New Surfaces for the Control of Endothelial Cell Function: Application in the Design of Biocompatible Stents. Using dewetting of thin polymer films, the present proposal will develop new structured biocompatible surfaces with controlled chemistry and topography, which will allow the growth of a normal (non-activated) monolayer of endothelial cells. Sophisticated molecular parameters will be used to assess that endothelial cells maintain their normal quiescent phenotype. The project sets the grou ....New Surfaces for the Control of Endothelial Cell Function: Application in the Design of Biocompatible Stents. Using dewetting of thin polymer films, the present proposal will develop new structured biocompatible surfaces with controlled chemistry and topography, which will allow the growth of a normal (non-activated) monolayer of endothelial cells. Sophisticated molecular parameters will be used to assess that endothelial cells maintain their normal quiescent phenotype. The project sets the ground work for the design of improved, more biocompatible structured stents to minimise the abnormal growth of cells on and around the stent, thereby reducing the occurrence of vascular complications. Thus this research could improve the success rate of stents implanted into patients with cardiovascular disease and reduce health costs.Read moreRead less
Bioelectronics: addressing the biointerface challenge. This project aims to develop bioelectronic materials with long operational stability in physiological conditions and enhanced electronic performance that will effectively interface with electroresponsive tissue. These new materials will be integrated into bioadhesives from which simple bioelectronics devices will be fabricated and assessed for their capability to modulate biosignals and to interact with tissue. Disruption in biosignals cause ....Bioelectronics: addressing the biointerface challenge. This project aims to develop bioelectronic materials with long operational stability in physiological conditions and enhanced electronic performance that will effectively interface with electroresponsive tissue. These new materials will be integrated into bioadhesives from which simple bioelectronics devices will be fabricated and assessed for their capability to modulate biosignals and to interact with tissue. Disruption in biosignals causes numerous medical conditions such as epilepsy and heart failure and the development of flexible and biocompatible medical electronics devices that interface with tissue is essential for regaining and modulating these signals.Read moreRead less
Biomolecular films on silicon substrates. Construction of hybrid carbon-silicon devices in which molecular organic molecular films are covalently linked to silicon wafers. Biomolecular nanostructures on silicon wafers can be studied using unique impedance spectroscopy instrumentation that we have developed as well as X-ray and neutron reflectometry. The system will be used to study a variety of molecular films as well as molecularly tethered lipid bilayer membranes that mimic aspects of cell mem ....Biomolecular films on silicon substrates. Construction of hybrid carbon-silicon devices in which molecular organic molecular films are covalently linked to silicon wafers. Biomolecular nanostructures on silicon wafers can be studied using unique impedance spectroscopy instrumentation that we have developed as well as X-ray and neutron reflectometry. The system will be used to study a variety of molecular films as well as molecularly tethered lipid bilayer membranes that mimic aspects of cell membranes and these will be used to investigate the effect of sterols on such membranes.Read moreRead less
Effect of a novel immobilised antimicrobial peptide on bacteria. This project plans to investigate a novel cationic peptide that prevents microbial colonisation of surfaces. The ability of bacteria to colonise surfaces affects almost all aspects of human life – from water to food and medical devices. As microbes become increasingly resistant to traditional biocides, the design of effective antimicrobial surfaces to prevent microbial colonisation and biofilm formation is critically important. The ....Effect of a novel immobilised antimicrobial peptide on bacteria. This project plans to investigate a novel cationic peptide that prevents microbial colonisation of surfaces. The ability of bacteria to colonise surfaces affects almost all aspects of human life – from water to food and medical devices. As microbes become increasingly resistant to traditional biocides, the design of effective antimicrobial surfaces to prevent microbial colonisation and biofilm formation is critically important. The novel cationic peptide may provide a solution, but the mechanism of action of surface-bound peptides on bacteria is poorly understood. This project aims to combine biophysics, biochemistry, microbiology and molecular biology to study interactions with the surface of two model bacteria. This may facilitate optimal design of new coatings.Read moreRead less
Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability t ....Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability through the convergence of expertise and innovation in analytical chemistry, materials science and cellular biology, ultilising the latest technology and understanding of 3D micro/electrofluidics, to enable the study and stimulation of advanced biological models, sustained within precisely controlled 3D micro-environments.Read moreRead less
