Biogenesis and functions of bacterial membrane vesicles. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms that regulate the production of bacterial membrane vesicles and how this determines their bacterial cargo and subsequent biological functions. Bacterial membrane vesicles are naturally produced nanoparticles released by all bacteria as part of their normal growth. These vesicles contain a range of bacterial cargo and function to promote bacterial survival and growth. This project will advance ....Biogenesis and functions of bacterial membrane vesicles. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms that regulate the production of bacterial membrane vesicles and how this determines their bacterial cargo and subsequent biological functions. Bacterial membrane vesicles are naturally produced nanoparticles released by all bacteria as part of their normal growth. These vesicles contain a range of bacterial cargo and function to promote bacterial survival and growth. This project will advance our knowledge regarding the regulation of bacterial membrane vesicle biogenesis, their composition and biological functions. Collectively, these findings will facilitate the development and refinement of membrane vesicle-based biotechnologies with broad applications.Read moreRead less
Tunable antifouling behaviour on rough surfaces. The impact of subtle variations in nano and micro scale surface roughness on larger scale wetting and antifouling behaviour of surfaces is investigated. This will lead to next generation non-toxic coatings for both medical and marine applications. The environmental implications will be a significant feature of the ongoing assessment of this study.
Developing novel two-dimensional hybrid nanostructures for renewable energy. This project aims to develop novel two-dimensional (2D) hybrid nanostructures with new physical and chemical properties. This innovation intends to address the critical challenges of control functionalisation of 2D hybrid nanostructures: essential to understanding the potential of nanomaterials in key applications of energy generation. Expected outcomes include scalable technology to produce functional 2D nanomaterials ....Developing novel two-dimensional hybrid nanostructures for renewable energy. This project aims to develop novel two-dimensional (2D) hybrid nanostructures with new physical and chemical properties. This innovation intends to address the critical challenges of control functionalisation of 2D hybrid nanostructures: essential to understanding the potential of nanomaterials in key applications of energy generation. Expected outcomes include scalable technology to produce functional 2D nanomaterials and hybrid nanostructures to accelerate research to advanced materials and frontier material manufacturing technologies. This project will provide significant social and economic benefits to Australia in the growth of sectors in advanced materials, energy generation, and advanced manufacturing.Read moreRead less
Using extreme conditions to synthesise new materials. This project aims to synthesise useful materials from non-crystalline light element precursors. Boron, carbon and nitrogen are the hardest known solids, and their ability to form many kinds of chemical bonds offers opportunities for attractive new materials. This project will apply high pressures and temperatures to non-crystalline precursor materials to access previously unobtainable synthesis conditions. This project will create strong and ....Using extreme conditions to synthesise new materials. This project aims to synthesise useful materials from non-crystalline light element precursors. Boron, carbon and nitrogen are the hardest known solids, and their ability to form many kinds of chemical bonds offers opportunities for attractive new materials. This project will apply high pressures and temperatures to non-crystalline precursor materials to access previously unobtainable synthesis conditions. This project will create strong and hard materials with tuneable optical and electronic properties. The expected outcome is new light materials that emit and detect light in the far ultraviolet for biological imaging and tough materials with low friction needed for motors and regenerative technologies.Read moreRead less
Imaging Symmetry – A New Mechanism for Revealing the Structure of Matter. This project aims to develop a revolutionary method for imaging atomic structures. In this method, the image contrast derives from the symmetry of the structure, measured at the picometre scale, using tiny electron probes. This new conceptual approach is expected to overcome some of the key limitations of existing electron microscopy methods by providing increased sensitivity and reduced radiation damage, thereby enabling ....Imaging Symmetry – A New Mechanism for Revealing the Structure of Matter. This project aims to develop a revolutionary method for imaging atomic structures. In this method, the image contrast derives from the symmetry of the structure, measured at the picometre scale, using tiny electron probes. This new conceptual approach is expected to overcome some of the key limitations of existing electron microscopy methods by providing increased sensitivity and reduced radiation damage, thereby enabling complex structures in technologically important materials to be determined. This should provide new ways to understand the properties of these materials advanced materials and engineer them for applications in the energy, transport, health, communications and other sectors of society. Read moreRead less
Nanoporous nanorods with improved electrochemical properties. This project applies the latest nanotechnology to produce new nanomaterials for energy storage applications. The aim is to significantly improve supercapacitor performance for use in the storage of clean energy and harvesting of wasted energy which will contribute to a clean energy economy.
Engineering approaches towards atomic imaging of bacterial cells. This project aims to develop novel approaches for analysis of single biological cells at atomic scale. The project will first develop an approach by utilising nanoscale ion beam to interact with the frozen cells in a controllable manner, followed by performing nanoscale dissection and analyses. By introducing engineered two-dimensional materials, namely graphene, atomic resolution three-dimensional imaging of the cellular chemistr ....Engineering approaches towards atomic imaging of bacterial cells. This project aims to develop novel approaches for analysis of single biological cells at atomic scale. The project will first develop an approach by utilising nanoscale ion beam to interact with the frozen cells in a controllable manner, followed by performing nanoscale dissection and analyses. By introducing engineered two-dimensional materials, namely graphene, atomic resolution three-dimensional imaging of the cellular chemistry will become feasible, which will shed light on various fundamental mechanisms inside the cells. This will provide significant benefits upon success, and will impact a wide spectrum of fields from understanding cellular functions to developing effective drugs.Read moreRead less
Systems engineering approach to nanostructuring porous electrodes for compact capacitive energy storage. This project will develop a new systems engineering approach to fabricating porous yet densely packed electrodes with high ion-accessible surface area and low ion transport impedance. This will lead to new-generation compact electrochemical capacitive energy storage systems that can combine high energy density, fast charging/discharging rate and long cycle life. The success of this project wi ....Systems engineering approach to nanostructuring porous electrodes for compact capacitive energy storage. This project will develop a new systems engineering approach to fabricating porous yet densely packed electrodes with high ion-accessible surface area and low ion transport impedance. This will lead to new-generation compact electrochemical capacitive energy storage systems that can combine high energy density, fast charging/discharging rate and long cycle life. The success of this project will facilitate future large-scale adoption of renewable energy and many other new emerging technologies such as portable/wearable electronics, electric vehicles, and energy regeneration systems.Read moreRead less
Making every electron count in atomic resolution microscopy. The development of aberration-corrected electron microscopy, which allows individual atom imaging with unprecedented precision, was recognised by the 2011 Wolf Prize in Physics. However, only a very limited amount of the wealth of information obtainable from such microscopes is currently exploited. By collecting a maximal data set of electrons scattered in manifold different ways and using the fundamental theory of electron-specimen in ....Making every electron count in atomic resolution microscopy. The development of aberration-corrected electron microscopy, which allows individual atom imaging with unprecedented precision, was recognised by the 2011 Wolf Prize in Physics. However, only a very limited amount of the wealth of information obtainable from such microscopes is currently exploited. By collecting a maximal data set of electrons scattered in manifold different ways and using the fundamental theory of electron-specimen interaction, this project will realise the huge potential of this untapped data. This will improve the utility of scanning transmission electron microscopy far beyond its current level. Applying these new techniques will expand our understanding of the structure and function of advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Understanding how atomic-scale boundary conditions define the interaction of light with matter. Scientists are trying to mimic nature's ability to grow crystals into useful shapes. This project will measure the arrangement of atoms in a nanoparticle and see how this arrangement affects its colour. It will allow us to grow nanoparticles of the shape and colour we require for applications in medicine, sensing and electronics.