THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Responsive Metal-organic Framework Glass Membranes for Molecular Sieving. Metal-organic frameworks are an important category of microporous materials, showing extraordinary structural and chemical diversities. The recent discovery of their melting behaviours endows these materials with high processability, enabling the transformation of crystal powders into mechanically durable microporous bulk glasses for device assembly. This project aims to understand the melting and modification mechanism, and to incorporate responsive moieties to the glass. It further aims to realise switchable membrane separation for gas mixtures. This project is expected to enhance the understanding and application of these emerging glass materials and promote Australia’s capability in value-added manufacturing of metal minerals. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Microporous materials which have pores with sizes smaller than 2 nanometres—about the width of a strand of DNA—are driving a revolution in membrane separation processes, with benefits for the environment, energy storage, and the pharmaceutical industries. However, fabricating membranes with these materials is extremely challenging. To address this issue, this project will develop a new type of microporous material that is a highly processible liquid upon heating and a mechanically robust glass after cooling. These new materials, made from inexpensive minerals such as zinc and iron, will provide significant value-added manufacturing opportunities for the Australian mining industry, and the potential development of innovative new materials for phone screens and lighting devices. In addition, the resultant membranes can provide more effective carbon capture from exhaust gas and natural gas, helping to achieve the net zero target. With Australian industry partners, these new membranes will offer technical and economic benefits to the wider chemical engineering, environmental, and energy sectors.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Novel Hybrid Nanotechnologies by Infiltration of Functional Polymers. Hybrid inorganic-organic materials have important applications in energy, environmental and health technologies. Sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) of polymers is a recently introduced approach to preparing such hybrid structures. Advancement in the field is however hampered by lack of fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of interactions of SIS molecules with polymers, and the narrow range of polymers studied so far. This project aims to build a fundamental framework for the development of SIS through systematic studies of interactions of polymers and SIS molecules. Expected outcomes include new methods for constructing nanostructures using functional polymers and novel fabrication processes exploiting polymer self-assembly. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry The modern world relies on computer chips. They are found in our personal computers, phones, automobiles and in all modern appliances. Tomorrow’s computers demand ever faster chips, and this can only be achieved by shrinking the size of the component microelectronics. This is not possible with current manufacturing technologies. This project aims to address this challenge by developing new materials and manufacturing processes that will enable the production of faster and smaller computer chips, among other innovations. These novel materials and new methods of manufacture have the potential to be licensed to major computer chip manufacturers, accelerating development of new chips, and generating valuable income. The materials and methods may also be useful in a range of other technologies such as in sensitive biosensors, batteries, and filtration membranes for water purification. As such, the project has the potential to disrupt the microelectronics market and will allow Australian nanotechnology companies to tap into the global microelectronics market valued at over $400 billion.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Short Sequence Representation Learning with Limited Supervision . Predicting events based on short text and video data is widely found in real-world applications such as online crime detection, cyber-attack identification, and public security protection. However, to develop such an effective prediction model is very difficult due to the problems such as limited supervision, heterogeneous multiple sources, and missing and low-quality data. This project is to tackle these challenges. Expected outcome of this project will lay a theoretical foundation for effective short sequence representation learning and build next-generation intelligent systems. This should benefit our society and economy through the applications of multimodality-integrated video technologies for cybersecurity and public safety. Field of research: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science People using smartphones generate tons of short audio videos and text messages on social media and social networks every second of the day. This information can be used by businesses to understand customers, competitors, and markets. It is also important for Australia’s government to detect and manage risks to society. Yet it is a challenge to fully understand of these events and trends to respond in a timely manner as data may be incomplete or in low-quality and noisy, due to poor recording conditions. The project aims to address this challenge by providing cutting-edge algorithms and tools in the field of artificial intelligence to automatically understand the content of short videos and audio data. These tools can be used to