Creating pH-sensitive self-healing concrete using sludge waste for sewers. In Australia, our 117,000 km of concrete sewer pipes are currently internally corroding at a depth rate of 1-3 mm per annum. The repair of deteriorated concrete is costly and often short-lived. Based on an advanced composite technology, this project will develop a pH-sensitive self-healing concrete that can repair itself without human intervention at the early stage of corrosion. Sludge waste from drinking water treatment ....Creating pH-sensitive self-healing concrete using sludge waste for sewers. In Australia, our 117,000 km of concrete sewer pipes are currently internally corroding at a depth rate of 1-3 mm per annum. The repair of deteriorated concrete is costly and often short-lived. Based on an advanced composite technology, this project will develop a pH-sensitive self-healing concrete that can repair itself without human intervention at the early stage of corrosion. Sludge waste from drinking water treatment will be utilised as a healing agent to mitigate the corrosion. Combined experiments and molecular dynamics simulation will uncover all aspects of the healing process to enable the practical application of this technology. The findings will extend the lifetime of concrete structures and promote a circular economy.Read moreRead less
An Integrated Biotechnological Process for Production of Lactic Acid from Carbohydrate-Waste Streams by Rhizopus sp. Lactic acid is the most widely occurring multifunctional organic acid. It has enormous applications in food and food-related industries, and great potential use for production of biodegradable and biocompatible polylactate polymers. The aim of this research is to develop an innovative biotechnological process, incorporating simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, which int ....An Integrated Biotechnological Process for Production of Lactic Acid from Carbohydrate-Waste Streams by Rhizopus sp. Lactic acid is the most widely occurring multifunctional organic acid. It has enormous applications in food and food-related industries, and great potential use for production of biodegradable and biocompatible polylactate polymers. The aim of this research is to develop an innovative biotechnological process, incorporating simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, which integrates the production of lactic acid with the treatment of high strength food industry ?effluent? streams - carbohydrate waste streams. The proposed SSF process will cultivate an identified fungal Rhizopus sp strain on the waste streams, as production substrates, leading to an environmentally friendly and economically sustainable new technology for the food industry.Read moreRead less
Production of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers using Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Process Technology. The aim of this project is to develop a sustainable process for producing biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHAs)polymers from an innovative aerobic-anaerobic biological wastewater treatment process, ?treating? high strength food industry effluent. These biopolymers offer enormous potential for use as renewable and biodegradable thermoplastics.
It is proposed to inve ....Production of Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers using Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Process Technology. The aim of this project is to develop a sustainable process for producing biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHAs)polymers from an innovative aerobic-anaerobic biological wastewater treatment process, ?treating? high strength food industry effluent. These biopolymers offer enormous potential for use as renewable and biodegradable thermoplastics.
It is proposed to investigate two process configurations, namely the sequencing batch reactor and a continuous two step anaerobic-aerobic reaction system. These will be studied at bench-scale. The outcomes include:
1. Determination of the optimum microbial conditions and key growth
parameters for the production of PHA.
2. Optimisation of the process configuration, operating strategies
and operating conditions to maximise the
production of PHA.
3. Assessment of the influence of the feed composition (e.g. VFA)
on the PHA composition (PHB/PHV).