The Scale-up and Evaluation of a Novel Dense Gas Technology Platform for the Production of Particles for Aerosol Drug Delivery. This project provides a unique opportunity to develop an Australian-invented technology in particle engineering, enabling it to enter the international pharmaceutical market. This will enhance the growth of Australia's pharmaceutical research and development, and benefit the Australian pharmaceutical industry. The outcome will also contribute to improvements in the heal ....The Scale-up and Evaluation of a Novel Dense Gas Technology Platform for the Production of Particles for Aerosol Drug Delivery. This project provides a unique opportunity to develop an Australian-invented technology in particle engineering, enabling it to enter the international pharmaceutical market. This will enhance the growth of Australia's pharmaceutical research and development, and benefit the Australian pharmaceutical industry. The outcome will also contribute to improvements in the health and well-being of Australians. The research falls within the Designated National Research Priority of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of Novel Biomaterials for Drug delivery. A new UV radiation polymerisation technique utilising charge-transfer complexes is adopted for synthesising novel hydrogels, a group of biomaterials for drug delivery. This work is significant as charge-transfer complexes, pertinent to the formation of hydrogels, form copolymers within the hydrogel matrices. This eliminates using costly, yet undesirable photo-initiators (PI), thus rendering the hydrogels as cleaner (PI-free) and more economical ....Synthesis of Novel Biomaterials for Drug delivery. A new UV radiation polymerisation technique utilising charge-transfer complexes is adopted for synthesising novel hydrogels, a group of biomaterials for drug delivery. This work is significant as charge-transfer complexes, pertinent to the formation of hydrogels, form copolymers within the hydrogel matrices. This eliminates using costly, yet undesirable photo-initiators (PI), thus rendering the hydrogels as cleaner (PI-free) and more economical in production; the products present themselves as ideal treatment methods in the controlled-release of drugs, specifically targeting localised pathological sites of interest. The research findings will be invaluable to medical practices, leading to the creation of new industries in Australia.
Read moreRead less
Force-mediated dynamic chemistry in hydrogels. This project aims to develop a new class of biomimetic material, where applied force modulates the chemistry and mechanics by incorporating mechanochemical responsive linkages in hydrogel networks. This work intends to generate new knowledge in the chemistry and mechanical properties of soft materials using an interdisciplinary approach involving synthesis, computational modelling, and mechanical analysis. Expected outcomes include novel hydrogel ma ....Force-mediated dynamic chemistry in hydrogels. This project aims to develop a new class of biomimetic material, where applied force modulates the chemistry and mechanics by incorporating mechanochemical responsive linkages in hydrogel networks. This work intends to generate new knowledge in the chemistry and mechanical properties of soft materials using an interdisciplinary approach involving synthesis, computational modelling, and mechanical analysis. Expected outcomes include novel hydrogel materials that are mechanochemically active, tough, and fatigue resistant, along with design criteria for force-activated molecule immobilisation and release expected to provide significant benefit forbiomedical applications, additive manufacturing, soft robotics and flexible electronics.Read moreRead less
Synthetic extracellular matrices for control of cellular reprogramming. This project aims to design materials that control the cellular environment for the fast, efficient, and reproducible production of reprogrammed cells in embryo-like architectures. Regenerative medicine has entered a new era, where reprogramming a patient’s cells is now possible for studying and treating disease. The expected outcomes of this project include mechanistic details of cell reprogramming, design rules for 3D prin ....Synthetic extracellular matrices for control of cellular reprogramming. This project aims to design materials that control the cellular environment for the fast, efficient, and reproducible production of reprogrammed cells in embryo-like architectures. Regenerative medicine has entered a new era, where reprogramming a patient’s cells is now possible for studying and treating disease. The expected outcomes of this project include mechanistic details of cell reprogramming, design rules for 3D printing of living cells and commercially viable reprogramming materials. The project expects to contribute fundamental knowledge in materials and biomedical sciences, while providing tools that will benefit commercial ventures in cell and tissue manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Measuring large deformation tissue mechanical behaviour in living humans. This project aims to develop new in vivo imaging methods to characterise the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of soft biological tissues, and use them to measure the properties of muscle, liver and adipose tissue in human subjects. Comprehensively characterising the mechanical properties of an individual person’s body tissues in vivo is a long-standing challenge in biomechanics and biomedical engineering. These new methods a ....Measuring large deformation tissue mechanical behaviour in living humans. This project aims to develop new in vivo imaging methods to characterise the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of soft biological tissues, and use them to measure the properties of muscle, liver and adipose tissue in human subjects. Comprehensively characterising the mechanical properties of an individual person’s body tissues in vivo is a long-standing challenge in biomechanics and biomedical engineering. These new methods aim to overcome major imitations of current biomechanical imaging methods, and make new measurements of the nonlinear mechanical properties of muscle, liver and adipose tissues. These techniques may be useful for future diagnostic, biomechanics and mechanobiology applications.Read moreRead less