Characterisation and Stability of Thin Electrowetting Films. Electrowetting is of importance to numerous industrial, biomedical and daily life settings such as microfluidic biopharmaceutical applications, coating technology, electronic displays, optical focusing devices, miniaturised chemical analysis systems for homeland security, etc. The work, aimed at generating an understanding of the complex hydrodynamic and physicochemical processes involved, is fundamental research having generic benefit ....Characterisation and Stability of Thin Electrowetting Films. Electrowetting is of importance to numerous industrial, biomedical and daily life settings such as microfluidic biopharmaceutical applications, coating technology, electronic displays, optical focusing devices, miniaturised chemical analysis systems for homeland security, etc. The work, aimed at generating an understanding of the complex hydrodynamic and physicochemical processes involved, is fundamental research having generic benefits to researchers in interfacial science, electrokinetics and microfluidics. The results will also be beneficial to industrial workers in providing engineering protocols for the development of these devices by identifying optimal conditions for fluid manipulation without prone-to-wear mechanical components. Read moreRead less
Biodegradable immuno-therapeutic nanoparticles. The national benefit relates directly to Promoting and Maintaining Good Health through preventative healthcare as this project will develop a new vaccine delivery platform that will contribute to preventing a host of diseases such as viral infections and malaria. The health benefits of better vaccines directly enhance a Healthy Start to Life and Ageing Well. This area of nanoparticle therapies is a global 'hot spot' and this multi-disciplinary team ....Biodegradable immuno-therapeutic nanoparticles. The national benefit relates directly to Promoting and Maintaining Good Health through preventative healthcare as this project will develop a new vaccine delivery platform that will contribute to preventing a host of diseases such as viral infections and malaria. The health benefits of better vaccines directly enhance a Healthy Start to Life and Ageing Well. This area of nanoparticle therapies is a global 'hot spot' and this multi-disciplinary team could make huge and rapid progressions in this area of therapeutics. New intellectual property in the area of therapeutic particle production is the cornerstone of this project and could deliver lasting economic benefits through the creation of new health products and patents.Read moreRead less
Feasibility Studies of Using AC Electrospraying for Biomaterials Synthesis. The proposed interdisciplinary research is anticipated to benefit workers in academia and industry as well as clinicians and patients. Given the demand for point-of-care drug delivery, micro/nano-encapsulation and biomaterials synthesis, the research will be beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry and spin-off/start-up microfluidic businesses interested in commercially developing these devices. It is intended that the ....Feasibility Studies of Using AC Electrospraying for Biomaterials Synthesis. The proposed interdisciplinary research is anticipated to benefit workers in academia and industry as well as clinicians and patients. Given the demand for point-of-care drug delivery, micro/nano-encapsulation and biomaterials synthesis, the research will be beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry and spin-off/start-up microfluidic businesses interested in commercially developing these devices. It is intended that the work will improve quality of life by advancing biomaterials technology and by making medical treatment more readily accessable, portable and more efficient. For patients, the proposed drug delivery device can help prevent sudden initial bursts of dose during administration, which could potentially have fatal consequences.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775692
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Micro/nano optomechatronics sensing, measurement, and control research facility. This project aims to establish a facility that enhances the capabilities for sensing, positioning, and manipulating of micro/nano scale objects and environment, and as such constitutes the building block for many frontier technologies such as nanotechnology, bio/nano medicine, microsurgery and neurosurgery, biotechnology, microbiology, microfluidics, and micro/nano manufacturing, all of which are still in their infa ....Micro/nano optomechatronics sensing, measurement, and control research facility. This project aims to establish a facility that enhances the capabilities for sensing, positioning, and manipulating of micro/nano scale objects and environment, and as such constitutes the building block for many frontier technologies such as nanotechnology, bio/nano medicine, microsurgery and neurosurgery, biotechnology, microbiology, microfluidics, and micro/nano manufacturing, all of which are still in their infancy and promise to be the challenging areas of research for the next two decades. The outcomes will strengthen Australia's position in world-class innovative scientific research. It also strengthens collaboration between major engineering institutions and medical experts for innovative research and training of researchers.Read moreRead less
