Meta-microscopy of insect tissue: How nature grows bicontinuous nanosolids. Several butterfly species grow a complex nano-sculptured matrix whose chiral network structure confers remarkable optical properties, including jewel-like reflections. The formation process remains mysterious and a spectacular case of bottom-up self-assembly at far larger scales than accessible in the lab. The project aims to decipher this process, by (a) tomography of a species where arrested growth sites represent time ....Meta-microscopy of insect tissue: How nature grows bicontinuous nanosolids. Several butterfly species grow a complex nano-sculptured matrix whose chiral network structure confers remarkable optical properties, including jewel-like reflections. The formation process remains mysterious and a spectacular case of bottom-up self-assembly at far larger scales than accessible in the lab. The project aims to decipher this process, by (a) tomography of a species where arrested growth sites represent time-frozen snapshots of the development, and (b) by a combination of micron-resolved in-vivo microscopy of a developing butterfly wing with a growth model to infer nanometer-scale information. This insight will lead to blueprints for self-assembly strategies and shed light on function and form of inner-cellular membranes. Read moreRead less
Unlocking the potential of magnetic 2D materials with quantum microscopy. This project aims to create a universal, high-throughput platform to characterise magnetic 2D materials, by exploiting recently developed quantum diamond microscopy. It will enable the measurement of hitherto inaccessible magnetic properties of individual 2D microsheets, the imaging of device-relevant phenomena such as domain wall dynamics and skyrmionics, and the systematic screening of newly synthesised materials. Antici ....Unlocking the potential of magnetic 2D materials with quantum microscopy. This project aims to create a universal, high-throughput platform to characterise magnetic 2D materials, by exploiting recently developed quantum diamond microscopy. It will enable the measurement of hitherto inaccessible magnetic properties of individual 2D microsheets, the imaging of device-relevant phenomena such as domain wall dynamics and skyrmionics, and the systematic screening of newly synthesised materials. Anticipated outcomes include crucial new insights into 2D magnetism and the discovery of magnetic 2D materials compatible with real-world conditions. This should accelerate the development of future energy-efficient and flexible electronics and memory technologies, where magnetic 2D materials are expected to play a key role.
Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100739
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,958.00
Summary
Deterministic coherent diffractive imaging for the nanosciences. The technological trend towards nanoscale device fabrication demands picoscale measurements which will only be possible with the development of novel and advanced imaging techniques. This project will develop and implement cutting edge approaches to lensless imaging using both electrons and x-rays and will enable real-time imaging at the picoscale.
A portable sensor for explosives. The National Research priority, safeguarding Australia, recognises that there is a real threat of terrorism and the need to protect Australians at home and abroad. Although there is often talk of dirty bombs, and biological and nuclear terrorism, the most easily sourced weapon of the terrorist is still the conventional explosive. The ability to detect trace amounts of explosives is therefore required. This means that there is a real need for a portable detection ....A portable sensor for explosives. The National Research priority, safeguarding Australia, recognises that there is a real threat of terrorism and the need to protect Australians at home and abroad. Although there is often talk of dirty bombs, and biological and nuclear terrorism, the most easily sourced weapon of the terrorist is still the conventional explosive. The ability to detect trace amounts of explosives is therefore required. This means that there is a real need for a portable detection system with the ability to reliably sense a specific explosive selectively at low concentrations. This project concerns the development of a new handheld sensor that has the potential to increase the nation's security.Read moreRead less
Nanoscale field mapping in functional materials. This project aims to develop tools to map electric and magnetic fields within matter on smaller-length scales than has previously been possible. Such fields are used for encoding information in data storage microelectronic devices. Since the world now generates more data than it can store, the search is on for new technologies to improve storage capacity and energy efficiency by encoding information at the smallest possible length scales. It is an ....Nanoscale field mapping in functional materials. This project aims to develop tools to map electric and magnetic fields within matter on smaller-length scales than has previously been possible. Such fields are used for encoding information in data storage microelectronic devices. Since the world now generates more data than it can store, the search is on for new technologies to improve storage capacity and energy efficiency by encoding information at the smallest possible length scales. It is anticipated that the new characterisation techniques resulting from this project will enable academic and industrial researchers working on the next generation of data storage technology to solve problems they could not otherwise solve.