Unravelling mechanisms in plasma growth of polymers. Surface engineering broadens the breadth of applications for many materials, and enhances the performance and value of current and emerging technologies. Surface engineering is particularly important to maintaining the competitiveness of manufacturing in developed economies such as Australia, that can not compete on a cost basis with emerging economies. Plasma coating replaces (alternative) environmentally-questionable surface treatments. This ....Unravelling mechanisms in plasma growth of polymers. Surface engineering broadens the breadth of applications for many materials, and enhances the performance and value of current and emerging technologies. Surface engineering is particularly important to maintaining the competitiveness of manufacturing in developed economies such as Australia, that can not compete on a cost basis with emerging economies. Plasma coating replaces (alternative) environmentally-questionable surface treatments. This project enhances Australian competitiveness; it cuts across industrial sectors and will deliver the new knowledge required to enhance material/technology functionality/performance. A PhD student will receive a multi-disciplinary training in a frontier technology and advanced analytical tools.Read moreRead less
Information Quality in Auctions of Multiple Objects. This project aims at using both theory and laboratory experiments to analyse the formation of prices and the buyers' behaviour at auctions of multiple objects. The study focusses on the comparison of simultaneous auction procedures (in which the objects are sold at once) to sequential auction procedures (in which the objects are sold one after the other) and attention is drawn on the effects of the quality of the buyers' information about the ....Information Quality in Auctions of Multiple Objects. This project aims at using both theory and laboratory experiments to analyse the formation of prices and the buyers' behaviour at auctions of multiple objects. The study focusses on the comparison of simultaneous auction procedures (in which the objects are sold at once) to sequential auction procedures (in which the objects are sold one after the other) and attention is drawn on the effects of the quality of the buyers' information about the assets to be sold on their bidding behaviour and on the seller's revenues. The conduct of laboratory experiments will provide a useful assessment of the theoretical predictions and valuable insights into the effects of buyers' information quality on their bidding behaviour at such markets.Read moreRead less
Benchmarking the neurophysiology of human cortex models in vitro. This project aims to improve human brain models in vitro by developing an analytical tool benchmarking biophysical similarities to the adult human cortex. This project expects to generate new knowledge by testing for the first time the theory that integrating sensory-like inputs and awake/sleep-like cycles of electrical activity in vitro may complete the maturation of human brain organoid models. It will also generate new methods ....Benchmarking the neurophysiology of human cortex models in vitro. This project aims to improve human brain models in vitro by developing an analytical tool benchmarking biophysical similarities to the adult human cortex. This project expects to generate new knowledge by testing for the first time the theory that integrating sensory-like inputs and awake/sleep-like cycles of electrical activity in vitro may complete the maturation of human brain organoid models. It will also generate new methods to simplify the analysis of multimodal path-clamping data (Patch-seq). Expected outcomes will facilitate research collaboration and the reproducibility of accurate experimental replicates of the human brain. This will provide significant benefits in the global race to understand human brain computation mechanisms.Read moreRead less
New Methodology for the Stereoselective Construction of Oxygen Heterocycles and Rare Sugar Analogues. The overall goal of this research is to develop new synthetic methods, particularly ones that exhibit high levels of stereocontrol. Current research efforts are directed towards the stereoselective construction of oxygen heterocycles and rare sugar analogues both in their racemic and chiral forms utilising 1,2-dioxines containing tethered hydroxyl moieties as the key chemical precursors. It is e ....New Methodology for the Stereoselective Construction of Oxygen Heterocycles and Rare Sugar Analogues. The overall goal of this research is to develop new synthetic methods, particularly ones that exhibit high levels of stereocontrol. Current research efforts are directed towards the stereoselective construction of oxygen heterocycles and rare sugar analogues both in their racemic and chiral forms utilising 1,2-dioxines containing tethered hydroxyl moieties as the key chemical precursors. It is envisaged that these investigations will lead to the development of simple experimental protocols for the synthesis of new bioactive organics.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989226
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Multi-photon imaging for infection, immunity, and self recognition. This proposal will address a gap in our imaging capabilities, allowing us to visualise the movement of immune cells and infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses within living tissues. This will immensely improve our capacity to understand interactions between the immune system, invading organisms and the rest of our body. The intravital imaging system will provide novel insights into how the immune system works, which will ....Multi-photon imaging for infection, immunity, and self recognition. This proposal will address a gap in our imaging capabilities, allowing us to visualise the movement of immune cells and infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses within living tissues. This will immensely improve our capacity to understand interactions between the immune system, invading organisms and the rest of our body. The intravital imaging system will provide novel insights into how the immune system works, which will benefit the design of vaccines, the treatment of cancer, and our understanding of allergy. This state-of-the-art facility will also provide vital training in an emerging technology that will have application in many areas of biology.
