Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100114
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
Multi-scale imaging and characterisation facility for biological structure and function. Discovery in biology will lead to significant social and economic impact improving Australians' lives. This facility will allow researchers to study the micro and nanoscales structure and function of cells, tissues and organs. The knowledge gained will have direct benefits and applications to human and animal health, drug and food technology.
5D Imaging Flow Cytometry for in vivo Quantification of Biological Fluids. Rapid and accurate quantification of live biological fluid properties at sub-cellular and molecular levels forms the bedrock of biofluidic sciences. Majority of the biofluidic devices rely on quantifying biological fluids after its removal from the body in an in vitro Flow Cytometer (FC). FC faces many caveats i.e. biological degradation and small volume etc. In this project, we shall engineer the first in vivo 5D imaging ....5D Imaging Flow Cytometry for in vivo Quantification of Biological Fluids. Rapid and accurate quantification of live biological fluid properties at sub-cellular and molecular levels forms the bedrock of biofluidic sciences. Majority of the biofluidic devices rely on quantifying biological fluids after its removal from the body in an in vitro Flow Cytometer (FC). FC faces many caveats i.e. biological degradation and small volume etc. In this project, we shall engineer the first in vivo 5D imaging flow cytometer (5D IFC) capable of continuous assessment of potentially entire blood volume in a living mice without removing fluid out of the body. The project represents a major advancement beyond any existing flow cytometer and overcome the engineering limits of state-of-art laser scanning imaging devices.Read moreRead less
The colour of cellular aging: a deep probe of cellular processes. Understanding why we age and whether aging is preventable are profound research challenges, which must be first tackled at a cellular level. Building on our advances in non-invasive colour monitoring of cell function, this project aims to uncover intimate links between cellular processes and aging in cells that must survive for many decades such as oocytes and neurons. We will explore the tantalising possibility to rejuvenate such ....The colour of cellular aging: a deep probe of cellular processes. Understanding why we age and whether aging is preventable are profound research challenges, which must be first tackled at a cellular level. Building on our advances in non-invasive colour monitoring of cell function, this project aims to uncover intimate links between cellular processes and aging in cells that must survive for many decades such as oocytes and neurons. We will explore the tantalising possibility to rejuvenate such aged cells by interfering with molecular master switches of aging. A unique machine learning approach will be applied for finding the most effective interventions. The results will have broad impact beyond the science of aging, in the areas of female fertility, neurodegeneration and immunity.
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Rejuvenating adult stem cells. This project aims to uncover intimate links between metabolic regulation and longevity in adult stem cells, the source of all cells in the body. Understanding why we age and whether ageing is preventable are research challenges which must be first attacked at a cellular level. This project will try to rejuvenate aged stem cells by interfering with a prospective molecular master switch of aging and also develop an approach to identify and select youthful stem cells. ....Rejuvenating adult stem cells. This project aims to uncover intimate links between metabolic regulation and longevity in adult stem cells, the source of all cells in the body. Understanding why we age and whether ageing is preventable are research challenges which must be first attacked at a cellular level. This project will try to rejuvenate aged stem cells by interfering with a prospective molecular master switch of aging and also develop an approach to identify and select youthful stem cells. The results are expected to be important beyond informing the science of ageing, in the areas of tissue engineering, wound healing, embryology and cancer.Read moreRead less
Putting an end to hospital-borne infection with micronebulisation of lung-safe disinfectants. Dangerous infections are unfortunately common in hospitals, established and retransmitted via surfaces and handheld items, representing a leading contributor to death worldwide, and potentially a far more serious problem to come as antimicrobial resistance worsens. The project aims to exploit a newly discovered and unique low power nebulisation technology to nebulise a strongly antiviral, antibacterial ....Putting an end to hospital-borne infection with micronebulisation of lung-safe disinfectants. Dangerous infections are unfortunately common in hospitals, established and retransmitted via surfaces and handheld items, representing a leading contributor to death worldwide, and potentially a far more serious problem to come as antimicrobial resistance worsens. The project aims to exploit a newly discovered and unique low power nebulisation technology to nebulise a strongly antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agent, triethylene glycol that is too viscous to do so by any other known method. Through refinement and engineering of the technology via this project, handheld and room-based continuously operating nebulisers will produce continuous microdroplet mists of these pathogen-killing agents that deposit on surfaces throughout a hospital.Read moreRead less
