Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101168
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$364,900.00
Summary
Enhancement of light-driven electricity generation by cyanobacteria: en route to biosolar panels. Some species of naturally occurring cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) exhibit a special metabolic feature, which enables them to convert sunlight into electricity. This project will unveil the chemical and biological secrets behind this process and will lead to the creation of the first entirely biological solar panel.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100086
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,924,858.00
Summary
Methane bioconversion to liquid chemicals. This project aims to develop a suite of leading-edge biotechnology solutions to enable the cost-effective production of liquid chemicals from biogas. This will create a much stronger economic driver for biogas production from organic wastes, by significantly increasing the value of biogas compared to its current use for power generation. With a multi-disciplinary approach, the project will substantially advance the fundamental science in the exciting an ....Methane bioconversion to liquid chemicals. This project aims to develop a suite of leading-edge biotechnology solutions to enable the cost-effective production of liquid chemicals from biogas. This will create a much stronger economic driver for biogas production from organic wastes, by significantly increasing the value of biogas compared to its current use for power generation. With a multi-disciplinary approach, the project will substantially advance the fundamental science in the exciting and highly valuable area of anaerobic microbial conversion of methane, the least understood process in the global carbon cycle. This transformational research has a strong potential to create a new biotechnology sector producing high-value chemicals from methane, and will propel Australia to the forefront of sustainable resources research.Read moreRead less
Towards high efficiency biofuel systems: a molecular resolution three-dimensional atlas of the photosynthetic machinery of a high-efficiency green algae cell. Solar-powered single-cell green-algae systems represent a powerful and environmentally friendly biotechnology used to produce clean fuels, food and high value products. This project is focused on solving the three-dimensional structure of key components of the photosynthetic machinery to improve the efficiency and profitability of advance ....Towards high efficiency biofuel systems: a molecular resolution three-dimensional atlas of the photosynthetic machinery of a high-efficiency green algae cell. Solar-powered single-cell green-algae systems represent a powerful and environmentally friendly biotechnology used to produce clean fuels, food and high value products. This project is focused on solving the three-dimensional structure of key components of the photosynthetic machinery to improve the efficiency and profitability of advance microalgae production systems.Read moreRead less
Bioengineering High Efficiency Solar Driven H2 Production. The project aims to bio-engineer high-efficiency microalgae cell-lines that can drive solar powered H2 production from water. It plans to do so by increasing proton and electron supply to the H2-producing hydrogenase. It builds on patented cell lines that have enhanced light capture efficiency and H2 production capabilities. The aim of this project is to increase the efficiency of the last stage of the process (three fold) in a major ste ....Bioengineering High Efficiency Solar Driven H2 Production. The project aims to bio-engineer high-efficiency microalgae cell-lines that can drive solar powered H2 production from water. It plans to do so by increasing proton and electron supply to the H2-producing hydrogenase. It builds on patented cell lines that have enhanced light capture efficiency and H2 production capabilities. The aim of this project is to increase the efficiency of the last stage of the process (three fold) in a major step in developing economic solar-fuel systems. National benefits include the development of advanced microalgae fuels systems to increase future fuel security, reduce CO2 emissions and assist with regional development.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100149
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,000.00
Summary
Reaching new heights in high-resolution electron microscopy . High-resolution electron microscopy (EM): Direct electron detection cameras are a recent technological breakthrough delivering one of the greatest single advancements to the field of molecular cryo-EM. The aim of this project is to enable a 'first of a kind' cryo-EM platform in Australia enabling high-throughput atomic resolution protein structure determination. This will be achieved by integrating a state-of-the-art Gatan K2 Summit D ....Reaching new heights in high-resolution electron microscopy . High-resolution electron microscopy (EM): Direct electron detection cameras are a recent technological breakthrough delivering one of the greatest single advancements to the field of molecular cryo-EM. The aim of this project is to enable a 'first of a kind' cryo-EM platform in Australia enabling high-throughput atomic resolution protein structure determination. This will be achieved by integrating a state-of-the-art Gatan K2 Summit Direct Electron Detection camera system into the established cryo-EM facility managed by the University of Queensland node of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility. This will offer unique and significantly improved capabilities for atomic resolution protein structure analysis, and will support a broad range of projects across the biological sciences.Read moreRead less
EnzOnomy - an enzyme-based production pipeline for the bioeconomy. The sustainable production of high value chemicals (e.g. fuels, foods) from renewable materials is a cornerstone for the emerging global bioeconomy. We aim to harness the potential of protein engineering to develop a technology (EnzOnomy) to convert renewable raw material (e.g. sugar) into platform chemicals (e.g. isobutanol, a building block for jet fuels, fibers, plastics and antioxidants). Our multi-disciplinary and well estab ....EnzOnomy - an enzyme-based production pipeline for the bioeconomy. The sustainable production of high value chemicals (e.g. fuels, foods) from renewable materials is a cornerstone for the emerging global bioeconomy. We aim to harness the potential of protein engineering to develop a technology (EnzOnomy) to convert renewable raw material (e.g. sugar) into platform chemicals (e.g. isobutanol, a building block for jet fuels, fibers, plastics and antioxidants). Our multi-disciplinary and well established international team will link scientific progress to markets to enhance potential commercial impact in the bioeconomy. The project thus provides great benefit for our nation as it embeds Australia in technologies and global networks that will cement its leading position to safe-guard the future of our planet.
