Miniaturised Adiabatic Light Processing Devices. The project will develop, model and analyse a range of miniaturised light-processing devices for optical communications applications that rely soley on their geometrical design for their optical functionality. Such devices are less complex than devices that rely on other physical phenomena for their operation, such as interference, resonance or grating phenomena. They have potential application to a wide range of applications including optical tel ....Miniaturised Adiabatic Light Processing Devices. The project will develop, model and analyse a range of miniaturised light-processing devices for optical communications applications that rely soley on their geometrical design for their optical functionality. Such devices are less complex than devices that rely on other physical phenomena for their operation, such as interference, resonance or grating phenomena. They have potential application to a wide range of applications including optical telecommunications, optical sensing and biophotonics. The major outcome will be a range of novel devices that are very compact, have very low optical power loss and process light signals in ways that either cannot be readily achieved by other approaches or are simpler than other approaches.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775562
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
The Melbourne Nanofabrication Facility. Australia is desperately short of facilities for actual fabrication, prototyping and construction of advanced micromechanical and nanoscale systems. This is impeding both academic researchers and industrial developers in the materials, optics and biotechnological industries. The proposed instrument would complete the development of Australia's newest high resolution microscopy centre and enable a wide range of users to image, measure, build and design comp ....The Melbourne Nanofabrication Facility. Australia is desperately short of facilities for actual fabrication, prototyping and construction of advanced micromechanical and nanoscale systems. This is impeding both academic researchers and industrial developers in the materials, optics and biotechnological industries. The proposed instrument would complete the development of Australia's newest high resolution microscopy centre and enable a wide range of users to image, measure, build and design complex nanostructures at the atomic level and upwards. Read moreRead less
A high performance and environment-friendly piezoelectric detector platform for biosensor applications. The development of high performance, lead-free, piezoelectric films and their incorporation into devices is rapidly becoming an urgent task as a result of recent legislation banning the use of lead in electronic components. The successful development of piezoelectric biosensors, as proposed in this project, has numerous potential benefits including the prospect of rapid and cheap biosensor dev ....A high performance and environment-friendly piezoelectric detector platform for biosensor applications. The development of high performance, lead-free, piezoelectric films and their incorporation into devices is rapidly becoming an urgent task as a result of recent legislation banning the use of lead in electronic components. The successful development of piezoelectric biosensors, as proposed in this project, has numerous potential benefits including the prospect of rapid and cheap biosensor devices as well as an environment-friendly, sensitive and real time solution for on-site drug, chemical and biological sensing. Successful development of the latter would provide immediate benefit in the areas of national security, food safety as well as in environmental and health monitoring. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668448
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
See Hear! Multimodal Recording and Analysis Facility. High resolution recording and analysis will exploit the full potential of motion capture with progress towards automatic recognition of gesture and, eventually, real-time systems. Automatic tracking and recognition systems are in high demand and the interlacing of data from multiple modes is now computationally achievable. SeeHear! will be coded using techniques in multimodal fusion - tracking of bodies will be enhanced by locating and recogn ....See Hear! Multimodal Recording and Analysis Facility. High resolution recording and analysis will exploit the full potential of motion capture with progress towards automatic recognition of gesture and, eventually, real-time systems. Automatic tracking and recognition systems are in high demand and the interlacing of data from multiple modes is now computationally achievable. SeeHear! will be coded using techniques in multimodal fusion - tracking of bodies will be enhanced by locating and recognizing facial features, and a learning algorithm used to classify gesture from patterns of force and physiological response. In the future, full interactivity will be achieved by interconnecting visual and auditory data with a flow on to applications in the performing arts, rehabilitation and security.Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Visiting Expert: Dr Standish Allen - Enhancement Of Tetraploid And Triploid Production In The Australian Pacific Oyster Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$14,200.00
Summary
SCL’s overall goal with regard to tetraploid technology is to make it work as effectively as anywhere in the world. In some ways, SCL is ahead of the game already, with dedicated facilities and technicians to pursue this goal. The objective of this Visiting Expert project is to get SCL fully on this path and to continue the improvement of tetraploid technology in Australia, and by example, the world.
