Rapid method development in pharmaceutical analysis using quality-by-design principles. Chemical analysis using separation methods underpins all stages of drug design and analysis. This project will generate new approaches to greatly reduce the time taken to develop a new method of analysis. This will be achieved through development of new computerised techniques for rapid screening, selection and optimisation of analytical methods.
Nanoparticle driven templating of microspheres as chromatographic materials. This project aims to pioneer a novel, high-performing class of nano-patterned core-shell particles as chromatographic materials. It will use advanced polymerization and particle preparation techniques in combination with degradable nanoparticles design, to enable the plug-and-play assembly of chromatographic columns. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is one of the most important analytical techniques for polymer chem ....Nanoparticle driven templating of microspheres as chromatographic materials. This project aims to pioneer a novel, high-performing class of nano-patterned core-shell particles as chromatographic materials. It will use advanced polymerization and particle preparation techniques in combination with degradable nanoparticles design, to enable the plug-and-play assembly of chromatographic columns. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is one of the most important analytical techniques for polymer chemistry. The expected outcomes of this project are faster measurement times and the possibility of imaging molecular weight distributions at a new level of detail. This project could place Australia at the cutting edge of size-exclusion chromatography phase design in partnership with a leading manufacturer of stationary phases.Read moreRead less
Hatchery production of rock lobster seedstock for aquaculture and enhancement with emphasis on ozonation of culture water to reduce disease. The strong and growing worldwide demand for a range of lobster products cannot be fulfilled by existing wild fisheries. Only the sustainable production of lobsters using hatchery seedstock will satisfy the needs of aquaculture and the possibility of enhancing and reseeding the fishery. Lobster aquaculture will provide a new high-value industry for coastal r ....Hatchery production of rock lobster seedstock for aquaculture and enhancement with emphasis on ozonation of culture water to reduce disease. The strong and growing worldwide demand for a range of lobster products cannot be fulfilled by existing wild fisheries. Only the sustainable production of lobsters using hatchery seedstock will satisfy the needs of aquaculture and the possibility of enhancing and reseeding the fishery. Lobster aquaculture will provide a new high-value industry for coastal rural Australia, especially in areas with existing fishing and aquaculture enterprises. This project will develop new technologies to address the challenging target of producing commercial quantities of juvenile lobsters for aquaculture and enhancement.Read moreRead less
Understanding wastewater treatment technologies for alternative water use: transformation of inorganic and organic nitrogen. This project will identify sustainable treatment processes for nitrogen and pathogen removal in rural wastewater treatment systems. The outcomes will provide water utilities and regulators with practical recommendations for minimising chemical and microbial risks of alternative uses of treated wastewater, and improve rural long-term water security.
Advanced water treatment technologies to minimise nitrogenous disinfection by-products in drinking water: understanding the role of organic nitrogen. This project will identify improved methods for treatment of drinking water to prevent the formation of potentially hazardous disinfection by-products. It will assist water resource managers and regulators to select the most economical and safe treatment for each type of water source and to plan for future demands on our limited water supplies.
