New separation technologies for profiling metabolites in biological samples. Metabolomics is an important new field of science that is contributing to the understanding of life processes at the molecular level. But a widely acknowledged major limitation of current metabolomics technologies is the inability to accurately identify high numbers of detected metabolites in the biological extracts being studied. This project will develop cutting-edge separation science approaches to address this exist ....New separation technologies for profiling metabolites in biological samples. Metabolomics is an important new field of science that is contributing to the understanding of life processes at the molecular level. But a widely acknowledged major limitation of current metabolomics technologies is the inability to accurately identify high numbers of detected metabolites in the biological extracts being studied. This project will develop cutting-edge separation science approaches to address this existing problem in metabolomics analysis. In doing so it will provide enormous benefit to Australian biotechnology and biomedical research and play a major role in transferring capabilities to laboratories and research institutes that are involved in research aimed at elucidating biological pathways and networks.Read moreRead less
Radio Interferometer Studies of Compact Astronomical Sources. The giant black holes in the centres of distant galaxies that are the topic of this study are used to set the reference frame for geodesy on the earth. Remote and exotic as they are, they have real-world applications such as improving the positions available from GPS receivers and measuring continental drift. The signal processing equipment being developed for this new telescope is based on FPGA (field programmable gate array) chips ....Radio Interferometer Studies of Compact Astronomical Sources. The giant black holes in the centres of distant galaxies that are the topic of this study are used to set the reference frame for geodesy on the earth. Remote and exotic as they are, they have real-world applications such as improving the positions available from GPS receivers and measuring continental drift. The signal processing equipment being developed for this new telescope is based on FPGA (field programmable gate array) chips, that promise to revolutionize the data processing industry, from radar to cellular telephones to computer networks. The young scientists who are working on this project will go on to lead the commercial and industrial applications of this new technology.Read moreRead less
Novel approach to study mechanisms of Na+ transport in plants using Lab on a Chip technology. A Lab on a Chip for sodium ion measurements in plants is proposed, offering a long overdue solution to the lack of appropriate techniques to study the mechanisms of sodium iron uptake, transport and compartmentation. Sodium ion transport is a key determinant of salt tolerance, but a good understanding of its transport mechanisms is lacking since no appropriate measurement tools are available. Using the ....Novel approach to study mechanisms of Na+ transport in plants using Lab on a Chip technology. A Lab on a Chip for sodium ion measurements in plants is proposed, offering a long overdue solution to the lack of appropriate techniques to study the mechanisms of sodium iron uptake, transport and compartmentation. Sodium ion transport is a key determinant of salt tolerance, but a good understanding of its transport mechanisms is lacking since no appropriate measurement tools are available. Using the system proposed here, sodium ion is separated from interfering ions, allowing fast and selective measurements. A series of ground breaking studies towards sodium ion uptake, transport and compartmentation in plants will be conducted using this Lab on a Chip.Read moreRead less
Disposable microdevices for fast ion analysis. The design and fabrication of a microdevice for ion chromatography will introduce Australia to the field of miniaturised total analytical systems (µTAS). The availability of infrastructure, technology and experience in the µTAS area will provide the foundation for specialised commercialisation of sophisticated, chip-based analytical instruments. These instruments have important applications in forensic, clinical and environmental chemistry.
Targeting organically-complexed iron species in seawater using selective solid-phase adsorbent resins. Iron limits primary productivity in 40% of the oceans. Its accurate determination is thus critical to understanding the functioning of marine ecosystems and their role in moderating Earth's climate. Recent findings indicate that serious discrepancies exist in iron concentrations obtained using different analytical methods. These discrepancies are believed to be due to the lability of organic ....Targeting organically-complexed iron species in seawater using selective solid-phase adsorbent resins. Iron limits primary productivity in 40% of the oceans. Its accurate determination is thus critical to understanding the functioning of marine ecosystems and their role in moderating Earth's climate. Recent findings indicate that serious discrepancies exist in iron concentrations obtained using different analytical methods. These discrepancies are believed to be due to the lability of organic and colloidal iron species to extraction by adsorbent preconcentration resins. This project will design and synthesise a range of functionalised resins for the selective extraction of iron species from seawater, advancing our knowledge of its bioavailability and leading to the generation of class-specific analytical methodologies.Read moreRead less