Cellular and network basis of information processing in the mammalian visual system. The project aims to discover the strategies by which cells in the brain interact with each other to code the sensory input efficiently. It is expected that simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurones from the visual cortex of anaesthetised cats during visual stimulation will reveal how the biophysics of synaptic integration combined with excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different sources sculpt ....Cellular and network basis of information processing in the mammalian visual system. The project aims to discover the strategies by which cells in the brain interact with each other to code the sensory input efficiently. It is expected that simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurones from the visual cortex of anaesthetised cats during visual stimulation will reveal how the biophysics of synaptic integration combined with excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different sources sculpts the output of individual neurones. The experiments will be extended to the study of possible interactions between different areas of the brain and the study of mechanisms by which the cortical network and higher cognitive factors such as attention and memory might influence the coding of sensory information in awake animals.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989127
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
A High-Throughput Neutron Spectrometer for The Study of Atomic and Molecular Motion at ANSTO. Neutron scattering enables new science across a broad range of disciplines, and for this reason it is undergoing major expansion in the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. Various diffactometers and spectrometers have recently been built at ANSTO, but an instrumental option for a high-throughput cross-discipline spectroscopy is urgently needed. Fortunately, it is fairly straightforward to add this type of ....A High-Throughput Neutron Spectrometer for The Study of Atomic and Molecular Motion at ANSTO. Neutron scattering enables new science across a broad range of disciplines, and for this reason it is undergoing major expansion in the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. Various diffactometers and spectrometers have recently been built at ANSTO, but an instrumental option for a high-throughput cross-discipline spectroscopy is urgently needed. Fortunately, it is fairly straightforward to add this type of option to an existing spectrometer that will broaden its user-base from specialised applications in physics to more general applications in physics, chemistry, materials-science and biology. This additional option provides a totally new way for Australian scientists to study atomic and molecular motions. Read moreRead less
Use of Interval Arithmetic and GRID Computing in Computational Molecular Science: Bounding Errors and Locating Global Minima. Catastrophic failure of the Ariane 5 rocket in 1996 and the inability of Patriot missile systems to reach their targets during the 1991 Gulf war were both attributed to numerical computing errors. Less dramatic, but in a similar vein, this project aims to study the numerical stability of contemporary computational molecular science applications. The focus will be on linea ....Use of Interval Arithmetic and GRID Computing in Computational Molecular Science: Bounding Errors and Locating Global Minima. Catastrophic failure of the Ariane 5 rocket in 1996 and the inability of Patriot missile systems to reach their targets during the 1991 Gulf war were both attributed to numerical computing errors. Less dramatic, but in a similar vein, this project aims to study the numerical stability of contemporary computational molecular science applications. The focus will be on linear scaling electronic structure codes, methods that are critical to the study of nano- and bio-materials, and are therefore of great importance to our economic future and medical well being. The project will build expertise within Australia in the area of interval arithmetic, an area that is currently poorly represented.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100142
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
An integrated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-MS-NMR) facility for applications in proteomics and organic chemistry. This application completes the requested liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LCMS-NMR) facility and will allow the training of over 150 researchers, significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. New breakthroughs in drug development, smart mate ....An integrated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-MS-NMR) facility for applications in proteomics and organic chemistry. This application completes the requested liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LCMS-NMR) facility and will allow the training of over 150 researchers, significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. New breakthroughs in drug development, smart materials, organic electronic materials and biomedical research require routine access to cutting edge technology. The LCMS-NMR augments the capabilities of our research teams at the forefront of these efforts. These include understanding the impact of the environment on plant and animal development, pest animal control, development of new biotechnology tools, new drugs and new methods for the detection of narcotics and explosives.Read moreRead less
Environmental and Technological Applications of Electron-Driven Processes. We plan to use state-of-the-art experimental techniques and methodologies for the measurement of collision cross sections and reaction rates for low energy electron-driven process in molecules and molecular radicals. These processes are fundamental to our understanding of our environment and many devices used in the technology of today and of the future. In particular we will provide accurate cross sections for NOx and SO ....Environmental and Technological Applications of Electron-Driven Processes. We plan to use state-of-the-art experimental techniques and methodologies for the measurement of collision cross sections and reaction rates for low energy electron-driven process in molecules and molecular radicals. These processes are fundamental to our understanding of our environment and many devices used in the technology of today and of the future. In particular we will provide accurate cross sections for NOx and SOx pollutants and H2O, as well for molecules such as C4F8, and its radicals such as CF2, which are used extensively in plasma processing technologies.Read moreRead less
