A Socially Conscious Smart IoT Platform for Water Quality Monitoring. This project will develop an intelligent remote water quality monitoring platform based on a new sensor network architectural paradigm. Expected outcomes include an artificially intelligent water quality monitoring system that is produced via a unique social enterprise business model. This approach will facilitate widespread remote water quality monitoring, leading to an enhanced understanding of the environment, whilst provid ....A Socially Conscious Smart IoT Platform for Water Quality Monitoring. This project will develop an intelligent remote water quality monitoring platform based on a new sensor network architectural paradigm. Expected outcomes include an artificially intelligent water quality monitoring system that is produced via a unique social enterprise business model. This approach will facilitate widespread remote water quality monitoring, leading to an enhanced understanding of the environment, whilst providing valuable training/education for the community stakeholders involved in the production of the system. The research outcome will be globally significant, enabling end users to meet key water quality objectives over time, and considerably increase productivity in the Australian agriculture/aquaculture industries.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems. This Centre aims to build sophisticated quantum machines to harness the quantum world for the future health, economy, environment and security of Australian society. It intends to pioneer the designer quantum materials, engines and imaging systems at the heart of these machines. It also solves the most challenging research problems at the interface of basic quantum physics and engineering. The Centre will work with industry partners to tra ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems. This Centre aims to build sophisticated quantum machines to harness the quantum world for the future health, economy, environment and security of Australian society. It intends to pioneer the designer quantum materials, engines and imaging systems at the heart of these machines. It also solves the most challenging research problems at the interface of basic quantum physics and engineering. The Centre will work with industry partners to translate these research discoveries into practical applications and devices. It will train scientists in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, which is expected to affect Australia’s high-tech economy.Read moreRead less
A new universal mechanism controlling body proportions in animals. This project aims to establish that a recently-discovered mechanism, the inhibitory cascade, determines the basic proportions of appendages and body segments in a diverse range of animal groups, particularly vertebrates and arthropods. The goals of the project are to reveal the molecular mechanisms in mice and insects, and build computer simulations to show how to manipulate the control of development by the inhibitory cascade. T ....A new universal mechanism controlling body proportions in animals. This project aims to establish that a recently-discovered mechanism, the inhibitory cascade, determines the basic proportions of appendages and body segments in a diverse range of animal groups, particularly vertebrates and arthropods. The goals of the project are to reveal the molecular mechanisms in mice and insects, and build computer simulations to show how to manipulate the control of development by the inhibitory cascade. The project should benefit bioengineering by establishing control mechanisms for the manipulation and regeneration of teeth and limbs.Read moreRead less
Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations. Most human traits have a genetic component and display substantial diversity within and among populations. How natural selection changes and maintains genetic variation in human traits is a long-standing question in evolution that the proposed project aims to answer. Using innovative statistical methods and largest genomic “big” datasets ever across populations of different ancestral backgrounds, this project expects to gen ....Genetic architecture and evolution of complex traits across populations. Most human traits have a genetic component and display substantial diversity within and among populations. How natural selection changes and maintains genetic variation in human traits is a long-standing question in evolution that the proposed project aims to answer. Using innovative statistical methods and largest genomic “big” datasets ever across populations of different ancestral backgrounds, this project expects to generate new knowledge on the roles of natural selection in shaping the genetic variation in traits and identify key factors that drive the differentiation of human populations. These outcomes will significantly improve our understanding on the evolution of human traits and adaptation of populations to changing environments.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology. This Centre aims to implement quantum processors able to run error corrected algorithms and transfer information across networks with absolute security. Australian researchers have established global leadership in quantum information, an innovative technology which could transform all industries dependent on computational power. This Centre has developed technologies for manipulating matter and light at the level of i ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology. This Centre aims to implement quantum processors able to run error corrected algorithms and transfer information across networks with absolute security. Australian researchers have established global leadership in quantum information, an innovative technology which could transform all industries dependent on computational power. This Centre has developed technologies for manipulating matter and light at the level of individual atoms and photons, with the highest fidelity, longest coherence time qubits in the solid state, the world’s longest-lived quantum memory, and the ability to run small-scale algorithms on photonic qubits. The new technology is expected to provide a strategic advantage in a world where information and information security are of paramount importance.Read moreRead less
