Iron, ferroptosis and the biology of ageing. This project aims to determine how and when regulation of iron is lost. Failing iron metabolism during life may dictate the rate of ageing by driving a newly discovered cell death program. Combining biology, chemistry and physics, this collaborative project aims to transform the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of biological ageing. Anticipated outcomes include new assays for measuring iron in biology and identification of potential pathway ....Iron, ferroptosis and the biology of ageing. This project aims to determine how and when regulation of iron is lost. Failing iron metabolism during life may dictate the rate of ageing by driving a newly discovered cell death program. Combining biology, chemistry and physics, this collaborative project aims to transform the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of biological ageing. Anticipated outcomes include new assays for measuring iron in biology and identification of potential pathways that regulate death signaling and lifespan. Outcomes will benefit life sciences and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive digital holography: toward the next generation ultrafast and multi-colour three dimensional display technology. The cutting-edge knowledge in nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive polymers will provide an innovative material for green-photonics industry. The new generation ultrafast and multi-colour digital holographic three dimensional display technology will be potentially beneficial to entertainment sectors, remote education and medical diagnosis and photov ....Nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive digital holography: toward the next generation ultrafast and multi-colour three dimensional display technology. The cutting-edge knowledge in nanoparticle-enabled photorefractive polymers will provide an innovative material for green-photonics industry. The new generation ultrafast and multi-colour digital holographic three dimensional display technology will be potentially beneficial to entertainment sectors, remote education and medical diagnosis and photovoltaics.Read moreRead less
New biosensing strategies based on bipolar electrochemiluminescence. Chemical analysis is a vital activity in our society, which is to a large extent confined to scientific laboratories and carried out with complex instrumentation. The breakthrough technology envisioned in this proposal will pave the way for simple, low-cost tests which can be used by non-scientists. The development of small, portable sensors for applications ranging from pollution monitoring to health testing, will enable ordi ....New biosensing strategies based on bipolar electrochemiluminescence. Chemical analysis is a vital activity in our society, which is to a large extent confined to scientific laboratories and carried out with complex instrumentation. The breakthrough technology envisioned in this proposal will pave the way for simple, low-cost tests which can be used by non-scientists. The development of small, portable sensors for applications ranging from pollution monitoring to health testing, will enable ordinary people to gain knowledge about the concentrations of molecular compounds in their environments and in themselves. This will stimulate economic and social benefits related to environmental testing and early disease diagnosis and generate new commercial opportunities for the Australian biotechnology industry.Read moreRead less
New generation microfluidic devices using light responsive hydrogels. This project aims to develop a new way of fabricating microfluidic devices using light-degradable hydrogels as its core element. This approach would allow researchers to rapidly construct and modify microfluidic devices within their own laboratories, without the need for specialised clean rooms or expensive equipment. The versatility of the microfluidic device is designed to be demonstrated by the manufacture of mature T cells ....New generation microfluidic devices using light responsive hydrogels. This project aims to develop a new way of fabricating microfluidic devices using light-degradable hydrogels as its core element. This approach would allow researchers to rapidly construct and modify microfluidic devices within their own laboratories, without the need for specialised clean rooms or expensive equipment. The versatility of the microfluidic device is designed to be demonstrated by the manufacture of mature T cells, which continues to be a major challenge in stem cell science and which could have fundamental biological and commercial significance.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of enriched silicon for long-lived donor quantum states. We have discovered a method to make silicon highly enriched in the desirable spin-zero isotope using readily available ion implantation tools. This “semiconductor vacuum” is essential for building future quantum computer devices using the quantum spin of millions of implanted atoms with revolutionary capabilities. We have demonstrated long-lived implanted donor atom quantum states in prototype material, made possible by the deple ....Synthesis of enriched silicon for long-lived donor quantum states. We have discovered a method to make silicon highly enriched in the desirable spin-zero isotope using readily available ion implantation tools. This “semiconductor vacuum” is essential for building future quantum computer devices using the quantum spin of millions of implanted atoms with revolutionary capabilities. We have demonstrated long-lived implanted donor atom quantum states in prototype material, made possible by the depletion of background spins in natural silicon and now aim to push the enrichment to greater extremes. We will integrate the extreme material into functional devices that use electrically detected electron spin resonance to probe exceptionally durable quantum states and open a near-term pathway to large-scale devices.Read moreRead less
