Pancreatic Differentiation of Cord Blood Stem Cells using Smart Surfaces. Cord blood cells obtained at the time of delivery of a baby are a valuable resource that have the potential to develop into many cell types. This Project entails attaching stem cells derived from cord blood to appropriate 3 dimensional smart surfaces, and examining the ability of such cells to develop into insulin-producing cells. An understanding of how to coax stem cells, seeded on to smart surfaces, to develop into ma ....Pancreatic Differentiation of Cord Blood Stem Cells using Smart Surfaces. Cord blood cells obtained at the time of delivery of a baby are a valuable resource that have the potential to develop into many cell types. This Project entails attaching stem cells derived from cord blood to appropriate 3 dimensional smart surfaces, and examining the ability of such cells to develop into insulin-producing cells. An understanding of how to coax stem cells, seeded on to smart surfaces, to develop into mature cells with different functions will enhance our ability to understand how cells develop. As well, it enhance the potential usefulness of cord blood for research purposes. Read moreRead less
Bacterial Proteomics: From Cell Division to Novel Antibiotic Targets. When a cell divides it is essential that each newborn cell gets a complete copy of the DNA. To ensure that this happens, cell division must be tightly controlled. It is not known how this occurs in bacteria. However, if we knew what molecules were involved in this control, we could target them to kill harmful bacteria. This project aims to identify such regulatory molecules as candidate targets for antimicrobial agents, with a ....Bacterial Proteomics: From Cell Division to Novel Antibiotic Targets. When a cell divides it is essential that each newborn cell gets a complete copy of the DNA. To ensure that this happens, cell division must be tightly controlled. It is not known how this occurs in bacteria. However, if we knew what molecules were involved in this control, we could target them to kill harmful bacteria. This project aims to identify such regulatory molecules as candidate targets for antimicrobial agents, with a view to developing powerful, novel antibiotics to protect us from the imminent threat of bioterrorism and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Read moreRead less
Selective enrichment of proteins using micro-Gradiflow technology and characterisation of proteins using LC-MS/MS. This project describes crucial areas for the technology development of protein enrichment and fractionation. While current techniques are powerful, the usefulness to identify and characterise proteins of low abundance from massively complex samples in the presence of abundant proteins is limited and requires up to mililitre volumes. We intend to develop the micro-Gradiflow technolog ....Selective enrichment of proteins using micro-Gradiflow technology and characterisation of proteins using LC-MS/MS. This project describes crucial areas for the technology development of protein enrichment and fractionation. While current techniques are powerful, the usefulness to identify and characterise proteins of low abundance from massively complex samples in the presence of abundant proteins is limited and requires up to mililitre volumes. We intend to develop the micro-Gradiflow technology in association with Gradipore as a means of protein fractionation using microlitre volumes of sample. This technology will be applicable to all areas of proteomic research and in particular to the study of cell differentiation. The outcome for Australian industry, our competitiveness both industrial and scientific, and the potential for economic advancement is tremendous.Read moreRead less
Understanding platinum dissolution in biomedical stimulating electrodes. Platinum is the main material used in electrodes for neurostimulators like the cochlear implant. Platinum electrodes can experience dissolution during implantation, which can impact on their function. The mechanisms governing this dissolution process are complex and still not fully understood. This research aims to understand the chemical, electrical and biological factors that impact on platinum dissolution in electrodes. ....Understanding platinum dissolution in biomedical stimulating electrodes. Platinum is the main material used in electrodes for neurostimulators like the cochlear implant. Platinum electrodes can experience dissolution during implantation, which can impact on their function. The mechanisms governing this dissolution process are complex and still not fully understood. This research aims to understand the chemical, electrical and biological factors that impact on platinum dissolution in electrodes. It will also develop new 3D models to simulate conditions in the human body for more rapid testing of electrodes. The new knowledge generated will improve the accuracy of predictions of platinum dissolution, develop new approaches for minimising dissolution, and contribute to reducing need for animal experimentation.Read moreRead less
Transforming museum industry to cryopreserve Australia’s diverse wildlife. This project aspires to develop methods for collecting, culturing and cryopreserving cells from wildlife in line with museum industry practice. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the collection of live cells from animals under field conditions and their long-term maintenance in museum collections. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced capacity of museums to build live cell collections and to s ....Transforming museum industry to cryopreserve Australia’s diverse wildlife. This project aspires to develop methods for collecting, culturing and cryopreserving cells from wildlife in line with museum industry practice. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the collection of live cells from animals under field conditions and their long-term maintenance in museum collections. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced capacity of museums to build live cell collections and to support and collaborate with cellular biologists. Growth of live cell collections in Australian museums will fuel innovation in cellular technologies, advance fundamental biological knowledge, and shift museums from the role of documenting losses of genetic variation to preserving that genetic variation in living form.
