Development of an integrated methodology to assess dewatering system performance in solid-liquid separation. 3D visualisations of microstructures are possible with techniques such as confocal laser microscopy and high resolution X-ray microtomography. Data obtained in-situ enable direct computation of solids assembly properties and their permeability to fluids. A specific application involving aggregate formation and sediment networks could be evaluated through micro-scale analysis combined with ....Development of an integrated methodology to assess dewatering system performance in solid-liquid separation. 3D visualisations of microstructures are possible with techniques such as confocal laser microscopy and high resolution X-ray microtomography. Data obtained in-situ enable direct computation of solids assembly properties and their permeability to fluids. A specific application involving aggregate formation and sediment networks could be evaluated through micro-scale analysis combined with robust fluid flow simulations. The method can potentially be utilized to predict trends such as filtration behaviour of materials under different states of compression. This offers significant benefits in formulating the design of flocculated systems pertinent to a number of industrial sectors wishing to design optimum solid-liquid separation processes.Read moreRead less
Terahertz Spectroscopy of Mass-Manufactured Viral Vaccines. The breakthrough vaccine for cervical cancer proves that new and exciting products are on the way to treat and protect against previously untouchable diseases. Similar products for bird flu are being researched, and new manufacturing methods are urgently needed to get this science to market at a price that people can afford. However, manufacturing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is constrained by a lack of methods for product ....Terahertz Spectroscopy of Mass-Manufactured Viral Vaccines. The breakthrough vaccine for cervical cancer proves that new and exciting products are on the way to treat and protect against previously untouchable diseases. Similar products for bird flu are being researched, and new manufacturing methods are urgently needed to get this science to market at a price that people can afford. However, manufacturing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is constrained by a lack of methods for product analysis. In this project engineers will devise advanced methods to fingerprint these new vaccine products, ensuring that manufacturing processes can be improved without compromising safety. These new analytical techniques will potentially lead to new low-cost vaccine products made in Australia.Read moreRead less
Advanced Stability Sensor for Anaerobic Digestion Processes. Australia is firmly committed to energy reduction and production, where possible, renewable energy production. Anaerobic digestion is the only in-use wastewater treatment option that not only can have net zero energy consumption, but that actually produces energy. This energy is from renewable carbon sources is therefore a zero contributor to greenhouse gases. Australia has some of the strongest environmental limit laws in the world. ....Advanced Stability Sensor for Anaerobic Digestion Processes. Australia is firmly committed to energy reduction and production, where possible, renewable energy production. Anaerobic digestion is the only in-use wastewater treatment option that not only can have net zero energy consumption, but that actually produces energy. This energy is from renewable carbon sources is therefore a zero contributor to greenhouse gases. Australia has some of the strongest environmental limit laws in the world. While this is reasonable - given our sensitive environment -assisting industry in meeting those limits in a cost effective manner is a priority. Given sufficient process stability and transparency, anaerobic digestion is a low capital and operating cost option. Read moreRead less
Engineering improved technology for nanoparticle-based adjuvant manufacture. Over the next decade nanotechnology will redefine vaccines for animal and human health. Nanoparticle adjuvants will boost engineered vaccines that use minimal antigens such as recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides. This project aims to develop a platform technology for making and controlling the properties of inulin nanoparticles by optimising the engineering and manufacturing aspects of inulin nanoparticles to fu ....Engineering improved technology for nanoparticle-based adjuvant manufacture. Over the next decade nanotechnology will redefine vaccines for animal and human health. Nanoparticle adjuvants will boost engineered vaccines that use minimal antigens such as recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides. This project aims to develop a platform technology for making and controlling the properties of inulin nanoparticles by optimising the engineering and manufacturing aspects of inulin nanoparticles to fundamentally understand the relationship between physical-chemical properties and efficacy. Completion of this project aims to produce potent nanoparticle-based adjuvants underpinned by novel manufacturing technology, to ultimately facilitate the development of more effective and protective vaccines for animals and humans.Read moreRead less
Engineering floating liquid marbles for three-dimensional cell cultures. This project aims to understand the physics of three-dimensional cell cultures in a liquid marble floating on a liquid free surface. New methodology developed can produce these cell cultures without using matrices or scaffolds and with run-times well beyond existing technologies. This methodology closely mimics a normal in-vivo environment and produces spheroids needed in cell transplantation therapies. This project will re ....Engineering floating liquid marbles for three-dimensional cell cultures. This project aims to understand the physics of three-dimensional cell cultures in a liquid marble floating on a liquid free surface. New methodology developed can produce these cell cultures without using matrices or scaffolds and with run-times well beyond existing technologies. This methodology closely mimics a normal in-vivo environment and produces spheroids needed in cell transplantation therapies. This project will resolve uncertainties in the underlying phenomena. The expected outcome should support future high quality cell cultures suitable for transplantation therapies.Read moreRead less