Supersonic flow past micro-scale particles: Industrial applications. Droplet based materials processing has developed significantly over the last decade, with applications in a wide range of industries where high-strength, light-weight materials are critical. Our research will allow for continued progress of this method, by developing accurate models to predict the cooling rate throughout the process and hence the physical properties of the finished product. Development of this knowledge will al ....Supersonic flow past micro-scale particles: Industrial applications. Droplet based materials processing has developed significantly over the last decade, with applications in a wide range of industries where high-strength, light-weight materials are critical. Our research will allow for continued progress of this method, by developing accurate models to predict the cooling rate throughout the process and hence the physical properties of the finished product. Development of this knowledge will allow for higher precision products to be produced and allow for new techniques to be developed. This information will allow for material processing in Australia to be maintained at world class levels, and for Australian industry to continue to lead the way in the production of technologically advanced materials.Read moreRead less
DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to und ....DROP DEFORMATION IN CONFINED MICROFLUIDIC GEOMETRIES. Increasingly, high technology applications in biotechnology and microtechnology industries need to process complex (non-Newtonian) fluids with dispersed particles/droplets in channels as small as several microns (microfluidics). A computational fluid dynamic model of non-Newtonian droplet deformation in microfluidic geometries will be developed, and validated using experimental measurements of the flow field in this project. The aim is to understand and quantify factors influencing droplet deformation. Coupling non-Newtonian characteristics with microfluidic geometries will allow the continuous manufacture of micro-particles of specified size and shape for existing and new applications, and will provide guidance for further extending the process to nano-particle manufacture.Read moreRead less
Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface cha ....Electro-viscous effects on pressure-driven liquid flow in microchannels. Australian biotechnology, information technology and food technology industries will benefit from the development of new tailored micro- and nano-fluidic devices for processing of non-Newtonian fluids. The efficiency of functional elements such as valves, pumps, mixers, reactors, heat exchangers can be optimised for specific fluids by understanding the coupling between the fluid properties, the device geometry, surface charge, and the numerical predictions. This understanding will complement development in related projects on non-Newtonian drop and particle formation in microfluidic flows which envisage continuous particle manufacture for novel materials possessing programmable, enhanced functional properties.Read moreRead less
Opto-Microfluidics: A Rapid and Sensitive Platform for Biological Diagnostics. One in four people above 25 years suffer from diabetes-related diseases in Australia, with an associated economic cost exceeding $3 billion a year. A microdevice for continuous glucose monitoring would help patients to manage the disease, leading to huge individual, clinical and societal benefits. Life expectancy is expected to increase along with quality of life. Integration of the microdevice with insulin delivery w ....Opto-Microfluidics: A Rapid and Sensitive Platform for Biological Diagnostics. One in four people above 25 years suffer from diabetes-related diseases in Australia, with an associated economic cost exceeding $3 billion a year. A microdevice for continuous glucose monitoring would help patients to manage the disease, leading to huge individual, clinical and societal benefits. Life expectancy is expected to increase along with quality of life. Integration of the microdevice with insulin delivery would realise an 'artificial pancreas', revolutionising the management and treatment of the disease. The technology will also provide a platform for other point-of-care medical diagnostic devices, which will allow early participation in this emerging market and cement Australia's position in bionanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Simulating two-phase electrodynamic flows in droplet-based microfluidic circuit elements. The knowledge, data and analysis tools developed within this project will facilitate the economical production of electrodynamically controlled integrated droplet-based microfluidic devices for critical high-demand applications such as: genome sequencing; protein evolution, synthesis and crystallisation; micro-structured pharmaceuticals; disposable devices for biomedical analysis; portable point-of-entry (b ....Simulating two-phase electrodynamic flows in droplet-based microfluidic circuit elements. The knowledge, data and analysis tools developed within this project will facilitate the economical production of electrodynamically controlled integrated droplet-based microfluidic devices for critical high-demand applications such as: genome sequencing; protein evolution, synthesis and crystallisation; micro-structured pharmaceuticals; disposable devices for biomedical analysis; portable point-of-entry (biochem)security analysis devices. Hence this project is an investment in enabling technologies to benefit Australia's growing biotech, pharmaceutical and micro/nanotechnology sectors. Tangible community benefits (e.g., in improved diagnostic technologies, pharmaceuticals) will result.Read moreRead less