Hybrid resonant acoustics for microfluidic materials synthesis. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a new class of sound waves as a microfluidic micronisation platform for high throughput particle synthesis and crystallisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients.It will use theoretical and numerical studies to research the fundamental physics of a hybrid between bulk and surface waves. This platform is expected to improve energy efficiency a thousandfold, providing an economical ....Hybrid resonant acoustics for microfluidic materials synthesis. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of a new class of sound waves as a microfluidic micronisation platform for high throughput particle synthesis and crystallisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients.It will use theoretical and numerical studies to research the fundamental physics of a hybrid between bulk and surface waves. This platform is expected to improve energy efficiency a thousandfold, providing an economical and environmental alternative to conventional processes such as spray drying, and potentially transforming practice across the pharmaceutical, food and other industries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100156
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$289,500.00
Summary
3D Two-Photon Nanoprinter for Advanced Multi-Functional Materials & Devices. The Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2 Two-Photon 3D Printer enables tailoring materials’ architecture at nanoscale. This results in unique optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, biochemical, and acoustic properties enabling a wealth of cutting-edge research activities in variety of fields including mechanical/optical/electrical metamaterials, bioinspired hard/soft materials, biomaterials (e.g., structured cell-ti ....3D Two-Photon Nanoprinter for Advanced Multi-Functional Materials & Devices. The Nanoscribe Photonic Professional GT2 Two-Photon 3D Printer enables tailoring materials’ architecture at nanoscale. This results in unique optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, biochemical, and acoustic properties enabling a wealth of cutting-edge research activities in variety of fields including mechanical/optical/electrical metamaterials, bioinspired hard/soft materials, biomaterials (e.g., structured cell-tissue interfaces), biomedical devices (implantable devices and drug-delivery systems), nanofluidics, and photonic crystals. In each of these fields, we will use GT2 to print variety of polymers, hydrogels, metals and ceramics, for example by printing polymer-derived nanoceramics that will be simultaneously strong and tough.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100168
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
Integrated Functional Printing Facility for Advanced Material Technologies. The project aims to develop Australia’s first fully integrated small-scale and agile prototyping facility for printing. This facility will provide critical infrastructure to deposit a wide range of advanced materials with unprecedented precision & process flexibility allowing realistic form, configuration and device-ready formats with minimal usage of functional ink. Using this unique facility, researchers will be able t ....Integrated Functional Printing Facility for Advanced Material Technologies. The project aims to develop Australia’s first fully integrated small-scale and agile prototyping facility for printing. This facility will provide critical infrastructure to deposit a wide range of advanced materials with unprecedented precision & process flexibility allowing realistic form, configuration and device-ready formats with minimal usage of functional ink. Using this unique facility, researchers will be able to assess integration of novel functional materials in a wide range of devices and applications, including critical components of affordable healthcare diagnostic devices, advanced security features in banknotes, integrated RFID tracking systems, high performance solar cells and separation membranes. Read moreRead less
Diamond Microneedles for Minimally Invasive Blood Collection. Blood sampling is a routine procedure for medical purposes to determine the physiological and biochemical status of patients. The aim of this project is to develop a reliable microneedle array for a blood collection procedures. Micro-scale needles for low-volume perforated blood samples are highly desirable due to its minimal invasiveness and painlessness. The miniaturization of sampling platforms driven by microneedles has the poten ....Diamond Microneedles for Minimally Invasive Blood Collection. Blood sampling is a routine procedure for medical purposes to determine the physiological and biochemical status of patients. The aim of this project is to develop a reliable microneedle array for a blood collection procedures. Micro-scale needles for low-volume perforated blood samples are highly desirable due to its minimal invasiveness and painlessness. The miniaturization of sampling platforms driven by microneedles has the potential to shift disease diagnosis and monitoring closer to the point of care. Expected outcomes include the development of synthetic diamond-based microneedles for the potential to greatly benefit society through improved and affordable healthcare and the development of new high-tech industries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100108
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$175,000.00
Summary
