Smarter fermentations through starter culture genomics. Australia makes over $1 billion dollars worth of cheese each year, however fermentation can be adversely affected by virus (phage) attack or sub-optimal strain mixtures. The latest genomics and molecular biology approaches will be used to characterise and optimise starter culture strains leading to improved flavour, quality and efficiency in cheese making.
Discovery and characterisation of novel lanthipeptide biopreservatives. The aim of this project is to advance fundamental knowledge of microbial metabolism and provide natural anti-microbial molecules to the Australian food industry. A quarter of the world’s food supply is lost because of microbiological spoilage. Some chemical preservatives have been developed to combat food spoilage organisms, however their chronic impact on human health is the subject of debate. Consumer demand for safe and n ....Discovery and characterisation of novel lanthipeptide biopreservatives. The aim of this project is to advance fundamental knowledge of microbial metabolism and provide natural anti-microbial molecules to the Australian food industry. A quarter of the world’s food supply is lost because of microbiological spoilage. Some chemical preservatives have been developed to combat food spoilage organisms, however their chronic impact on human health is the subject of debate. Consumer demand for safe and natural alternatives is growing. Paradoxically, microbially-produced bioactive peptides may be the key to combating food spoilage organisms and food-borne pathogens. To this end, the project intends to develop an innovative strategy for the discovery, biosynthesis and characterisation of novel anti-microbial lanthipeptides.Read moreRead less
Biofilm responses to cold atmospheric plasma . This project is focused on understanding the interaction of cold atmospheric plasmas with biofilms, with the aim of biofilm eradication and ultimately offering an environmentally friendly alternative to current detergents and antibiotics. The research expects to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of action for breakthrough plasma intervention technologies, which are sufficiently active to cope with the resistant nature of biofilms, yet are of low ....Biofilm responses to cold atmospheric plasma . This project is focused on understanding the interaction of cold atmospheric plasmas with biofilms, with the aim of biofilm eradication and ultimately offering an environmentally friendly alternative to current detergents and antibiotics. The research expects to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of action for breakthrough plasma intervention technologies, which are sufficiently active to cope with the resistant nature of biofilms, yet are of low energy, do not adversely affect surface properties and critically leave no residual chemistry. This should provide significant benefits by delivering a new method to tackle the ubiquitous problem of biofilm contamination in food, water and medical areas.Read moreRead less
A technology platform for multiple body site image-omics. The project aim is to derive a technology platform comprising new image processing and machine learning algorithms to integrate imaging and biological data across multiple body sites. The relationships between image features and biological data across multiple sites has not been discovered before. We propose the use of biological information from one sampled site to investigate other unsampled sites based on imaging-omics correspondences. ....A technology platform for multiple body site image-omics. The project aim is to derive a technology platform comprising new image processing and machine learning algorithms to integrate imaging and biological data across multiple body sites. The relationships between image features and biological data across multiple sites has not been discovered before. We propose the use of biological information from one sampled site to investigate other unsampled sites based on imaging-omics correspondences. We will use a data-driven, searchable graph model approach for knowledge discovery within the population data. The project will provide new insights into systems biology and bioinformatics that will then inform and promote benefits in life sciences, with potential future benefits in healthcare.Read moreRead less
Deep Weak Learning for Morphology Analysis of Micro and Nanoscale Images. This project will develop novel methods for automated discovery and quantification of image phenotypes from micro and nanoscale images. The outcome will be an advance of the state of the art in biomedical image analysis with a particular focus on generalized weakly-supervised deep learning models for morphological feature representation. The methodologies will transform the deep learning pipeline for real biomedical imagin ....Deep Weak Learning for Morphology Analysis of Micro and Nanoscale Images. This project will develop novel methods for automated discovery and quantification of image phenotypes from micro and nanoscale images. The outcome will be an advance of the state of the art in biomedical image analysis with a particular focus on generalized weakly-supervised deep learning models for morphological feature representation. The methodologies will transform the deep learning pipeline for real biomedical imaging scenarios with high heterogeneity and limited training data. The frameworks will facilitate high-throughput processing for a wide range of microscopy image modalities and biological applications, and potentially become the next generation computational platform to support fundamental research in human biology.Read moreRead less
Real-time phylogenetics for food-borne outbreak surveillance. The project aims to introduce, for the first time, real-time evolutionary analysis of agricultural pathogens so that outbreaks affecting crops and the food supply can be managed precisely and rapidly. An expert team will implement a large-scale data analytics framework in user-friendly software that integrates Australian infectious disease genomics data with global data. Underpinning this work are new theory and algorithms that apply ....Real-time phylogenetics for food-borne outbreak surveillance. The project aims to introduce, for the first time, real-time evolutionary analysis of agricultural pathogens so that outbreaks affecting crops and the food supply can be managed precisely and rapidly. An expert team will implement a large-scale data analytics framework in user-friendly software that integrates Australian infectious disease genomics data with global data. Underpinning this work are new theory and algorithms that apply Sequential Monte Carlo to update phylogenetic analyses continuously as new data arrives. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of statistical algorithms for evolutionary analysis, relevant to biological disciplines beyond infectious disease; and enhanced capacity for infectious disease analysis. Read moreRead less
Neural mechanisms for visual target detection and attention in complex scenes. This project will study neurons in the insect brain that solve one of the biggest problems for computer vision systems - tracking the motion of tiny targets moving against strongly camouflaged backgrounds. The results will be used to develop a novel biologically inspired model for target tracking with applications for smart cameras and robotics.
Modelling and simulation of self-organised behaviour in biological and bio-inspired systems. Understanding self-organised systems is fundamental in biology and bio-inspired engineering. The project develops sophisticated mathematical modelling techniques and high performance simulation methods for such systems. This will increase our capacity to explain complex biological behaviour and to produce reliable bio-inspired engineering solutions
An investigation into flagellotropic bacteriophage stability and biology. This project aims to understand the capabilities of a type of virus called bacteriophage (phage). Significant economic loss in the food industry has led the USA and Europe to deploy phage to decontaminate food-processing machinery. These phage kill food-spoiling bacteria. This project expects to fill gaps in our knowledge, particularly to assit in choosing phage that are of increased stability and thus more long-lasting fo ....An investigation into flagellotropic bacteriophage stability and biology. This project aims to understand the capabilities of a type of virus called bacteriophage (phage). Significant economic loss in the food industry has led the USA and Europe to deploy phage to decontaminate food-processing machinery. These phage kill food-spoiling bacteria. This project expects to fill gaps in our knowledge, particularly to assit in choosing phage that are of increased stability and thus more long-lasting for deployment in industrial settings, and to inform additives to the phage preparations to increase their potency in killing bacteria. The project should provide significant benefits in training students and staff in methodology for investigating phage for future applications in Australian industry and biotechnology.
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Strategies for neural summation in space and time for night vision. This project will study motion vision in nocturnal and day-active insects to understand how the brain sees in darkness, even when individual light sensitive cells in the eye perform poorly. This will help to identify optimal strategies that have evolved in nature to deal with noisy signals in low light and has implications for man-made night cameras.