identify fake news, rumours, cyber-attacks, online crimes, and public opinions. This project will benefit Australian businesses and governments through providing them with tools and software services with an effective method to deal with big data challenges. The outcome of this project will enhance Australia's international leadership in artificial intelligence research. The translation and adoption pathway is to make our model and the datasets available in public domain. People can use our project outcome as a baseline to further test and improve their solutions for the same challenges that we address in this project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Tapping into non-English-language science in tackling global challenges. This project aims to transform the conventional practice of English-biased evidence use to multilingual evidence synthesis to enable us to better tackle global challenges. The project expects to lay the foundations and provide platforms for multilingual, unbiased evidence-based solutions to global issues including biodiversity loss, climate adaptation and animal-origin diseases. Expected outcomes include a database of non-English-language evidence on the three global issues of focus, machine learning tools, and machine translation platforms that make non-English-language evidence accessible. This should benefit national/international policies and practices by making a neglected source of evidence available for science-led decision-making. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Many global challenges including biodiversity loss, climate adaptation, and pandemic diseases are international in nature, and have significant research (36% in conservation) being published in non-English languages. Yet much of this work is unavailable to most researchers and policymakers, and is ignored. For instance, 96.6% of citations by leading global biodiversity assessments are in English. This reliance on English-language evidence leaves a critical gap in efforts to tackle global issues, and can lead to ineffective, biased, or wrong decisions. This project aims to raise the accessibility of non-English-language evidence by developing a database and tools for identifying non-English evidence for scientific solutions, and disseminating to scientists and decision-makers globally. It will make currently untapped but relevant non-English evidence accessible to Australian scientists and decision-makers; make a unique contribution to international policies with multilingual, unbiased evidence; and highlight the power of equity, diversity and inclusion in science, key to Australia’s multicultural society.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Probing new physics with atomic parity violation. This project aims to provide a new level of rigour in tests of the standard model of particle physics at low energies, and to reveal or more tightly constrain new particles or forces. This will involve the development of state-of-the-art atomic theory techniques and collaboration with world-leading experimental groups. The expected outcomes and benefits include a breakthrough in the precision of atomic theory calculations, new insights into nuclear magnetic structure, improved determination of fundamental particle physics parameters, stronger ties with the international experimental community, enhancing Australian leadership and expertise, and high-level training of the next generation of scientists. Field of research: 5102 - Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics This project aims to provide new insights into the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Through state-of-the-art atomic calculations that will be advanced and implemented in this project, we will test the Standard Model of particle physics at a new level of rigour. These precision searches for possible new particles complement the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and may even exceed its discovery potential. We expect to deduce some of the most precise information ever on subatomic matter, and develop new techniques for high-precision atomic calculations that have applications in areas such as atomic clocks for precision timing, positioning, and navigation. The project will strengthen ties to scientists at the world-leading nuclear facility ISOLDE at CERN and will elevate Australia’s standing in the international atomic, nuclear, and particle physics communities. Young scientists will be trained in advanced techniques, and the project will provide social and cultural benefits by addressing one of the biggest questions in science that has long fascinated humankind.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

A Novel Approach to Semi-Supervised Statistical Machine Learning. Recent successes in the construction of classifiers for making diagnoses and predictions are due in part to their using much data labelled with respect to their class of origin. But typically there are little labelled data but plentiful unlabelled data. The goal of semi-supervised learning (SSL) is to leverage large amounts of unlabelled data to improve the performance using only small labelled datasets and so SSL is of paramount importance to applications where it is expensive or impractical to obtain much labelled data. The project is to develop a novel SSL approach that adopts a missingness mechanism for the missing labels to build a classifier that not only improves accuracy but it can be greater than if the missing labels were known. Field of research: 4905 - Statistics There has been an explosive increase in the use of data to form statistical-based rules for making decisions and predictions in almost every area of science, business, government