Caveospheres: A versatile peptide delivery system. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the way we treat many diseases. This project will investigate a new type of nanoparticle, the caveosphere, and tests its effectiveness as a peptide delivery system. Caveospheres can protect delicate cargo from degradation, target cargo to specific cells that induce the maximum therapeutic response, and can be synthesised in large-scale, cost-effective batch fermentation. This study will:
1: Engineer ....Caveospheres: A versatile peptide delivery system. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform the way we treat many diseases. This project will investigate a new type of nanoparticle, the caveosphere, and tests its effectiveness as a peptide delivery system. Caveospheres can protect delicate cargo from degradation, target cargo to specific cells that induce the maximum therapeutic response, and can be synthesised in large-scale, cost-effective batch fermentation. This study will:
1: Engineer biological function into caveospheres
2: Investigate the cellular behavior of the engineered caveospheres
3: Determine the therapeutic activity of caveospheres in vitro
It will develop a fundamental understanding of nanoparticles trafficking in cells, to make improved nanoparticle delivery systems.Read moreRead less
Next generation enzymes using stimuli responsive protein/polymer hybrids. Improved stability and control over activity are key to unlocking the full potential of enzymes. Advanced polymer synthesis and synthetic biology will be combined to engineer stable, bioresponsive enzyme/polymer hybrids. This study will:
1: Develop a rapid screening method to identify the optimal sites for polymer-to-enzyme attachment
2: Evaluate the stability and bioresponsive activity of enzyme/polymer hybrids
3: Formula ....Next generation enzymes using stimuli responsive protein/polymer hybrids. Improved stability and control over activity are key to unlocking the full potential of enzymes. Advanced polymer synthesis and synthetic biology will be combined to engineer stable, bioresponsive enzyme/polymer hybrids. This study will:
1: Develop a rapid screening method to identify the optimal sites for polymer-to-enzyme attachment
2: Evaluate the stability and bioresponsive activity of enzyme/polymer hybrids
3: Formulate enzyme/polymer hybrids into a targeted nanoparticle delivery system
This project will examine the performance of polymer-enzyme hybrids with cells, however these innovations will also have significant applications in other fields using enzymatic processes, such as food processing, biofuel production, and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Organically-Capped Copper Nanowires for Soft Electronic Skin Sensors. Soft skin-like electronics can enable applications that are impossible to achieve with today's rigid circuit board technologies. However, it is difficult to realise such future soft electronics with traditional materials and conventional manufacturing methodologies. This project aims to synthesise novel organically-capped copper nanowires as electronic inks (e-inks) for developing cost-effective, soft, stretchable conductor (e ....Organically-Capped Copper Nanowires for Soft Electronic Skin Sensors. Soft skin-like electronics can enable applications that are impossible to achieve with today's rigid circuit board technologies. However, it is difficult to realise such future soft electronics with traditional materials and conventional manufacturing methodologies. This project aims to synthesise novel organically-capped copper nanowires as electronic inks (e-inks) for developing cost-effective, soft, stretchable conductor (e-skin) sensors, which are wearable for monitoring blood pulses, body motions and hand gestures in real-time and in situ. This is expected to advance our knowledge in nanotechnology and generate patentable technologies in soft e-skin sensors, and to bring significant scientific and economic gains to Australia.Read moreRead less
Soft Plasmene Nanosheets for Stretchable Plasmonic Skins. Conventional plasmonic sensors and devices are rigid, planar, and not stretchable. This project aims to apply plasmene materials developed at Monash's Nanobionics lab to design highly stretchable plasmonic devices (artificial plasmonic skins). Systematic experimental and theoretical studies will be undertaken to understand how the plasmonic skins respond to strains and how they can be used for fabricating novel stretchable devices. Such s ....Soft Plasmene Nanosheets for Stretchable Plasmonic Skins. Conventional plasmonic sensors and devices are rigid, planar, and not stretchable. This project aims to apply plasmene materials developed at Monash's Nanobionics lab to design highly stretchable plasmonic devices (artificial plasmonic skins). Systematic experimental and theoretical studies will be undertaken to understand how the plasmonic skins respond to strains and how they can be used for fabricating novel stretchable devices. Such studies will generate important new knowledge of fabrication, characterisation, and modelling of stretchable plasmene, hence, contributing to further Australian standing in the field of nanotechnology and plasmonics. It may also incubate patentable technologies, bringing potential economic gains.Read moreRead less
Development of next-generation nanoengineered advanced materials for targeted applications. This proposal seeks to develop and use a novel next-generation nanoscale fabrication technique to assemble technologically advanced materials not accessible via current fabrication strategies. The resulting materials are expected to find application in water purification, pharmaceutical development and drug delivery.
