Engineered nanoporous materials and composites having hierarchical structures by emulsion templating. The project aims to develop new and flexible emulsion-templated processes capable of constructing novel nanoporous materials with hierarchical structures. The project has the potential to revolutionise current approaches for making porous materials, and the outcomes will enhance Australia's ability in frontier technologies and advanced materials.
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
Enabling aerosol delivery of phages to defeat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This project aims to explore the use of bacteriophages towards producing a safe, natural, and highly effective alternative to traditional antibiotics. Respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major health problem worldwide, and cost Australia over $150 million annually. Some 5,000 Australians die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The project aims to produce efficac ....Enabling aerosol delivery of phages to defeat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This project aims to explore the use of bacteriophages towards producing a safe, natural, and highly effective alternative to traditional antibiotics. Respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major health problem worldwide, and cost Australia over $150 million annually. Some 5,000 Australians die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The project aims to produce efficacious and stable formulations of bacteriophages for easy delivery by inhalation as aerosols with a long shelf-life, making them a commercially viable product. The expected research outcome can lead to an economic and efficient technology to produce phage powders for novel treatment strategies of infections by inhalation.Read moreRead less
A New Platform of Bio-inspired Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cellular Delivery. Delivery of various molecules into cells is crucial in modern medicine. Compared to viral vectors, non-viral vectors are safer delivery vehicles, but their delivery efficiency must be improved before they can be broadly used. Inspired by the surface topography of viruses with high infectivity, this project aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the impact of surface roughness on cellular delivery efficiency; and ....A New Platform of Bio-inspired Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cellular Delivery. Delivery of various molecules into cells is crucial in modern medicine. Compared to viral vectors, non-viral vectors are safer delivery vehicles, but their delivery efficiency must be improved before they can be broadly used. Inspired by the surface topography of viruses with high infectivity, this project aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the impact of surface roughness on cellular delivery efficiency; and to use this knowledge in the designed synthesis of a new family of bio-inspired non-viral nanoparticles with both safety and high cellular delivery efficiency. The new and high performance nano-carriers will become a platform technology with broad bio-applications in gene therapy, cancer therapy and bio-imaging.Read moreRead less
Experimentally validated theory for the mixing of granular materials. The project aims to develop better mixing theories to support industrial applications. Effective mixing of granular materials such as aggregates in building industry and stockpiles in mineral processing is important for creating homogeneous products, yet industrial mixers lack scientific design and operate with no control of mixture quality. The project aims to establish a new general continuum mixing theory, which will be val ....Experimentally validated theory for the mixing of granular materials. The project aims to develop better mixing theories to support industrial applications. Effective mixing of granular materials such as aggregates in building industry and stockpiles in mineral processing is important for creating homogeneous products, yet industrial mixers lack scientific design and operate with no control of mixture quality. The project aims to establish a new general continuum mixing theory, which will be validated against X-ray measurements of grain motions within small mixers. By describing the theory using an accurate computational method, the simulations of these mixers will be scalable, and would help deliver predictions for particle mixing in much larger operations. Other expected outcomes are to control mixture quality and reduce industry reliance on costly and time-consuming trial-and-error experiments.Read moreRead less
The role of electrostatic charge in airway deposition of aerosols. This project aims to unravel the importance of electrostatic charge in controlling deposition of aerosols in the respiratory tract. The expected outcome is a validated mathematical model for accurately predicting deposition behaviour of charged aerosol particles in human airways. Findings may ultimately be used to underpin novel prevention measures to reduce lung deposition of inhaled hazardous airborne particles to significantly ....The role of electrostatic charge in airway deposition of aerosols. This project aims to unravel the importance of electrostatic charge in controlling deposition of aerosols in the respiratory tract. The expected outcome is a validated mathematical model for accurately predicting deposition behaviour of charged aerosol particles in human airways. Findings may ultimately be used to underpin novel prevention measures to reduce lung deposition of inhaled hazardous airborne particles to significantly reduce health risks and costs. They may also be used to enable the development of new inhalation technologies based on electrostatic charge to improve aerosol drug delivery to the lungs of patients with respiratory diseases.Read moreRead less
Immune-imprinting nanoparticles (iNPs). This research promises new classes of immune-imprinting, biodegradable nanoparticles (iNPs) with anti-inflammatory properties. The engineering of such particles requires fundamental understanding of their properties that enable specific cellular interactions to regulate immunity with new anti-inflammatory pathways. For pulmonary delivery, spray-dried amino acid microspheres with tailored surfaces as carriers can be generated using the innovative microfluid ....Immune-imprinting nanoparticles (iNPs). This research promises new classes of immune-imprinting, biodegradable nanoparticles (iNPs) with anti-inflammatory properties. The engineering of such particles requires fundamental understanding of their properties that enable specific cellular interactions to regulate immunity with new anti-inflammatory pathways. For pulmonary delivery, spray-dried amino acid microspheres with tailored surfaces as carriers can be generated using the innovative microfluidic drying approach. The potential applications of iNPs are wide-ranging and are not restricted to pulmonary targeting. The potential commercial implications for Australia's emerging biopharmaceutical industry are substantial.Read moreRead less
An investigation of granular stress fields and permeability interactions in gas-solid flow. This project will provide the fundamental theoretical basis for a completely new approach to the design of dense phase pneumatic conveying systems. This will lead to improved energy efficiency, significantly greater operational reliability and reduced wear of system components for the transport of bulk solids in the resource and process industries.
Unravelling the mechanics of particle deposition at the micro-scale. This project aims to discover the mechanisms responsible for the interactions between aerosol particles and surfaces in a range of air flow conditions. The project expects to transform our understanding of particle deposition through a combination of novel laser-based diagnostic techniques, optical coherence tomography, and state of the art particle formulation methodologies. Expected outcomes of the project include delivery of ....Unravelling the mechanics of particle deposition at the micro-scale. This project aims to discover the mechanisms responsible for the interactions between aerosol particles and surfaces in a range of air flow conditions. The project expects to transform our understanding of particle deposition through a combination of novel laser-based diagnostic techniques, optical coherence tomography, and state of the art particle formulation methodologies. Expected outcomes of the project include delivery of new methods to optimise particle deposition, development of tunable powder formulations, as well as definition of particle-surface interaction mechanisms in flows. The project should provide significant benefits to particle systems for applications ranging from additive manufacturing to aerosol delivery.Read moreRead less
Dynamic input adjustment to improve the stability of transient swirling flows in spray dryers. This project will use leading-edge numerical techniques to advance the science of flow stabilisation using dynamic flow modulation techniques. Improved sustainable processing will be enabled using this flow modulation in spray dryers to reduce processing problems due to the depositon of particles on dryer walls.