Deciphering interactions of conducting polymers in agricultural soils. The project aims to improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and yield by advancing the understanding of polymer materials interacting with fertiliser. This project will test the key assumptions behind a new sensor for real-time in-ground monitoring of fertiliser. The expected outcome from this is the rapid synthesis of conducting polymers for stable sensing of fertiliser in a range of soil types and conditions. This sho ....Deciphering interactions of conducting polymers in agricultural soils. The project aims to improve agricultural efficiency, productivity and yield by advancing the understanding of polymer materials interacting with fertiliser. This project will test the key assumptions behind a new sensor for real-time in-ground monitoring of fertiliser. The expected outcome from this is the rapid synthesis of conducting polymers for stable sensing of fertiliser in a range of soil types and conditions. This should provide the pathway to a world first real-time in-ground fertiliser sensor, providing benefit for the sensor manufacturers, farmers, consumers and the environment.Read moreRead less
High-load powder dispersion and aerosol delivery: an integrated approach. This project aims to develop a novel design toolbox that can accurately predict dispersion performance of a range of powder systems for high-dose inhaler devices. The project expects to provide the pharmaceutical industry with a cornerstone technology to facilitate the design and optimisation of new powder delivery devices. Outcomes are expected to include new knowledge on powder dispersion behaviour that can be applied to ....High-load powder dispersion and aerosol delivery: an integrated approach. This project aims to develop a novel design toolbox that can accurately predict dispersion performance of a range of powder systems for high-dose inhaler devices. The project expects to provide the pharmaceutical industry with a cornerstone technology to facilitate the design and optimisation of new powder delivery devices. Outcomes are expected to include new knowledge on powder dispersion behaviour that can be applied to various industry sectors, including the environmental, bulk chemical and food industries where the majority of products are in powder form. This knowledge will provide significant benefits to industry through provision of a toolkit that can be used to improve final powder-based product quality.Read moreRead less
A novel approach for the real-time measurement of aerosol surface area. This project aims to develop an innovative optical tomography technology capable of direct and real-time measurement of the surface area of airborne particles. By coupling advanced laser diagnostic tools with physiological models and in vitro characterisation techniques, this project will determine the hitherto unknown fundamental and critical relationships between the surface area of an aerosol and its dissolution when deli ....A novel approach for the real-time measurement of aerosol surface area. This project aims to develop an innovative optical tomography technology capable of direct and real-time measurement of the surface area of airborne particles. By coupling advanced laser diagnostic tools with physiological models and in vitro characterisation techniques, this project will determine the hitherto unknown fundamental and critical relationships between the surface area of an aerosol and its dissolution when delivered to a target. The Project’s outcomes will enable aerosol device manufacturers to develop and market significantly more advanced and highly specific products, thus conferring a competitive advantage.Read moreRead less
The worlds next door: terrestrial exoplanets with the TOLIMAN space mission. This project aims to to explore our nearest neighbour star system, Alpha Centauri, for the first time probing for exoplanets with physical characteristics that resemble those of Earth. The finding of any such world, with the potential to support a biosphere like our own and lying only 4 light-years away, would profoundly alter our view of our place in the universe. The primary outcome of this project will be the design, ....The worlds next door: terrestrial exoplanets with the TOLIMAN space mission. This project aims to to explore our nearest neighbour star system, Alpha Centauri, for the first time probing for exoplanets with physical characteristics that resemble those of Earth. The finding of any such world, with the potential to support a biosphere like our own and lying only 4 light-years away, would profoundly alter our view of our place in the universe. The primary outcome of this project will be the design, construction, launch and operation of a novel and innovative space telescope: the TOLIMAN mission. This profoundly benefits the Australian space and university sectors, partnering them with international agencies to deliver marquee science with global impact: the search for our first stepping stone to interstellar space.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the mechanics of particle deposition at the micro-scale. This project aims to discover the mechanisms responsible for the interactions between aerosol particles and surfaces in a range of air flow conditions. The project expects to transform our understanding of particle deposition through a combination of novel laser-based diagnostic techniques, optical coherence tomography, and state of the art particle formulation methodologies. Expected outcomes of the project include delivery of ....Unravelling the mechanics of particle deposition at the micro-scale. This project aims to discover the mechanisms responsible for the interactions between aerosol particles and surfaces in a range of air flow conditions. The project expects to transform our understanding of particle deposition through a combination of novel laser-based diagnostic techniques, optical coherence tomography, and state of the art particle formulation methodologies. Expected outcomes of the project include delivery of new methods to optimise particle deposition, development of tunable powder formulations, as well as definition of particle-surface interaction mechanisms in flows. The project should provide significant benefits to particle systems for applications ranging from additive manufacturing to aerosol delivery.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100205
