Inequality, Trade, and Technology. This project aims to improve our understanding of the causes of rising income inequality in the world economy and in Australia since the early 1980s. We focus on the increasing building costs and imports of machinery as significant contributors to the increasing inequality. We hypothesize 1) that the increasing costs of buildings have reduced the demand for workers that are complementary to non-residential building capital; thus, reducing real wages; and 2) tha ....Inequality, Trade, and Technology. This project aims to improve our understanding of the causes of rising income inequality in the world economy and in Australia since the early 1980s. We focus on the increasing building costs and imports of machinery as significant contributors to the increasing inequality. We hypothesize 1) that the increasing costs of buildings have reduced the demand for workers that are complementary to non-residential building capital; thus, reducing real wages; and 2) that the marked increase in imports of machinery since the 1960s has reduced the demand for unskilled labour and widened the employment and wage gap between skilled and unskilled labour. Both factors may have driven the increasing inequality in Australia.
Read moreRead less
Novel cell wall genes ripe for the picking. This project aims to investigate the role of recently discovered plant cellulose synthase-like CslM genes and to define the polysaccharide product associated with them. Successful identification of the polysaccharide is highly likely to increase our fundamental understanding of how cell walls are made, how cells stick together or fall apart as well as facilitating the training of the next generation of cell wall biologists in challenging molecular and ....Novel cell wall genes ripe for the picking. This project aims to investigate the role of recently discovered plant cellulose synthase-like CslM genes and to define the polysaccharide product associated with them. Successful identification of the polysaccharide is highly likely to increase our fundamental understanding of how cell walls are made, how cells stick together or fall apart as well as facilitating the training of the next generation of cell wall biologists in challenging molecular and biochemical techniques. This new knowledge could increase our understanding of fruit ripening, and how it might be manipulated. This could have significant downstream commercial benefits if applied to breeding programs of economically important fruit such as grapes, tomatoes and strawberries.Read moreRead less
How age & sex impact the transcriptional control of mammalian muscle growth. Maintaining healthy muscle is crucial throughout all stages of life. Aging is associated with the loss of muscle and older muscles are resistant to growth due to age-related changes in gene expression and responsiveness. Many genes are expressed differently in male versus female muscle, which may have implications for sex-differences in muscle growth and aging. This project will generate new knowledge on which genes and ....How age & sex impact the transcriptional control of mammalian muscle growth. Maintaining healthy muscle is crucial throughout all stages of life. Aging is associated with the loss of muscle and older muscles are resistant to growth due to age-related changes in gene expression and responsiveness. Many genes are expressed differently in male versus female muscle, which may have implications for sex-differences in muscle growth and aging. This project will generate new knowledge on which genes and biological pathways are crucial in determining mammalian muscle size and growth across the lifespan and between the sexes. Application of this knowledge may lead to future approaches to enable a healthy start to life and promote healthy aging in Australians and have implications for agriculture and muscle as a food source.Read moreRead less
Perovskite Quantum Dots for Solar Hydrogen Generation. Sustainable hydrogen production is highly significant towards decarbonised economy. This project aims to develop new classes of organometal halide perovskite quantum dots (OHPQDs) for efficient photoelecrochemical hydrogen production. The key concept is to design toxic Lead free/less OHPQDs for use as stable photoelectrode materials in self-powered sunlight driven water splitting devices. Expected outcomes include new generation advanced mat ....Perovskite Quantum Dots for Solar Hydrogen Generation. Sustainable hydrogen production is highly significant towards decarbonised economy. This project aims to develop new classes of organometal halide perovskite quantum dots (OHPQDs) for efficient photoelecrochemical hydrogen production. The key concept is to design toxic Lead free/less OHPQDs for use as stable photoelectrode materials in self-powered sunlight driven water splitting devices. Expected outcomes include new generation advanced materials and revolutionary technologies for efficient solar hydrogen generation. The successful completion of this project will significantly benefit Australia by positioning the nation at the frontier of renewable hydrogen supply technologies. Read moreRead less
Augmenting the activity of glyoxalase-1 to increase dicarbonyl clearance . Reactive intermediates generated during our metabolism contribute to ageing. Glyoxalase-1 is a key defence enzyme against these toxic intermediates and therefore ageing itself. This project aims to investigate novel pathways how the expression and activity of glyoxalase-1 are regulated. This interdisciplinary project expects to generate new understanding by combining relevant cell and animal models, protein chemistry, epi ....Augmenting the activity of glyoxalase-1 to increase dicarbonyl clearance . Reactive intermediates generated during our metabolism contribute to ageing. Glyoxalase-1 is a key defence enzyme against these toxic intermediates and therefore ageing itself. This project aims to investigate novel pathways how the expression and activity of glyoxalase-1 are regulated. This interdisciplinary project expects to generate new understanding by combining relevant cell and animal models, protein chemistry, epigenetics and structural biology. It is expected that this work will improve understanding of this fundamental biological defence. This will allow us to identify the potential means to enhance the capacity of glyoxalase-1 to the future benefit of biological ageing.Read moreRead less
