Improving the Well-Being of Low Socioeconomic Status Students at University. This project aims to investigate a new approach to improving the mental well-being of university students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. University students have a high risk of experiencing mental health problems, and students from low SES backgrounds have a particularly high risk. This project aims to investigate university-relevant Facebook groups as a method of improving the mental well-being of low ....Improving the Well-Being of Low Socioeconomic Status Students at University. This project aims to investigate a new approach to improving the mental well-being of university students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. University students have a high risk of experiencing mental health problems, and students from low SES backgrounds have a particularly high risk. This project aims to investigate university-relevant Facebook groups as a method of improving the mental well-being of low SES students by improving their online social integration at university. Expected outcomes and benefits include a scalable, low-cost approach to reducing an SES inequality that costs Australia billions of dollars each year.Read moreRead less
Governing harmful commodities: the case of ultra-processed foods. This project aims to generate new knowledge on how to influence public policy in order to reduce the supply and consumption of a health-harming commodity, ultra-processed foods. Using governance theory and qualitative techniques the project intends to identify the actors who are influential in the three key policy areas of trade, taxation and marketing and who affect the consumption of these foods in Australia, Thailand and Fiji. ....Governing harmful commodities: the case of ultra-processed foods. This project aims to generate new knowledge on how to influence public policy in order to reduce the supply and consumption of a health-harming commodity, ultra-processed foods. Using governance theory and qualitative techniques the project intends to identify the actors who are influential in the three key policy areas of trade, taxation and marketing and who affect the consumption of these foods in Australia, Thailand and Fiji. Expected outcomes include strategies for pursuing these different actors’ interests and evidence that can help institutions to promote better policies. Intended benefits include better nutrition outcomes in Australia, Thailand and Fiji.Read moreRead less
Remodelling encapsulin nanocages to help enhance plant carbon fixation. Nature has evolved mechanisms in microbial systems to improve photosynthetic efficiency by saturating the enzyme Rubisco with carbon dioxide. These carbon concentrating mechanisms are genetically complex, precluding successful introduction into crops. Our simpler approach is to use encapsulins, a new source of robust bacterial pore-containing nanocages made from a single gene. This project will optimise the development of sy ....Remodelling encapsulin nanocages to help enhance plant carbon fixation. Nature has evolved mechanisms in microbial systems to improve photosynthetic efficiency by saturating the enzyme Rubisco with carbon dioxide. These carbon concentrating mechanisms are genetically complex, precluding successful introduction into crops. Our simpler approach is to use encapsulins, a new source of robust bacterial pore-containing nanocages made from a single gene. This project will optimise the development of synthetic encapsulin-Rubisco carbon-fixing nanoreactors and transform them into leaf chloroplasts to test their impact on plant photosynthesis and growth. Our genetically simpler solution will aid ongoing global efforts to deliver overdue step change improvements in agricultural productivity.Read moreRead less
Boosting organ donation registration in diverse communities. This project aims to increase the number and diversity of people on the Australian Organ Donor Register. Transplant success can increase when organs are matched between people of similar ethnic backgrounds, but diverse communities have historically low registration rates. This project is significant because it focuses on this disparity to co-create with two diverse communities interactive media and community dissemination strategies th ....Boosting organ donation registration in diverse communities. This project aims to increase the number and diversity of people on the Australian Organ Donor Register. Transplant success can increase when organs are matched between people of similar ethnic backgrounds, but diverse communities have historically low registration rates. This project is significant because it focuses on this disparity to co-create with two diverse communities interactive media and community dissemination strategies that respect cultural and religious beliefs while addressing concerns about donation raised in our previous research. Tested with a third diverse community, the outcome will be a model that can be both scaled and tailored to ensure equitable access to transplantation for all, benefiting the lives of many. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100068
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$931,950.00
Summary
Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery, and Imaging Platform. This proposal aims to establish an Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery and Imaging platform. The platform consists of an ultra-high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometer and an imaging mass spectrometry upgrade for a second existing high resolution mass spectrometer. The facility will break barriers currently limiting discovery and localisation of metabolic changes during plant and animal development under ....Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery, and Imaging Platform. This proposal aims to establish an Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery and Imaging platform. The platform consists of an ultra-high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometer and an imaging mass spectrometry upgrade for a second existing high resolution mass spectrometer. The facility will break barriers currently limiting discovery and localisation of metabolic changes during plant and animal development under environmental stress; integral chemical signals exchanged in host-microbe interactions; and volatile signatures linked to ecosystem health and developmental anomalies in animals. Results will inform innovative strategies to enhance biological adaptation, climate resilience and plant, animal, and ecosystem health.Read moreRead less