Ultrastretchable, Highly Transparent, Wearable Gold Nanowire Generators. Next-generation wearable electronics should be thin, soft and even transparent, enabling applications impossible to achieve with traditional rigid electronics. Such future electronics will require disruptive soft skin-conformal energy devices to power. This project aims to develop a bi-modal gold nanowire percolation strategy to design ultrathin conductors that are electrically conductive, optically transparent and mechanic ....Ultrastretchable, Highly Transparent, Wearable Gold Nanowire Generators. Next-generation wearable electronics should be thin, soft and even transparent, enabling applications impossible to achieve with traditional rigid electronics. Such future electronics will require disruptive soft skin-conformal energy devices to power. This project aims to develop a bi-modal gold nanowire percolation strategy to design ultrathin conductors that are electrically conductive, optically transparent and mechanically stretchable. It expects to generate new knowledge in nanomaterials design and new technologies to fabricate skin-like invisible wearable generators. This should provide significant benefits in advancing Australian standing in the fields of nanotechnology and energy science, and bringing potential economic gains.Read moreRead less
Highly durable electronic skins for multifunctional tactile sensing. This project aims to develop next-generation, multifunctional, wearable tactile sensors that can perceive and discriminate between different types of physical and chemical stimuli. These wearable e-skin sensors will mimic the sensing capabilities of real skin, and will measure a broader range of aspects of a person’s physical and biological condition than current wearable sensors. It will generate a new platform technology capa ....Highly durable electronic skins for multifunctional tactile sensing. This project aims to develop next-generation, multifunctional, wearable tactile sensors that can perceive and discriminate between different types of physical and chemical stimuli. These wearable e-skin sensors will mimic the sensing capabilities of real skin, and will measure a broader range of aspects of a person’s physical and biological condition than current wearable sensors. It will generate a new platform technology capable of commercialisation, bringing economic gains to Australia.Read moreRead less
Nanoengineering materials to combat antimicrobial resistance. This project aims to understand how nanoengineered materials can be designed to kill bacteria and fungi without causing antimicrobial resistance. Resistance to antimicrobial drugs already leads to many thousands of deaths annually and costs society billions of dollars. Nanomaterials have unique abilities to attack microbes in multiple ways that could limit resistance. This project will engineer new antimicrobial nanomaterials tailored ....Nanoengineering materials to combat antimicrobial resistance. This project aims to understand how nanoengineered materials can be designed to kill bacteria and fungi without causing antimicrobial resistance. Resistance to antimicrobial drugs already leads to many thousands of deaths annually and costs society billions of dollars. Nanomaterials have unique abilities to attack microbes in multiple ways that could limit resistance. This project will engineer new antimicrobial nanomaterials tailored to selectively kill microbes with reduced likelihood of developing resistance by using synergies between inorganic nanoparticles and antimicrobial peptides. This technology could be used to prevent infections and biofilms on surfaces in a wide range of future applications, such as medical / veterinary devicesRead moreRead less
Plasmonic nanoparticles for probing and perturbing the spatial organisation of membrane proteins. Receptors on the surface of cells provide vital functions and represent a large fraction of drug targets. It is believed that the spatial organisation of receptors can effect their function. This project will test this hypothesis by combining nanotechnology with biophysics to watch and manipulate the spatial organisation of receptors.
Dynamic Microcages for Cells: Advanced Tools to Interrogate Cell Mechanics. This project aims to develop a suite of movable micro/nanostructures with integrated mechanical and biological sensors, which will be interfaced with cells to investigate how those cells respond to their surrounding physical environment. Expected outcomes are new technologies in micro/nanofabrication, sensing, and advanced imaging, and deep understanding of the biological processes that control tissue formation and repai ....Dynamic Microcages for Cells: Advanced Tools to Interrogate Cell Mechanics. This project aims to develop a suite of movable micro/nanostructures with integrated mechanical and biological sensors, which will be interfaced with cells to investigate how those cells respond to their surrounding physical environment. Expected outcomes are new technologies in micro/nanofabrication, sensing, and advanced imaging, and deep understanding of the biological processes that control tissue formation and repair. These outcomes would impact how 3D microsystems are developed and applied, informing the design of advanced in-vitro cell culture systems. Significant benefits are expected in 3D nano-microengineering, and in generating new knowledge underpinning future advances in stem cell and tissue engineering technologies.Read moreRead less