Study the Utility of Novel Drug Polymer Conjugates. The products likely to arise from the technology described in this proposal could have application in medical, veterinary and agricultural industries. It offers the potential to treat diseases that are at present poorly treated by enabling delivery direct to the diseased organ (e.g. eye - bacterial endophthalmitis). Completion of the project will also assist a fledgling biotech company transition to a development company with a multiple produ ....Study the Utility of Novel Drug Polymer Conjugates. The products likely to arise from the technology described in this proposal could have application in medical, veterinary and agricultural industries. It offers the potential to treat diseases that are at present poorly treated by enabling delivery direct to the diseased organ (e.g. eye - bacterial endophthalmitis). Completion of the project will also assist a fledgling biotech company transition to a development company with a multiple product portfolio, which will have a direct economic benefit to Australia both in terms of potential export earnings and as an employer highly skilled staff. The project will also provide research training and career opportunities for developing Australian based researchers.Read moreRead less
Multiblock copolymer synthesis for nano-engineered materials. This project aims to develop methodology for environmentally friendly and industrially applicable synthesis of new types of advanced polymeric materials comprising multiblock copolymers. Polymeric materials play an important role in society with applications from bulk plastics to advanced technological applications. This would enable the creation of advanced materials with specific engineering targets and applications ranging from nan ....Multiblock copolymer synthesis for nano-engineered materials. This project aims to develop methodology for environmentally friendly and industrially applicable synthesis of new types of advanced polymeric materials comprising multiblock copolymers. Polymeric materials play an important role in society with applications from bulk plastics to advanced technological applications. This would enable the creation of advanced materials with specific engineering targets and applications ranging from nanomedicine to materials science.Read moreRead less
Polymerization Mechanism and Kinetics of 1,1-Disubstituted Monomers. This project focuses on two exciting research areas: (I) we have found that an oxygen atom b to the double bond activates radical polymerization, making a whole new family of polymeric structures accessible, and (II) we have strong preliminary data that demonstrates a very large solvent effect on propagation and termination reactions for acrylic monomers with an a-CH2OH functionality, suggesting that significant control can be ....Polymerization Mechanism and Kinetics of 1,1-Disubstituted Monomers. This project focuses on two exciting research areas: (I) we have found that an oxygen atom b to the double bond activates radical polymerization, making a whole new family of polymeric structures accessible, and (II) we have strong preliminary data that demonstrates a very large solvent effect on propagation and termination reactions for acrylic monomers with an a-CH2OH functionality, suggesting that significant control can be exerted over the polymerization process using additives. Additionally, we demonstrate that polymers containing repeat units with an a-CH2OH functionality can undergo reversible cyclization, enabling a whole range of novel functional materials.Read moreRead less
Pro-Fluorescent Aryl Nitroxides: New Probes for Polymer Lifetime and Kinetics Research. Internal aryl rings present in novel probes developed for this project impart fluorescence which is efficiently and internally quenched by the presence of a paramagnetic nitroxide group. Scavenging of radicals by the nitroxide however "switches on" the fluorescence and this enables powerful new fluorescence-based detection levels for the technique of nitroxide free radical scavenging. Such sensitivity is a ....Pro-Fluorescent Aryl Nitroxides: New Probes for Polymer Lifetime and Kinetics Research. Internal aryl rings present in novel probes developed for this project impart fluorescence which is efficiently and internally quenched by the presence of a paramagnetic nitroxide group. Scavenging of radicals by the nitroxide however "switches on" the fluorescence and this enables powerful new fluorescence-based detection levels for the technique of nitroxide free radical scavenging. Such sensitivity is applicable to polymerization kinetics studies, as well as providing new means for the determination of materials lifetimes. The development of pro-fluorescent markers as indicators for polymer degradation would be a significant outcome for materials where component failure has a major negative impact.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms in Catalytic Chain Transfer Polymerization. The aim of the proposed research is to gain more insight into the mechanisms underlying catalytic chain transfer polymerization, a relatively recent controlled radical polymerization technique which is finding an increasing number of industrial applications, especially in the paint and coatings industry. An improved understanding of the catalytic chain transfer process, of which some very important features are still poorly understood, will ....Mechanisms in Catalytic Chain Transfer Polymerization. The aim of the proposed research is to gain more insight into the mechanisms underlying catalytic chain transfer polymerization, a relatively recent controlled radical polymerization technique which is finding an increasing number of industrial applications, especially in the paint and coatings industry. An improved understanding of the catalytic chain transfer process, of which some very important features are still poorly understood, will ultimately lead to better catalyst design and improved process and product control. This in turn will lead to novel polymeric materials.Read moreRead less
Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles: A Potent Weapon Against Cancer. Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women under the age of 50 worldwide, the 8th most common cancer among women in Australia, and is the leading cause of cancer death in Aboriginal women. While a vaccine is available to prevent HPV-mediated disease, it would not impact upon death rates for at least 25 years. The systemic delivery of RNAi offers to best opportunity to solve this problem. The delivery devices w ....Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles: A Potent Weapon Against Cancer. Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women under the age of 50 worldwide, the 8th most common cancer among women in Australia, and is the leading cause of cancer death in Aboriginal women. While a vaccine is available to prevent HPV-mediated disease, it would not impact upon death rates for at least 25 years. The systemic delivery of RNAi offers to best opportunity to solve this problem. The delivery devices will be designed with precision and function to meet the delivery needs in vivo. These polymer structures will be suitable for use in drug and gene delivery providing Australian products with advanced features and capabilities, significantly improving product performance.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL200100124
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,372,617.00
Summary
Very small nanoparticles made to measure. The administration of therapeutic drugs is often unsuccessful as the drug is quickly cleared from the body. Nanoparticles have been shown to enhance the efficiency of the drug administration, as evidenced by the increasing number of nanoformulations on the market, although commercially available products have currently a range of shortcomings, some of them related to their size. This research program aims to develop a toolset that allows the design of ve ....Very small nanoparticles made to measure. The administration of therapeutic drugs is often unsuccessful as the drug is quickly cleared from the body. Nanoparticles have been shown to enhance the efficiency of the drug administration, as evidenced by the increasing number of nanoformulations on the market, although commercially available products have currently a range of shortcomings, some of them related to their size. This research program aims to develop a toolset that allows the design of very small nanoparticles that display enhanced biological activity. The outcome will be an in-depth understanding of the relationship between polymer structure and properties, which is not only important for nanomedicine, but other areas such as catalysis and sensors. Read moreRead less
Branching in acrylic polymers: analysis and mechanistic understanding. Some polymers can be branched. This branching has major effects on the end-product performance of a polymer, for example in adhesives and the flexibility of rubbery materials. Full quantification of this branching (the lengths of branches and the rates of the processes that create them) has been impossible hitherto. Two new complementary techniques, a new analytical method developed by the applicant Fellow in Paris, and a new ....Branching in acrylic polymers: analysis and mechanistic understanding. Some polymers can be branched. This branching has major effects on the end-product performance of a polymer, for example in adhesives and the flexibility of rubbery materials. Full quantification of this branching (the lengths of branches and the rates of the processes that create them) has been impossible hitherto. Two new complementary techniques, a new analytical method developed by the applicant Fellow in Paris, and a new synthesis technique developed in Sydney, will be used as the platforms to devise the first means of determining this information and thus understanding and quantifying branching.Read moreRead less
Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers. Polymer dispersions, manufactured as latexes in large quantities in Australia and elsewhere, have myriad applications, such as in adhesives, bitumen modifiers, paints and paper coatings. This project will create the enabling science to replace by starch the current synthetic products used to stop these dispersions from coagulating. This will create new uses for renewable resources and will reduce environmental insult by avoiding the leaching o ....Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers. Polymer dispersions, manufactured as latexes in large quantities in Australia and elsewhere, have myriad applications, such as in adhesives, bitumen modifiers, paints and paper coatings. This project will create the enabling science to replace by starch the current synthetic products used to stop these dispersions from coagulating. This will create new uses for renewable resources and will reduce environmental insult by avoiding the leaching of biologically incompatible chemicals. By using starch from crops suited for Australia's arid climate, the new technology will reduce both our dependence on imported products and our greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Sequence-defined polymers and green chemistry. This project aims to synthesise polymers that have precise chemical structure and mimic the biological activities of natural biopolymers like peptides and proteins. Monomer sequence regulation in these natural biopolymers is important in biology and necessary for crucial features of life, such as molecular recognition, self-replication and catalysis. Current artificial techniques for biopolymer synthesis are time consuming and present low yields at ....Sequence-defined polymers and green chemistry. This project aims to synthesise polymers that have precise chemical structure and mimic the biological activities of natural biopolymers like peptides and proteins. Monomer sequence regulation in these natural biopolymers is important in biology and necessary for crucial features of life, such as molecular recognition, self-replication and catalysis. Current artificial techniques for biopolymer synthesis are time consuming and present low yields at high costs. This project expects its new materials will increase manufacturing sustainability, chemical diversity and industrial viability; produce health benefits for Australia by improving chemotherapy and diagnosis for diseases; and benefit the Australian economy.Read moreRead less