Understanding extreme wind gusts and associated risks in NSW. Wind gusts are rare bursts of high wind, often associated with thunderstorm outflows. They can do significant structural damage, and their rarity and small scale make prediction and risk assessment difficult. This proposal seeks to better understand and predict wind gusts and their impacts to aid in planning. The project aims to use past observations, modelling, and basic theory to show what conditions lead to wind gusts and how like ....Understanding extreme wind gusts and associated risks in NSW. Wind gusts are rare bursts of high wind, often associated with thunderstorm outflows. They can do significant structural damage, and their rarity and small scale make prediction and risk assessment difficult. This proposal seeks to better understand and predict wind gusts and their impacts to aid in planning. The project aims to use past observations, modelling, and basic theory to show what conditions lead to wind gusts and how likely they are to exceed key thresholds. It targets important scientific and practical issues such as the joint occurrence of gusts and high rainfall, role of gusts in contributing to dust and other airborne pollutants, impacts of gusts on subsequent storm activity, and gusts in a warming climate.Read moreRead less
The development of tuneable materials to allow the three-dimensional printing of cells. New low cost three-dimensional (3D) printers and reagents will be developed during this project to allow cancer biologists to print cells and polymers as more realistic 3D tissue models for biological assays. Such technology will be important for performing basic research into cancers as well as for providing better tools for drug testing.
High performance electrolyte for the vanadium redox flow battery. Vanadium batteries present a highly-scalable, sustainable solution for storage of renewable electricity, but the technology needs to be improved for robust and efficient operation in the warm Australian climate. This project aims to design and extensively test new high-performance electrolyte compositions with advanced thermal stabilising additives for safe long-term battery operation at 60 °C. New knowledge in materials science a ....High performance electrolyte for the vanadium redox flow battery. Vanadium batteries present a highly-scalable, sustainable solution for storage of renewable electricity, but the technology needs to be improved for robust and efficient operation in the warm Australian climate. This project aims to design and extensively test new high-performance electrolyte compositions with advanced thermal stabilising additives for safe long-term battery operation at 60 °C. New knowledge in materials science and electrochemistry will be generated. The core outcome of the project is a sustainable large-scale energy storage technology ready for immediate application in Australia. This will support the transition of the Australian energy sector to renewables and provide businesses with distributed energy storage solutions.Read moreRead less
A novel platform for the biosynthesis of commercially valuable saxitoxins. Saxitoxins are potent microbial toxins, which pose a significant threat to food and water quality. Highly pure saxitoxins are required for environmental monitoring and studies of cell physiology. Certain analogues have also shown promise as long-lasting and non-addictive pain blockers. However, the procurement of these compounds from natural sources is convoluted and unsustainable. This project aims to use the latest synt ....A novel platform for the biosynthesis of commercially valuable saxitoxins. Saxitoxins are potent microbial toxins, which pose a significant threat to food and water quality. Highly pure saxitoxins are required for environmental monitoring and studies of cell physiology. Certain analogues have also shown promise as long-lasting and non-addictive pain blockers. However, the procurement of these compounds from natural sources is convoluted and unsustainable. This project aims to use the latest synthetic biology techniques to characterise, modify and express saxitoxin biosynthesis pathways, thereby providing a sustainable source of toxin analogues of value to industry and research. This novel 'green technology' will benefit the environment, human health and the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. This project aims to predict how platelets flow through vascular scale geometries, using an experimental and numerical development programme. Platelets maintain a healthy vascular system. Like other cells, they respond to local stimuli: the concentration of chemical agonists, bonds with neighbouring species, fluid dynamic stresses, and even their history. On a single ce ....Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. Understanding and modelling platelet flow and binding in blood. This project aims to predict how platelets flow through vascular scale geometries, using an experimental and numerical development programme. Platelets maintain a healthy vascular system. Like other cells, they respond to local stimuli: the concentration of chemical agonists, bonds with neighbouring species, fluid dynamic stresses, and even their history. On a single cell level, many of these biophysical processes are not understood or quantified. At the blood vessel level, multiscale modelling techniques cannot translate this single cell knowledge to capture how collections of platelets behave. This project is expected to lead to better therapies for cardiovascular disease and a new class of strongly interacting multiphase fluid dynamics problems.Read moreRead less
Will East Coast Lows change in frequency or intensity in the future? East Coast Lows, the largest storms on the south-east coast of Australia, produce both large benefits and losses for this highly populated region of the country. An urgent national priority exists to understand the driving mechanisms for these events and to quantify how the frequency and intensity of these systems will change due to climate change.