and society, including in diagnostic testing, speech recognition, video surveillance, rule-based spam filtering, and fraud detection. These rules, which aim to predict behaviours, can only have high accuracy if they use extensive training data all labelled. However, in fields such as medicine or defence, images can often only be correctly classified by a process that is expensive or laborious. This project will develop a way to use unlabelled training data while maintaining the accuracy of the analysis. The benefit of this ingenious way of providing more powerful predictive models where unlabelled data are plentiful will be seen in the analysis of scans from advanced imaging, spectroscopic and diagnostic technologies, and of genomic data to provide insights for complex analyses, with the ultimate goal to improve predictions and outcomes. Developed software will be made open access and shared widely with data scientists/technicians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Tissue Bio-physicochemical Quantification Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This project aims to develop novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to investigate tissue structure and function. Current MRI technologies use standard water-based contrast mechanisms to generate images with limited tissue information. In contrast, this project expects to provide a non-invasive, ultra-high-resolution MRI technology that measures the electrical, magnetic, and chemical signals generated from the human body. Thus, the new imaging methods can probe deeper biological functionality while examining tissue structure. The potential benefits include: expanding the scope and capabilities of current MRI, facilitating a wide range of imaging-based research and applications, and accelerating knowledge expansion in life science. Field of research: 4003 - Biomedical Engineering Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used for seeing inside biological tissues, conventionally by translating the tissue water content into images. However, these water-based MRI techniques have remained unchanged for decades and can only provide limited information on tissue structural and functional properties, thus meeting challenges in modern applications. This research aims to develop new MR imaging methods that can offer much more detailed depictions of tissue structures and what they are made from, allowing us to examine and better understand how the body works, including how it changes as we age. In particular, the new imaging methods will provide a more in-depth insight into brain function than was previously possible. Teaming up with scientists from MRI manufacturer Siemens, the developed technology will have a clear translational pathway into the future. This research is expected to benefit a broad range of MRI-based research and applications and significantly contribute to developing timely solutions that can help address the aging problem in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Responding to Sexual Harm: An Australian Historical Criminology Approach . Despite sustained interventions from the 1970s onwards, sexual harm is a problem of enormous magnitude within Australia. The project focuses on contemporary histories of reform, aiming to understand how social, political, legal and cultural contexts have shaped experiences and conceptualisations of sexual harm. This project expects to generate vital knowledge on the impacts of recent historical reforms on diverse communities, advance mixed methods and co-design approaches in historical criminology, and enhance Australia’s research capacity by training a new team of topic matter experts. By understanding the impacts of past reform, findings should provide significant benefits in informing future reforms and responses to sexual harm. Field of research: 4303 - Historical Studies This project aims to provide a contemporary historical analysis of law reform pertaining to four distinct forms of sexual harm in Australia. We seek to create new interdisciplinary knowledge and innovative frameworks to evaluate the social, cultural, and political drivers of shifting understandings of sexual harm in Australia from the 1970s onwards. Conservative estimates put the economic cost of sexual and gendered violence at 20 billion dollars annually, with incalculable individual, social and community costs. Despite decades of legal and policy reform, sexual harm is vastly under-reported, and survivors continue to experience the legal system as a source of harm rather than a site of justice. By providing insights into the impacts of contemporary historical reform, this project should generate knowledge and enhance Australia's research capacity to directly inform future policy and practice. Findings have the potential to shape the development of effective responses to sexual harm, in turn mitigating the economic, social, and cultural costs associated with sexual harm in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

