Elucidating the mechanics of facet dislocation and fracture in the neck. This project aims to address shortcomings in understanding the mechanics of neck trauma. Understanding the mechanical factors leading to cervical facet dislocation and fracture is necessary to improve injury prevention strategies and their assessment. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of spinal injury biomechanics, developing and using new experimental techniques. The project expects to provide know ....Elucidating the mechanics of facet dislocation and fracture in the neck. This project aims to address shortcomings in understanding the mechanics of neck trauma. Understanding the mechanical factors leading to cervical facet dislocation and fracture is necessary to improve injury prevention strategies and their assessment. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of spinal injury biomechanics, developing and using new experimental techniques. The project expects to provide knowledge necessary to improve crash test dummy design, associated injury criteria, and computational models, which provide the potential for improved injury prevention measures and methods for assessing existing and new technologies. The anticipated benefits of this project will be significant in reducing the personal and economic burden of spinal injuries.Read moreRead less
Designing functional biomaterials with superior cellular interactions. This proposal aims to make a new class of biomaterials that direct important cellular functions such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This will be achieved by developing materials that leverage a previously unexplored mechanism that was recently identified in my lab: the co-engagement of integrin and syndecan-4 cell receptors. We will use these biomaterials to 1) fabricate 3D printed tissue engineering scaffo ....Designing functional biomaterials with superior cellular interactions. This proposal aims to make a new class of biomaterials that direct important cellular functions such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. This will be achieved by developing materials that leverage a previously unexplored mechanism that was recently identified in my lab: the co-engagement of integrin and syndecan-4 cell receptors. We will use these biomaterials to 1) fabricate 3D printed tissue engineering scaffolds with a superior ability to promote the development of new tissue, and 2) create surfaces that will enable us to answer fundamental scientific questions regarding cell adhesion and cell/material interactions.Read moreRead less
How do mechanics, neural drive and muscle architecture interact in muscles? This project will determine how an individual person’s muscle activity, muscle structure and mechanical properties, and the local mechanical conditions around the muscle interact as muscles move and deform, by using experiments and personalised computational models that can examine these factors and their interactions concurrently. To achieve this, we will develop novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to measure the m ....How do mechanics, neural drive and muscle architecture interact in muscles? This project will determine how an individual person’s muscle activity, muscle structure and mechanical properties, and the local mechanical conditions around the muscle interact as muscles move and deform, by using experiments and personalised computational models that can examine these factors and their interactions concurrently. To achieve this, we will develop novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to measure the mechanical properties of muscles in humans and methods for modelling muscles. As well as answering fundamental scientific questions about muscle function, these new techniques will provide a platform for studying other muscles, and for future development of muscle training methods and technologies to optimise muscle function.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100757
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,654.00
Summary
Engineering Tissue Organisation Using Intelligent Additive Biomanufacturing. This project aims to organize and shape the formation of lab-grown tissue by 3D printing structures which control the behaviour of cells. This cell behaviour control will be accomplished through an interdisciplinary and multiscale pipeline of additive micromanufacturing, bioreactor engineering, cell culture, single-cell imaging, and computational modelling. In contrast with current empirical approaches, this quantitativ ....Engineering Tissue Organisation Using Intelligent Additive Biomanufacturing. This project aims to organize and shape the formation of lab-grown tissue by 3D printing structures which control the behaviour of cells. This cell behaviour control will be accomplished through an interdisciplinary and multiscale pipeline of additive micromanufacturing, bioreactor engineering, cell culture, single-cell imaging, and computational modelling. In contrast with current empirical approaches, this quantitative and predictive understanding of how to control biological processes within 3D printed environments will design and engineer more robust, customisable, scalable, and economical cell culture platforms able to optimally manufacture bespoke and complex 3D tissues for future agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical products.Read moreRead less
A Multi-Optrode Array for Closed-Loop Bionics. We will design, implement and characterise a disruptive multi-channel optrode array (MOA) to record and stimulate excitable living tissue. The MOA will be a combination of individual optical electrodes (optrodes) that either comprise a new class of liquid crystals, used to passively sense extracellular biopotentials, or microphotovoltaic cells that will be used for electrical stimulation of excitable tissue. By employing light for communication with ....A Multi-Optrode Array for Closed-Loop Bionics. We will design, implement and characterise a disruptive multi-channel optrode array (MOA) to record and stimulate excitable living tissue. The MOA will be a combination of individual optical electrodes (optrodes) that either comprise a new class of liquid crystals, used to passively sense extracellular biopotentials, or microphotovoltaic cells that will be used for electrical stimulation of excitable tissue. By employing light for communication with optrodes, this new approach alleviates many of the wiring, packaging and encapsulation issues associated with existing devices. Computational modelling and in vitro testing in cardiac tissue and retinal neurons will demonstrate the utility of the MOA to sense and control electrical activity.Read moreRead less