Miniaturised electrophoretic systems for distributed environmental sensing. This project aims to develop new low-cost sensors to quantify a range of water nutrients for continuous automated water monitoring. The project aims to design a microfluidic cartridge to obtain a particulate-free sample for analysis by the rapid separation of inorganic anions and cations. The cartridge is intended to be operated in a portable low cost, low weight, low power instrument. The deployment of multiple units ai ....Miniaturised electrophoretic systems for distributed environmental sensing. This project aims to develop new low-cost sensors to quantify a range of water nutrients for continuous automated water monitoring. The project aims to design a microfluidic cartridge to obtain a particulate-free sample for analysis by the rapid separation of inorganic anions and cations. The cartridge is intended to be operated in a portable low cost, low weight, low power instrument. The deployment of multiple units aims to provide a continuous data stream describing the changes in nutrient profiles within various waters, to feed into environmental models and inform best practice for agriculture and aquaculture industries.Read moreRead less
New hyphenated chromatographic and spectroscopic methods for oil analysis. This project aims to use novel chemical separation methods combined with spectroscopy to identify useful markers in olive oil and essential oil to ensure purity, quality and authenticity, which are all ongoing issues in these industries in Australia and overseas. The project plans to compare and integrate results of multidimensional gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared analyses ....New hyphenated chromatographic and spectroscopic methods for oil analysis. This project aims to use novel chemical separation methods combined with spectroscopy to identify useful markers in olive oil and essential oil to ensure purity, quality and authenticity, which are all ongoing issues in these industries in Australia and overseas. The project plans to compare and integrate results of multidimensional gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared analyses with data libraries to generate precise molecular identification. The outcome is expected to help monitor adulteration of oils and maintain the high quality standards of Australian produce.Read moreRead less
Australian native plant species as models for understanding the regulation and roles of betalain pigment synthesis. This project will have triple bottom line benefits. Economic: new cultivars developed from understanding betalains will sell worldwide, generating returns, incomes and employment in urban, peri-urban and rural Australia. Social: Novel Ptilotus and Calandrinia cultivars will adorn parks and gardens around Australia, thereby enhancing quality of life. Environmental: Ptilotus and Cala ....Australian native plant species as models for understanding the regulation and roles of betalain pigment synthesis. This project will have triple bottom line benefits. Economic: new cultivars developed from understanding betalains will sell worldwide, generating returns, incomes and employment in urban, peri-urban and rural Australia. Social: Novel Ptilotus and Calandrinia cultivars will adorn parks and gardens around Australia, thereby enhancing quality of life. Environmental: Ptilotus and Calandrinia are inherently drought resistant. Novel ornamental cultivars will have high water use efficiency and contribute to water conservation in urban Australia in the face of drought and global warming. Moreover, understanding their synthesis and roles could yield new strategies for enhancing stress tolerance in other species, including crop plants.Read moreRead less
Treating wastewater for potable reuse: removal of chemicals of concern using advanced oxidation processes. The project promotes Australia as a leader in water reuse technology and is of benefit to reuse schemes globally. Several major reuse schemes are planned for Australia and it is well recognised that robust science is needed for public confidence. Community perception is a serious barrier to potable reuse and the results from this project will provide essential and independent information fo ....Treating wastewater for potable reuse: removal of chemicals of concern using advanced oxidation processes. The project promotes Australia as a leader in water reuse technology and is of benefit to reuse schemes globally. Several major reuse schemes are planned for Australia and it is well recognised that robust science is needed for public confidence. Community perception is a serious barrier to potable reuse and the results from this project will provide essential and independent information for informed decision making. The oxidation processes proposed will improve the quality of both recycled water and waste brine, providing environmental and economic benefit. This is particularly significant for regional Australia, where there is substantial demand for both water reuse and cost-effective waste disposal in the absence of ocean discharge.Read moreRead less
Non-discriminatory, universal and sensitive detection technologies for fluid based separation techniques in the pharmaceutical industry. The proposed research is focused on the specific needs of Australian and global pharmaceutical industries, and addresses a problem which is becoming increasingly significant with new classes of pharmaceuticals. Successful achievement of the goals of the project will result in major savings of cost and time during drug development and will lead to the productio ....Non-discriminatory, universal and sensitive detection technologies for fluid based separation techniques in the pharmaceutical industry. The proposed research is focused on the specific needs of Australian and global pharmaceutical industries, and addresses a problem which is becoming increasingly significant with new classes of pharmaceuticals. Successful achievement of the goals of the project will result in major savings of cost and time during drug development and will lead to the production of safer drugs. The project will expand collaboration between Australia researchers and the world's largest pharmaceutical company. Specialised training will be provided to both postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers, positioning them to make strong contributions to Australia's growing pharmaceutical industry.Read moreRead less