The mechanism for defocus-driven ocular growth. 30 per cent of the Australian young adult population (with much higher percentages in Asia) suffer from myopia, and while we know the retina senses defocus, we do not know how. The knowledge gained through this project will help the development of pharmaceuticals to control myopia and of developmental practices that minimise the chances of children becoming myopic.
Social Interactions, Group Dynamics, and the Political Economy of Sovereign Transgression: A Laboratory Investigation. Sovereign transgression-for example, confiscation of citizens' wealth by the state--can have a significant negative effect on economic performance. This project will study the under-explored issues of how social interactions and group dynamics can affect the incidence of sovereign transgression and citizen resistance in a controlled laboratory environment. The substantive and me ....Social Interactions, Group Dynamics, and the Political Economy of Sovereign Transgression: A Laboratory Investigation. Sovereign transgression-for example, confiscation of citizens' wealth by the state--can have a significant negative effect on economic performance. This project will study the under-explored issues of how social interactions and group dynamics can affect the incidence of sovereign transgression and citizen resistance in a controlled laboratory environment. The substantive and methodological innovations can increase the Australian knowledge base. The project will facilitate collaboration between Australian researchers and international experts. It will also expose Australian undergraduate students to experimental economics, and provide graduate students with hands-on training in using the laboratory method to study economic behaviour.
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Exporting risk: the Australian deportation project. This study will investigate the use of deportation. It will test our claim that deportation has a significant impact on institutions, individuals and communities, and will contribute to a more ethically and legally robust approach to deportation.
Unrestricted antigen recognition by T lymphocytes. This project aims to investigate the unrestricted T cell repertoire; the molecular and structural basis of antigen recognition by unrestricted T cells; and the development of unrestricted T cells. T lymphocytes typically are restricted to detecting foreign molecules (antigens) on the cell membrane in association with specialised antigen-presenting molecules encoded within the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility (MHC) locus (MHC restricti ....Unrestricted antigen recognition by T lymphocytes. This project aims to investigate the unrestricted T cell repertoire; the molecular and structural basis of antigen recognition by unrestricted T cells; and the development of unrestricted T cells. T lymphocytes typically are restricted to detecting foreign molecules (antigens) on the cell membrane in association with specialised antigen-presenting molecules encoded within the highly polymorphic major histocompatibility (MHC) locus (MHC restriction). T lymphocytes that can recognise antigens in the absence of MHC or MHC like molecules challenges a major paradigm in the field of immunology. As T cell based therapy underpins treatments for cancer and infection, new mechanisms of T cell activation that are independent of patient genotype should ultimately create opportunities for therapeutic and commercial development, leading to both health and economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Crushing of Cellular Solids: Deformation Modes and Energy Absorption. Energy absorption behaviour of structures and materials is essential in minimising damage and fatalities caused by accidental collisions. Cellular solids are excellent in this respect. This project aims to systematically investigate the dynamic crushing of two such materials: honeycombs and metal foams. Experimental techniques applicable to these materials will be developed and comprehensive tests will be conducted. St ....Dynamic Crushing of Cellular Solids: Deformation Modes and Energy Absorption. Energy absorption behaviour of structures and materials is essential in minimising damage and fatalities caused by accidental collisions. Cellular solids are excellent in this respect. This project aims to systematically investigate the dynamic crushing of two such materials: honeycombs and metal foams. Experimental techniques applicable to these materials will be developed and comprehensive tests will be conducted. Studies will be made into their dynamic deformation modes and the associated energy absorption behaviour. The findings will extend our conceptual understanding of a class of similar problems and will help to design structures with cellular solids for much improved crashworthiness performance.Read moreRead less
Social futures and life pathways of young people in Queensland: waves 4 and 5 of a longitudinal study. This project assesses the impact of globalisation on the attitudes, behaviors, and life pathways of a cohort of over 7000 young Queenslanders, first surveyed when they were aged 12 and 13. Participants will be followed up when they are aged 19 and 20 and 20/21 to examine their experiences of the transition from school to work, family and social life.
Establishing an optimal legal framework for online privacy. Consumer confidence in the security of personal information is essential for the growth of electronic commerce. To compete internationally, Australia must establish a world-class legal framework for the protection of online privacy. New technologies for collecting and processing personal information pose threats to individual privacy. Other technologies may protect privacy. Increasingly, effective protection of privacy depends upon ....Establishing an optimal legal framework for online privacy. Consumer confidence in the security of personal information is essential for the growth of electronic commerce. To compete internationally, Australia must establish a world-class legal framework for the protection of online privacy. New technologies for collecting and processing personal information pose threats to individual privacy. Other technologies may protect privacy. Increasingly, effective protection of privacy depends upon the coordination of legal rules and technological measures. This project will be the first study to investigate the optimal mix of regulatory tools for the protection of online privacy in Australia. Recommendations will be made to improve Australian privacy laws and policies.Read moreRead less
Fringe to Famous: Contemporary Australian Culture as an Innovation System. The project examines the crossover between ‘alternative’ and ‘mainstream’ cultural production in Australia, identifying ways in which a hybridisation between the avant garde and the popular promotes the development of cultural industries. It will conduct a detailed study of five cases: comedy (Working Dog and the Chaser), music (Mental as Anything, Paul Kelly and Nick Cave), visual arts/graphic design (Mambo Graphics), sh ....Fringe to Famous: Contemporary Australian Culture as an Innovation System. The project examines the crossover between ‘alternative’ and ‘mainstream’ cultural production in Australia, identifying ways in which a hybridisation between the avant garde and the popular promotes the development of cultural industries. It will conduct a detailed study of five cases: comedy (Working Dog and the Chaser), music (Mental as Anything, Paul Kelly and Nick Cave), visual arts/graphic design (Mambo Graphics), short film (Tropfest) and games development (Freeplay). It will identify the conditions which have allowed crossover between the avant-garde and the mainstream and produce recommendations for policy both in cultural development and the development of creative industries.Read moreRead less
Manipulation of transcription factors that control plant architecture. This project will provide fundamental knowledge about how plant body plans are constructed and elaborated. In particular this proposal could influence agriculture in two manners. First, we will examine the ability to control infestations of parasitic plants in the field using the expression of small RNA molecules and second, we will determine whether manipulation of expression of specific transcription factors can alter the ....Manipulation of transcription factors that control plant architecture. This project will provide fundamental knowledge about how plant body plans are constructed and elaborated. In particular this proposal could influence agriculture in two manners. First, we will examine the ability to control infestations of parasitic plants in the field using the expression of small RNA molecules and second, we will determine whether manipulation of expression of specific transcription factors can alter the characteristics of secondary growth plants.Read moreRead less
Optimising vascularisation of tissue engineering chambers for construction of robust tissues. We have produced a device that has commercial application in several fields of basic science, biotechnology and bioengineering. When its full potential is achieved, our innovative organ chamber will strengthen Australia's standing in the biotechnology field and enrich specific applications. The knowledge gained from understanding the growth of blood vessels will benefit several fields including chemical ....Optimising vascularisation of tissue engineering chambers for construction of robust tissues. We have produced a device that has commercial application in several fields of basic science, biotechnology and bioengineering. When its full potential is achieved, our innovative organ chamber will strengthen Australia's standing in the biotechnology field and enrich specific applications. The knowledge gained from understanding the growth of blood vessels will benefit several fields including chemical bioengineering, tissue engineering and repair, polymer chemistry, therapeutics in many areas (like cancer, heart disease, diabetes), hormone manufacture for agricultural, veterinary and medical purposes and cosmetics manufacture. The project will train several post-doctoral fellows and PhD students in this cutting edge field of researchRead moreRead less