Enhancing biopharmaceuticals: A disruptive bioseparation resin technology. This project aims to develop an innovative and disruptive platform technology for designing and manufacturing tailor-made high-performance bioseparation resins to enhance biopharmaceuticals manufacturing. Bacterial cell factories will be developed to enable biotechnological production of innovative polyester bead-based bioseparation resins, which will revolutionise manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. Expected outcomes o ....Enhancing biopharmaceuticals: A disruptive bioseparation resin technology. This project aims to develop an innovative and disruptive platform technology for designing and manufacturing tailor-made high-performance bioseparation resins to enhance biopharmaceuticals manufacturing. Bacterial cell factories will be developed to enable biotechnological production of innovative polyester bead-based bioseparation resins, which will revolutionise manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. Expected outcomes of this project are cost-effective and strongly enhanced approaches for biopharmaceuticals recovery, thereby providing significant benefits to accelerate research and development in early stage discovery and manufacture of biologics, therapeutic proteins and vaccines.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100051
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,000.00
Summary
An advanced X-ray facility for surface and in-situ materials characterization. An advanced X-ray facility for surface and in-situ materials characterisation: Materials properties are crucial to the performance of devices and structures, and detailed characterisation at a molecular level is important for optimizing new materials. X-rays are a powerful means of achieving the required level of detail in structural characterisation. The aim of this project is to make available an extremely bright X- ....An advanced X-ray facility for surface and in-situ materials characterization. An advanced X-ray facility for surface and in-situ materials characterisation: Materials properties are crucial to the performance of devices and structures, and detailed characterisation at a molecular level is important for optimizing new materials. X-rays are a powerful means of achieving the required level of detail in structural characterisation. The aim of this project is to make available an extremely bright X-ray source with a suite of advanced analytical tools, including surface structural analysis by reflectometry and grazing incidence diffraction and materials structure determination using powder diffraction and microdiffraction at high and low temperatures. The functions of this facility are broad and its applications include materials science, organic electronics, biomaterials and engineering.Read moreRead less
Vapour phase detection of chemical warfare agents. This project aims to create luminescent plastic optoelectronic materials that can detect airborne chemical warfare agents, particularly nerve agents. Such agents are often odourless and invisible at lethal concentrations, so technology must detect and identify them before exposure. The intended outcomes are design rules for sensitive and selective materials that can be used in a handheld infield detector to sense chemical warfare agents based on ....Vapour phase detection of chemical warfare agents. This project aims to create luminescent plastic optoelectronic materials that can detect airborne chemical warfare agents, particularly nerve agents. Such agents are often odourless and invisible at lethal concentrations, so technology must detect and identify them before exposure. The intended outcomes are design rules for sensitive and selective materials that can be used in a handheld infield detector to sense chemical warfare agents based on the materials’ photophysical properties, and new analytical methods and sensing protocols. This research will be of interest to security agencies in Australia and internationally, and will better protect our military.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101156
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,476.00
Summary
Preconcentrators for vapour detection of explosive material. This Project’s aim is to develop a preconcentrator technology for the in-field detection of explosive vapours that have low concentrations in air. Low explosive vapour concentration limits the efficacy of portable detectors. Current preconcentrator technologies sorb vapours but require heat to release the concentrated material limiting their use to non-portable detectors. This project is expected to deliver materials and a device modul ....Preconcentrators for vapour detection of explosive material. This Project’s aim is to develop a preconcentrator technology for the in-field detection of explosive vapours that have low concentrations in air. Low explosive vapour concentration limits the efficacy of portable detectors. Current preconcentrator technologies sorb vapours but require heat to release the concentrated material limiting their use to non-portable detectors. This project is expected to deliver materials and a device module for a preconcentrator technology that will sorb explosive analytes, have low power requirements and be compatible with hand held explosives detectors. Security and law enforcement agencies should directly benefit from these findings, which would advance their safety and that of the community as a whole.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101550
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Functional polymer encapsulation to enhance biological performance of implantable materials. This project will develop biomaterial films from essential oils using a low-cost 'green' technology. Applied to commercial biomaterials, these films will minimise infections and inflammations commonly associated with implants. These films will also enable clinical use of metallic resorbable implants for tissue engineering and function restoration.