Multidimensional Coherent Spectroscopy of Strongly Correlated Materials. By applying new types of spectroscopy, this project aims to address the gaps in our understanding of how remarkable macroscopic properties, such as superconductivity, emerge from the fundamental interactions in strongly correlated electron materials. This project will combine theory and experiment to develop a pathway by which multidimensional coherent spectroscopy can disentangle the competing interactions that make these ....Multidimensional Coherent Spectroscopy of Strongly Correlated Materials. By applying new types of spectroscopy, this project aims to address the gaps in our understanding of how remarkable macroscopic properties, such as superconductivity, emerge from the fundamental interactions in strongly correlated electron materials. This project will combine theory and experiment to develop a pathway by which multidimensional coherent spectroscopy can disentangle the competing interactions that make these materials so complex, but also potentially useful. By delivering an understanding of the interplay between different microscopic processes, the project will make it more feasible to control them. This will allow for the design new controllable quantum materials that can be the basis for future technologies.Read moreRead less
Laser-based sensing, measurement and control of multi-axis flexure-based mechanisms for nano manipulations. The project aims to investigate fundamental issues in measurement, design, optimisation, and control of multi-axis flexure-based nano manipulators. It aims to establish novel sensing methodologies for position and orientation measurements and feedback, and advanced control techniques for nano manipulation in view of actuators’ nonlinearities, interferences among motion axes, and external d ....Laser-based sensing, measurement and control of multi-axis flexure-based mechanisms for nano manipulations. The project aims to investigate fundamental issues in measurement, design, optimisation, and control of multi-axis flexure-based nano manipulators. It aims to establish novel sensing methodologies for position and orientation measurements and feedback, and advanced control techniques for nano manipulation in view of actuators’ nonlinearities, interferences among motion axes, and external disturbances. The research is significant as such nano manipulators and methodologies represent the building blocks for many future scientific and engineering nano manipulation systems. The project will establish new knowledge, methodologies, and instrumentations for measurement, characterisation and control of multi-axis flexure-based nano manipulators.Read moreRead less
A Biologically Responsive and Anatomically Authentic Human Nasal Model. As respiratory conditions caused by pollutants and viruses become more prevalent, human nasal models to study infection/protection mechanisms and nasal drug/vaccine delivery are increasingly important. This project aims to develop a world-first human nasal model to mimic both anatomical and biological aspects of the nasal cavity and predict the distribution and deposition of fine particles and the resultant biological respon ....A Biologically Responsive and Anatomically Authentic Human Nasal Model. As respiratory conditions caused by pollutants and viruses become more prevalent, human nasal models to study infection/protection mechanisms and nasal drug/vaccine delivery are increasingly important. This project aims to develop a world-first human nasal model to mimic both anatomical and biological aspects of the nasal cavity and predict the distribution and deposition of fine particles and the resultant biological response from the nasal mucosa. The aim is to overcome a key fabrication challenge - to 3D print an anatomically accurate nasal construct with a porous wall on which to grow and mature functional nasal tissue that lines a nasal cavity wall. The benefit would be enabling faster development of more targeted drugs and vaccines.Read moreRead less
Robotic microsurgery: intra-operative measurement, modelling and micromanipulation control. This research will significantly improve microsurgery and minimally invasive surgery techniques, and further produce important benefits to medicine and healthcare. The project will also open new domains in the capabilities of modelling and control of complex systems with significant impact and benefits to numerous science and engineering practices.
Microfluidic Separation Science: Innovative Technology for Characterising Complex Chemical Systems. At present there is a need for fast and detailed chemical analysis of complex samples, such as those important to biomedical diagnostics and forensic science. Innovative technology will be developed here in order to reduce analysis time whilst maintaining the integrity of the chemical information contained within the sample. This step change in separation science will directly aid biomedical diagn ....Microfluidic Separation Science: Innovative Technology for Characterising Complex Chemical Systems. At present there is a need for fast and detailed chemical analysis of complex samples, such as those important to biomedical diagnostics and forensic science. Innovative technology will be developed here in order to reduce analysis time whilst maintaining the integrity of the chemical information contained within the sample. This step change in separation science will directly aid biomedical diagnostics, forensic sample determination and industrial process monitoring through decreased analysis time with an increase in the chemical information gained. By performing chemical separations on a microfluidic scale a reduction in both the cost of analysis and impact of solvent waste on the environment will be achieved.Read moreRead less