Defining the Molecular Targets of Evolution. With significant advances in next-generation sequencing technologies we now have the genomes of hundreds vertebrate species, but understanding how the differences and similarities within these genomes control species diversity is largely unknown. The similarity in skull shape between the thylacine and dogs coupled with their deep ancestry, having last shared a common ancestor over 160 million years ago, provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine ....Defining the Molecular Targets of Evolution. With significant advances in next-generation sequencing technologies we now have the genomes of hundreds vertebrate species, but understanding how the differences and similarities within these genomes control species diversity is largely unknown. The similarity in skull shape between the thylacine and dogs coupled with their deep ancestry, having last shared a common ancestor over 160 million years ago, provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine how evolution works at the DNA level. This proposal will determine if animals that develop identical skull shapes, also show identical changes in their DNA. The findings will define new developmental genes and explain how selection, adaptation and evolution works at the DNA level. Read moreRead less
Programming soft plasmene nanosheets with living RAFT functional polymers. This project aims to use recently discovered plasmene to demonstrate programmable materials properties using living RAFT polymeric ligands. Plasmene is free-standing, one-particle-thick, superlattice sheets of plasmonic nanoparticles. It represents a conceptually new class of two-dimensional metamaterials with broad applications in energy, environment, sensors and optoelectronic devices. This project expects to generate n ....Programming soft plasmene nanosheets with living RAFT functional polymers. This project aims to use recently discovered plasmene to demonstrate programmable materials properties using living RAFT polymeric ligands. Plasmene is free-standing, one-particle-thick, superlattice sheets of plasmonic nanoparticles. It represents a conceptually new class of two-dimensional metamaterials with broad applications in energy, environment, sensors and optoelectronic devices. This project expects to generate new knowledge and patentable technologies, and advance Australian worldwide standing in the field of nanotechnology and polymer science.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
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
Developing Multi-Scale Technologies for Two-Dimensional Metal Nanoparticle Superlattice Sheets. Nanoparticle superlattices refer to highly ordered nanoparticle arrays, which are a new class of crystalline materials with collective properties different from those of bulk phase crystals, isolated nanocrystals and even disordered nanocrystal assemblies. However nanoparticle superlattice is still in the embryonic stage of development due to the lack of multiscale technologies. This project aims to d ....Developing Multi-Scale Technologies for Two-Dimensional Metal Nanoparticle Superlattice Sheets. Nanoparticle superlattices refer to highly ordered nanoparticle arrays, which are a new class of crystalline materials with collective properties different from those of bulk phase crystals, isolated nanocrystals and even disordered nanocrystal assemblies. However nanoparticle superlattice is still in the embryonic stage of development due to the lack of multiscale technologies. This project aims to develop such important technologies to produce two-dimensional nanoparticle superlattice sheets for novel energy-harvesting devices. This will generate new knowledge and important patentable technologies for future energy industries, contributing to further advance Australian knowledge base and build a greener world.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
The great divergence, long-run growth and unified theories of economic growth. This project investigates why income has been close to subsistence levels for most of human history, and in particular, the factors that were responsible for take-off in Europe two centuries ago and then later in other countries. It is expected that both major and minor technological innovations have played a critical role in take-off.
Growth, IQ, diseases, and the great demographic transition. This project investigates firstly whether poor health and malnutrition among young children was a cause of severe cognitive impairment in the pre-industrialised West and in developing countries today, and secondly whether this has been a major factor behind the large disparities in income and growth over the 150 years since industrialisation.
Thermally conductive materials from boron nitride nanosheets. This project aims to produce novel two-dimensional nanomaterials, in the form of functionalised boron nitride nanosheets and investigate their chemical, thermal and mechanical properties. The project expects to design and develop unique boron nitride nanosheets with targeted thermally conductive and electrically insulating properties, to address the critical technological problem of heat management in electronic devices. The resulting ....Thermally conductive materials from boron nitride nanosheets. This project aims to produce novel two-dimensional nanomaterials, in the form of functionalised boron nitride nanosheets and investigate their chemical, thermal and mechanical properties. The project expects to design and develop unique boron nitride nanosheets with targeted thermally conductive and electrically insulating properties, to address the critical technological problem of heat management in electronic devices. The resulting new nanoscience and ground breaking design and processing techniques will have the capacity to address the current technical obstacles which are preventing further development of fast and smaller electronic devices.Read moreRead less