virtual epithelial cancer models using an integrated modelling and experimental three-dimensional approach. The mathematical and experimental modelling of the human prostate and ovary applying quantitative bioengineering concepts will lead to virtual cancer models. This project aims to validate these multi-scale models to delineate biological and pathological avenues in healthy and disease tissue and improve prevention and treatment of prostate and ovarian cancer.
Convergence of biomaterials and immunology: a technology platform for delayed burst release of vaccines. A large challenge in vaccination, particularly in wildlife such as for the growing problem of Chlamydia in koalas, is to provide the necessary booster shots. This project will develop implants that will be inserted under the skin at the time of the first shot, and will spontaneously burst later to release the booster shot to provide protection.
Composite biomaterials for modulation of dermal fibroblast function. The successful outcome of this research will revolutionize the way scars are treated for the large number of people who suffer burns and even minor trauma that leads to disfigurement. By using advanced chemical synthesis, biochemical analysis, cell biology and polymer materials science, an intelligent gel sheet will be devised that is able to control the formation of scar tissue and also reduce the effect of existing scars. Thi ....Composite biomaterials for modulation of dermal fibroblast function. The successful outcome of this research will revolutionize the way scars are treated for the large number of people who suffer burns and even minor trauma that leads to disfigurement. By using advanced chemical synthesis, biochemical analysis, cell biology and polymer materials science, an intelligent gel sheet will be devised that is able to control the formation of scar tissue and also reduce the effect of existing scars. This will produce improved quality of life for sufferers of severe scarring and have major economic benefits in reduced health costs. Read moreRead less
Tissue Engineering the Meniscus: Combining Novel Biomimetic Hybrid Scaffolds with Adult Stem Cells. Development of a meniscal implant ex vivo will provide significant health and economic benefits, given that worldwide, millions of people annually suffer from meniscus damage or loss. We believe that a tissue engineered meniscus, composed of a novel biomimetic scaffold which guides the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in a novel bioreactor will provide a solution to the problem of donor ....Tissue Engineering the Meniscus: Combining Novel Biomimetic Hybrid Scaffolds with Adult Stem Cells. Development of a meniscal implant ex vivo will provide significant health and economic benefits, given that worldwide, millions of people annually suffer from meniscus damage or loss. We believe that a tissue engineered meniscus, composed of a novel biomimetic scaffold which guides the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in a novel bioreactor will provide a solution to the problem of donor scarcity in meniscal repair. Success in this project will lead directly to large-animal studies and clinical trials. The training of four early careeer researchers involved in this project will also be of significant benefit to the Australian Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials community.Read moreRead less
An Integrated Biotechnological Process for Production of Lactic Acid from Carbohydrate-Waste Streams by Rhizopus sp. Lactic acid is the most widely occurring multifunctional organic acid. It has enormous applications in food and food-related industries, and great potential use for production of biodegradable and biocompatible polylactate polymers. The aim of this research is to develop an innovative biotechnological process, incorporating simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, which int ....An Integrated Biotechnological Process for Production of Lactic Acid from Carbohydrate-Waste Streams by Rhizopus sp. Lactic acid is the most widely occurring multifunctional organic acid. It has enormous applications in food and food-related industries, and great potential use for production of biodegradable and biocompatible polylactate polymers. The aim of this research is to develop an innovative biotechnological process, incorporating simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, which integrates the production of lactic acid with the treatment of high strength food industry ?effluent? streams - carbohydrate waste streams. The proposed SSF process will cultivate an identified fungal Rhizopus sp strain on the waste streams, as production substrates, leading to an environmentally friendly and economically sustainable new technology for the food industry.Read moreRead less
Engineering Articular Cartilage with Zonal Structure and Function. This project addresses the National Research Priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and specifically the Priority Goal of Ageing well, ageing productively. Osteoarthritis, the most common cartilage-related disease, affects nearly 1.4 million Australians, resulting in 2 in 1000 Australians undergoing total joint replacement, annually. The incidence and impact of cartilage damage on the Australian health and economy is e ....Engineering Articular Cartilage with Zonal Structure and Function. This project addresses the National Research Priority of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and specifically the Priority Goal of Ageing well, ageing productively. Osteoarthritis, the most common cartilage-related disease, affects nearly 1.4 million Australians, resulting in 2 in 1000 Australians undergoing total joint replacement, annually. The incidence and impact of cartilage damage on the Australian health and economy is expected to increase with the ageing population. This work leads to the development of a novel cartilage engineering technology platform that addresses Frontier Technologies and will thus provide the foundation for translation of this technology to the international marketplace. Read moreRead less
Developing a multicomponent platform for targeted gene delivery. Gene delivery systems are important tools in biological research and offer many exciting future prospects. Delivering gene material is very difficult in practice: rapid deterioration, poor cell uptake, and reaching the right tissue and cell types are major obstacles. Ways to overcome each barrier individually have been suggested in existing research but these components have not yet been combined in a single solution, which this pr ....Developing a multicomponent platform for targeted gene delivery. Gene delivery systems are important tools in biological research and offer many exciting future prospects. Delivering gene material is very difficult in practice: rapid deterioration, poor cell uptake, and reaching the right tissue and cell types are major obstacles. Ways to overcome each barrier individually have been suggested in existing research but these components have not yet been combined in a single solution, which this project will tackle. This proposal aims to create a technology to stabilise and deliver active gene material to target cells. The gene delivery tool developed in this project will advance biological research greatly with many potential future applications.Read moreRead less