Unlocking Australia's offshore gas endowment. This project aims to develop practical new methods of predicting and detecting the formation of solids in gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Australia has large offshore reserves of natural gas and has made the investments necessary to help fuel the global transition to cleaner, reliable energy sources. However, conventional engineering approaches of producing gas from deep-water reserves have reached the limits of viability because of t ....Unlocking Australia's offshore gas endowment. This project aims to develop practical new methods of predicting and detecting the formation of solids in gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Australia has large offshore reserves of natural gas and has made the investments necessary to help fuel the global transition to cleaner, reliable energy sources. However, conventional engineering approaches of producing gas from deep-water reserves have reached the limits of viability because of the costs required to prevent solids forming in subsea pipelines or cryogenic LNG plants. The project’s expected outcome include sophisticated tools in open-access software based on these new predictive methods, and a step-change in Australia’s ability to access its offshore gas.Read moreRead less
Control and learning for enhancing capabilities of quantum sensors. This project aims to develop new theories and algorithms to enhance capabilities in engineering quantum sensors from the perspective of systems and control. The project is significant because it is anticipated to advance key knowledge and provide systematic methods to enable achievement of high-precision sensing for wide applications, e.g., early disease detection, medical research, discovery of ore deposits and groundwater moni ....Control and learning for enhancing capabilities of quantum sensors. This project aims to develop new theories and algorithms to enhance capabilities in engineering quantum sensors from the perspective of systems and control. The project is significant because it is anticipated to advance key knowledge and provide systematic methods to enable achievement of high-precision sensing for wide applications, e.g., early disease detection, medical research, discovery of ore deposits and groundwater monitoring. The intended outcomes are fundamental theories, effective control and learning algorithms for achieving highly-sensitive sensors. These outcomes should make important contributions to and deliver new knowledge and skills for Australia's sensing industries, which could benefit Australia's economic growth.Read moreRead less
From Snowball Earth to Animals: the Influence of Mantle Dynamics. This project aims to investigate how solid Earth processes contributed to ‘Snowball Earth’ events around 700 million years ago and to the explosion of complex life 540 million years ago, which will shed light on our origin as a species. The approach consists of merging cutting-edge models of the plate-mantle system with the global rock record. The intended outcome is to understand relationships between mantle convection, the behav ....From Snowball Earth to Animals: the Influence of Mantle Dynamics. This project aims to investigate how solid Earth processes contributed to ‘Snowball Earth’ events around 700 million years ago and to the explosion of complex life 540 million years ago, which will shed light on our origin as a species. The approach consists of merging cutting-edge models of the plate-mantle system with the global rock record. The intended outcome is to understand relationships between mantle convection, the behaviour of the magnetic field, global sea levels, continental-scale topography, and the composition of the ocean and atmosphere. Expected significant benefits include building capacity in Earth Sciences and the development of new models that can be used to explore the mineral endowment of the Australian crust.Read moreRead less
Modelling human perceptual-motor interaction for human-machine applications. This project aims to develop a new modelling framework for identifying the perceptual-motor processes that underlie cooperative and competitive human interaction. The project will also determine whether this modelling framework can be combined with modern machine-learning methods to develop artificial agents capable of human level performance. Expected outcomes will include a practical methodology for rapidly generating ....Modelling human perceptual-motor interaction for human-machine applications. This project aims to develop a new modelling framework for identifying the perceptual-motor processes that underlie cooperative and competitive human interaction. The project will also determine whether this modelling framework can be combined with modern machine-learning methods to develop artificial agents capable of human level performance. Expected outcomes will include a practical methodology for rapidly generating models of effective human interaction that can be easily implemented in human-machine systems. This will provide a richer understanding of the fundamental perceptual-motor processes that support robust human interaction and enhanced the effectiveness of human-machine collaboration and training technologies.Read moreRead less
Controllable synthesis of multifunctional boron-based 2D materials. This project aims to make it possible to control the synthesis of boron-based two-dimensional (2D) materials with the desired following features in single or multiple aspects: thickness, composition, lateral sizes, porosity, surface area, and functionality. It intends to do so by designing and synthesising novel precursors, and by optimising the fabrication process of boron-based 2D nanosheets for different applications. The pro ....Controllable synthesis of multifunctional boron-based 2D materials. This project aims to make it possible to control the synthesis of boron-based two-dimensional (2D) materials with the desired following features in single or multiple aspects: thickness, composition, lateral sizes, porosity, surface area, and functionality. It intends to do so by designing and synthesising novel precursors, and by optimising the fabrication process of boron-based 2D nanosheets for different applications. The project will advance our fundamental knowledge in synthetic chemistry, materials chemistry, materials engineering and physics. It is expected to take us closer to unlocking the potential of boron-based 2D materials for real-world applications in, for example, energy storage and high-performance flexible electronics.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
