Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101046
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Ecotoxicology-on-a-chip: towards smart devices in environmental biomonitoring. High-throughput water quality monitoring is of great importance to the wellbeing of Australian society. The project will address this issue by developing new economical miniaturised biocybernetic instrumentation, designed for use by non-specialists and thus applicable for governmental, industrial and community projects.
Smart passive sampling of heavy metals in aquatic systems. Smart passive sampling of heavy metals in aquatic systems. This project aims to construct smart devices with extracting polymeric membranes for advanced passive sampling of heavy metal ions. These devices should improve the passive sampling of pollutants such as heavy metals by overcoming the effect of the variability of water temperature, composition and velocity during sampling, which substantially reduces the reliability of analytical ....Smart passive sampling of heavy metals in aquatic systems. Smart passive sampling of heavy metals in aquatic systems. This project aims to construct smart devices with extracting polymeric membranes for advanced passive sampling of heavy metal ions. These devices should improve the passive sampling of pollutants such as heavy metals by overcoming the effect of the variability of water temperature, composition and velocity during sampling, which substantially reduces the reliability of analytical data. These devices are expected to reliably identify sources of heavy metal pollution in urban municipal wastewaters and stormwaters without the need for labour intensive monitoring operations, thus saving considerable time and expense to the Australian water industry.Read moreRead less
Nanometrology of laser-trapped airborne particles. This project aims to develop a new concept of touch-free measuring of physical characteristics of nanoparticles using specially designed optical vortex beams. The new concept will be of direct importance in developing new nanotechnologies demanding ever-increasing purity of every element in the industrial environment and production processes.
Development of novel passive sampling devices for ammonia monitoring. This project will develop novel inexpensive passive samplers for ammonia which is an indicator for faecal contamination in stormwater. These devices will increase dramatically the efficiency in isolating intermittent faecal contamination sources in drainage networks by eliminating the need for extensive manual sampling and inspection operations.
Rapid amperometric measurement of chemical oxygen demand in polluted water based on electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of nanoparticulates. The project will enhance a newly developed technology for measuring aggregate organic pollution in wastewater. The conventional wet chemistry method is disadvantaged by being slow (2 hr) and requiring toxic heavy metal (mercury, chromium) and hazardous reagents. Aqua Diagnostic's method, by contrast, is rapid (5-10 minutes) and uses only safe ch ....Rapid amperometric measurement of chemical oxygen demand in polluted water based on electrochemical and photocatalytic properties of nanoparticulates. The project will enhance a newly developed technology for measuring aggregate organic pollution in wastewater. The conventional wet chemistry method is disadvantaged by being slow (2 hr) and requiring toxic heavy metal (mercury, chromium) and hazardous reagents. Aqua Diagnostic's method, by contrast, is rapid (5-10 minutes) and uses only safe chemical reagents. It will be further improved to facilitate unprecedented near-real-time (less than 1 minute) online pollution monitoring and greater analytical robustness. The project will directly benefit the wastewater management community, enrich Australian industry's expertise in nanotechnology applications and grow high-tech exports as this innovative technology continues to penetrate international markets.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101402
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Advanced laser micromachining with femtosecond vector beams. This project is aimed at developing a new method for ultra-precision laser micromachining and dissection of biological tissues using femtosecond vector beams. The capability of these unconventional laser beams to process different materials with unsurpassed precision and efficiency offers significant economic and clinical benefits.
Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7 Tesla: Resolving the fundamental radiofrequency field-tissue interaction problem at ultra-high field. Ultra-high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems offer the potential for faster, more accurate diagnostic imaging. However, current applications are limited by the fundamental challenge of strong interactions between the electromagnetic field and human tissues, which result in poor image quality and/or compromised patient safety. Using a novel, s ....Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7 Tesla: Resolving the fundamental radiofrequency field-tissue interaction problem at ultra-high field. Ultra-high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems offer the potential for faster, more accurate diagnostic imaging. However, current applications are limited by the fundamental challenge of strong interactions between the electromagnetic field and human tissues, which result in poor image quality and/or compromised patient safety. Using a novel, subject-specific imaging approach, this research will design and develop an ultra-high-field radiofrequency technology capable of offering high-performance imaging without jeopardising patient safety. This research will lay the groundwork for the translation of ultra-high field MRI research into clinical practice, generating new capabilities for diagnostic technologies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101741
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,220.00
Summary
Development of a Self-powered Wireless Sensor Network from Renewable Energy for Integrated Structural Health Monitoring and Diagnosis. This project aims to develop a green and sustainable self-powered wireless sensor network from renewable energy sources, such as wind, sea wave and operational vibrations, for integrated structural health monitoring and diagnosis to support infrastructure management. Vibration based energy harvesting techniques will be investigated to power the wireless sensor ne ....Development of a Self-powered Wireless Sensor Network from Renewable Energy for Integrated Structural Health Monitoring and Diagnosis. This project aims to develop a green and sustainable self-powered wireless sensor network from renewable energy sources, such as wind, sea wave and operational vibrations, for integrated structural health monitoring and diagnosis to support infrastructure management. Vibration based energy harvesting techniques will be investigated to power the wireless sensor networks and support the long term condition monitoring. Vibration data from the sensor network will be used for damage detection, performance assessment and safety evaluation of structures. The impact of the project output includes fundamental advances in vibration energy harvesting, wireless sensor network and intelligent structural health monitoring strategy for Australian infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Integrity prediction of ground precision surfaces. This project aims to establish a new approach to enable a reliable and accurate prediction of precision surface grinding. Precision grinding is often the final step in the manufacturing chains for a broad range of metal, ceramic, optical glass and semiconductor components, which must have ultra-high surface integrity and accurate dimensions. To date, the surface integrity of a ground component cannot be predicted due to the involvement of many r ....Integrity prediction of ground precision surfaces. This project aims to establish a new approach to enable a reliable and accurate prediction of precision surface grinding. Precision grinding is often the final step in the manufacturing chains for a broad range of metal, ceramic, optical glass and semiconductor components, which must have ultra-high surface integrity and accurate dimensions. To date, the surface integrity of a ground component cannot be predicted due to the involvement of many random factors and variables in a precision surface grinding process, resulting in high failure rates and processes requiring repeated surface measurements. The novel approach for surface integrity prediction developed by this project will make a vital step forward in advancing the discipline of precision surfacing, establish a new knowledge base and bring about significant technological impacts to the manufacturing industry.Read moreRead less
A Multi-Optrode Array for Closed-Loop Bionics. We will design, implement and characterise a disruptive multi-channel optrode array (MOA) to record and stimulate excitable living tissue. The MOA will be a combination of individual optical electrodes (optrodes) that either comprise a new class of liquid crystals, used to passively sense extracellular biopotentials, or microphotovoltaic cells that will be used for electrical stimulation of excitable tissue. By employing light for communication with ....A Multi-Optrode Array for Closed-Loop Bionics. We will design, implement and characterise a disruptive multi-channel optrode array (MOA) to record and stimulate excitable living tissue. The MOA will be a combination of individual optical electrodes (optrodes) that either comprise a new class of liquid crystals, used to passively sense extracellular biopotentials, or microphotovoltaic cells that will be used for electrical stimulation of excitable tissue. By employing light for communication with optrodes, this new approach alleviates many of the wiring, packaging and encapsulation issues associated with existing devices. Computational modelling and in vitro testing in cardiac tissue and retinal neurons will demonstrate the utility of the MOA to sense and control electrical activity.Read moreRead less