Rediscovering Aboriginal dispersal pathways. This project aims to use cutting-edge and transdisciplinary tools in partnership with Aboriginal people to rediscover deliberate prehistoric plant dispersal pathways along the Australian east coast. By working on three unrelated species with similar disjunct distributions, expected outcomes include detecting significant ‘cultural’ vegetation patterns that will challenge current assumptions about 'natural' plant distributions. New associations between ....Rediscovering Aboriginal dispersal pathways. This project aims to use cutting-edge and transdisciplinary tools in partnership with Aboriginal people to rediscover deliberate prehistoric plant dispersal pathways along the Australian east coast. By working on three unrelated species with similar disjunct distributions, expected outcomes include detecting significant ‘cultural’ vegetation patterns that will challenge current assumptions about 'natural' plant distributions. New associations between plant biogeography and deliberate Aboriginal manipulation of Australian environments will benefit cultural heritage, land management and restoration initiatives.Read moreRead less
How a ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects protects against pathogens. The project intends to determine the mechanism that underpins pathogen protection in insects. Insects harbour microbial communities in their cells and guts and confer a range of benefits on their hosts. One bacterium, Wolbachia, protects insects against co-infecting pathogens. The release of Wolbachia into mosquito populations is currently being tested as a means to reduce dengue virus transmission to humans. Using innovative e ....How a ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects protects against pathogens. The project intends to determine the mechanism that underpins pathogen protection in insects. Insects harbour microbial communities in their cells and guts and confer a range of benefits on their hosts. One bacterium, Wolbachia, protects insects against co-infecting pathogens. The release of Wolbachia into mosquito populations is currently being tested as a means to reduce dengue virus transmission to humans. Using innovative evolutionary and genetic approaches, the project proposes to elucidate the mechanism of pathogen blocking and ascertain its broader consequences for the host. This knowledge may be critical for maintaining the effectiveness of the biocontrol approach in the field by informing the development of resistance management strategies.Read moreRead less
Some like it hot: invasive species, hybridisation, and a warming world. Temperatures are rising and invasive species are becoming more prevalent. This project aims to understand how climate change and hybridisation between exotic and native marine species leads to rapid adaptation. Using integrative approaches from genomics and physiology and focusing on Australian blue mussels, this proposal will test leading hypotheses about how climate change and hybridisation can enable rapid adaptation and ....Some like it hot: invasive species, hybridisation, and a warming world. Temperatures are rising and invasive species are becoming more prevalent. This project aims to understand how climate change and hybridisation between exotic and native marine species leads to rapid adaptation. Using integrative approaches from genomics and physiology and focusing on Australian blue mussels, this proposal will test leading hypotheses about how climate change and hybridisation can enable rapid adaptation and the spread of exotic species. Outcomes will include strategies for minimising impacts of invasive mussels and boosting warm-temperature adaptation in aquaculture mussels and restored shellfish reefs. This project will yield fundamental insights into how marine species can quickly adapt to warming seas.Read moreRead less
Macroecology of reptiles and frogs over latitudinal and temporal gradients. This project aims to address major macroecological concepts in reptile and frog communities through time, focusing on environmental and climatic gradients in species diversity and body-size variation. This project expects to generate a unique macroecological dataset by integrating data from Quaternary fossil sites spanning a 3000km latitudinal gradient with current ecological data. Expected outcomes include the first com ....Macroecology of reptiles and frogs over latitudinal and temporal gradients. This project aims to address major macroecological concepts in reptile and frog communities through time, focusing on environmental and climatic gradients in species diversity and body-size variation. This project expects to generate a unique macroecological dataset by integrating data from Quaternary fossil sites spanning a 3000km latitudinal gradient with current ecological data. Expected outcomes include the first comprehensive ecological assessment of Australian reptile and frog communities through Pleistocene climate oscillations, with predictions into the future. This research will benefit Australian society by providing evidence-based knowledge of faunal community composition through time in association with changing climates.Read moreRead less