Engineering approaches towards atomic imaging of bacterial cells. This project aims to develop novel approaches for analysis of single biological cells at atomic scale. The project will first develop an approach by utilising nanoscale ion beam to interact with the frozen cells in a controllable manner, followed by performing nanoscale dissection and analyses. By introducing engineered two-dimensional materials, namely graphene, atomic resolution three-dimensional imaging of the cellular chemistr ....Engineering approaches towards atomic imaging of bacterial cells. This project aims to develop novel approaches for analysis of single biological cells at atomic scale. The project will first develop an approach by utilising nanoscale ion beam to interact with the frozen cells in a controllable manner, followed by performing nanoscale dissection and analyses. By introducing engineered two-dimensional materials, namely graphene, atomic resolution three-dimensional imaging of the cellular chemistry will become feasible, which will shed light on various fundamental mechanisms inside the cells. This will provide significant benefits upon success, and will impact a wide spectrum of fields from understanding cellular functions to developing effective drugs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100494
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,333.00
Summary
A novel electronic nose to locate victims of mass disaster events . The risk of global mass disaster events is increasing due to climate change and acts of terrorism. The most critical action following these events is locating victims. This proposal aims to develop an electronic nose capable of locating living and deceased victims by targeting volatile chemical components emitted from the human body. This project expects to overcome current limitations of current detection methods (e.g. cost, li ....A novel electronic nose to locate victims of mass disaster events . The risk of global mass disaster events is increasing due to climate change and acts of terrorism. The most critical action following these events is locating victims. This proposal aims to develop an electronic nose capable of locating living and deceased victims by targeting volatile chemical components emitted from the human body. This project expects to overcome current limitations of current detection methods (e.g. cost, limited operational time, deployment constraints in hazardous scenarios). The expected project outcomes include the development of innovative techniques that will improve mass disaster recovery on a global scale and provide significant benefit to human welfare. Read moreRead less
Plant plasters: Efficient spray micro-coatings for plant delivery. This proposal will study and apply recently-discovered methods of strongly attaching beneficial chemicals to plant leaves, stalks, and fruit. The materials have an unusually good ability to stick to crop plants and deliver herbicide or pesticide active ingredients more efficiently than standard additives, without toxicity. Recent findings have shown significant health risks from commercial herbicide additives and their run-off in ....Plant plasters: Efficient spray micro-coatings for plant delivery. This proposal will study and apply recently-discovered methods of strongly attaching beneficial chemicals to plant leaves, stalks, and fruit. The materials have an unusually good ability to stick to crop plants and deliver herbicide or pesticide active ingredients more efficiently than standard additives, without toxicity. Recent findings have shown significant health risks from commercial herbicide additives and their run-off into vulnerable ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef. This project will explain the unusually effective, but simple, adhesion and delivery performance, incorporate the new additives into commercially-relevant formulations for our industrial partner, and work to deliver the materials at relevant manufacturing scales.Read moreRead less
Clay nanoparticle-facilitated RNAi for non-transgenic modification of crops. This project aims to define the most effective spray formulations, consisting of clay nanoparticles and induced RNA interference (RNAi) to manipulate gene expression in plants. Topical application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for RNAi represents an attractive alternative to genetically engineered crops. However, naked dsRNA is unstable and is not efficiently taken up by plants. For these reasons, topical application o ....Clay nanoparticle-facilitated RNAi for non-transgenic modification of crops. This project aims to define the most effective spray formulations, consisting of clay nanoparticles and induced RNA interference (RNAi) to manipulate gene expression in plants. Topical application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for RNAi represents an attractive alternative to genetically engineered crops. However, naked dsRNA is unstable and is not efficiently taken up by plants. For these reasons, topical application of dsRNA has thus far produced only modest induction of RNAi in plants. Nanoparticle-facilitated manipulation of gene expression in plants will enable sustainable clean green strategies for protecting crops from diseases. This project will result in improved crop protection and productivity and boost the export potential of Australian crops.Read moreRead less
Engineering better sprays for leaf coating: from drop impact to retention. This proposal aims to understand the performance of a unique rheological modifier that can enable an order of magnitude increase in coating efficiency for aerosol sprays while not affecting the quality of droplet formation during spraying. The effect occurs via a dispersed network of fibrous particles in water, providing a weak but useful ability to coat surfaces by responsively adjusting its structure. The material is ex ....Engineering better sprays for leaf coating: from drop impact to retention. This proposal aims to understand the performance of a unique rheological modifier that can enable an order of magnitude increase in coating efficiency for aerosol sprays while not affecting the quality of droplet formation during spraying. The effect occurs via a dispersed network of fibrous particles in water, providing a weak but useful ability to coat surfaces by responsively adjusting its structure. The material is expected to enable a broad array of applications, from agricultural treatments to nasal sprays, by exhibiting responsive behaviour at concentrations much lower than conventional modifiers require. The project will study the responsiveness of the system in single droplet, spray, and coating form as well as an active delivery system.Read moreRead less