Read moreRead less
Development of a non-invasive diagnostic test of Embryo Viability. A successful outcome will:
. improve the cost effectiveness of assisted reproductive technologies resulting in reduced health care costs and allowing greater use of ART in animal production
. by greater cost-effectiveness, facilitate greater access to these advanced technologies in less well developed economies
. build the national capacity in development and validation of biotech diagnostics
. build collaborative relationsh ....Development of a non-invasive diagnostic test of Embryo Viability. A successful outcome will:
. improve the cost effectiveness of assisted reproductive technologies resulting in reduced health care costs and allowing greater use of ART in animal production
. by greater cost-effectiveness, facilitate greater access to these advanced technologies in less well developed economies
. build the national capacity in development and validation of biotech diagnostics
. build collaborative relationship between the CI, University of Sydney and a leading industry partner (Cook Australia)
. lead to significant new fundamental knowledge in embryology that will be of major International significance
Read moreRead less
Ageing wild vertebrates from their DNA: an investigation using Humpback Whales as an example. The aim of this project is to estimate the age of individually identified humpback whales and the age structure of humpback whale populations using non-lethal, innovative molecular techniques. Populations of humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere are slowly recovering from intensive whaling during the 20th century. This project is significant because it will provide the first comparative information ....Ageing wild vertebrates from their DNA: an investigation using Humpback Whales as an example. The aim of this project is to estimate the age of individually identified humpback whales and the age structure of humpback whale populations using non-lethal, innovative molecular techniques. Populations of humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere are slowly recovering from intensive whaling during the 20th century. This project is significant because it will provide the first comparative information on the age structure of these populations, resulting in improved estimation of recovery and population dynamics of long-lived vertebrates. The results of this project will revolutionise research on ageing in whales and dolphins, providing an important alternative to lethal scientific whaling.Read moreRead less
Investigating the effectiveness of teacher education for early career teachers in diverse settings: a longitudinal study. This project investigates the effectiveness of teacher education programs in Victoria and Queensland in preparing teachers for the variety of school settings in which they begin their careers. The findings will inform state and national policy, as well as the work of professional regulation authorities and teacher education providers.
Intercultural understanding in primary and secondary schools. What facilitates or impedes intercultural understanding in children, adolescents and schools? How can this be addressed? How can we know what makes a difference? This project answers these questions at the individual, school and national level using a novel cultural systems approach and methodological and technological innovations.
Supporting teachers and teaching in flexible and non-traditional schools . This project aims to address a critical gap in knowledge about the experiences and conditions of people who teach in flexible and non-traditional schools in Australia. These schools provide a second chance at education for young people with challenging behaviours and/or learning problems. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the experiences and needs of these teachers, using a combination of in-depth resea ....Supporting teachers and teaching in flexible and non-traditional schools . This project aims to address a critical gap in knowledge about the experiences and conditions of people who teach in flexible and non-traditional schools in Australia. These schools provide a second chance at education for young people with challenging behaviours and/or learning problems. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the experiences and needs of these teachers, using a combination of in-depth research methods. Expected outcomes include detailed understanding of support needs for this workforce. This will significantly benefit teachers, sponsors and principals through recommendations on best practice management of this important work, along with evidence-based training artefacts for staff recruitment and retention.
Read moreRead less