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
How do mechanics, neural drive and muscle architecture interact in muscles? This project will determine how an individual person’s muscle activity, muscle structure and mechanical properties, and the local mechanical conditions around the muscle interact as muscles move and deform, by using experiments and personalised computational models that can examine these factors and their interactions concurrently. To achieve this, we will develop novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to measure the m ....How do mechanics, neural drive and muscle architecture interact in muscles? This project will determine how an individual person’s muscle activity, muscle structure and mechanical properties, and the local mechanical conditions around the muscle interact as muscles move and deform, by using experiments and personalised computational models that can examine these factors and their interactions concurrently. To achieve this, we will develop novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to measure the mechanical properties of muscles in humans and methods for modelling muscles. As well as answering fundamental scientific questions about muscle function, these new techniques will provide a platform for studying other muscles, and for future development of muscle training methods and technologies to optimise muscle function.Read moreRead less
Seeing the Bio-Nano "Talk" in the brain via real-time multiplex tracking. This project aims to develop new knowledge and smart tools that have the potential to greatly improve brain research. The blood-brain-barrier is the major physiological barrier that protects the brain from environmental toxins, bacteria and viruses, but limits the effectiveness of nanoparticle-based brain imaging agents. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of the mechanisms that allow nanoparti ....Seeing the Bio-Nano "Talk" in the brain via real-time multiplex tracking. This project aims to develop new knowledge and smart tools that have the potential to greatly improve brain research. The blood-brain-barrier is the major physiological barrier that protects the brain from environmental toxins, bacteria and viruses, but limits the effectiveness of nanoparticle-based brain imaging agents. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of the mechanisms that allow nanoparticles to penetrate the blood-brain-barrier, as well as improving brain imaging. Benefits of the project include the commercialisation of technologies and smarl tools developed in this projetct, and establishment of a new Australian biotechnology company that exports brain-imaging technologies to the world.Read moreRead less
Modelling surface stresses in crystalline plates. This project intends to improve our understanding of the influence of surface stress on bending in anisotropic crystalline plates. Micro/nanoelectro-mechanical systems as transducers, switches, logic gates, actuators and sensors are widely used in fields of biotechnology, medicine, automotive, civionics, avionics and defence. A key issue that affects the accuracy and reliability of these systems is how to correctly predict the size-dependent surf ....Modelling surface stresses in crystalline plates. This project intends to improve our understanding of the influence of surface stress on bending in anisotropic crystalline plates. Micro/nanoelectro-mechanical systems as transducers, switches, logic gates, actuators and sensors are widely used in fields of biotechnology, medicine, automotive, civionics, avionics and defence. A key issue that affects the accuracy and reliability of these systems is how to correctly predict the size-dependent surface stress of the structural components in the systems. The project aims to quantify the relations between the change in surface stress and the bending of structures with micro/nanoscale thickness and arbitrary crystallographic symmetry. Expected project outcomes may lead to significant advancement in overcoming the current shortcomings in designing micro/nanoelectro-mechanical devices.Read moreRead less
Biologically Inspired Binaural Coupling for Selective Machine Hearing. This project aims to investigate biologically-inspired binaural coupling models in the context of the deep learning paradigm by formulating desirable higher level auditory structures as neural network sub-systems. This project expects to generate new knowledge for developing the next generation of robust speech processing systems that are capable of mimicking the selecting listening ability of humans when faced with realistic ....Biologically Inspired Binaural Coupling for Selective Machine Hearing. This project aims to investigate biologically-inspired binaural coupling models in the context of the deep learning paradigm by formulating desirable higher level auditory structures as neural network sub-systems. This project expects to generate new knowledge for developing the next generation of robust speech processing systems that are capable of mimicking the selecting listening ability of humans when faced with realistic noisy speech signals and the ‘cocktail party problem’ using innovative binaural feedback systems. This work should provide significant benefits, including improved voice biometrics and selective auditory attention capabilities in machines.Read moreRead less
Integrating biologically-inspired auditory models into deep learning. This project aims to discover how a biologically inspired auditory model can be tightly integrated into a state-of-the-art deep learning speech processing framework, to model, design and verify a deep learning based auditory model. Voice-based technologies, ranging from cochlear implants to smart homes, are growing at a rapid pace and speech interfaces are being integrated with all aspects of our lives. However, there is a gro ....Integrating biologically-inspired auditory models into deep learning. This project aims to discover how a biologically inspired auditory model can be tightly integrated into a state-of-the-art deep learning speech processing framework, to model, design and verify a deep learning based auditory model. Voice-based technologies, ranging from cochlear implants to smart homes, are growing at a rapid pace and speech interfaces are being integrated with all aspects of our lives. However, there is a growing demand to improve these voice-enabled services, making them more secure and less open to cyber-crime attack by unauthorised users. The project is expected to improve techniques for modelling and automatic processing of speech and audio signals, which should provide significant benefits, including improved voice biometrics and cochlear implants.Read moreRead less
The development of advanced diluted magnetic semiconductors through nonmagnetic element doping and defect engineering for spin transistors. This project is to develop advanced diluted magnetic semiconductor materials by nonmagnetic element doping and defects engineering for the fabrication of spin devices (for example, spin transistors) and to understand the physics and engineering science of 'spin' behaviour.
Study of a turbulent boundary layer over 2D and 3D rough walls. The project is aimed at resolving critical issues related to turbulent flows over rough walls, which hinder the engineer's ability to model these flows. The research will provide key answers to these issues and lead to more realistic models as well as strategies for controlling drag, sedimentation and heat transport.
Computational fracture analysis of structures and materials. This project aims to develop a computer simulation technique to address the safety of engineering structures. A novel numerical framework based on the scaled boundary finite element method will be developed to model the fracture process critical to assessing structural integrity. The expected outcomes of this project include an innovative technology for numerical simulation and improved capabilities to generate high-fidelity predictio ....Computational fracture analysis of structures and materials. This project aims to develop a computer simulation technique to address the safety of engineering structures. A novel numerical framework based on the scaled boundary finite element method will be developed to model the fracture process critical to assessing structural integrity. The expected outcomes of this project include an innovative technology for numerical simulation and improved capabilities to generate high-fidelity predictions of structural safety at minimum human efforts. The fully automatic and robust numerical tool developed in this project will help engineers and government authorities to perform safe and cost-effective design and management of engineering structures that are vital to modern economies.Read moreRead less
Unified nondeterministic dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. This project aims to develop a high-performance tool for the dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. The assessment of structures that exhibit softening, either at constitutive level or structural level, is essential for design and rehabilitation purposes, especially when the inevitable uncertainties in the system parameters need to be accounted for. This project aims to develop an advanced and unified framewo ....Unified nondeterministic dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. This project aims to develop a high-performance tool for the dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. The assessment of structures that exhibit softening, either at constitutive level or structural level, is essential for design and rehabilitation purposes, especially when the inevitable uncertainties in the system parameters need to be accounted for. This project aims to develop an advanced and unified framework that can model both stochastic and nonstochastic processes for these purposes. An advanced mixed finite element model underpins this framework, and both formulation and solution algorithms are based on mathematical programming formalism. The developed computational tool would be able to perform pure stochastic, pure nonstochastic, hybrid uncertain analyses and dynamic reliability assessment of structures.Read moreRead less