Innovative Technology for At-Scene Forensic Analysis using Microfluidics and Chemiluminescence. The major outcome of this project will be innovative reagents and strategies optimised for the detection of priority analytes such as drugs, explosives and chemical warfare agents. These will utilise a new technology platform based upon laboratory on a chip/microfluidics to enable the development of analytical methodologies suitable for use at crime scenes.This programme of research falls within a Nat ....Innovative Technology for At-Scene Forensic Analysis using Microfluidics and Chemiluminescence. The major outcome of this project will be innovative reagents and strategies optimised for the detection of priority analytes such as drugs, explosives and chemical warfare agents. These will utilise a new technology platform based upon laboratory on a chip/microfluidics to enable the development of analytical methodologies suitable for use at crime scenes.This programme of research falls within a National Research Priority namely 'Protecting Australia from terrorism and crime'. Through our current forensic science research collaboration the outcomes will build significantly on Australia's existing strengths in rapid detection using new analytical technologies.Read moreRead less
Development of a Novel Photoelectrochemical Method for Ultra-sensitive and Selective Determination of Organic Pollutants. Rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions have caused worldwide fresh water shortage problems. For Australia, this is an urgent issue due to our limited fresh water resources. Globally, all levels of governments and legislative authorities have attempted to adopt stricter environmental legislation and better water resource management practice to address these urgent prob ....Development of a Novel Photoelectrochemical Method for Ultra-sensitive and Selective Determination of Organic Pollutants. Rapidly deteriorating environmental conditions have caused worldwide fresh water shortage problems. For Australia, this is an urgent issue due to our limited fresh water resources. Globally, all levels of governments and legislative authorities have attempted to adopt stricter environmental legislation and better water resource management practice to address these urgent problems. However, these priorities cannot be achieved until large scale and accurate environmental data are available. The success of the project would result in a new environmental monitoring system capable of online, real-time monitoring of environmental water quality, which will directly benefit water resource management practice in Australia. Read moreRead less
Detection of peptide hormone performance enhancing agents in sport using mass spectrometry. Doping control in sport is to protect the health, legal and ethical rights of athletes. The use of banned drugs in competitive sports is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the need to counter this provides a stimulus for ground breaking analytical research. This project will exploit mass spectrometry for investigation of methods to distinguish administered peptide hormones from endogenous material a ....Detection of peptide hormone performance enhancing agents in sport using mass spectrometry. Doping control in sport is to protect the health, legal and ethical rights of athletes. The use of banned drugs in competitive sports is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the need to counter this provides a stimulus for ground breaking analytical research. This project will exploit mass spectrometry for investigation of methods to distinguish administered peptide hormones from endogenous material and to develop assays for measurement of the peptide hormones, erythropoietin, growth hormone and chorionic gonadotrophin in blood or urine. The outcomes will flow to other areas where trace substance detection is important, such as environmental chemistry, medicine and quality control.Read moreRead less
The rational development of improved pre-conditioning agents for the removal of oil contamination from wildlife and rocky foreshore. Wildlife and ecological resources such as Phillip Island's Little Penguin colony (with 500,000 visitors p.a.) and its environment are at the heart of Australia's ecotourism industry. If properly managed, such resources make significant contributions to the economy and can provide diverse employment opportunities for local communities. They also increase awareness o ....The rational development of improved pre-conditioning agents for the removal of oil contamination from wildlife and rocky foreshore. Wildlife and ecological resources such as Phillip Island's Little Penguin colony (with 500,000 visitors p.a.) and its environment are at the heart of Australia's ecotourism industry. If properly managed, such resources make significant contributions to the economy and can provide diverse employment opportunities for local communities. They also increase awareness of, and sensitivity to, environmental issues in general. Developing and implementing new and improved techniques for the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife and for the remediation of contaminated foreshore, apart from its inherent value, will contribute to the sustainability of such resources both at the national and international level. Read moreRead less