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Advanced solar powered hydrogen production systems based on green algal cells. This project aims to enhance the efficiency of solar powered hydrogen production from water and will facilitate the co-production of H2 and oil through microalgal biofuel systems. This frontier science project will therefore deliver a process with high solar conversion efficiency and will deliver multiple product streams increasing profitability.
Developing an integrated systems and synthetic biology platform to expand the product spectrum of acetogens. This project aims to advance a waste gas fermentation process to enable the production of sustainable aviation fuel molecules for the first time. LanzaTech are world leaders in microbial gas fermentation and have produced ethanol at large scale in China. This project aims to combine the LanzaTech process with systems biology expertise at The University of Queensland to go beyond ethanol t ....Developing an integrated systems and synthetic biology platform to expand the product spectrum of acetogens. This project aims to advance a waste gas fermentation process to enable the production of sustainable aviation fuel molecules for the first time. LanzaTech are world leaders in microbial gas fermentation and have produced ethanol at large scale in China. This project aims to combine the LanzaTech process with systems biology expertise at The University of Queensland to go beyond ethanol to deliver new value-added products such as butanediol and farnesene. To achieve this aim the project will explore, understand and overcome fundamental energy and metabolic limitations in the production microorganism. Achieving the aims will be of direct relevance to SkyNRG and the new Brisbane Bioport on their path to deliver sustainable fuel to Brisbane Airport.Read moreRead less
Toward sustainable diesel production using microbial cells: unravelling isoprenoid pathway regulation through systems biology. The methylerythritol pyrophosphate (MEP) pathway for isoprenoid production is an essential biochemical pathway. It was only fully elucidated a decade ago, and the regulatory controls over this pathway are not understood. The objective of this project is to elucidate the mechanisms by which the MEP pathway is controlled in E. coli using a novel systems biology approach. U ....Toward sustainable diesel production using microbial cells: unravelling isoprenoid pathway regulation through systems biology. The methylerythritol pyrophosphate (MEP) pathway for isoprenoid production is an essential biochemical pathway. It was only fully elucidated a decade ago, and the regulatory controls over this pathway are not understood. The objective of this project is to elucidate the mechanisms by which the MEP pathway is controlled in E. coli using a novel systems biology approach. Understanding control of the MEP pathway is required to gain insight into homeostatic control of this essential pathway, and enable biotechnological engineering of E. coli in order to produce a wide range of industrially useful isoprenoids (including biofuels, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, neutraceuticals, food additives, perfumes and many more).Read moreRead less
Breaching membrane barriers. This project will endeavour to develop novel molecular transporters to deliver macromolecules inside cells or microorganisms. Cell membranes are barriers to macromolecules. The ability to cross these barriers and deliver biological macromolecules into cells represents a major achievement with endless opportunities to modulate pathways and to introduce biomarkers, therapeutics and research tools. The project’s novel platform technology would be based on stable cyclic ....Breaching membrane barriers. This project will endeavour to develop novel molecular transporters to deliver macromolecules inside cells or microorganisms. Cell membranes are barriers to macromolecules. The ability to cross these barriers and deliver biological macromolecules into cells represents a major achievement with endless opportunities to modulate pathways and to introduce biomarkers, therapeutics and research tools. The project’s novel platform technology would be based on stable cyclic peptides to deliver genes, proteins, probes or biomarkers into distinct cell types that can monitor or modulate specific pathways and be translated into new knowledge and specific industrial applications.Read moreRead less