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
Portable biosensor for rapid detection of viral contamination in food . The objective of this project is to create a miniaturised and cost-effective electrochemical biosensor device that can detect multiple pathogens, simultaneously, even at very low level of concentrations. This device will be crucial for rapidly detect pathogen contamination in food and water to monitor their safety and quality, particularly beneficial in an outbreak or natural disaster for testing these resources. In additio ....Portable biosensor for rapid detection of viral contamination in food . The objective of this project is to create a miniaturised and cost-effective electrochemical biosensor device that can detect multiple pathogens, simultaneously, even at very low level of concentrations. This device will be crucial for rapidly detect pathogen contamination in food and water to monitor their safety and quality, particularly beneficial in an outbreak or natural disaster for testing these resources. In addition to food and water, the successful development of this versatile cost-effective sensor will benefit a wide range of companies such as pharmaceuticals, medical device manufacturing and farms for controlling product quality where detection of life threatening pathogens is pivotal to prevent risk for consumers.Read moreRead less
Quantifying emergence and dynamics of foodborne epidemics in Australia. The project aims to greatly improve the accuracy and scope of computational epidemiological models predicting emergence and evolution of foodborne diseases in Australia. It expects to reveal key pathways for both biological evolution of microorganisms, and their spread though food supply chains and human interactions. The intended outcomes include discovering how the most dominant strains of foodborne infection emerge and se ....Quantifying emergence and dynamics of foodborne epidemics in Australia. The project aims to greatly improve the accuracy and scope of computational epidemiological models predicting emergence and evolution of foodborne diseases in Australia. It expects to reveal key pathways for both biological evolution of microorganisms, and their spread though food supply chains and human interactions. The intended outcomes include discovering how the most dominant strains of foodborne infection emerge and self-organise in complex networks, how to predict and contain the epidemics closer to their source, and which are the most vulnerable groups and communities. This should make a significant economic and social impact, improving health of the population, while also safeguarding national and international supply chains.Read moreRead less
Biosynthetic Hooks for an Enigmatic Marine Toxin. This project aims to characterise the genetic basis for the production of tetrodotoxin; a potent neurotoxin of ecological and biomedical significance. We hypothesise that tetrodotoxin is produced by microorganisms and transferred via the food web to fish, molluscs and other marine animals. Our integrated genomic and synthetic biology approach, targeting key biosynthesis genes, will reveal pathways for the production of tetrodotoxin and other pote ....Biosynthetic Hooks for an Enigmatic Marine Toxin. This project aims to characterise the genetic basis for the production of tetrodotoxin; a potent neurotoxin of ecological and biomedical significance. We hypothesise that tetrodotoxin is produced by microorganisms and transferred via the food web to fish, molluscs and other marine animals. Our integrated genomic and synthetic biology approach, targeting key biosynthesis genes, will reveal pathways for the production of tetrodotoxin and other potentially valuable compounds. In addition to providing unprecedented insight into the ecology and biosynthesis of this enigmatic toxin, the data generated will enable improved management of seafood safety and provide a foundation for the future development of novel neuroactive compounds.Read moreRead less
Miniaturised biosensors with high selectivity . This project aims to develop a technological platform for the fabrication of miniaturised and flexible sensors that enable the quantitative detection of important bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and biogenic amines. By utilising multi-enzymatic reactions in solid phase and engineering task-specific inks, chemiresistive sensors will be printed seamlessly as a whole. The sensors will respond to complex target biomolecules via a series of enzy ....Miniaturised biosensors with high selectivity . This project aims to develop a technological platform for the fabrication of miniaturised and flexible sensors that enable the quantitative detection of important bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and biogenic amines. By utilising multi-enzymatic reactions in solid phase and engineering task-specific inks, chemiresistive sensors will be printed seamlessly as a whole. The sensors will respond to complex target biomolecules via a series of enzymatic reactions through which the analyte will convert to much simpler, reactive and hence measurable molecules. This project will enable to design miniaturised sensors for point-of-care detection of biomolecules that cannot be yet evaluated by the end users.Read moreRead less
Understanding the risk of microplastics in Australian agricultural soils. Biosolids following wastewater treatment are a significant source of microplastics (MPs) that are contaminants of concern. MPs in biosolids pose potential unknown risks to agriculture, food security and ecosystem health through their application to farmlands. Currently, the lack of knowledge on the MPs contamination of agricultural soils is a significant knowledge gap. This project aims to generate new knowledge of MPs' fa ....Understanding the risk of microplastics in Australian agricultural soils. Biosolids following wastewater treatment are a significant source of microplastics (MPs) that are contaminants of concern. MPs in biosolids pose potential unknown risks to agriculture, food security and ecosystem health through their application to farmlands. Currently, the lack of knowledge on the MPs contamination of agricultural soils is a significant knowledge gap. This project aims to generate new knowledge of MPs' fate, behaviour, risk and associated contaminants in biosolids and sludge-amended agricultural soils. The new knowledge generated in this project is expected to help devise better management options to minimise the MP associated risks in agricultural soils, thereby safeguarding the food security and soil health.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