Settling well in regional Australia: Experiences of people from refugee backgrounds. Regional humanitarian settlement is a key priority across all levels of government in Australia. This study aims to provide the first longitudinal assessment of the impacts of regional settlement for humanitarian migrants and destination communities. Its innovative, mixed-method and multi-sited approach will generate new knowledge of the opportunities and challenges for sustainable regional settlement. Expected ....Settling well in regional Australia: Experiences of people from refugee backgrounds. Regional humanitarian settlement is a key priority across all levels of government in Australia. This study aims to provide the first longitudinal assessment of the impacts of regional settlement for humanitarian migrants and destination communities. Its innovative, mixed-method and multi-sited approach will generate new knowledge of the opportunities and challenges for sustainable regional settlement. Expected outcomes include enhanced community, organisational and government decision-making capacity. By guiding end-users’ current and future actions, the study has strong potential to support the wellbeing of humanitarian migrants and to contribute to healthy and resilient regional communities.Read moreRead less
Veteran suicide: investigating the historical and social dimensions . This project aims to address veteran suicide by conducting an historical and cultural analysis of the ways government, the military and the community have understood, governed, and serviced veterans from 1914-present. This project will generate new knowledge, moving beyond orthodox medical and cultural assessments to explore wider historical, cultural and sociological relations of veteran suicide, including civil military rela ....Veteran suicide: investigating the historical and social dimensions . This project aims to address veteran suicide by conducting an historical and cultural analysis of the ways government, the military and the community have understood, governed, and serviced veterans from 1914-present. This project will generate new knowledge, moving beyond orthodox medical and cultural assessments to explore wider historical, cultural and sociological relations of veteran suicide, including civil military relations, and the influence of the veteran sector and families and community. The project will develop an innovative survey that will form the foundation of a longitudinal social health and wellbeing dataset on veterans, and contribute to policy and service provision to reduce veteran suicide and improve their wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Control of developmental switches by importin 5. Aims: This project will study a key molecular switch called IPO5, a protein that is required for cells and organs to form and function normally, and it will reveal how it works.
Significance: These experiments will provide the first complete description of how this molecular switch controls the behaviour of a cell across its lifespan. IPO5 is highly conserved, so these studies will be relevant to a wide range of animals.
Expected Outcomes: This k ....Control of developmental switches by importin 5. Aims: This project will study a key molecular switch called IPO5, a protein that is required for cells and organs to form and function normally, and it will reveal how it works.
Significance: These experiments will provide the first complete description of how this molecular switch controls the behaviour of a cell across its lifespan. IPO5 is highly conserved, so these studies will be relevant to a wide range of animals.
Expected Outcomes: This knowledge will reveal how IPO5 controls formation of sperm by revealing what other proteins it binds to and how this affects cell signaling and responses to the environment.
Benefits: This will provide information about potential interventions to control fertility or to repair abnormal cells.
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Flipping the mattress: infinite polyurethane recycling by synthetic biology. Australia is covered in billions of tonnes of plastic and yet <10% is recycled today. Polyurethane (PU) is ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from lacquer coatings to elastane clothing to durable foam padding in car seats, cushions and mattresses. Currently, there are few avenues for PU recycling and much ends up in landfill e.g., a single mattress produces 15-20kg of PU foam waste. Luckily, biodegradation of PU can occu ....Flipping the mattress: infinite polyurethane recycling by synthetic biology. Australia is covered in billions of tonnes of plastic and yet <10% is recycled today. Polyurethane (PU) is ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from lacquer coatings to elastane clothing to durable foam padding in car seats, cushions and mattresses. Currently, there are few avenues for PU recycling and much ends up in landfill e.g., a single mattress produces 15-20kg of PU foam waste. Luckily, biodegradation of PU can occur naturally via various microbial means and from insects, like Galleria mellonella larvae. The overall aim of this research project is to understand plastic biodegradation and translate nature’s solutions into flexible and efficient synthetic enzyme technologies that can sustainably recycle commonly used PU foams. Read moreRead less