A Nano-platform for affordable and ultra-sensitive bio-marker detection. This project aims to develop a next-generation nano-platform and lateral flow assays (LFA) device for ultra-sensitive detection of biomarkers. LFA’s are used for the rapid detection of biomarkers; however, their sensitivity is relatively low. The preparation of innovative porous silica nanoparticles with uniform particle size and controllable structures (pore size, pore structure, internal surface functionality and density ....A Nano-platform for affordable and ultra-sensitive bio-marker detection. This project aims to develop a next-generation nano-platform and lateral flow assays (LFA) device for ultra-sensitive detection of biomarkers. LFA’s are used for the rapid detection of biomarkers; however, their sensitivity is relatively low. The preparation of innovative porous silica nanoparticles with uniform particle size and controllable structures (pore size, pore structure, internal surface functionality and density) will enable higher loading of quantum dots and enhanced detection sensitivity. Improving the detection sensitivity of the inexpensive and disposable LFA diagnostic technology will open up new applications for rapid and accurate biomarker detection. The resulting technology will advance Australian industrial capability and competiveness in the global lateral flow assays market, which is estimated to be valued at US$ 6.78 billion by 2020.Read moreRead less
Flexible molecular crystals: single crystals that bend, stretch and twist. This project aims to thoroughly quantify the elastic flexibility of a suite of metal-organic molecular crystals. Since antiquity, crystalline materials have been thought to be brittle and inflexible. Crystals can, in fact, display appreciable, even remarkable, elasticity. Some crystals can bend, stretch and twist. The influence that the molecules, and their arrangements in crystals, have on the extent of elasticity will b ....Flexible molecular crystals: single crystals that bend, stretch and twist. This project aims to thoroughly quantify the elastic flexibility of a suite of metal-organic molecular crystals. Since antiquity, crystalline materials have been thought to be brittle and inflexible. Crystals can, in fact, display appreciable, even remarkable, elasticity. Some crystals can bend, stretch and twist. The influence that the molecules, and their arrangements in crystals, have on the extent of elasticity will be determined along with molecular-scale mechanisms for contortion. This information will be used to design new crystals with predictable and tunable elasticity for potential applications previously considered impossible for crystalline materials.Read moreRead less
Development of a market relevant DNA nano-vaccine platform. DNA vaccine technology can potentially provide a rapid response to existing or new pathogens, but its market success has been limited. By addressing key scientific and technical challenges, this project aims to develop a new and cost-effective DNA nanovaccine platform using a multiscale engineering approach. It is anticipated that novel nanoparticles for DNA delivery and an end-user-driven DNA vaccine technology with enhanced immunogeni ....Development of a market relevant DNA nano-vaccine platform. DNA vaccine technology can potentially provide a rapid response to existing or new pathogens, but its market success has been limited. By addressing key scientific and technical challenges, this project aims to develop a new and cost-effective DNA nanovaccine platform using a multiscale engineering approach. It is anticipated that novel nanoparticles for DNA delivery and an end-user-driven DNA vaccine technology with enhanced immunogenicity, stability and safety will be generated. Expected outcomes include new knowledge in nanomaterial science and a market ready technology platform, improving Australia’s capabilities in nanobiotechnology and vaccine development, as well as delivering a new value-added product for the Industry Partner. Read moreRead less
Development of Unprecedented Aluminosilicate Adjuvants. High-performance adjuvants are essential components of vaccine technology. Aluminium-based adjuvants are widely used, but provide weak cellular immunity and possible risk of neurotoxicity. Combining state-of-the-art nanotechnology and classic coordination chemistry, this project aims to apply a new design principle to create novel mesoporous aluminosilicate nanoparticles with alkalinity, for use as nanoadjuvants. This project expects to adv ....Development of Unprecedented Aluminosilicate Adjuvants. High-performance adjuvants are essential components of vaccine technology. Aluminium-based adjuvants are widely used, but provide weak cellular immunity and possible risk of neurotoxicity. Combining state-of-the-art nanotechnology and classic coordination chemistry, this project aims to apply a new design principle to create novel mesoporous aluminosilicate nanoparticles with alkalinity, for use as nanoadjuvants. This project expects to advance knowledge of how immune systems respond to changes in chemistry and nanostructure of aluminosilicate materials and enable the design of nanoadjuvants with enhanced cellular immunity and reduced toxicity. Outcomes include a new family of functional materials with unprecedented adjuvant performance.Read moreRead less
Next-Generation Multifunctional Nanoparticles for mRNA Transfection. This project aims to engineer a multifunctional nanoparticle platform tailored for mRNA delivery. An innovative assembly approach will be used to design nanoparticles with adjustable composition, asymmetry and surface topography. Uniquely, three functions will be integrated in one nanoparticle, with the goal to enhance transfection efficiency in target cells. This project expects to advance knowledge of mRNA transfection mechan ....Next-Generation Multifunctional Nanoparticles for mRNA Transfection. This project aims to engineer a multifunctional nanoparticle platform tailored for mRNA delivery. An innovative assembly approach will be used to design nanoparticles with adjustable composition, asymmetry and surface topography. Uniquely, three functions will be integrated in one nanoparticle, with the goal to enhance transfection efficiency in target cells. This project expects to advance knowledge of mRNA transfection mechanisms, and determine how cell-type dependent particle-mRNA interactions correlate with the nanoparticle structure and delivery performance. Outcomes include a new family of functional materials with improved mRNA delivery performance over benchmark systems to facilitate and broaden the application of mRNA technology.Read moreRead less