Bubble Dynamics in Fine Droplets: Behaviour and Control. The principal vision in this project is to gain a deeper understanding of the formation, growth and collapse of bubbles within micron-size droplets and, in doing so, provide the technical underpinning necessary to advance the development of a range of emerging technologies in the light alloys manufacturing, atomisation, non-invasive medical therapy, drug delivery, and nucleation / solidification in thermal energy storage systems. Expected ....Bubble Dynamics in Fine Droplets: Behaviour and Control. The principal vision in this project is to gain a deeper understanding of the formation, growth and collapse of bubbles within micron-size droplets and, in doing so, provide the technical underpinning necessary to advance the development of a range of emerging technologies in the light alloys manufacturing, atomisation, non-invasive medical therapy, drug delivery, and nucleation / solidification in thermal energy storage systems. Expected outcomes include new experimental evidence and validated mathematical models for the analysis of bubbles encapsulated by fine droplets. The outcomes should significantly enhance Australia’s research and innovation capacity in the field of confined space bubble dynamics and related industrial applications. Read moreRead less
Improving the scale-up of spray drying for bioactive extracts and fibres. The project will develop new processing techniques that will contribute to better functional foods and bioactive products from fruit and vegetable wastes. The total national crop of fruit and vegetables produces over 3 million tonnes of wastes, where the bioactive materials in the wastes have a potential value of $3 billion/year.
Precision-engineered hybrid core-shell materials . This project aims to develop new platform technologies for making nanostructured hybrid core-shell materials with exceptionally high drug loading and programmed release. Building on this research team's recent breakthrough in the precision engineering of core-shell materials, this research will revolutionise current approaches for making drug-loaded polymer and inorganic particles. Significant outcomes will include a novel sequential nanoprecipi ....Precision-engineered hybrid core-shell materials . This project aims to develop new platform technologies for making nanostructured hybrid core-shell materials with exceptionally high drug loading and programmed release. Building on this research team's recent breakthrough in the precision engineering of core-shell materials, this research will revolutionise current approaches for making drug-loaded polymer and inorganic particles. Significant outcomes will include a novel sequential nanoprecipitation platform technology for making drug-core polymer-shell nanoparticles, and a new bio-inspired approach for making hybrid drug-core silica-shell nanocomposites, and new materials for applications in programmed release and delivery systems.Read moreRead less
Friction-based modelling of the dynamics of nanoconfined fluid mixtures. This project will transform the molecular science of fluid transport in nanoconfined spaces by delivering a tool that will be critical to the development of emerging nanotechnologies. The tool will embed a novel theory in a framework for modelling transport over all scales from nano- to macroscopic. The project will have strong benefits for the advancement of leading-edge fundamental research and in its relevance to a numbe ....Friction-based modelling of the dynamics of nanoconfined fluid mixtures. This project will transform the molecular science of fluid transport in nanoconfined spaces by delivering a tool that will be critical to the development of emerging nanotechnologies. The tool will embed a novel theory in a framework for modelling transport over all scales from nano- to macroscopic. The project will have strong benefits for the advancement of leading-edge fundamental research and in its relevance to a number of novel nanotechnologies. It will be particularly relevant to scientific and industrial developments exploiting new nanomaterials such as AlPO4-25, carbon molecular sieves and carbon nanotubes, as well as in nanofluidics.Read moreRead less
Modelling of Slug Pneumatic Conveying with an In-situ Microprobe Sensor. This project aims to develop a particle-scale microprobe to capture the transient dynamics of particle behaviours for pneumatic conveying. Slug flow pneumatic transport of granular materials such as mineral particles and food grains is extremely popular across the processing industry. However, without the fundamental understanding of the conveying mechanism at the particulate level, pneumatic conveyors are over-designed and ....Modelling of Slug Pneumatic Conveying with an In-situ Microprobe Sensor. This project aims to develop a particle-scale microprobe to capture the transient dynamics of particle behaviours for pneumatic conveying. Slug flow pneumatic transport of granular materials such as mineral particles and food grains is extremely popular across the processing industry. However, without the fundamental understanding of the conveying mechanism at the particulate level, pneumatic conveyors are over-designed and energy intensive. The project aims to enable accurate measurement of the motion, inertia and force information at the particle scale, so as to produce more accurate design protocols for such a conveying system. Improved pneumatic conveyors may have the potential to reduce the energy consumption in such systems by up to a factor of 10.Read moreRead less