Hydrogeological drivers and fate of spring flow in a semi-arid setting. In arid and semi-arid climates, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems often rely on groundwater springs. Spring hydrology depends on complex relationships between underlying aquifers and surface conditions, leading to high uncertainties in understanding aquifer-spring-wetland hydrology, which is critical for spring ecosystem protection and to inform management of relevant groundwater-affecting activities. This project will appl ....Hydrogeological drivers and fate of spring flow in a semi-arid setting. In arid and semi-arid climates, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems often rely on groundwater springs. Spring hydrology depends on complex relationships between underlying aquifers and surface conditions, leading to high uncertainties in understanding aquifer-spring-wetland hydrology, which is critical for spring ecosystem protection and to inform management of relevant groundwater-affecting activities. This project will apply novel hydrogeophysical and hydrochemical methods, and computer modelling, to investigate the source aquifer of, and fate of discharge from the Doongmabulla Springs Complex (DSC), located in an area of future development. Project results will inform spring vulnerability to development pressures and climate effects.Read moreRead less
Impact of recycled and low quality process water on sustainable mineral processing practices. Water is in short supply and needs to be considered as a 'key reagent'. The quality of this reagent can vary widely. For a sustainable mineral processing practice, the use of recycled or low quality/saline process water will be essential for a plant to operate in the future. The major benefit is recognition that significant recycle of process water for flotation is achievable if simple water quality con ....Impact of recycled and low quality process water on sustainable mineral processing practices. Water is in short supply and needs to be considered as a 'key reagent'. The quality of this reagent can vary widely. For a sustainable mineral processing practice, the use of recycled or low quality/saline process water will be essential for a plant to operate in the future. The major benefit is recognition that significant recycle of process water for flotation is achievable if simple water quality control and management practices are implemented. In addition, a better understanding and control of water quality in recycled/saline process water may lead to improved flotation stability and performance, and reduced reagent consumption.Read moreRead less
Extreme soil acidification and metal release risks from increasing drought. The project aims to study the effects of drought on pH and metal speciation in soils, and develop tools to assess current and future risks. Social and economic well-being depends on good soil and water quality. Climate change makes droughts more frequent and severe, which could cause soil acidification (pH<4) and metal release in many regions. The project will integrate experimental data on the effects of drought on soil ....Extreme soil acidification and metal release risks from increasing drought. The project aims to study the effects of drought on pH and metal speciation in soils, and develop tools to assess current and future risks. Social and economic well-being depends on good soil and water quality. Climate change makes droughts more frequent and severe, which could cause soil acidification (pH<4) and metal release in many regions. The project will integrate experimental data on the effects of drought on soil geochemistry with hydro-geochemical models, and apply these to national-scale predictions. The intended outcomes are improved management and preparedness for droughts and new research directions for geochemistry.Read moreRead less
Patchy colloidosomes at interfaces: correlation of particle surface heterogeneity, wettability, and chemical activity at the nanoscale. The surfaces of natural mineral particles are made up of spots with such different chemical and physical properties. The complexity makes it hard to predict their behaviour. This project will provide insights into how the 'patchy' nature of particle surfaces affects their behaviour in processes such as flotation separation and bio-fuel production.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347607
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,000.00
Summary
FishWorks - collaborative infrastructure for zebrafish research. Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful and cost-effective animal model for studying development, biology, and disease. FishWorks represents a large-scale co-operative initiative to develop state-of-the-art zebrafish housing, manipulation, genomics and screening infrastructure in Australia. This will both support and further enhance a core group of high quality researchers to engage in cutting-edge research in areas of acknowledged ex ....FishWorks - collaborative infrastructure for zebrafish research. Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful and cost-effective animal model for studying development, biology, and disease. FishWorks represents a large-scale co-operative initiative to develop state-of-the-art zebrafish housing, manipulation, genomics and screening infrastructure in Australia. This will both support and further enhance a core group of high quality researchers to engage in cutting-edge research in areas of acknowledged expertise as well as priority within their respective institutions. In addition, it will facilitate wide-ranging collaborative arrangements to further develop and exploit this research area.Read moreRead less
Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. This project aims to develop arrays of electrochemical biosensors based on nanostructured silicon for real-time monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Real-time monitoring of membrane performance, based on removing virus-sized particles, is a priority for the water industry to maximise asset life and meet increased demand for safe and high- ....Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Novel nanosensors for monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. This project aims to develop arrays of electrochemical biosensors based on nanostructured silicon for real-time monitoring of water filtration membrane integrity. Real-time monitoring of membrane performance, based on removing virus-sized particles, is a priority for the water industry to maximise asset life and meet increased demand for safe and high-quality water. Materials scientists, electrochemists, and specialists in water management and reuse aim to harness advances in nanostructured transducers and electrochemical protocols to develop online performance-monitoring technology. This project is expected to improve water treatment processes, removing viruses and reducing the risks and uncertainties of water recycling.Read moreRead less
Closing the data gap: High throughput screening of nanoparticle toxicity. The nanotechnology sector is experiencing an exponential growth period with over 100 products containing manufactured nanoparticles entering the market every year. Ensuring growth of the sector needs to be balanced against the imperative of protecting both human and environmental safety. This project aims to develop new methodological and conceptual avenues to close the gap between innovation in nanotechnology and risk ass ....Closing the data gap: High throughput screening of nanoparticle toxicity. The nanotechnology sector is experiencing an exponential growth period with over 100 products containing manufactured nanoparticles entering the market every year. Ensuring growth of the sector needs to be balanced against the imperative of protecting both human and environmental safety. This project aims to develop new methodological and conceptual avenues to close the gap between innovation in nanotechnology and risk assessment. This is intended to be achieved by developing and validating high-throughput in vitro toxicity screening platforms for manufactured nanoparticles. The approach is based on advanced lab-on-a-chip microfluidic technologies. The predictive power of the platform will be refined and optimised via ex-vivo and in-vivo models.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668241
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$824,610.00
Summary
A Facility for High-Throughput, Functional Gene Discovery Using Arrayed Retroviral Expression Cloning. The proposed facility will represent world-leading technology in functional genomics and provide Australian scientists with unique opportunities to identify genes involved in a broad range of biological processes. This will contribute to fundamental knowledge in mammalian biology, and equally importantly, is likely to identify genes involved in important health problems such as cancer, inflamma ....A Facility for High-Throughput, Functional Gene Discovery Using Arrayed Retroviral Expression Cloning. The proposed facility will represent world-leading technology in functional genomics and provide Australian scientists with unique opportunities to identify genes involved in a broad range of biological processes. This will contribute to fundamental knowledge in mammalian biology, and equally importantly, is likely to identify genes involved in important health problems such as cancer, inflammatory disease, brain damage and diabetes. Such genes may in turn constitute targets against which new therapies may be developed. This endeavour will contribute to national research priorities in both the health and scientific/technological development arenas.Read moreRead less