Increasing internet energy and cost efficiency by improving higher-layer protocols. Australians rely heavily on our telecommunications infrastructure due to our geographic dispersion. We are also very susceptible to climate change, given our reliance on agriculture. Information technology is consuming a rapidly increasing fraction of our power and our budget. This research will help to reverse both those trends, by finding novel and practical ways to use our infrastructure more efficiently, and ....Increasing internet energy and cost efficiency by improving higher-layer protocols. Australians rely heavily on our telecommunications infrastructure due to our geographic dispersion. We are also very susceptible to climate change, given our reliance on agriculture. Information technology is consuming a rapidly increasing fraction of our power and our budget. This research will help to reverse both those trends, by finding novel and practical ways to use our infrastructure more efficiently, and to minimise its energy use. This will enable the Australian telecommunications industry to provide better service (including to Australian industries and rural communities) at lower economic and environmental cost. This project will put Australia on the international stage as a leading contributor to energy-efficient internet technology.Read moreRead less
Fusion Energy and the Physics of Burning Plasmas. The world faces a global energy crisis. Our standard of living, which is largely powered by base-load electricity supply, is unsustainable. Fusion power is a near zero greenhouse gas technology, which promises millions of years of base-load electricity, free from weapon proliferation. This promise has galvanised the international community to accelerate fusion development by committing to the next-step technology-enabling $16 billion experiment, ....Fusion Energy and the Physics of Burning Plasmas. The world faces a global energy crisis. Our standard of living, which is largely powered by base-load electricity supply, is unsustainable. Fusion power is a near zero greenhouse gas technology, which promises millions of years of base-load electricity, free from weapon proliferation. This promise has galvanised the international community to accelerate fusion development by committing to the next-step technology-enabling $16 billion experiment, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). In anticipation of ITER, this fellowship will foster growth of Australian fusion research, and address a grand science challenge facing ITER: how do we maintain burn in the face of potentially damaging plasma instabilities? The answer will affect both ITER and the viability of fusion power.Read moreRead less
Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in sit ....Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in situ material repair to extend device lifetime, and modulate plasma properties to increase thruster efficiency for a given task. These benefits enable reliable propulsion platforms for massive communication and observation satellite networks and deep space exploration.Read moreRead less
Expanding the molecular tool set for structural studies of proteins and their complexes. Many applications in medical science and drug development depend on our ability to determine the 3D structures of proteins, protein assemblies and protein-ligand complexes. This project will develop novel lanthanide-binding tags and crosslinking agents that can be coupled to unnatural amino acids introduced into proteins with advanced protein chemistry techniques. These new tools will facilitate the collecti ....Expanding the molecular tool set for structural studies of proteins and their complexes. Many applications in medical science and drug development depend on our ability to determine the 3D structures of proteins, protein assemblies and protein-ligand complexes. This project will develop novel lanthanide-binding tags and crosslinking agents that can be coupled to unnatural amino acids introduced into proteins with advanced protein chemistry techniques. These new tools will facilitate the collection of structure restraints by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and mass spectrometry, which are needed to generate accurate models of proteins and their complexes with other molecules. Major beneficial outcome will include an increase in the number of protein targets amenable to rational drug design and improved methods for generating new drug leads.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanisms of ion conduction and drug action in voltage gated sodium channels. Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate electrical impulses in nerve and muscle and are the target of many local anaesthetic, anti-epileptic and anti-arrythmic drugs. The publication of atomic resolution structures of homologous proteins from bacteria in the last 18 months has now made it possible to gain a detailed understanding of how these channels work, and how they are influenced by drugs. This p ....Understanding the mechanisms of ion conduction and drug action in voltage gated sodium channels. Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate electrical impulses in nerve and muscle and are the target of many local anaesthetic, anti-epileptic and anti-arrythmic drugs. The publication of atomic resolution structures of homologous proteins from bacteria in the last 18 months has now made it possible to gain a detailed understanding of how these channels work, and how they are influenced by drugs. This project aims to determine the basis of ion permeation and selectivity in the channels and explain the mechanisms of action for a number of common drugs. This will provide a foundation for future drug development to target specific channels for improved treatment of epilepsy, chronic pain and arrythmias. Read moreRead less
Mega spatial-scale, multi time-scale, ensemble assessment of climate change driven coastal change in South Eastern Australia. Climate change driven variations in mean sea level, storm surges, and waves will change the world's coastline. This project will, for the first time, develop innovative modelling methods to quantify the integrated impact of these climate drivers on coastal erosion along Australia's most developed and populated coastline: Sydney to Brisbane.
Anticipating, Combating and Exploiting the Evolution of Pesticide Resistance in Australian Agricultural Pests and Disease Vectors. Synthetic insecticides have resulted in an explosion in food production through effective insect control. However, insects have begun to evolve resistance against one of the most widely used classes of insecticides (organophosphates) via mutations in carboxylesterases (CBEs). To address this problem, the ability to anticipate further evolution, combat it and exploit ....Anticipating, Combating and Exploiting the Evolution of Pesticide Resistance in Australian Agricultural Pests and Disease Vectors. Synthetic insecticides have resulted in an explosion in food production through effective insect control. However, insects have begun to evolve resistance against one of the most widely used classes of insecticides (organophosphates) via mutations in carboxylesterases (CBEs). To address this problem, the ability to anticipate further evolution, combat it and exploit it for our own benefit is needed. This project aims to anticipate evolution by simulating it in the laboratory, allowing for the best preparation for change. New pesticides will be designed to combat insecticide resistance based upon the molecular structure of an insect CBE. This project aims to exploit these newly evolved enzymes to create biosensors and decontamination agents.Read moreRead less
Understanding the molecular basis of fungal rust diseases in plants. This project aims to utilise structural biology, biochemistry and molecular biology approaches to substantially deepen our understanding of rust fungi-plant interactions. Fungal rust pathogens cause disease and significant yield losses in our most important food crops. During colonisation, rust fungi utilise secreted effector proteins to cause plant disease. Effectors can also be recognised by plant immunity receptors, leading ....Understanding the molecular basis of fungal rust diseases in plants. This project aims to utilise structural biology, biochemistry and molecular biology approaches to substantially deepen our understanding of rust fungi-plant interactions. Fungal rust pathogens cause disease and significant yield losses in our most important food crops. During colonisation, rust fungi utilise secreted effector proteins to cause plant disease. Effectors can also be recognised by plant immunity receptors, leading to resistance. The intended outcome of this work is to generate knowledge that can be used for the development of disease management and engineering strategies to protect plants from rust fungi. This should provide significant benefits to agricultural productivity and global food security.Read moreRead less