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Development of Dry Coated Pigment Particles: Durability and Dispersion. Tiwest is the only business in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titanium dioxide products in one region. Tiwest has a major impact on the Western Australian economy with more than 700 full time and contract jobs, export earnings of $400M (in 2004) and regular incomes for an estimated 500 businesses. The current wet pigment particle coating process, to ensure ease of handling and longevity, is a major ....Development of Dry Coated Pigment Particles: Durability and Dispersion. Tiwest is the only business in the world that mines, separates, refines and manufactures titanium dioxide products in one region. Tiwest has a major impact on the Western Australian economy with more than 700 full time and contract jobs, export earnings of $400M (in 2004) and regular incomes for an estimated 500 businesses. The current wet pigment particle coating process, to ensure ease of handling and longevity, is a major cost. An optimised pigment dry-coating process would ensure Tiwest's competitiveness through reduced processing costs and improved performance. This development has the potential to increase Tiwest's profitability by 10%.Read moreRead less
Impacts of changing water ownership and reforms on Australian water markets. Water markets play a critical role in helping Australia’s food bowl survive periods of severe drought. This project aims to evaluate how the Murray-Darling Basin water markets performed, in terms of the impact of water ownership, and investigate how water reforms have affected rural communities over the past two decades. Expected outcomes include a clearer understanding on how different water ownership structures impact ....Impacts of changing water ownership and reforms on Australian water markets. Water markets play a critical role in helping Australia’s food bowl survive periods of severe drought. This project aims to evaluate how the Murray-Darling Basin water markets performed, in terms of the impact of water ownership, and investigate how water reforms have affected rural communities over the past two decades. Expected outcomes include a clearer understanding on how different water ownership structures impact price and price volatility of water, market power, economic welfare of water traders, and what social and economic impacts water reforms in the past decades have in the Basin. The findings will provide critical evidence for evaluating future water reforms, building resilient rural communities and safeguarding food security.Read moreRead less
Highly Crosslinked Poly(urea-co-urethane) Copolymer Concrete Floor Coatings. Recently developed, poly(urea-co-urethane) concrete floor screeds are used, in the construction industry, to provide protection against corrosive chemicals and abrasive wear; properties unmatched by other commercial floor treatments. Significantly such material has reduced environmental emissions and toxicity hazards. Factors, which affect the cure and performance of poly(urea-co-urethane) flooring materials will now ....Highly Crosslinked Poly(urea-co-urethane) Copolymer Concrete Floor Coatings. Recently developed, poly(urea-co-urethane) concrete floor screeds are used, in the construction industry, to provide protection against corrosive chemicals and abrasive wear; properties unmatched by other commercial floor treatments. Significantly such material has reduced environmental emissions and toxicity hazards. Factors, which affect the cure and performance of poly(urea-co-urethane) flooring materials will now be studied, including the uncontrolled release of carbon dioxide, which results in sporadic blister formation, leading to the on-site product failures that have severely limited the product's commercial growth. Clear understanding of cure chemistry and adhesion will be established for the first, allowing for the products further development.Read moreRead less
The Nanotechnology Desalination Research Project - Low Energy Desalination Membranes. Population growth and global warming is rapidly increasing the strain placed on fresh water supplies. Environmentally sustainable solutions to this water shortage need to be found urgently. This project will develop new, low energy desalination technologies which can be powered by renewable energy sources, to enable desalination to be widely applied with low environmental impacts. It addresses several national ....The Nanotechnology Desalination Research Project - Low Energy Desalination Membranes. Population growth and global warming is rapidly increasing the strain placed on fresh water supplies. Environmentally sustainable solutions to this water shortage need to be found urgently. This project will develop new, low energy desalination technologies which can be powered by renewable energy sources, to enable desalination to be widely applied with low environmental impacts. It addresses several national priorities: Water - a critical resource; Transforming existing industries; Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity; Responding to climate change and variability; Frontier technologies and Advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100037
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$170,000.00
Summary
Laser microdissection facility. Laser microdissection facility: Laser microdissection (LMD) is a proven and effective approach to isolate pure cell populations from heterogeneous tissue samples in order to analyse DNA, RNA, and protein content. LMD provides an important advantage to research engaged in basic biological research as it allows for molecular profiling at the cellular level that can not be achieved from whole tissue samples. This project will provide a LMD facility aimed at understan ....Laser microdissection facility. Laser microdissection facility: Laser microdissection (LMD) is a proven and effective approach to isolate pure cell populations from heterogeneous tissue samples in order to analyse DNA, RNA, and protein content. LMD provides an important advantage to research engaged in basic biological research as it allows for molecular profiling at the cellular level that can not be achieved from whole tissue samples. This project will provide a LMD facility aimed at understanding many important biologically cellular mechanisms.Read moreRead less