Hot carrier cooling mechanisms in nano structures. This project aims to systematically investigate possible mechanisms of hot carrier cooling in nano structures and to identify the most dominant mechanisms. These are important for efficient hot carrier solar cells and thermoelectrics. This project will develop new physics to understand hot carrier dynamics in nano structures. This project is expected to result in photovoltaic systems with a lower balance of system and levelised cost of electrici ....Hot carrier cooling mechanisms in nano structures. This project aims to systematically investigate possible mechanisms of hot carrier cooling in nano structures and to identify the most dominant mechanisms. These are important for efficient hot carrier solar cells and thermoelectrics. This project will develop new physics to understand hot carrier dynamics in nano structures. This project is expected to result in photovoltaic systems with a lower balance of system and levelised cost of electricity compared to conventional technologies. This should boost solar industry, create green jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Signaling in the crypt: a novel metabolic pathway in intestinal stem cells. The gut is the most rapidly renewing tissue in the body, driven by a highly active stem cell niche. Bile acids are emerging as critical regulators of this stem cell niche and disruption of bile acid homeostasis has profoundly adverse effects on intestinal renewal and hence gut health. We are addressing a critical gap in our understanding of how bile acids are controlled within stem cell niche. The aim of the project is ....Signaling in the crypt: a novel metabolic pathway in intestinal stem cells. The gut is the most rapidly renewing tissue in the body, driven by a highly active stem cell niche. Bile acids are emerging as critical regulators of this stem cell niche and disruption of bile acid homeostasis has profoundly adverse effects on intestinal renewal and hence gut health. We are addressing a critical gap in our understanding of how bile acids are controlled within stem cell niche. The aim of the project is to define the critical role of a novel enzyme called UGT8 in controlling intestinal stem cell response to bile acids; this is achieved by modulating UGT8 activity in intestinal stem cell models and determining the effects on stem cell function and the key signalling pathways that control intestinal homeostasis and renewal.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the complexities of cell death pathways . This project aims to test if cells can flexibly rewire their cell death pathways to ensure that the absence or inhibition of one type of cell death can be compensated through the triggering of another. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of programed cell death, and more specifically will address why cells have multiple programmed ways to die. Expected outcomes of this project include the provision of unprecedented insig ....Unravelling the complexities of cell death pathways . This project aims to test if cells can flexibly rewire their cell death pathways to ensure that the absence or inhibition of one type of cell death can be compensated through the triggering of another. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of programed cell death, and more specifically will address why cells have multiple programmed ways to die. Expected outcomes of this project include the provision of unprecedented insights into the molecular regulation of how cells orchestrate and integrate cell death pathways. This should provide significant benefits, such as providing the knowledge base needed to improve our abilities to manipulate cell death both in basic research and commercial applications of cell death.Read moreRead less
EFR3: Novel gatekeeper of cell proliferation. This interdisciplinary, cross-institutional project uses leading-edge mass spectrometry and the yeast genetic model to enhance knowledge of fundamental signalling mechanisms common to cell proliferation of eukaryotic cells. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel energy-stress control points, this research will generate insights into critical and conserved features of nutrient stress control of cell proliferation that ensures cel ....EFR3: Novel gatekeeper of cell proliferation. This interdisciplinary, cross-institutional project uses leading-edge mass spectrometry and the yeast genetic model to enhance knowledge of fundamental signalling mechanisms common to cell proliferation of eukaryotic cells. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel energy-stress control points, this research will generate insights into critical and conserved features of nutrient stress control of cell proliferation that ensures cell survival. This project advances basic and applied biology. Its outcomes will be relevant to several research areas and industries, specifically to the propagation of cell cultures that nowadays contributes to the production of a myriad of biotechnical and pharmaceutical commodities.
Read moreRead less
Soft Plasmene Nanosheets for Stretchable Plasmonic Skins. Conventional plasmonic sensors and devices are rigid, planar, and not stretchable. This project aims to apply plasmene materials developed at Monash's Nanobionics lab to design highly stretchable plasmonic devices (artificial plasmonic skins). Systematic experimental and theoretical studies will be undertaken to understand how the plasmonic skins respond to strains and how they can be used for fabricating novel stretchable devices. Such s ....Soft Plasmene Nanosheets for Stretchable Plasmonic Skins. Conventional plasmonic sensors and devices are rigid, planar, and not stretchable. This project aims to apply plasmene materials developed at Monash's Nanobionics lab to design highly stretchable plasmonic devices (artificial plasmonic skins). Systematic experimental and theoretical studies will be undertaken to understand how the plasmonic skins respond to strains and how they can be used for fabricating novel stretchable devices. Such studies will generate important new knowledge of fabrication, characterisation, and modelling of stretchable plasmene, hence, contributing to further Australian standing in the field of nanotechnology and plasmonics. It may also incubate patentable technologies, bringing potential economic gains.Read moreRead less