There is currently only a hand full of commercial operations producing natural trip ....SCL’s overall goal with regard to tetraploid technology is to make it work as effectively as anywhere in the world. In some ways, SCL is ahead of the game already, with dedicated facilities and technicians to pursue this goal. The objective of this Visiting Expert project is to get SCL fully on this path and to continue the improvement of tetraploid technology in Australia, and by example, the world.
There is currently only a hand full of commercial operations producing natural triploids and even fewer assessing breeding technologies required to enhance the breeding of tetraploid populations.
At SCL, commercial production of natural triploid oysters in Australia has been successful for a number of years. The regeneration of tetraploids through large mass populations of tetraploids are accomplished each year by SCL research staff. We also have the know-how for the production of both natural mass spawning of tetraploids and chemical induction of tetraploids.
The opportunity exists to enhance our tetraploid lines through the infusion of genetics from the industry owned breeding program (Australian Seafood Industries). This request from industry is based on the following two, and likely very distinct, traits. 1. Specific resistance to OsHV-1 µVar 2. Increase fitness in general oyster populations to combat mortalities in South Australia or Tasmania probably due to the high metabolism of triploids in food poor waters.
Objectives: 1. Evaluating tetraploid spawns, including single pair crosses, mass spawns, and/ or mass selected spawnings, for the development of breeding lines and long term breeding objectives 2. Production of a range of ASI triploids lines for progeny testing, both natural and chemical 3. Assessing the commercial application of producing selectively bred tetraploids utilising a method described by McCombie et al. 2009 4. Expert input to Penny Miller PhD with detail analysis of results to meet project objectives 5. Collaborate with CSIRO in the future enhancement of breeding plans for tetraploid pacific oysters using selectively bred lines from the ASI breeding program 6. Develop a long-term breeding and tetraploid maintenance plan to secure supplies of high quality tetraploids long into the future Read moreRead less
Experimental Production Of Tetraploid Oysters For Use As Broodstock For Commercial Hatchery Production Of Triploids
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$186,362.94
Summary
Objectives: 1. The experimental production of tetraploid (4n) oyster embryos, larvae & Spat 2. On-growing of 4n oyster spat to adulthood and reproductive capability 3. Hybridisation of 2n gametes (from 4n broodstock) with n gametes (form "normal" 2n broodstock) to produce 3n embryos, larvae and spat
Eco-NextNet: An Ecologically-Inspired Adaptive Network Resource Management Framework for a Sustainable Next Generation Mobile Network for Ubiquitous Services. Ubiquitous communications service is the most important element of today's societies. In urban and rural areas of the country as well as at the time of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, it is vital to devise alternative schemes to create and sustain on-demand telecommunications services. In most cases it is not the lac ....Eco-NextNet: An Ecologically-Inspired Adaptive Network Resource Management Framework for a Sustainable Next Generation Mobile Network for Ubiquitous Services. Ubiquitous communications service is the most important element of today's societies. In urban and rural areas of the country as well as at the time of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, it is vital to devise alternative schemes to create and sustain on-demand telecommunications services. In most cases it is not the lack of technology that hinders the implementation of a reliable communications service, but it is the resource allocation. In this project we propose a novel sustainable resource management framework inspired by natural ecological systems to solve the above problem. Upon completion, Australia will be in forefront of technologies related to the management of complex networks.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Genetic Improvement Of Pacific Oysters In Tasmania And South Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$737,531.00
Summary
We have demonstrated that oyster characteristics deemed valuable by industry can be improved by selective breeding. We and industry are convinced that substantial performance increases for commercial lines are achievable. Thus far we have concentrated our efforts on a single trait (growth), but we have a number of family lines which permit the improvement of several traits simultaneously. We plan to continue selecting for increased growth rate and combine these advances with other desirable ....We have demonstrated that oyster characteristics deemed valuable by industry can be improved by selective breeding. We and industry are convinced that substantial performance increases for commercial lines are achievable. Thus far we have concentrated our efforts on a single trait (growth), but we have a number of family lines which permit the improvement of several traits simultaneously. We plan to continue selecting for increased growth rate and combine these advances with other desirable traits such as high meat yield and irradication of the deleterious curl-back trait. This will yield a much improved commercial product. Modifications to our existing protocols need to be trialed to see whether substantial gains in time and savings of funds are possible in the development of a long-term breeding strategy for broodstock improvement. We need to:
1. continue the breeding program through at least three more generations, in both the mass selection and family lines, by producing, where possible, improved lines every year rather than every two years as currently. Performance assessment will continue through to the second year. 2. develop a selection index which uses all information about genetic merit over several commercial traits. This is the sum of the commercial gains an individual can transmit weighted by commercial value. 3. monitor grow-out performance at one year of age and two years of age, to determine if crosses can be made at one year of age rather than two years. This would speed selective improvement. We need to assess whether performance at one year is a good indicator of performance at market size (currently ~2.5 years).
