Understanding the molecular mechanism of force generation in the bacterial flagellar motor. The proposed research will advance the knowledge about how the bacterial flagellar motor works, enabling scientists to learn more about nature's blueprint of a nanoscale engine. It will address the fundamental question of how bacterial cells convert electrochemical energy into mechanical energy of rotation. At present, the smallest artificial electric motor is still on a micro-, rather than nanoscale. Nan ....Understanding the molecular mechanism of force generation in the bacterial flagellar motor. The proposed research will advance the knowledge about how the bacterial flagellar motor works, enabling scientists to learn more about nature's blueprint of a nanoscale engine. It will address the fundamental question of how bacterial cells convert electrochemical energy into mechanical energy of rotation. At present, the smallest artificial electric motor is still on a micro-, rather than nanoscale. Nanotechnology would therefore benefit from this work by basing their designs on the principles behind the mechanism of the bacterial motor. This research is also of interest for veterinary science, as motility by flagellar motor is a key virulence factor of common animal pathogens associated with, for example, listeriosis and gastroenteritis.Read moreRead less
Realistic models of permeation in ion channels. Ion channels are formed by proteins in cell membranes and provide pathways for fast and controlled flow of selected ions. This activity generates action potentials in nerves and muscles that forms the basis of all movement, sensation and thought processes. Recent determination of the crystal structure of channel proteins has enabled construction of models that can relate channel function to its structure--necessary for understanding their operati ....Realistic models of permeation in ion channels. Ion channels are formed by proteins in cell membranes and provide pathways for fast and controlled flow of selected ions. This activity generates action potentials in nerves and muscles that forms the basis of all movement, sensation and thought processes. Recent determination of the crystal structure of channel proteins has enabled construction of models that can relate channel function to its structure--necessary for understanding their operation and seeking cures for diseases caused by their malfunction. This project aims to develop accurate ion-protein-water interactions for permeation models based on stochastic and molecular dynamics simulations using both classical and quantum mechanical methods.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560672
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$202,705.00
Summary
Ultrafast laser facility for chemical, biological and physical investigations of advanced materials. Ultrafast laser techniques are becoming indispensable in many diverse scientific disciplines. Within the Australian scientific community, there is a great need for enhanced access to sophisticated ultrafast laser instrumentation. The expansion to the femtosecond laser facility through the addition of state-of-the-art laser devices, will enable novel laser spectroscopy measurements and advanced op ....Ultrafast laser facility for chemical, biological and physical investigations of advanced materials. Ultrafast laser techniques are becoming indispensable in many diverse scientific disciplines. Within the Australian scientific community, there is a great need for enhanced access to sophisticated ultrafast laser instrumentation. The expansion to the femtosecond laser facility through the addition of state-of-the-art laser devices, will enable novel laser spectroscopy measurements and advanced optical microscopy techniques to be applied to investigations of advanced materials and biological systems. Access to such instrumentation is crucial to fields including photoluminescent conductive polymers, nanoparticles, engineered supramolecules for artificial photosynthetic systems, and photoactivated therapy and drug delivery/release technology.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100055
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
State-of-the-art upgrade to multi-transmit multi-receive technology for research dedicated 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Projects requiring the proposed infrastructure are aligned with two National Research Priorities. The research will lead to new methods for imaging and detecting soft tissue changes, identifying developmental, cognitive and degenerative disorders, and pharmacological research. The understanding of the basis of physiological, cognitive and biochemical proces ....State-of-the-art upgrade to multi-transmit multi-receive technology for research dedicated 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Projects requiring the proposed infrastructure are aligned with two National Research Priorities. The research will lead to new methods for imaging and detecting soft tissue changes, identifying developmental, cognitive and degenerative disorders, and pharmacological research. The understanding of the basis of physiological, cognitive and biochemical processes which will be facilitated by the new equipment will contribute to the priority area Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and will underpin an array of subsequent medical research. The new equipment will extend capabilities and training in signal analysis, biomedical engineering and biomedicine, contributing to the priority area Frontier technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.Read moreRead less
Intermolecular interactions revisited-Flaws in the fabric and applications to lower-dimensional structures. This project aims to capitalise on recent developments, that have shown that previously accepted theories are deeply flawed, in various applications in fundamental physics and in unsolved problems in biology that involve electromagnetic fields. Interactions driven
by electromagnetic fluctuation forces, and real photon exchange, between molecules will be investigated. The project will inv ....Intermolecular interactions revisited-Flaws in the fabric and applications to lower-dimensional structures. This project aims to capitalise on recent developments, that have shown that previously accepted theories are deeply flawed, in various applications in fundamental physics and in unsolved problems in biology that involve electromagnetic fields. Interactions driven
by electromagnetic fluctuation forces, and real photon exchange, between molecules will be investigated. The project will investigate how dispersion interactions change in mesoscopic pores, in electrolytes, and at finite temperatures. Applications involve
catalysis, molecular formation, and quantum logic. The project also aims to develop a unified theory for energy and charge transfer, relevant for photosynthesis and the way biological molecules transfer information.Read moreRead less
