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
From individuals to mass organisation: aggregation, synchronisation and collective movement in locusts. By combining field biology, robotics and mathematics, this project will determine how animals flock or swarm and, in particular, how locust nymphs control their collective movement over their lifetime. The mathematical models derived during the project will be directly applied to controlling outbreaks of locusts in Australia, South and North Africa.
Computational enzymology: exploring the free energy landscape of enzymatic catalysis. Most biochemical reactions depend on enzyme catalysis and understanding how enzymes work at the molecular level remains a central question. This project will develop a suite of computational models to study the mechanisms of enzyme-catalysed reactions and such knowledge holds promise for technological benefits in the form of new drugs and novel catalysts.
Structural and functional chacterisation of Acot7 in macrophages and its role in inflammation. This project will develop better understanding of the cellular pathways that mediate inflammation and will provide detailed information on a specific enzyme that produces arachidonic acid, the precursor to many inflammatory molecules, and characterisation of novel inhibitory binding sites.
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of dual function transporter/channels. This project aims to understand how a membrane protein that transports chemical messengers in the brain functions and how it is influenced by the membrane in which it is embedded. Cells from all life forms have a lipid membrane that separates them from their external environment. These membranes contain proteins that control the movements of molecules into and out of cells and are vital for a plethora of physiological pr ....Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of dual function transporter/channels. This project aims to understand how a membrane protein that transports chemical messengers in the brain functions and how it is influenced by the membrane in which it is embedded. Cells from all life forms have a lipid membrane that separates them from their external environment. These membranes contain proteins that control the movements of molecules into and out of cells and are vital for a plethora of physiological processes including cell-to-cell communication. The outcomes of this study will include new knowledge of this process and chemical modifiers of this transport protein. This project will benefit structural biology and biophysics training and may lead to the development of novel compounds that can be used to explore function. Read moreRead less
The mechanical and electrical behaviour of boron nitride nanotubes: Insight from in-situ transmission electron microscopy investigation. Boron nitride nanotubes are an emerging class of inorganic nanotubes with insulating property, exceptional thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, and superior mechanical properties including ultrahigh strength and elastic modulus which are not possible in conventional materials. This project aims to apply state-of-the-art in-situ transmission electron mi ....The mechanical and electrical behaviour of boron nitride nanotubes: Insight from in-situ transmission electron microscopy investigation. Boron nitride nanotubes are an emerging class of inorganic nanotubes with insulating property, exceptional thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, and superior mechanical properties including ultrahigh strength and elastic modulus which are not possible in conventional materials. This project aims to apply state-of-the-art in-situ transmission electron microscopy techniques to explore the dependence of mechanical properties on size, morphology and structure of boron nitride nanotubes and the effect of mechanical strain on electrical properties, which will provide opportunities for composite materials reinforcement via nanotubes, and tune the electronic and optoelectronic properties of nanotubes via strain engineering.Read moreRead less
Mechanics of micro/nanoscale multilayers: theories and applications. The purpose of the project is to develop novel theoretical models, advanced numerical techniques and guidelines for the design and application of micro/nanoscale multilayers. The expected outcomes are fundamental contributions to the knowledge base of micro/nanoscale multilayered materials which are increasingly used in micro/nanotechnology.
The effect of structure and size on the mechanical behaviour of III-V semiconductor nanowires. The project aims to apply in-situ deformation transmission electron microscopy to investigate the mechanical behaviour of compound semiconductor nanowires and the effect of structure and geometry on the behaviour. The results will uncover the fundamental mechanical properties of nanowires and will guide the design of nanowire-based devices.
Sustainability in Computing: A Holistic View. Green computing must provide sustainable processing capabilities with high energy efficiency (lower carbon footprint) and increased product longevity (reducing the need for product replacement). While advances in technology have afforded significant reduction in power requirements, they come with inherent challenges due to uncertainties in micro-scale behaviour, high complexity of quantifying/optimising energy cost or system lifetime in extreme scale ....Sustainability in Computing: A Holistic View. Green computing must provide sustainable processing capabilities with high energy efficiency (lower carbon footprint) and increased product longevity (reducing the need for product replacement). While advances in technology have afforded significant reduction in power requirements, they come with inherent challenges due to uncertainties in micro-scale behaviour, high complexity of quantifying/optimising energy cost or system lifetime in extreme scale computing, and the interaction of non-computing components with individual computing systems. This project addresses these challenges via a holistic, multi-scale paradigm for modelling, analysis, and optimisation of energy cost, carbon footprint, and product lifetime in emerging computing systems.Read moreRead less