If the Joint Venture company (JVC) proposed to commercialise our work is not established, then we will need to:
4. work with industry to conduct trials of particular lines in both Tasmania and South Australia under full commercial conditions. 5. develop sophisticated long-term breeding plans which yield on-going performance improvements while avoiding the deleterious effects of inbreeding. These plans will be based on analysis of data collected during the project, and require a major commitment from both technical staff and geneticists. FRDC funding is thus required to complete the development program and, if the JVC is not established, to conduct the commercialisation trials and development of breeding plans. If the JVC is established, then we would provide it with broodstock for the trials but would expect it to develop its own long-term breeding strategy with input from and collaboration with our technical staff and geneticists. Objectives: 1. Continued production of mass selection lines for growth rate and family lines for other industry-desired traits. 2. Creation of crossbred family lines to assess the feasibility of combining desirable traits from different families into a single line. 3. Development of a multi-trait selection index. 4. If the Joint Venture Company is not established by November 2000, we have the following additional objective: Assessment of the performance of chosen lines in full-scale commercial trials. 5. If the Joint Venture Company is not established by November 2000, we have the following additional objective: Development of a breeding plan for sustainable genetic improvement. 6. Development of a commercilisation strategy within 12 months of start. Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Education And Training Exchange Program With NOFIMA, A World Leading Aquaculture Research Institute
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$5,000.00
Summary
Individuals/organisations that would benefit from the program with Nofima are those that are:
1. considering starting selective breeding programs or supplying industry with hatchery stock (as many as 10 industry associations or groups of farms)
2. analysing data and making decisions about the selection and mating of selectively bred stock (as many as 10 genetics service providers, private or public)
3. involved with the day-to-day operation of a nucleus or hatchery (in ....Individuals/organisations that would benefit from the program with Nofima are those that are:
1. considering starting selective breeding programs or supplying industry with hatchery stock (as many as 10 industry associations or groups of farms)
2. analysing data and making decisions about the selection and mating of selectively bred stock (as many as 10 genetics service providers, private or public)
3. involved with the day-to-day operation of a nucleus or hatchery (includes many hatchery managers)
4. trying to run a profitable selective breeding or hatchery business (eg. managers or owners of companies such as Australian Seafood Industries PL for Pacific Oyster or Saltas PL for Atlantic Salmon)
Individuals/organisations in these interest groups have overlapping needs to some degree:
A. Need for owners, managers, geneticists and hatchery staff in Australia to be put in touch (network) with those having similar responsibilities in other sectors within Australia, as well as with international players in the selective breeding scene, so that they can benefit from the experience of existing research organisations and businesses.
B. Australia's reputation, isolation and environment could make it an attractive source of selectively bred stock internationally. Therefore there is an opportunity for some breeding programs to supply overseas producers with genetically improved stock. But there is a need to understand how such a business might operate and how risks can be managed.
C. Need for those analysing data and making decisions about the selection and mating of selectively bred stock, and involved with the day-to-day operation of a nucleus or hatchery, to be informed of the latest technical developments overseas and how developments might be adopted to benefit Australian breeding companies and aquaculture industries.
D. Need for improving basic knowledge about establishing, running and profiting from selective breeding. Objectives: 1. To give owners, managers, geneticists and hatchery staff involved with selective breeding programs in Australia short-term exposure to facilitate the establishment of dialogue, cooperation and/or collaboration with international players on the selective breeding scene 2. To directly educate and inform scientists making decisions about selection and mating (at least one person for each aquaculture industry participating in the Seafood CRC) and those involved with the day-to-day operation of the nucleus or hatchery about the latest technical developments overseas and how these might be adapted within Australia 3. To improve basic knowledge about establishing, running and profiting from selective breeding leading to implementation of significant and recognisable improvements in breeding programs towards world’s best practice (on average at least one improvement per sector) Read moreRead less