Assessing the impact of habitat restoration on the rates of recovery of four native fish species using advanced statistical models. This project will develop statistical modelling tools to assess how quickly threatened native fish populations recover following habitat restoration. The outcome of this project will aid in understanding the use of habitat restoration in managing endangered stocks of Murray Cod, Trout Cod, Silver Perch and Golden Perch in the Murray River.
Targeted process development for drug delivery. Matrix assisted ball milling and continuous flow process intensification on rotating surfaces in the form of spinning discs and rotating tubes, and combinations of these, allow the fabrication of nanoparticles for the pharmaceutical industry, with the ability to fine tune the properties of the particles to improve their uptake profiles, while minimising side effects. The research will be conducted through the Centre for Strategic Nano-Fabrication w ....Targeted process development for drug delivery. Matrix assisted ball milling and continuous flow process intensification on rotating surfaces in the form of spinning discs and rotating tubes, and combinations of these, allow the fabrication of nanoparticles for the pharmaceutical industry, with the ability to fine tune the properties of the particles to improve their uptake profiles, while minimising side effects. The research will be conducted through the Centre for Strategic Nano-Fabrication with its science based attention to quality by design for product development at the inception of the science. This, coupled with the involvement of iCeutica which has a strong commercially focused R and D profile, provides a more innovative research culture, and excellent research training. Read moreRead less
Natural flood management: Nature-based flood mitigation in the 21st Century. The 2021-22 floods in Eastern Australia revealed the vulnerability of rivers to climate extremes. To prepare for a future with more intense floods, we must integrate nature-based flood mitigation strategies into river management. This project aims to address the potential of using Natural Flood Management (NFM) as a 21st Century flood mitigation solution. NFM uses natural processes to slow floods, reduce erosion, and mi ....Natural flood management: Nature-based flood mitigation in the 21st Century. The 2021-22 floods in Eastern Australia revealed the vulnerability of rivers to climate extremes. To prepare for a future with more intense floods, we must integrate nature-based flood mitigation strategies into river management. This project aims to address the potential of using Natural Flood Management (NFM) as a 21st Century flood mitigation solution. NFM uses natural processes to slow floods, reduce erosion, and minimise flood risk. Collaborating with NSW government partners the project expects to deliver scientific evidence for NFM and solutions for implementation in river rehabilitation, planning and community capacity building. The results will impact society's ability to adapt, reduce economic costs, and benefit the environment.Read moreRead less
Enhanced pigment weathering resistance by coating with high dielectric ceramic. The partner company, Tiwest, based in Western Australia, is a major contributor to the economy, and earns more than $A400m annually in exports. It is the only company in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titania products, including pigments, in one region. The current post-titania particle formation wet-coating process, however, presents a major capital and recurrent cost and necessitates a pi ....Enhanced pigment weathering resistance by coating with high dielectric ceramic. The partner company, Tiwest, based in Western Australia, is a major contributor to the economy, and earns more than $A400m annually in exports. It is the only company in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titania products, including pigments, in one region. The current post-titania particle formation wet-coating process, however, presents a major capital and recurrent cost and necessitates a pigment regrind stage. The research will investigate the development of a highly durable dry-coated pigment utilising a novel high dielectric coating. This development has the potential to ensure the partner company's future competitiveness through reduced processing costs and improved product performance.Read moreRead less