Ultra-high frequency non-contact vibrometry equipment for biomicrofluidics metrology. This equipment will enable experimental vibration measurement up to an unprecedented one billion cycles per second of motion smaller than the width of a helium atom (20 femtometres). Understanding and harnessing the phenomena unique to this regime, especially very large accelerations surpassing one billion times the acceleration of gravity, will enable the development of rapid protein crystallisation techniques ....Ultra-high frequency non-contact vibrometry equipment for biomicrofluidics metrology. This equipment will enable experimental vibration measurement up to an unprecedented one billion cycles per second of motion smaller than the width of a helium atom (20 femtometres). Understanding and harnessing the phenomena unique to this regime, especially very large accelerations surpassing one billion times the acceleration of gravity, will enable the development of rapid protein crystallisation techniques and constant-temperature organic chemical reaction enhancement for rapid development of new drugs, new devices for measuring the profile of surfaces at video speeds (videoAFM), new micro- and nano-devices for fluid pumping, mixing, colloidal separation and concentration, and new autonomous nanorobots for non-invasive microsurgery.Read moreRead less
Skin in the game: biomimetics, fitness and the springtail cuticle. This project aims to examine the relationship between cuticle (skin) properties, water balance, and fitness in springtails, key players in soil systems. Springtail cuticles are diverse, responsive, and extremely resistant to wetting by water, alcohol and other substances. Their Australian diversity has not been well explored for biomimetic new materials. This project expects to explore options for new applications in materials sc ....Skin in the game: biomimetics, fitness and the springtail cuticle. This project aims to examine the relationship between cuticle (skin) properties, water balance, and fitness in springtails, key players in soil systems. Springtail cuticles are diverse, responsive, and extremely resistant to wetting by water, alcohol and other substances. Their Australian diversity has not been well explored for biomimetic new materials. This project expects to explore options for new applications in materials science and engineering by generalising the cuticle structure-function relationship. Expected outcomes are new information to harness for industry the diversity of nature’s self-cleaning, water repellent surfaces. Significant benefits lie in potential new biomimetic manufacturing options.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and Platforms for Acoustomicrofluidic Intracellular Delivery . This project aims to advance a novel platform to facilitate faster and more effective molecular transport into cells as a means for enhancing cell engineering. Besides elucidating the fundamental physicochemical and biological mechanisms underpinning this new method of intracellular transport through a combination of theoretical modelling and advanced imaging and neutron diffraction, the project aims to show the scalabilit ....Mechanisms and Platforms for Acoustomicrofluidic Intracellular Delivery . This project aims to advance a novel platform to facilitate faster and more effective molecular transport into cells as a means for enhancing cell engineering. Besides elucidating the fundamental physicochemical and biological mechanisms underpinning this new method of intracellular transport through a combination of theoretical modelling and advanced imaging and neutron diffraction, the project aims to show the scalability of the technology for high throughput processing to handle the large cell numbers typically required for doses to be effective in practice. Given recent breakthroughs in cell therapies, it is expected that translation of the technology in the longer term will improve treatments for cancer and other infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Ultra-fast alchemy: a new strategy to synthesise super-dense nanomaterials. We have recently created a new super-dense aluminium phase by ultrafast laser microexplosion. This project will search further for new super-dense material phases with drastically different and exotic properties, such as those inside planets and stars, and which have great potential as new nanomaterials for industrial applications.
Formation and characterisation of continuous electrospun nanofibre yarns. Australia historically has a strong fibre and textile industry that can be augmented by embracing emerging nanotechnology. The proposed research will develop a technology that can greatly improve the productivity of nanofibres. These fibres can then be spun into continuous yarns and other form of textile products. The nanostructured products offer exceptional functions for biomedical and environmental applications. This ne ....Formation and characterisation of continuous electrospun nanofibre yarns. Australia historically has a strong fibre and textile industry that can be augmented by embracing emerging nanotechnology. The proposed research will develop a technology that can greatly improve the productivity of nanofibres. These fibres can then be spun into continuous yarns and other form of textile products. The nanostructured products offer exceptional functions for biomedical and environmental applications. This new technology has the potential to transform the Australian textile technology and fibre processing industry. Read moreRead less
Scaling microfluidics for cell manufacture. Scaling microfluidics for cell manufacture. This project aims to scale microfluidic devices for cell manufacture. Large-scale cell manufacturing processes (cell selection, gene transfer and culture expansion) are expensive, multistep and labour-intensive processes. Lab-on-a-chip devices can automate and integrate these complex processes at microscale. This project will evaluate a prototype bioreactor. This research is expected to make cell therapies ch ....Scaling microfluidics for cell manufacture. Scaling microfluidics for cell manufacture. This project aims to scale microfluidic devices for cell manufacture. Large-scale cell manufacturing processes (cell selection, gene transfer and culture expansion) are expensive, multistep and labour-intensive processes. Lab-on-a-chip devices can automate and integrate these complex processes at microscale. This project will evaluate a prototype bioreactor. This research is expected to make cell therapies cheap enough to become standard treatment, which would benefit patients with diseases that are incurable by conventional therapies (surgery and drug treatments). It should also benefit the Australian advanced manufacturing sector, particularly biopharmaceutical and cell therapy industries.Read moreRead less