From Milk to Curd: Molecular Assembly and Microstructure in Complex Dairy Products. This project will benefit rural and regional dairy communities and manufacturers. It will help offset the negative effects of drought and climate change by increasing productivity, yield and innovation. It should generate at least ten million dollars in increased dairy sales and provide new domestic and export market opportunities. The tools for increased product consistency and international research links wi ....From Milk to Curd: Molecular Assembly and Microstructure in Complex Dairy Products. This project will benefit rural and regional dairy communities and manufacturers. It will help offset the negative effects of drought and climate change by increasing productivity, yield and innovation. It should generate at least ten million dollars in increased dairy sales and provide new domestic and export market opportunities. The tools for increased product consistency and international research links will decrease risks in manufacturing and increase competitiveness. Social benefits include increased returns to dairy farmers, improved employment and increased spending in rural and regional areas. The project will also train engineers, addressing a recognised skills shortage and increase environmental sustainability.Read moreRead less
Understanding of structure development in drying droplets through the stickiness paradigm. The aims of this research are to develop a new model for multicomponent droplet drying. This model will provide predictions of conditions where composition variation exists in the drying particles. Validation of the model will be made using a novel instrument to measure the in-situ development of surface stickiness during drying. Stickiness is an important issue encountered during drying and handling of so ....Understanding of structure development in drying droplets through the stickiness paradigm. The aims of this research are to develop a new model for multicomponent droplet drying. This model will provide predictions of conditions where composition variation exists in the drying particles. Validation of the model will be made using a novel instrument to measure the in-situ development of surface stickiness during drying. Stickiness is an important issue encountered during drying and handling of some key food and consumer materials. Currently, there is no technique to measure the evolution of stickiness during drying. Key outputs will include the model, the instrument, and the development of efficient methods to generate the multicomponent data.Read moreRead less
Engineering Nanostructured Bio-inspired Products. New nanostructured products that draw on biology promise to revolutionise our lives and economy. Designer emulsions and self-assembling particles inspired by viruses are two such products that form the focus for this research programme. The constitutive behaviour of bio-molecular films that control emulsion performance will be characterised and linked to molecular properties and manufacturing conditions. A broad-based technology platform for t ....Engineering Nanostructured Bio-inspired Products. New nanostructured products that draw on biology promise to revolutionise our lives and economy. Designer emulsions and self-assembling particles inspired by viruses are two such products that form the focus for this research programme. The constitutive behaviour of bio-molecular films that control emulsion performance will be characterised and linked to molecular properties and manufacturing conditions. A broad-based technology platform for the in vitro creation of self-assembling biological nanoparticles will also be developed. Key outcomes will be valuable IPR and fundamental engineering science knowledge to ensure that the value chain for this class of products can deliver commercial outcomes.Read moreRead less
Application of a Novel Reflux Classifier for Separating Nut Shell Fragments from Powdered Food Mixtures. An important operation in the food industry is the physical separation of valuable particles from a mixture containing waste materials, such as shell fragments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of a novel gas-solid fluidised bed system, utilising parallel inclined plates to radically amplify the differential segregation rates to produce separations based on particle ....Application of a Novel Reflux Classifier for Separating Nut Shell Fragments from Powdered Food Mixtures. An important operation in the food industry is the physical separation of valuable particles from a mixture containing waste materials, such as shell fragments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of a novel gas-solid fluidised bed system, utilising parallel inclined plates to radically amplify the differential segregation rates to produce separations based on particle size. Our aim is to develop a fundamental understanding of the principles governing the nature of this system. The project should result in considerable technological and economic benefits for the food industry, a well trained and educated person at the postgraduate level, and a stronger collaborative link between the University and Sanitarium.Read moreRead less
Microfluidic Studies of Stimuli-Responsive Emulsions. Breakthrough 'stimuli-responsive interface technology' has been developed in Australia to allow better control over emulsions, which are oil-in-water mixtures used widely in everyday products such as medicines. This project will increase our understanding of this new technology, by examining how the chemistry of the molecules at the interface interacts with fluid behaviour when the emulsion is made. The research will employ miniature lab-on-a ....Microfluidic Studies of Stimuli-Responsive Emulsions. Breakthrough 'stimuli-responsive interface technology' has been developed in Australia to allow better control over emulsions, which are oil-in-water mixtures used widely in everyday products such as medicines. This project will increase our understanding of this new technology, by examining how the chemistry of the molecules at the interface interacts with fluid behaviour when the emulsion is made. The research will employ miniature lab-on-a-chip systems, to give engineers and scientists design rules for this new technology, opening the way to new products that will improve our everyday lives. One immediate product to be researched is 'precision' double emulsions, which show unique properties for the delivery of chemotherapy medicines.Read moreRead less