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$433,000.00
Summary
Engineering micropatterned surfaces for cell mechanics and mechanobiology. This project aims to engineer a highly versatile micropatterned surface that can be used to culture and study cells. This project expects to generate a unique microtechnology, as well as new knowledge in surface science and cell mechanics by elucidating the relationship between controlled surface wettability and cell behaviour. The expected outcomes of this project include a low-cost and highly engineered tissue culture t ....Engineering micropatterned surfaces for cell mechanics and mechanobiology. This project aims to engineer a highly versatile micropatterned surface that can be used to culture and study cells. This project expects to generate a unique microtechnology, as well as new knowledge in surface science and cell mechanics by elucidating the relationship between controlled surface wettability and cell behaviour. The expected outcomes of this project include a low-cost and highly engineered tissue culture tool that controls cellular functions, revolutionising practices in stem cell engineering. The platform technology has a great potential for commercialisation and enhancing Australian research capacity through international and interdisciplinary collaborations and will directly benefit the Australian biotech industry.Read moreRead less
Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability t ....Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability through the convergence of expertise and innovation in analytical chemistry, materials science and cellular biology, ultilising the latest technology and understanding of 3D micro/electrofluidics, to enable the study and stimulation of advanced biological models, sustained within precisely controlled 3D micro-environments.Read moreRead less
Nanoengineering of Biomaterial Surfaces to Tailor Innate Immune Responses. The overarching aim of this project is to provide a mechanistic understanding of how surface nanotopography affects inflammatory responses. Recently, we showed that surface nanotopography induced conformational changes in adsorbed proteins can activate or deactivate immune cells. These exciting findings are important because they show that it may be possible to engineer the nanotopography of a biomedical device surface in ....Nanoengineering of Biomaterial Surfaces to Tailor Innate Immune Responses. The overarching aim of this project is to provide a mechanistic understanding of how surface nanotopography affects inflammatory responses. Recently, we showed that surface nanotopography induced conformational changes in adsorbed proteins can activate or deactivate immune cells. These exciting findings are important because they show that it may be possible to engineer the nanotopography of a biomedical device surface in a manner which leads to a desired and predictable level of inflammation. The outcomes of the project will create new fundamental knowledge that in the future can instruct the development of the next generation of biomaterials capable of controlling and directing the body’s inflammatory responses.Read moreRead less
Lunar crustal structure from high-res gravity, topography, and seismic data. This project aims to improve our knowledge of the Moon, including its surface processes, interior structure, modification by geological processes and creation and evolution. The Moon preserves the longest and cleanest records of surface geology in the Solar System’s history, unlike the Earth. The lunar crust should exhibit strong heterogeneity in density (both porosity and composition) given its complex history of impac ....Lunar crustal structure from high-res gravity, topography, and seismic data. This project aims to improve our knowledge of the Moon, including its surface processes, interior structure, modification by geological processes and creation and evolution. The Moon preserves the longest and cleanest records of surface geology in the Solar System’s history, unlike the Earth. The lunar crust should exhibit strong heterogeneity in density (both porosity and composition) given its complex history of impact bombardment and volcanism. This project aims to determine radial and lateral heterogeneity in density and porosity within the Moon's crust, by analysing Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory gravity and spacecraft tracking data, Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter topography and in situ Apollo seismological data.Read moreRead less
Synthetic leukocytes: bio-inspired DNA nanorobots powered by flow. Inspired by the way white blood cells roll along blood vessel walls, our goal is to build DNA nanorobots that roll along surfaces in flow. We take a synthetic biology approach to using biomolecules, such as DNA and proteins, to build functional particles and surfaces. To achieve this, we will combine our teams’ technological advances in DNA nanotechnology, plasma-activation for biomolecule immobilisation, and microfluidic devices ....Synthetic leukocytes: bio-inspired DNA nanorobots powered by flow. Inspired by the way white blood cells roll along blood vessel walls, our goal is to build DNA nanorobots that roll along surfaces in flow. We take a synthetic biology approach to using biomolecules, such as DNA and proteins, to build functional particles and surfaces. To achieve this, we will combine our teams’ technological advances in DNA nanotechnology, plasma-activation for biomolecule immobilisation, and microfluidic devices. This project will contribute new methods for synthetic particle motion in flow and provide new insights into biomolecule interactions and motion. Ultimately, this will allow us to harness rolling for the delivery of synthetic nanorobots for detection and remediation in flow systems, such as the body.Read moreRead less