Turbulent cascades in superfluid Flatland. This project aims to answer open questions in turbulence by stirring many tiny whirlpools (vortices) into a superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate. It seeks to determine how vortex dynamics redistribute energy across broad length scales in superfluids, how turbulence arises from instabilities, and how turbulence redistributes energy in multicomponent superfluids. The outcomes of this project will elucidate the links between quantum and classical fluids, an ....Turbulent cascades in superfluid Flatland. This project aims to answer open questions in turbulence by stirring many tiny whirlpools (vortices) into a superfluid Bose-Einstein condensate. It seeks to determine how vortex dynamics redistribute energy across broad length scales in superfluids, how turbulence arises from instabilities, and how turbulence redistributes energy in multicomponent superfluids. The outcomes of this project will elucidate the links between quantum and classical fluids, and provide unambiguous tests of theoretical models in real-world systems. These results will be beneficial to the understanding of the physics of quantum superfluids, and will inform the engineering of quantum-enhanced devices that utilise trapped superfluid media for precision sensing.Read moreRead less
Connecting man to machine: Wireless brain-machine interface. This project aims to enable direct wireless transmission of brain signals leading to reliable thought control of computers, wheelchairs, exoskeletons and vehicles. Such technology is currently limited by the fidelity, reliability, safety and longevity of the electrodes used to record signals from the brain. Partner organisation, SmartStent, has developed a novel stent-based electrode array which allows the extraction of high fidelity n ....Connecting man to machine: Wireless brain-machine interface. This project aims to enable direct wireless transmission of brain signals leading to reliable thought control of computers, wheelchairs, exoskeletons and vehicles. Such technology is currently limited by the fidelity, reliability, safety and longevity of the electrodes used to record signals from the brain. Partner organisation, SmartStent, has developed a novel stent-based electrode array which allows the extraction of high fidelity neural information without risky brain surgery and implant rejection. The project aims to combine SmartStent's stent-electrode technology with the diamond materials technology developed by the research team for hermetic encapsulation of electronics.Read moreRead less
Metamaterials for control of acoustic radiation forces. This project aims to investigate how sound waves exert forces on objects, and how these forces can be controlled by artificially engineered structures known as acoustic metamaterials. The project is expected to lead to a new understanding of acoustic radiation forces, and how they can be efficiently manipulated with high resolution. The expected outcome is a new capability for the measurement of delicate mechanical structures, which avoids ....Metamaterials for control of acoustic radiation forces. This project aims to investigate how sound waves exert forces on objects, and how these forces can be controlled by artificially engineered structures known as acoustic metamaterials. The project is expected to lead to a new understanding of acoustic radiation forces, and how they can be efficiently manipulated with high resolution. The expected outcome is a new capability for the measurement of delicate mechanical structures, which avoids the cost, complexity and side-effects of existing systems. This should benefit many high-tech areas, including inflatable space structures, micro-mechanical sensors and actuators and precise optical components, as well as biological areas such as the study of insect flight and communication.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100024
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$240,000.00
Summary
Optical profiler with dynamic micro electro-mechanical systems capability. This facility will allow Australian researchers to access the world's best capability in dynamic, time resolved, optical three-dimensional profiling of surfaces and devices. It will advance a raft of science research and industry applications characterising natural and artificial materials and underpinning next generation optical, photonic and microelectronic devices.
In-situ biofunctionalisation for additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing that incorporates printing of live cells can create hierarchical, multi-component structures that mimic biology. However, an ability to include spatially segregated biological cues is currently lacking. This project will develop plasma pen modules to selectively functionalise surfaces and interfaces, as they are being printed, with robustly immobilised hydrogels and biological signalling molecules to direct cell beha ....In-situ biofunctionalisation for additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing that incorporates printing of live cells can create hierarchical, multi-component structures that mimic biology. However, an ability to include spatially segregated biological cues is currently lacking. This project will develop plasma pen modules to selectively functionalise surfaces and interfaces, as they are being printed, with robustly immobilised hydrogels and biological signalling molecules to direct cell behaviour. The expected outcome is a green technology enabling the fabrication of structures that replicate the native environments of cells in the body to provide optimal efficacy in drug discovery and regenerative medicine, and significant benefits for the Australian biomedical sector.Read moreRead less