Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade ....Sustainable Hydrogen Production from Used Water. The project aims to address the pressing challenge of water scarcity in hydrogen production by developing an innovative approach of using used water as the feed for water electrolysis. The project will result in an in-depth understanding of the impacts of water impurities in used water on the performance and durability of water electrolysers, and develop guidelines for the design of highly durable water electrolysers and the operation and upgrade of existing wastewater treatment plants. The project will advance the practical applications of water electrolysis for scalable and sustainable hydrogen production and help Australia secure a leading position in the global emerging hydrogen economy.Read moreRead less
Using 3D printing to improve access to graphics by vision-impaired people. This project aims to investigate the possible benefits of 3D printing for production of accessible materials for vision-impaired people. Currently tactile graphics are used to provide severely vision-impaired adults and children with access to graphical content used in education and in orientation and mobility training. This project is expected to clarify the kinds of graphics for which 3D prints are better suited than ta ....Using 3D printing to improve access to graphics by vision-impaired people. This project aims to investigate the possible benefits of 3D printing for production of accessible materials for vision-impaired people. Currently tactile graphics are used to provide severely vision-impaired adults and children with access to graphical content used in education and in orientation and mobility training. This project is expected to clarify the kinds of graphics for which 3D prints are better suited than tactile graphics, and to build capacity within the national accessible format provision sector for the production and use of 3D prints. Benefits will include increased educational opportunities and quality of life for Australians with severe vision impairment, through improved access to graphic materials used in education and orientation and mobility training.
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Nanotechnology-Enhanced Vaccines: New inulin bioconjugates to defeat global pandemic threats. Inulin-based adjuvants have the potential to revolutionise the vaccine arena; man's critical first line of defence against infectious disease. Any breakthrough in developing completely safe new adjuvants, will therefore be of major global significance, and will play a vital role in the maintenance of global health for decades. New and completely safe vaccine adjuvants are a vital step in the developmen ....Nanotechnology-Enhanced Vaccines: New inulin bioconjugates to defeat global pandemic threats. Inulin-based adjuvants have the potential to revolutionise the vaccine arena; man's critical first line of defence against infectious disease. Any breakthrough in developing completely safe new adjuvants, will therefore be of major global significance, and will play a vital role in the maintenance of global health for decades. New and completely safe vaccine adjuvants are a vital step in the development of improved vaccine technology in the 21st century. This project addresses two National Research Priorities, Namely Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Safeguarding Australia. On commercialization, this will then be an important Australian contribution towards protecting the nation against any future pandemic outbreaks.Read moreRead less
Polymers in the Depression, Aggregation and Dispersion of Particles in the Mineral Industry. The aim of this project is to use a generic approach to the selection of the best-suited polymer for specific applications such as in the depression, aggregation and dispersion of particles in the mineral industry. A "tool box" of particular tests will be developed based on key chemical structure-solid surface activity relationships between the polymer and the host solid surface in each application consi ....Polymers in the Depression, Aggregation and Dispersion of Particles in the Mineral Industry. The aim of this project is to use a generic approach to the selection of the best-suited polymer for specific applications such as in the depression, aggregation and dispersion of particles in the mineral industry. A "tool box" of particular tests will be developed based on key chemical structure-solid surface activity relationships between the polymer and the host solid surface in each application considered. Potential process improvements leading to improved flotation grades, increased fine particle recovery, increased slurry throughput in pipelines and decrease in reagent dosage will result.Read moreRead less
Surface engineering of oriented nano-layers for performance control. This research project will deliver knowledge on how to graft oriented, self assembled films from a surface, develop structure-property relationships at a nano-scale, develop a means to control these properties and develop characterization techniques at nano-scales. This research project, if successful, will deliver the ability to tailor the properties of a surface in a manner and over a range of properties that is not even cont ....Surface engineering of oriented nano-layers for performance control. This research project will deliver knowledge on how to graft oriented, self assembled films from a surface, develop structure-property relationships at a nano-scale, develop a means to control these properties and develop characterization techniques at nano-scales. This research project, if successful, will deliver the ability to tailor the properties of a surface in a manner and over a range of properties that is not even contemplated today.
In addition to the scientific benefits, there are also immediate commercial applications in Australia and worldwide for ophthalmic products (e.g. anti-fog and easy to clean lenses), if the balance of properties can be obtained.