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and Platforms for Acoustomicrofluidic Intracellular Delivery . This project aims to advance a novel platform to facilitate faster and more effective molecular transport into cells as a means for enhancing cell engineering. Besides elucidating the fundamental physicochemical and biological mechanisms underpinning this new method of intracellular transport through a combination of theoretical modelling and advanced imaging and neutron diffraction, the project aims to show the scalabilit ....Mechanisms and Platforms for Acoustomicrofluidic Intracellular Delivery . This project aims to advance a novel platform to facilitate faster and more effective molecular transport into cells as a means for enhancing cell engineering. Besides elucidating the fundamental physicochemical and biological mechanisms underpinning this new method of intracellular transport through a combination of theoretical modelling and advanced imaging and neutron diffraction, the project aims to show the scalability of the technology for high throughput processing to handle the large cell numbers typically required for doses to be effective in practice. Given recent breakthroughs in cell therapies, it is expected that translation of the technology in the longer term will improve treatments for cancer and other infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Biocompatible Electro-Ionic Signal Transduction. Bioelectronics is a new frontier field concerned with integrating electrical control systems and biological entities for applications such as in-situ bio-monitoring and cellular-level control and interrogation of tissue. Electrical signals in biology are mostly carried by ion currents, whilst conventional electronics rely on electrons. This project addresses the critical challenge of bioelectronics; the development of biocompatible electrical inte ....Biocompatible Electro-Ionic Signal Transduction. Bioelectronics is a new frontier field concerned with integrating electrical control systems and biological entities for applications such as in-situ bio-monitoring and cellular-level control and interrogation of tissue. Electrical signals in biology are mostly carried by ion currents, whilst conventional electronics rely on electrons. This project addresses the critical challenge of bioelectronics; the development of biocompatible electrical interfaces capable of transducing ion-and-electron currents. This project will specifically study the complex transport physics of conducting biomacromolecules and develop new interface devices, with an ultimate goal is to create a simple and generic transducing element for cellular-level electrical communication. Read moreRead less
Theoretical foundations of dynamic surface forces. Australian scientists are current world leaders in developing novel materials for biomedical and industrial applications. This project will create the key theoretical framework to interpret experimental measurements and will be vital in ensuring that our scientific endeavour in novel materials maintains its current world leadership position.
Enabling semiconductor nanowire technologies via 3D atomic-scale insight. Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are nanotechnology building blocks that have the potential to transform solar cells, light emitting diodes, lasers and transistors, creating new industries in communications, energy and healthcare. The industrial development of NWs has been blocked by uncertainties in the relationships between their growth conditions, properties and atomic-scale structure. This project will address this chall ....Enabling semiconductor nanowire technologies via 3D atomic-scale insight. Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are nanotechnology building blocks that have the potential to transform solar cells, light emitting diodes, lasers and transistors, creating new industries in communications, energy and healthcare. The industrial development of NWs has been blocked by uncertainties in the relationships between their growth conditions, properties and atomic-scale structure. This project will address this challenge by establishing a rigorous framework for these relationships. The project aims to achieve this by harnessing the unique power of atom probe microscopy to reveal the NW structure in three dimensions, and at atomic-resolution. The project aims to place Australian research at the frontier of development of these future industries.Read moreRead less
Making every electron count in atomic resolution microscopy. The development of aberration-corrected electron microscopy, which allows individual atom imaging with unprecedented precision, was recognised by the 2011 Wolf Prize in Physics. However, only a very limited amount of the wealth of information obtainable from such microscopes is currently exploited. By collecting a maximal data set of electrons scattered in manifold different ways and using the fundamental theory of electron-specimen in ....Making every electron count in atomic resolution microscopy. The development of aberration-corrected electron microscopy, which allows individual atom imaging with unprecedented precision, was recognised by the 2011 Wolf Prize in Physics. However, only a very limited amount of the wealth of information obtainable from such microscopes is currently exploited. By collecting a maximal data set of electrons scattered in manifold different ways and using the fundamental theory of electron-specimen interaction, this project will realise the huge potential of this untapped data. This will improve the utility of scanning transmission electron microscopy far beyond its current level. Applying these new techniques will expand our understanding of the structure and function of advanced materials.Read moreRead less