The energetics and dynamics of chemical reactions of polyatomic molecules involving multiple electronic states. This project will produce, from first principles, the first quantitatively accurate computer simulations of chemical reactions which involve several atoms and multiple electronic states. Many of the most important chemical reactions in the atmosphere (and elsewhere) involve changing both the shape of the molecules and their electronic structure. Many of these reactions are difficult to ....The energetics and dynamics of chemical reactions of polyatomic molecules involving multiple electronic states. This project will produce, from first principles, the first quantitatively accurate computer simulations of chemical reactions which involve several atoms and multiple electronic states. Many of the most important chemical reactions in the atmosphere (and elsewhere) involve changing both the shape of the molecules and their electronic structure. Many of these reactions are difficult to study in the laboratory, and consequently computer simulation is an essential component of the study of such reactions. U nderstanding how these reactions occur, and how fast they proceed, are important to our understanding of the dynamics of the atmosphere and other large scale reactors.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989506
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
A high performance computing cluster and storage for the INTERSECT Consortium of NSW. The installation of this new supercomputing facility is an important addition to the nation's foundation research infrastructure. Of particular importance to research groups in NSW is the much needed boost in computational research and research training capacity that it will provide, enabling world leading research teams to continue their ground breaking work in an increasingly competitive international enviro ....A high performance computing cluster and storage for the INTERSECT Consortium of NSW. The installation of this new supercomputing facility is an important addition to the nation's foundation research infrastructure. Of particular importance to research groups in NSW is the much needed boost in computational research and research training capacity that it will provide, enabling world leading research teams to continue their ground breaking work in an increasingly competitive international environment. Much of the research to be supported lies in areas of national priority, including frontier technologies and Australian environmental sustainability.Read moreRead less
Quantum Mechanics and Planetary Atmospheres. The project will increase the visibility and status of Australian research, by the participation of researchers and students in a wide international collaboration, covering experiments, theory, and computation, which will solve a fundamental research problem that has previously defied understanding. The resulting nitrogen model will be relevant to the important fields of global and planetary atmospheric change, and will find immediate application in t ....Quantum Mechanics and Planetary Atmospheres. The project will increase the visibility and status of Australian research, by the participation of researchers and students in a wide international collaboration, covering experiments, theory, and computation, which will solve a fundamental research problem that has previously defied understanding. The resulting nitrogen model will be relevant to the important fields of global and planetary atmospheric change, and will find immediate application in the analysis of results from the NASA missions, Voyager, Cassini, and (later) New Horizons. In the experimental part of the project, an Australian-first extreme-ultraviolet laser facility will be developed which will provide research opportunities complementary to the Australian Synchrotron.Read moreRead less
Molecular Interactions in the Eubacterial Replisome: A Paradigm for Study of Dynamic Macromolecular Machines. Many pathogenic bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics in common use, and new drugs are urgently required to kill them. Copying of their chromosomes before they divide into two new cells is essential for bacteria to live, so DNA synthesis is a good process to target for development of new antibiotics. This project will use state-of-the-art equipment available in several labora ....Molecular Interactions in the Eubacterial Replisome: A Paradigm for Study of Dynamic Macromolecular Machines. Many pathogenic bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics in common use, and new drugs are urgently required to kill them. Copying of their chromosomes before they divide into two new cells is essential for bacteria to live, so DNA synthesis is a good process to target for development of new antibiotics. This project will use state-of-the-art equipment available in several laboratories in Australia and overseas to develop new understanding of how the molecular machine that copies DNA works. This k nowledge could lead to new drugs, and will give us new information about how cellular machines function.Read moreRead less
Molecular Energies and Non-Bonded Interactions. The development of new techniques that allow non-bonded chemical interactions to be modelled and predicted reliably and accurately will allow researchers in the chemical, and pharmaceutical sciences to predict the physical and chemical behaviour of moderately large molecular systems with an accuracy and efficiency that has not previously been possible. The software that will result will enable cost and time savings in molecular design within the m ....Molecular Energies and Non-Bonded Interactions. The development of new techniques that allow non-bonded chemical interactions to be modelled and predicted reliably and accurately will allow researchers in the chemical, and pharmaceutical sciences to predict the physical and chemical behaviour of moderately large molecular systems with an accuracy and efficiency that has not previously been possible. The software that will result will enable cost and time savings in molecular design within the medical and agricultural contexts.Read moreRead less