Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100843
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,000.00
Summary
Regulating gene delivery with light. This project seeks to deliver the capacity to remotely deliver molecules into specific cells without the need for invasive or viral procedures. Individual genetic predisposition to disease forms a key part of personalised medicine that requires the accurate delivery of drugs or genes. This project aims to develop a new multimodality microscopy that can investigate and optimise light delivery of macromolecules into living cells at high specificity and across a ....Regulating gene delivery with light. This project seeks to deliver the capacity to remotely deliver molecules into specific cells without the need for invasive or viral procedures. Individual genetic predisposition to disease forms a key part of personalised medicine that requires the accurate delivery of drugs or genes. This project aims to develop a new multimodality microscopy that can investigate and optimise light delivery of macromolecules into living cells at high specificity and across a multitude of cells. The expected outcome of this project is a new form of in vivo molecular delivery system using light.Read moreRead less
Motion-adaptive PET technology for brain imaging of freely moving mice. This project aims to develop new brain imaging technology that adapts to and corrects for the motion of a responsive, freely moving mouse. Current technology requires the subject to be unconscious, precluding the use of imaging to study signalling pathways activated by external stimuli during cognitive and behavioural tasks. By harnessing new radiation detector, motion tracking and computational technologies, the project exp ....Motion-adaptive PET technology for brain imaging of freely moving mice. This project aims to develop new brain imaging technology that adapts to and corrects for the motion of a responsive, freely moving mouse. Current technology requires the subject to be unconscious, precluding the use of imaging to study signalling pathways activated by external stimuli during cognitive and behavioural tasks. By harnessing new radiation detector, motion tracking and computational technologies, the project expects to bridge this technology gap and provide significant technical and conceptual advances in the field. This will provide important benefits, such as equipping neuroscientists with new tools to answer fundamental questions about how the mammalian brain regulates behavioural adaptation to a changing environment.Read moreRead less
Next generation positron imaging technologies for contemporaneous measurements of brain function and behaviour in freely moving mice. The mouse brain is an important target for Post Emission Tomography (PET) imaging studies that aim to elucidate the role of specific molecular pathways in determining normal and aberrant brain function. However, current imaging technology requires the animal to be unconscious which precludes the study of pathways involved in cognition, learning and behaviour. To o ....Next generation positron imaging technologies for contemporaneous measurements of brain function and behaviour in freely moving mice. The mouse brain is an important target for Post Emission Tomography (PET) imaging studies that aim to elucidate the role of specific molecular pathways in determining normal and aberrant brain function. However, current imaging technology requires the animal to be unconscious which precludes the study of pathways involved in cognition, learning and behaviour. To overcome this major limitation this project will: investigate tomograph designs capable of continuously imaging a moving animal; develop a PET detector with sub-millimetre spatial resolution and depth-of-interaction capability; and, develop a fully integrated motion tracking system. This research will lead to next generation PET technologies for contemporaneous brain imaging and behavioural analysis in freely moving mice.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understandi ....Dynamic Mechano-Microscopy for use in Mechanobiology . We will develop an innovative microscope that will enable new discoveries in biology. Most microscopes form images of a sample's optical properties, instead we will image a sample's mechanical properties. The reason our novel approach is needed is that cell behaviour depends on the stiffness of it's environment, but current microscopes are unable to image this. Our microscope will provide insights in biology that can improve our understanding of cells, the building blocks of life. We will achieve this by: 1. Developing a microscope that combines microscopic resolution with rapid imaging; 2: Developing the capability to image both within the cell and its surrounding environment; and 3. Using our microscope to make discoveries in biology.Read moreRead less
Rotating Radiofrequency Phased-array for 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This project aims to develop a new type of radiofrequency coil array to ensure high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with all its benefits, is available for a broader range of applications. High-field MRI offers faster scans with more detailed images than lower field systems. This enhanced sensitivity potentially enables smaller structures to be resolved in the body. At high fields, however, standard radiofrequen ....Rotating Radiofrequency Phased-array for 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This project aims to develop a new type of radiofrequency coil array to ensure high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with all its benefits, is available for a broader range of applications. High-field MRI offers faster scans with more detailed images than lower field systems. This enhanced sensitivity potentially enables smaller structures to be resolved in the body. At high fields, however, standard radiofrequency coils, an essential component of MRI systems, can distort images and induce potentially harmful tissue heating. The aim is to design and develop a rotating multi-channel radiofrequency coil array, with dedicated image reconstruction software, to overcome these limitations. This would facilitate detailed images that can be obtained quickly and safely.Read moreRead less