Design of granule microstructure in fluidised bed granulation: Modelling & experimental realisation. Production of granules with engineered microstructure is a common industrial problem. This project focuses on understanding how to control the microstructure of granules - including size, porosity, composition - produced by fluidised bed granulation by developing systematic, science based design rules. Designer granules can be used to develop and fast-track the development of innovative microstru ....Design of granule microstructure in fluidised bed granulation: Modelling & experimental realisation. Production of granules with engineered microstructure is a common industrial problem. This project focuses on understanding how to control the microstructure of granules - including size, porosity, composition - produced by fluidised bed granulation by developing systematic, science based design rules. Designer granules can be used to develop and fast-track the development of innovative microstructured products for niche markets and the next generation of high-value agricultural, food and pharmaceutical industries. This unique project clearly contributes to the National Research Priority of 'Frontier Technologies' and will further enhance Australia's world-class excellence in both powder fluidisation and granulation research.Read moreRead less
Controlled Crystallisation of Bioactives. The new technologies developed in this project for bioactive recovery and particle design will allow the development of new value added products for Australia's growing biotechnology industry, especially in pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals and functional foods. Two PhD students will receive excellent research training to then move into research and development in these industries.
Particle Design for Recovery and Delivery of Bioactives. This project will develop new strategies for economically viable recovery of bioactives from complex solutions, slurries and sludges of biomaterials eg. waste streams from milk and soy bean processing, and fermentation broths. These bioactives, often proteins, have growing applications as high value drugs, nutriceuticals and food additives but are difficult to separate and to maintain in an active form. Crystallisation will be used as a ....Particle Design for Recovery and Delivery of Bioactives. This project will develop new strategies for economically viable recovery of bioactives from complex solutions, slurries and sludges of biomaterials eg. waste streams from milk and soy bean processing, and fermentation broths. These bioactives, often proteins, have growing applications as high value drugs, nutriceuticals and food additives but are difficult to separate and to maintain in an active form. Crystallisation will be used as a primary separation technique. Molecular studies of protein interactions will be used to predict good crystallisation conditions and linked to process crystallisation studies. Both standard and novel particle design strategies will be used to control crystal size and morphology, as well as package the boactive in a deliverable form without loss of activity.Read moreRead less
Particle design and recovery of bioactives by crystallisation and precipitation. This project will develop new strategies for economically viable recovery of bioactives from complex solutions of biomaterials eg. separation of biopharmaceuticals from genetically engineered cell culture, food ingredient processing, functional food and nutraceutical extraction from natural sources. Crystallisation and precipitation will be used as primary separation techniques. We propose a new paradigm in which ....Particle design and recovery of bioactives by crystallisation and precipitation. This project will develop new strategies for economically viable recovery of bioactives from complex solutions of biomaterials eg. separation of biopharmaceuticals from genetically engineered cell culture, food ingredient processing, functional food and nutraceutical extraction from natural sources. Crystallisation and precipitation will be used as primary separation techniques. We propose a new paradigm in which molecular studies of protein interactions will be used to predict good crystallisation conditions and linked to process crystalliation studies. Studies will use a model system of egg white protein mixtures and a real system of industrial importance - the purification of valuable protein products from soy beans (valued at $500 million per year world wide). Soy beans studies will include pilot scale tests at Dupont's industrial reseach laboratories.Read moreRead less
Mullins-type effects in soft filled viscoelastic solids. Bread dough is made in vast quantities daily, and improvements in processing,especially sheet rolling,are needed,and to enable this we propose to create a novel mathematical description of the material. Also, wheat breeding cycles can be drastically shortened by using knowledge of dough rheology, since baking quality is closely linked to rheology. The mathematical framework can then be applied to other filled viscoelastic systems, and work ....Mullins-type effects in soft filled viscoelastic solids. Bread dough is made in vast quantities daily, and improvements in processing,especially sheet rolling,are needed,and to enable this we propose to create a novel mathematical description of the material. Also, wheat breeding cycles can be drastically shortened by using knowledge of dough rheology, since baking quality is closely linked to rheology. The mathematical framework can then be applied to other filled viscoelastic systems, and work on liquid crystals may be used to develop artificial muscle material, once their rheological description and behaviour are known.Read moreRead less