3D Hypersonic Shock-Turbulent-Boundary-Layer Interactions. Shock-wave turbulent-boundary-layer interactions occur on hypersonic flight vehicles and can lead to high heating and increased drag. This is a paramount design issue that needs addressing. We aim to understand and quantify fundamental phenomena occurring in such interactions using state-of-the-art instrumentation and wind-tunnel facilities. Surfaces will be heated to realistic flight temperatures to simulate accurately the flight environment and include effects not reproduced with cold models. The effects of 3D features of the interactions will lead to new understanding of how the flow develops through a combination of experiments and numerical simulations. Future designs of hypersonic flight vehicles will benefit from knowledge gained. Field of research: 4001 - Aerospace Engineering 1. The project is about understanding the flow that occurs when one or more shock waves interact with the layer near the surface of a hypersonic flight vehicle. When these interactions occur, the heating can be severe and the flow downstream may be significantly disturbed. 2. We will reproduce the flow in our hypersonic wind tunnels and measure what happens near and at the surface. We will test our flow simulations and see how well we can reproduce the phenomena. This will be the first time that 3D interactions will have been studied with heated walls and will help designers of future hypersonic flight vehicles produce more reliable and efficient vehicles. 3. Australia’s strong international reputation in the field of hypersonics will be enhanced by this project and help maintain our leadership in the area with AUKUS partners. Australian companies working on hypersonic flight vehicles will be able to use the knowledge gained to improve designs. 4. Hypersonic Defence industry will be engaged, via UQ's strong connection with DSTG, thus enabling the development of hypersonic systems for national security.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Responsible modelling respecting privacy, data quality, and green computing. With the unprecedented growing impact of data on science, the economy and society, there comes the need for responsible data science practices which are accountable for the social good. This project aims to investigate the challenging problem of how to provide responsible data management, spanning across privacy-aware data exploration, resilient modelling to cope with imperfect data, and efficient model architectures for resource-constrained environments. This will be achieved by developing theories and techniques for complex real-world multi-modal data retrieval throughout the data life-cycle. The expected outcomes will significantly contribute to building capability in emerging technologies in the context of responsible data science. Field of research: 4605 - Data Management and Data Science The Australian Government has launched the Digital Economy Strategy to take the nation towards becoming a top 10 digital economy and society by 2030. While data have become a foundation of the digital economy, managing data in an ethical, legal and efficient manner remains a great challenge. This project aims to develop responsible data management technologies for data controllers. It delivers a set of novel algorithms to transform big data techniques to fulfil privacy requirements, cope with unreliable data sources, and enhance energy efficiency, while still achieving high data utility. The outcomes will potentially produce economic and social benefits for Australia’s data-intensive sectors, such as agriculture, banking and healthcare, unlocking the power of booming big data techniques while addressing the rising public concerns on their ethics, reliability, and resource consumption. This endeavour will propel Australia towards being a leader in the responsible data science field as well as equipping its businesses with strong capability of complying with stringent data regulations around the world.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Regulation of lung immune-epithelial networks sensing environmental change. This study aims to uncover how lung epithelial cells engage with immune cells and determine their cellular and molecular wiring to ensure homeostatic maintenance and essential repair processes of lung tissues. Maintenance of lung epithelial-immune networks is essential to maintain normal lung tissue structure and function, and to induce immune responses to protect against microbial challenges or inhaled potentially toxic substances. Understanding this molecular program of epithelial-immune cell-mediated sensing/repair will be essential to understand how tissue-repair processes can be driven in the lung, an organ critical for respiration and thus life. Field of research: 3204 - Immunology Lungs are the centre of our respiratory (breathing) system. The ability of the lung to repair the damage that occurs in response to environmental insults, such as pollutants, chemicals, asbestos, and smoke, is essential to ensure our body receives the oxygen it needs to survive. However, the processes that underpin lung repair are not fully understood. This project seeks to unravel how the lungs function in response to environmental damage and aims to uncover significant new knowledge to understand how our blood delivers the signals necessary for the body to repair lung damage. Understanding these pathways is a prerequisite for developing next-generation therapeutics based on nanotechnology and RNA, a basic building block of all cells and used in COVID-19 vaccines, to deliver medications to the lungs. This new industry, predicted to be worth more than 2 billion dollars by 2025, represents a considerable economic and job-creating opportunity for Australia and will provide new avenues to protect the Australian livestock industry through improved protection against lung infections and increased productivity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Elder Abuse: A Longitudinal Prospective Study of Perpetrators and Victims. This project aims to improve the quality of the available data and fill major gaps in knowledge about elder abuse in Australia. The study is significant as it aims to generate new knowledge about the perpetrators and victims of abuse and neglect of older women. The Council of Attorneys’ General of Australia has explicitly prioritised this need for further