Non-invasive and safe human-machine interface (HMI) systems . This project aims to establish novel non-invasive human-machine interface systems based on multi-modal sensing and machine learning to intuitively command and control robotic and autonomous systems safely interacting and cooperating with humans. This will be achieved by harnessing the synergies across design optimisation, multi-modal sensing, additive manufacturing, machine learning, and assistive and cooperative robotic devices. Expe ....Non-invasive and safe human-machine interface (HMI) systems . This project aims to establish novel non-invasive human-machine interface systems based on multi-modal sensing and machine learning to intuitively command and control robotic and autonomous systems safely interacting and cooperating with humans. This will be achieved by harnessing the synergies across design optimisation, multi-modal sensing, additive manufacturing, machine learning, and assistive and cooperative robotic devices. Expected outcomes are a novel human-machine interface methodology, a new multi-purpose wearable data glove, and function and application-specific machine learning methods for cutting-edge applications in assistive robotic devices such as a prosthetic hand, advanced manufacturing, construction and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Photoreversible hydrogels to study stem cell memory and fate. This project will develop materials whose stiffness can be reversibly increased and decreased by the simple application of light, and use these to build knowledge of how stem cell fate is regulated. The influence of mechanical cues on the structure and organisation of the nucleus will be determined. Expected outcomes are new synthetic and light-reversible culture materials, and fundamental insights into how forces change the nucleus t ....Photoreversible hydrogels to study stem cell memory and fate. This project will develop materials whose stiffness can be reversibly increased and decreased by the simple application of light, and use these to build knowledge of how stem cell fate is regulated. The influence of mechanical cues on the structure and organisation of the nucleus will be determined. Expected outcomes are new synthetic and light-reversible culture materials, and fundamental insights into how forces change the nucleus to alter stem cell aging and fate. The findings will provide critical information required for the future development of assays to measure cell potency and instructive biomaterials to drive stem cell expansion and tissue-regeneration and will have impact by underpinning future advances in stem cell technologies.Read moreRead less
Bioelectronics: addressing the biointerface challenge. This project aims to develop bioelectronic materials with long operational stability in physiological conditions and enhanced electronic performance that will effectively interface with electroresponsive tissue. These new materials will be integrated into bioadhesives from which simple bioelectronics devices will be fabricated and assessed for their capability to modulate biosignals and to interact with tissue. Disruption in biosignals cause ....Bioelectronics: addressing the biointerface challenge. This project aims to develop bioelectronic materials with long operational stability in physiological conditions and enhanced electronic performance that will effectively interface with electroresponsive tissue. These new materials will be integrated into bioadhesives from which simple bioelectronics devices will be fabricated and assessed for their capability to modulate biosignals and to interact with tissue. Disruption in biosignals causes numerous medical conditions such as epilepsy and heart failure and the development of flexible and biocompatible medical electronics devices that interface with tissue is essential for regaining and modulating these signals.Read moreRead less
Microstructural-Functional Effect of Silver Diammine Fluoride on Apatites. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding at the nanostructural level of the factors that contribute to the enhanced mineralisation and mechanical properties of dentine and enamel following the treatment with silver diammine fluoride (SDF). A variety of advanced nanomechanical, tomographic and microscopic techniques will be used to characterise sound, carious and SDF treated tissue. The new biomechanical ev ....Microstructural-Functional Effect of Silver Diammine Fluoride on Apatites. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding at the nanostructural level of the factors that contribute to the enhanced mineralisation and mechanical properties of dentine and enamel following the treatment with silver diammine fluoride (SDF). A variety of advanced nanomechanical, tomographic and microscopic techniques will be used to characterise sound, carious and SDF treated tissue. The new biomechanical evidence on the underlying mechanisms, alternative protocols, delivery systems enable to optimise the treatment. The scientific insights into arresting/repairing damage processes will provide critical data for developing minimal intervention protocols for pediatric and geriatric populations.Read moreRead less
In-vivo functional imaging of cone photoreceptors and ganglion cell axons. Can we project a movie on a human retina, and measure the response of photoreceptor cells and connected nerve tissue? This project aims to investigate a new method for visualization of the quickest responses in human cone photoreceptors and nerve cells after a visible stimulus. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of the origins of responses to a stimulus and how cells in the retina communicate ....In-vivo functional imaging of cone photoreceptors and ganglion cell axons. Can we project a movie on a human retina, and measure the response of photoreceptor cells and connected nerve tissue? This project aims to investigate a new method for visualization of the quickest responses in human cone photoreceptors and nerve cells after a visible stimulus. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of the origins of responses to a stimulus and how cells in the retina communicate. The scientific results will be helpful in a better understanding of the development of vision in the infant eye, to study peripheral vision in elite athletes and to quantify performance of virtual reality equipment for the military. The IP on the technology can be licensed or used for start-up company.Read moreRead less