Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silic ....Light Activated Electrochemistry: Microelectrode Arrays with just one wire. Electrochemistry requires each electrode to be connected to the external circuit by a wire. With many electrodes this means many wires. Wires limit electrode density in arrays and dictate that the electrode architecture must be predetermined. This project aims to remove the need for a wire for each electrode by using light to sequentially connect each electrode to a single wire. This will be achieved using modified silicon electrodes where irradiating with light causes an increase in conductivity at the illumination spot. The project will explore the variables that influence the spatial resolution and apply the ideas to making soft connects for nanoelectronics and making high density electrode arrays for electroanalysis.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.
Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understandi ....Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understanding of cells, the building blocks of life. We will achieve this by: 1. Developing a microscope that combines microscopic resolution with rapid imaging; 2: Developing the capability to image both within the cell and its surrounding environment; and 3. Using our microscope to make discoveries in biology.Read moreRead less
Precision tests of fundamental physics at the electroweak unification scale. The project aims to advance novel precision frequency generation and measurement techniques beyond the present state of the art, through the implementation of sapphire and quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator and related technology at low temperature. The project plans to apply this technological advancement to extremely sensitive tests of General Relativity able to probe suppressed effects emanating from the Planck scal ....Precision tests of fundamental physics at the electroweak unification scale. The project aims to advance novel precision frequency generation and measurement techniques beyond the present state of the art, through the implementation of sapphire and quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator and related technology at low temperature. The project plans to apply this technological advancement to extremely sensitive tests of General Relativity able to probe suppressed effects emanating from the Planck scale. Such tests include new tests of Lorentz invariance violations of photons and phonons, tests of fundamental constant invariance and other tests of fundamental physics. Results could lead to the discovery of the correct theory of quantum gravity, a major unsolved problem in contemporary physics.Read moreRead less
High speed, high sensitivity thermal imaging. This project aims to increase sensitivity-speed product of thermal imagers by the novel using porous materials. Increased sensitivity-speed products will improve thermal imager effectiveness in motion capture and high resolution remote sensing applications. To develop these porous materials, this project will study the interdependence of optical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties at the micro- and nano-scale. It will create a narrowband r ....High speed, high sensitivity thermal imaging. This project aims to increase sensitivity-speed product of thermal imagers by the novel using porous materials. Increased sensitivity-speed products will improve thermal imager effectiveness in motion capture and high resolution remote sensing applications. To develop these porous materials, this project will study the interdependence of optical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties at the micro- and nano-scale. It will create a narrowband resonant cavity detector which increases sensitivity and provides spectral filtering for remote sensing and gas detection. This technology is built on a low-cost scalable all-silicon platform. This technology could benefit road safety, border security, defence, aerospace, remote sensing and industrial monitoring.Read moreRead less