Marine oil seeps and airborne particulates characterisation for organic compositional fingerprinting by using novel gas chromatographic technologies. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) is a powerful new tool for studying complex organic materials. The technique provides a highly sensitive method of fingerprinting not only the composition of the material but also its environmental history and behaviour. In this project the technique will be applied to a range of petroleum- ....Marine oil seeps and airborne particulates characterisation for organic compositional fingerprinting by using novel gas chromatographic technologies. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) is a powerful new tool for studying complex organic materials. The technique provides a highly sensitive method of fingerprinting not only the composition of the material but also its environmental history and behaviour. In this project the technique will be applied to a range of petroleum-related organic samples, including oil seeps from the ocean floor, and airborne particulates contributing to air pollution. The research will lead to a better understanding of geochemistry of petroleum-related materials and their potential impact on the environment and on public health.Read moreRead less
Investigation of the variation and origin of contaminants present in recycled PET. Recycling and waste management are of ever increasing concern in today's consumer society and our capacity to recycle waste is directly reliant on our ability to lower contamination levels and ensure consumer safety. Using novel analytical techniques, this project aims to characterise contaminants found in recycled PET and identify the source(s) of this contamination. Ultimately this will lead to a reduction in re ....Investigation of the variation and origin of contaminants present in recycled PET. Recycling and waste management are of ever increasing concern in today's consumer society and our capacity to recycle waste is directly reliant on our ability to lower contamination levels and ensure consumer safety. Using novel analytical techniques, this project aims to characterise contaminants found in recycled PET and identify the source(s) of this contamination. Ultimately this will lead to a reduction in recycled PET contamination levels, and allow a more complete recycling process. The global objective being to generate enough relevant scientific data to assist Visy in its endeavours to achieve higher levels of environmental performances and sustainable product development.Read moreRead less
Taxonomic discrimination and compositional analysis of microalgae using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The project aims to develop an automated system using infrared spectroscopy that can rapidly and inexpensively identify algae and quantify their chemical composition. The system, which would be based on statistical models developed from infrared spectral information, has the potential to enable rapid identification of blue-green algae at the strain level, allowing new algal bl ....Taxonomic discrimination and compositional analysis of microalgae using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The project aims to develop an automated system using infrared spectroscopy that can rapidly and inexpensively identify algae and quantify their chemical composition. The system, which would be based on statistical models developed from infrared spectral information, has the potential to enable rapid identification of blue-green algae at the strain level, allowing new algal blooms to be rapidly compared with those known to be toxic. Compositional analysis using infrared spectroscopy has the potential to measure all major classes of macromolecules simultaneously and precisely, at the single cell level, in a non-destructive manner that does not involve polluting chemicals.Read moreRead less
Near Infrared (IR) Laser Dyes for Latent Fingermark Detection. This project will enable Australian law enforcement agencies to recover latent fingerprints from difficult surfaces through the use of near infrared dyes. The project will allow the recovery of fingerprints from a scene which would otherwise be lost to an investigation. We will provide new fingerprint development techniques and imaging methods to law enforcement agencies, enhancing their ability to identify a perpetrator and thereb ....Near Infrared (IR) Laser Dyes for Latent Fingermark Detection. This project will enable Australian law enforcement agencies to recover latent fingerprints from difficult surfaces through the use of near infrared dyes. The project will allow the recovery of fingerprints from a scene which would otherwise be lost to an investigation. We will provide new fingerprint development techniques and imaging methods to law enforcement agencies, enhancing their ability to identify a perpetrator and thereby reducing crime rates.Read moreRead less
Synthesis and Analysis of Canine Anabolic Steroid Metabolites. The Australian racing industry is a major driver of economic activity. In NSW, racing is estimated to contribute $1,000 million to GDP, $151 million to Government revenue and provide 50,000 jobs. The future security and prosperity of the racing industry depends on maintaining the highest standards of integrity in the public eye, and this in turn depends on the enforcement of regulations relating to illicit substances. The outcome of ....Synthesis and Analysis of Canine Anabolic Steroid Metabolites. The Australian racing industry is a major driver of economic activity. In NSW, racing is estimated to contribute $1,000 million to GDP, $151 million to Government revenue and provide 50,000 jobs. The future security and prosperity of the racing industry depends on maintaining the highest standards of integrity in the public eye, and this in turn depends on the enforcement of regulations relating to illicit substances. The outcome of this project will be the introduction of robust methods of analysis for potential drug abuse in greyhound racing that will position Australia as a world leader in the field.Read moreRead less
Oxidation product generation during heating and storage of bio-fuels and alternative fuels assessed by multidimensional gas chromatography. Renewable bio-fuels offer much promise as a replacement for fossil fuels. However, they have a tendency to oxidise when prepared and used, potentially forming gums and solid deposits in engines. The objective of this project is the identification of these deposits and subsequent prevention during engine operation.