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Microfluidics with core-shell beads: handling liquids like solids. Reducing waste of consumables in chemical reactions promises to solve environmental problems as well as enable novel applications in space. This project aims to establish a revolutionary fluid handling technology that lowers waste in the labs and in satellites. The project deciphers the fundamental physics behind our recent discovery of encapsulating a tiny liquid content in a solid shell, allowing for handling liquid samples lik ....Microfluidics with core-shell beads: handling liquids like solids. Reducing waste of consumables in chemical reactions promises to solve environmental problems as well as enable novel applications in space. This project aims to establish a revolutionary fluid handling technology that lowers waste in the labs and in satellites. The project deciphers the fundamental physics behind our recent discovery of encapsulating a tiny liquid content in a solid shell, allowing for handling liquid samples like solid particles. Examples of the benefit of this project are more precise detection of bacteria on earth and compact reactors in space. The research outcomes are instrumental for promoting a clean environment, good health, and creating new business opportunities, particularly in space industry, for Australians.Read moreRead less
Improving Extensible Markup Language (XML) data quality using XML integrity constraints. The first benefit of the project will be the of development a new technology that will improve the data quality in Australian organizations using the rapidly growing Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology. It will also be of benefit to the Australian software industry, since the outcome of the project is a software tool for cleaning XML data that is aimed at eventual commercialisation in a quickly gro ....Improving Extensible Markup Language (XML) data quality using XML integrity constraints. The first benefit of the project will be the of development a new technology that will improve the data quality in Australian organizations using the rapidly growing Extensible Markup Language (XML) technology. It will also be of benefit to the Australian software industry, since the outcome of the project is a software tool for cleaning XML data that is aimed at eventual commercialisation in a quickly growing area of the software market. The project will also boost international research collaboration through the involvement of an overseas partner investigator, and expand Australia's expertise in the new area of XML technology through the training of a Ph.D. student.Read moreRead less
Normalizing XML Documents. Our work will be of great benefit, both to the research community and to the ICT industry. The project addresses one of the most important problems in XML usage and we expect our results to be published in important international forums, as has our preliminary research on the topic. This will significantly improve Australia's reputation in research in the ICT area. In the longer term, we intend to build commercial software tools based on the results of our research ....Normalizing XML Documents. Our work will be of great benefit, both to the research community and to the ICT industry. The project addresses one of the most important problems in XML usage and we expect our results to be published in important international forums, as has our preliminary research on the topic. This will significantly improve Australia's reputation in research in the ICT area. In the longer term, we intend to build commercial software tools based on the results of our research and this will be of direct benefit to the Australian economy and the Australian ICT industry.Read moreRead less
Testing the integration and differentiation of national employment systems: multinational enterprises in an international comparative context. Multinational enterprises play a leading role in shaping employment practices as their power disproportionately influences the direction of change in managing people. This project, conducted across six countries, enhances our understanding of how these organisations influence and shape the employment practices and systems in host contexts.
Hydrogen carbon waste into concrete: AI assisted nanoscience approach. The carbon waste from hydrogen production will be converted into carbon nanosheets on abundant construction materials for the creation of stronger and more durable concrete. Cutting-edge nanoscience-based experiments, as well as sophisticated modelling techniques including machine learning and finite element modelling, will be employed. The findings will drive advances in clean hydrogen production, carbon waste utilisation, c ....Hydrogen carbon waste into concrete: AI assisted nanoscience approach. The carbon waste from hydrogen production will be converted into carbon nanosheets on abundant construction materials for the creation of stronger and more durable concrete. Cutting-edge nanoscience-based experiments, as well as sophisticated modelling techniques including machine learning and finite element modelling, will be employed. The findings will drive advances in clean hydrogen production, carbon waste utilisation, cement hydration, nanotechnology and concrete technology for the next generation of an upskilled workforce and the promotion of a circular economy. This project will be carried out in collaboration with Australian and international renowned experts in computational modelling, nanomaterials and concrete materials.Read moreRead less
Electron transfer in proteins, a study of mechanism and function. Our research will probe the mechanisms by which nature's living systems build, maintain, and reproduce. We present an ability to understand these processes at a detailed molecular level using science and technology at the forefront of multidisciplinary research. The research will provide a foundation for new smart materials, technologies and future industries, and also ways forward for future basic scientific research and endeavo ....Electron transfer in proteins, a study of mechanism and function. Our research will probe the mechanisms by which nature's living systems build, maintain, and reproduce. We present an ability to understand these processes at a detailed molecular level using science and technology at the forefront of multidisciplinary research. The research will provide a foundation for new smart materials, technologies and future industries, and also ways forward for future basic scientific research and endeavor. All this is done with the best international researchers and capabilities within a local environment that will help to train the next generation of Australian scientists.Read moreRead less
Mimicking peptide structure - towards an aqueous environment. In this proposal we develop a fundamental understanding of the balance between 'weak' and 'strong' forces to define the properties of peptides and proteins. This will allow the design of new biological probes and materials with tailor-made chemical and physical properties for use in bioengineering, biotechnology, proteomics, and drug design. One such example is the design and preparation of a new chemical agent for the non-surgical tr ....Mimicking peptide structure - towards an aqueous environment. In this proposal we develop a fundamental understanding of the balance between 'weak' and 'strong' forces to define the properties of peptides and proteins. This will allow the design of new biological probes and materials with tailor-made chemical and physical properties for use in bioengineering, biotechnology, proteomics, and drug design. One such example is the design and preparation of a new chemical agent for the non-surgical treatment for cataract, the major cause of blindness world-wide.Read moreRead less