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Drug Targeting to Immune Cells Using Modified Inulin Particles. Vaxine Pty Ltd is an Australian biotechnology company that has discovered specific particulate forms of inulin that are efficiently internalised by human immune cells. This project aims to exploit cell migration to injury and infection sites by attaching drugs to inulin particles creating a targeted drug delivery system. This system will transport drugs specifically to afflicted areas, reducing systemic concentrations of drugs and h ....Drug Targeting to Immune Cells Using Modified Inulin Particles. Vaxine Pty Ltd is an Australian biotechnology company that has discovered specific particulate forms of inulin that are efficiently internalised by human immune cells. This project aims to exploit cell migration to injury and infection sites by attaching drugs to inulin particles creating a targeted drug delivery system. This system will transport drugs specifically to afflicted areas, reducing systemic concentrations of drugs and hence the risks of dose related side effects. This project has potential both to improve healthcare and to encourage the growth of expertise in the biotechnology industry in Australia.Read moreRead less
Novel vibro-acoustic technologies for detecting bearing and wheel defects in rail vehicles. Research will be conducted to provide the basis for the development of a novel automatic system that detects bearing and wheel defects in under-way railway wagons, thus helping to prevent catastrophic derailments and minimise fuel consumption. It will also maintain Australian industry at the forefront of the global track-side monitoring industry.
Modifying and Improving Porous Sol-Gel Materials for Water Purification. XeroCoat is commercialising nanotechnology research out of UQ's Physics department. XeroCoat has received much local and international interest in its signature product 'XeroCoat'. The company is rapidly expanding and has established new research facilities with production facilities to be set-up. This will result in high technology, employment growth for Australia. Links with Flinders could see expansion into SA. The c ....Modifying and Improving Porous Sol-Gel Materials for Water Purification. XeroCoat is commercialising nanotechnology research out of UQ's Physics department. XeroCoat has received much local and international interest in its signature product 'XeroCoat'. The company is rapidly expanding and has established new research facilities with production facilities to be set-up. This will result in high technology, employment growth for Australia. Links with Flinders could see expansion into SA. The company operates in 'Sol-Gel' nanotechnology, which has huge global, academic and commercial interest. However in Australia this technology has only been serviced by Flinders, ANSTO and ANSTO's spin-out company Ceramisphere. The project will help to build a new Australian high tech industry in sol-gel nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Interfacial Studies of Nanoparticulate Dendrimers for Improved BioPharmaceutical Application. Dendrimers are a novel class of nanoparticles with exciting potential as pharmaceuticals for the prevention of major disease states, e.g. viral and cancer. A colloid and interfacial chemistry approach will be employed to develop an understanding of the mechanisms for the solution to cell transport processes and for optimisation of formulation strategies for delivery vehicles. Significant advances in t ....Interfacial Studies of Nanoparticulate Dendrimers for Improved BioPharmaceutical Application. Dendrimers are a novel class of nanoparticles with exciting potential as pharmaceuticals for the prevention of major disease states, e.g. viral and cancer. A colloid and interfacial chemistry approach will be employed to develop an understanding of the mechanisms for the solution to cell transport processes and for optimisation of formulation strategies for delivery vehicles. Significant advances in the development of novel pharmaceutical products will result, with significant social and economic benefits nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Nanoscale heating towards high efficient nitrogen reduction reduction. This project aims to develop nanoscale heating technique using AC magnetic field for efficient synthesis of ammonia, widely used for fertiliser and having potential for hydrogen storage. This project is to introduce nanoscale heating concept by heating catalyst only but not solution in electrochemical catalysis to achieve high catalytic activity. Expected outcome is the creation of low cost catalysts having high selectivity a ....Nanoscale heating towards high efficient nitrogen reduction reduction. This project aims to develop nanoscale heating technique using AC magnetic field for efficient synthesis of ammonia, widely used for fertiliser and having potential for hydrogen storage. This project is to introduce nanoscale heating concept by heating catalyst only but not solution in electrochemical catalysis to achieve high catalytic activity. Expected outcome is the creation of low cost catalysts having high selectivity and formation rate for ammonia production. This unique technology has the potential to replace current ammonia production based on Haber-Bosch process, which consumes 2% of world energy and contributes 3% of overall CO2 emission. The project provides opportunities for new industries that will benefit Australian economy.Read moreRead less