Disorder as a novel determinant of photosynthetic structure and function: an experimental study. Australia enjoys a world reputation in photosynthesis research, typified by hosting the 2001 International Photosynthesis Congress. It also has a claim to fame for theoretical work in non-equilibrium thermodynamics concerning production of disorder or entropy, yielding new insights into planetary climates. This experimental project investigates the novel relation between entropy/entropy production ....Disorder as a novel determinant of photosynthetic structure and function: an experimental study. Australia enjoys a world reputation in photosynthesis research, typified by hosting the 2001 International Photosynthesis Congress. It also has a claim to fame for theoretical work in non-equilibrium thermodynamics concerning production of disorder or entropy, yielding new insights into planetary climates. This experimental project investigates the novel relation between entropy/entropy production and the structure/function of the solar powerhouse of plants (chloroplasts), and addresses fundamental questions at the interface of biology and physics. The research explores chloroplasts as a manifestation of the all-pervading Second Law of Thermodynamics, advancing Australia's contribution to basic science and helping to train researchers.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354494
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
BRAINnet:
Brain Research And Integrative Neuroscience Network. The brain is the ultimate frontier of science, and its complexity requires an integrative approach to neuroscience. This initiative will facilitate a unique integration of disciplines (biological, physical, computational) and scales of focus (single neurons to networks to whole-brain), within a high profile Network of Australian and international players. The Network will be harnessed by a centralized hub for sharing of data and tec ....BRAINnet:
Brain Research And Integrative Neuroscience Network. The brain is the ultimate frontier of science, and its complexity requires an integrative approach to neuroscience. This initiative will facilitate a unique integration of disciplines (biological, physical, computational) and scales of focus (single neurons to networks to whole-brain), within a high profile Network of Australian and international players. The Network will be harnessed by a centralized hub for sharing of data and techniques, and mentoring of early career researchers. The principal socio-economic and discovery outcomes will flow from the exceptionally strong foundations in fundamental and applied science, established collaboration, and demonstrated capacity for development and commercialization of frontier biotechnologies.Read moreRead less
From structures to systems: A hierachical approach to understanding sub-cellular components. This program will dramatically extend the range of biomolecular systems that can be modelled with near atomistic precision. It will provide a better understanding of the structure and function of proteins involved in the regulation of membrane fusion and fission as well as shedding light on the assembly of large-scale protein-protein and protein-membrane complexes in general. The work will help place Au ....From structures to systems: A hierachical approach to understanding sub-cellular components. This program will dramatically extend the range of biomolecular systems that can be modelled with near atomistic precision. It will provide a better understanding of the structure and function of proteins involved in the regulation of membrane fusion and fission as well as shedding light on the assembly of large-scale protein-protein and protein-membrane complexes in general. The work will help place Australia at the forefront of developing simulation techniques in biomolecular systems, which are widely used within the chemical and pharmaceutical industries for modelling processes ranging from protein-drug interactions to the phase behaviour of lipids and surfactants. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560725
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$127,042.00
Summary
Enhancing the Monash-VIEPS Stable Isotope Facility. This proposal is to enhance the Monash-Victorian Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences (VIEPS) Stable Isotope Facility to expand our capacity for state-of-the-art research in hydrogeology, hydrology, aqueous chemistry, modern and palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, geochemistry, economic geology, and biological sciences. This facility will then have an analytical capability that is at least the equal of those elsewhere in Australia and which ....Enhancing the Monash-VIEPS Stable Isotope Facility. This proposal is to enhance the Monash-Victorian Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences (VIEPS) Stable Isotope Facility to expand our capacity for state-of-the-art research in hydrogeology, hydrology, aqueous chemistry, modern and palaeoclimatology, sedimentology, geochemistry, economic geology, and biological sciences. This facility will then have an analytical capability that is at least the equal of those elsewhere in Australia and which will maintain our position as a World Class stable isotope research facility. The enhanced facility will permit new research to be carried out that will lead to new collaborations both within the traditional Earth Sciences and across disciplines.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453608
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$579,230.00
Summary
Multifunctional confocal laser scanning microscope with time resolved and two photon imaging and fluorescence correlation capabilities. We seek to establish an Australian first confocal laser scanning microscope with time resolved imaging and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy capabilities. Its advantages include ultrasensitive detection of weak fluorescent emissions against high autofluorescent background by using fluorescence lifetime signatures, with over three orders of magnitude discrimi ....Multifunctional confocal laser scanning microscope with time resolved and two photon imaging and fluorescence correlation capabilities. We seek to establish an Australian first confocal laser scanning microscope with time resolved imaging and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy capabilities. Its advantages include ultrasensitive detection of weak fluorescent emissions against high autofluorescent background by using fluorescence lifetime signatures, with over three orders of magnitude discrimination improvement. The system will also be able to monitor binding of single molecules. These techniques will open new and exciting avenues for interdisciplinary research at the frontier between biological and physical sciences. The microscope will operate within an existing multi-user Optical Characterisation Facility supporting research of an established network of scientists in the Sydney area.Read moreRead less