Interactive learning for robots in human environments. This project aims to develop robots that can interact with and learn from humans to quickly and safely learn new skills. Recent advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are poised to transform our economy, workplaces and homes, and even the organisation of society, however these advances are limited by robots’ inability to learn and adapt in uncertain environments. The outcomes of this project are expected to include new validated me ....Interactive learning for robots in human environments. This project aims to develop robots that can interact with and learn from humans to quickly and safely learn new skills. Recent advances in robotics and artificial intelligence are poised to transform our economy, workplaces and homes, and even the organisation of society, however these advances are limited by robots’ inability to learn and adapt in uncertain environments. The outcomes of this project are expected to include new validated methods and frameworks to enable robots to be used by non-experts and to be quickly deployed in a variety of settings. This is anticipated to provide transformative benefits, improving safety and productivity in the workspace, and enabling improved comfort, convenience and quality of life in the home.Read moreRead less
Peptides and Proteins for Fighting Pests and Protecting the Environment. This project aims to use peptides and proteins to fight pests and protect the environment, which is significant because current practices have unintended harmful effects and are unsustainable. Achieving these aims must first involve scientific development of ecofriendly lead molecules. This project will develop platform technologies for the design of bioactive peptides or proteins based on molecules used naturally for highl ....Peptides and Proteins for Fighting Pests and Protecting the Environment. This project aims to use peptides and proteins to fight pests and protect the environment, which is significant because current practices have unintended harmful effects and are unsustainable. Achieving these aims must first involve scientific development of ecofriendly lead molecules. This project will develop platform technologies for the design of bioactive peptides or proteins based on molecules used naturally for highly selective functions in communication and defence. Expected outcomes include novel peptide and protein leads and improved strategies for developing them, which will lead to new and safer ways of protecting biodiversity and food security that are expected to reduce our environmental footprint and bring economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Improving disease resilience in ecosystems using synthetic biology. This project aims to use the latest methods in synthetic biology to conserve species threatened by disease, through characterising and enhancing immunity. Emerging infectious diseases are a major threat to ecosystems and new methodologies are needed to fight them. Chytridiomycosis is the most devastating disease of vertebrates, causing population declines in over 200 amphibian species worldwide. The expected outcomes of the proj ....Improving disease resilience in ecosystems using synthetic biology. This project aims to use the latest methods in synthetic biology to conserve species threatened by disease, through characterising and enhancing immunity. Emerging infectious diseases are a major threat to ecosystems and new methodologies are needed to fight them. Chytridiomycosis is the most devastating disease of vertebrates, causing population declines in over 200 amphibian species worldwide. The expected outcomes of the project are improved understanding and increased immunity of frogs to chytridiomycosis and restoration of frogs into the environment. The project will demonstrate the usefulness of synthetic biology to tackle disease and preserve biodiversity in the landscape for similarly threatened wildlife in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Why certain viruses don't get along in mosquitoes. The molecular mechanism. The overall goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how certain insect-only viruses make mosquitoes incapable of transmitting diseases. These viruses, called insect-specific flaviviruses, can be employed as biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne human and veterinary diseases. However as it is currently unknown how exactly they affect mosquitoes, the safety and efficacy of their use can't be predicted. The pro ....Why certain viruses don't get along in mosquitoes. The molecular mechanism. The overall goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how certain insect-only viruses make mosquitoes incapable of transmitting diseases. These viruses, called insect-specific flaviviruses, can be employed as biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne human and veterinary diseases. However as it is currently unknown how exactly they affect mosquitoes, the safety and efficacy of their use can't be predicted. The proposed project will dissect the very intricate mechanisms of interactions between insect-specific flaviviruses and mosquitoes and explain how exactly they prevent disease transmission. It should generate novel fundamental knowledge, implement innovative methodologies and provide training for students and junior scientist. Read moreRead less