Noise-free Cryogenic Wavefront Sensing. This project aims to optimise the prototype adaptive optics technology for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) by leveraging past investment in adaptive optics instrumentation and shortwave infrared detector systems. This project expects to generate significant improvements in GMT performance, with ten times greater image resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope and current estimates of >90% sky coverage, compared with ~50% coverage for current technology ....Noise-free Cryogenic Wavefront Sensing. This project aims to optimise the prototype adaptive optics technology for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) by leveraging past investment in adaptive optics instrumentation and shortwave infrared detector systems. This project expects to generate significant improvements in GMT performance, with ten times greater image resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope and current estimates of >90% sky coverage, compared with ~50% coverage for current technology. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of a highly trained workforce and continued international collaboration in the field of high-technology sensor systems. This contribution to the GMT will provide significant benefits—it will change the way we view the Universe.Read moreRead less
3D integrated crystalline UV optical lens-fiber couplers for astronomy. This project aims to create micro-optics for astronomical and bio medical applications by 3D sculpturing them out of crystals by ultra-short pulse lasers. This project will introduce a new 3D fabrication approach of optical probes which have self-aligned micro-optical elements and optical fibres for a wide spectral range and with high quality optical surfaces. Expected outcomes of this project include building new capabiliti ....3D integrated crystalline UV optical lens-fiber couplers for astronomy. This project aims to create micro-optics for astronomical and bio medical applications by 3D sculpturing them out of crystals by ultra-short pulse lasers. This project will introduce a new 3D fabrication approach of optical probes which have self-aligned micro-optical elements and optical fibres for a wide spectral range and with high quality optical surfaces. Expected outcomes of this project include building new capabilities in micro-optical probes for industrial environments, establishing new solutions for international astronomy partners, and developing new techniques to image through optical fibres. This should provide significant benefits by improving astronomical instrumentation and also lead to less invasive endoscopy.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100175
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,000.00
Summary
A high-payload, high-fidelity haptically-enabled motion simulation facility. An Australian-first motion simulation facility consisting of a high-payload, high-fidelity Stewart platform mounted on a dual-axis linear track is proposed. The facility will allow high acceleration and high vibration manoeuvres, and large displacements through an eight-degrees-of-freedom range of motion. It can carry the entire control compartment of a heavy vehicle, a truck, an ambulance, a train, or a multi-operator ....A high-payload, high-fidelity haptically-enabled motion simulation facility. An Australian-first motion simulation facility consisting of a high-payload, high-fidelity Stewart platform mounted on a dual-axis linear track is proposed. The facility will allow high acceleration and high vibration manoeuvres, and large displacements through an eight-degrees-of-freedom range of motion. It can carry the entire control compartment of a heavy vehicle, a truck, an ambulance, a train, or a multi-operator cockpit of a mining vehicle for simulation. The outcome will provide significant benefits for virtual vehicle prototyping and testing, driver training and behaviour modelling, motion perception and motion sickness research; therefore advancing Australia as the global leader in motion simulation and vehicular technologies.Read moreRead less
Understanding surface acoustic wave atomisation for pulmonary delivery of drug aerosols in personalised medicine. Delivering drugs via the lung is hampered by development costs and inadequate technology. This project will provide an understanding of atomisation in our unique respire system, enabling not only the delivery of new vaccines and drugs but also the rapid and cost effective development of new disease treatments personalised to the patient.
Acoustic trapping for life science applications. Force fields can be established to move suspended cells into predefined locations using high frequency vibration; randomly dispersed cells can be brought together into clusters. This project aims to develop such technologies and will have applications in drug discovery and cell to cell interaction studies and has the future potential to promote the health of Australians.