research on the population prevalence of elder abuse. The anticipated project outcomes will be to identify the prevalence, causes and consequences of elder abuse in Australia, with the intended benefit of the development of reliable and validated estimates of the population prevalence of elder abuse and identify the early life and current circumstances of women who experience elder abuse. Field of research: 4203 - Health Services and Systems The abuse and mistreatment of the elderly is a major public health problem. Perhaps 15% of the elderly population have been reported to experience abuse in the past year. The social and health consequences of this abuse are substantial and are the focus of this current grant proposal. The major gaps in knowledge that this proposal addresses are: (i) Strengthening the way elder abuse is measured as current knowledge is based on weak studies with unreliable measurement and what is known may not be a good indication of experiences in the Australian population. (ii) There is a need to know more about factors contributing to the abuse of the elderly and identifying opportunities to reduce the level of elder abuse. (iii) There is little specifically known about the perpetrators of elder abuse and the extent to which social and economic circumstances earlier in life lead to elder abuse. The current study will address major gaps in knowledge about the causes and consequences of elder abuse, and working with government and non-government agencies, identify pathways to preventing the abuse of the elderly.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Stochastic majorization--minimization algorithms for data science. The changing nature of acquisition and storage data has made the process of drawing inference infeasible with traditional statistical and machine learning methods. Modern data are often acquired in real time, in an incremental nature, and are often available in too large a volume to process on conventional machinery. The project proposes to study the family of stochastic majorisation-minimisation algorithms for computation of inferential quantities in an incremental manner. The proposed stochastic algorithms encompass and extend upon a wide variety of current algorithmic frameworks for fitting statistical and machine learning models, and can be used to produce feasible and practical algorithms for complex models, both current and future. Field of research: 4905 - Statistics Many problems faced by Australia involve the accurate monitoring of data and effective decision-making using data. For example, estimating traffic volume for city planning; business analytic predictions of prices and inventory quantities; economic estimation of interest rates, and inflation; and climate predictions and forecasting. However, often datasets for these activities are too large for conventional methods of analysis. This project aims to develop new frameworks for constructing algorithms that allow for rapid, accurate, and robust inference of large, complex datasets. Such tools will support practitioners such as logisticians, business analysts, economists, and meteorologists to make fast decisions with greater confidence. The algorithms developed will be universal and can be applied in many data analytic settings, from monitoring of bushfire spreads via spatial imaging to monitoring and forecasting electricity loads. Our algorithms will be developed so that they can be distributed widely throughout Australia via convenient and adaptable software in open-source repositories for plug-and-play usage.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Remembering to remember: Prospective memory function in everyday life. Prospective memory is a core cognitive skill that refers to memory for future intentions. The goal of this project is to establish when, why and how real-life prospective memory function breaks down at different stages of the adult lifespan and in different everyday contexts - and what strategies most effectively prevent this from occurring. In doing so, this project expects to deliver knowledge that is theoretically transformative, and that delivers the practical understanding of what can be done to reduce real-life vulnerability to prospective memory failures. Given that lapses of prospective memory account for more than half of all daily cognitive errors, this should provide important social and economic benefits for all Australians. Field of research: 5201 - Applied and Developmental Psychology Prospective memory (PM) refers to memory for future intentions and is involved in many important everyday tasks, such as remembering to take medication, to check food cooking, to turn off appliances, and to pay bills. Failures of PM can therefore cause serious harm in many everyday contexts. This Discovery project will identify the real-life PM activities people struggle with; it will establish when age-related PM difficulties emerge and how they progress when they do, why PM fails in some everyday contexts and not others, how PM breaks down when it does, in terms of the type of error(s) made - and critically, what can be done to reduce real life vulnerability to serious lapses of PM. By answering these questions, this project will provide the high-quality research evidence that is now critically needed to inform policy and practice that supports real-life PM function. This will include the development of ergonomic interventions tailored to the needs of specific age-groups and environmental demands, with important economic and social benefits for all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Tuning the activating stimulus of voltage-gated sodium channels. This proposal aims to advance fundamental knowledge about how proteins (ion channels) found on the surface of neurons (brain cells and nerves) function as molecular conduits of cell-to-cell electrical communication. We aim to study how molecular probes and structural parts of these proteins affect the local chemical environment of ion channels, and how this leads to fine tuning of the ion channel's sensitivity to the stimulus that activates them (cell membrane voltage). The conceptual knowledge gained from this project would advance our understanding of a fundamental physiological process and facilitate the development of drugs that regulate ion channel function, such as anti-epileptics, analgesics and insecticides. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology There is a potential multi-billion-dollar market in Australia for eco-friendly drugs to control agricultural pests, alleviate pain and treat epileptic seizures based on manipulating ion channels, the proteins that the brain uses to communicate. However, this potential is limited by our understanding of how ion channels work with enough detail that allows us to alter their function to our benefit. This project will manipulate ion channels using a new class of drugs derived from natural venoms, to investigate how they attach onto ion channels and alter the way they operate. Studying the effects of these drugs on ion channels will provide the knowledge-base required for researchers and industry to develop new venom-derived products for health and agriculture. To achieve the longer-term goal of drug development we will share our findings with agricultural and pharmaceutical companies in Australia. The benefits to Australians will be safer and more effective pesticides, the economic benefits that come with commercialisation of new drugs, and the benefits to Australian society from more effective pharmaceuticals.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Cell–fluid interaction: inside and outside cells. The project aims to measure mechanics at the cellular level using a combination of optical tweezers for measurement of nano-scale environment around/inside cells and light-sheet microscopy for imaging. The project expects to generate new knowledge about movement of cells through their environment, relating to collective behaviour which is of importance in understanding infections and formation of biofilms. Expected outcomes include deepened understanding of an enigmatic process conserved from amoebae to humans, by which cells ‘drink and eat’ by ‘gulping’ fluid and supplement their nutrient intake by degrading proteins and cell debris. It will generate new knowledge of these processes to better understand how mechanics affects cellular life. Field of research: 5103 - Classical Physics Urgent action is needed for understanding cancer growth and infections. However, an essential part of our immune surveillance and defence, the enigmatic process by which cells ‘drink and eat’ by ‘gulping’ fluid, is only partially understood. While this process is essential to life, it also provides nutrition for the rapid growth of cancer cells, and is a path for infectious bacteria and viruses to enter cells. Our project will measure the mechanics of this cellular-level interaction using super-resolution microscopes and optical tweezers, a device that can manipulate a single molecule. This research generates new knowledge of these processes to better understand how mechanics affects cellular life. The research will benefit Australia economically and socially, by providing new knowledge on the interaction between cells and fluids, and as a result will provide better approaches to the understanding of immune system functions. This research is essential for the development of new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of infections that affect large numbers of people.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Photoelectrode design for solar driven methane to methanol conversion. This project aims to achieve efficient photoelectrocatalytic partial oxidation of greenhouse gas methane for methanol production with high selectivity. The program will design new semiconductor materials through rational defect engineering and co-catalyst selection to revolutionise methane conversion. The expected outcomes include sustainable processes to convert methane into valuable liquid chemicals like methanol, and comprehensive understanding on functional material design for solar driven catalytic reactions. The significant benefits will include revolutionary methane mitigation technologies and sustainable processes for value-added chemical production, alleviating key environmental and energy challenges facing Australia and the world. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Australia’s natural gas and major livestock industries produce significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is estimated to warm the earth around 30 times more than carbon dioxide over a 100-year timescale. Australia urgently needs sustainable technology to mitigate the impact of methane emissions on the environment. This project aims to develop a new technology using renewable solar energy to convert harmful methane into valuable liquid fuels such as methanol which can be used as a fuel in vehicles to replace non-renewable petroleum. Success of this project will provide significant environmental benefits to Australia by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the Australian Governments 2030 Emission Reduction Target, and accelerating the transition to net zero emissions in line with Australia’s Long-Term Emissions Reduction Plan. The technology developed will be shared with Australia’s chemical production industries, allowing them to tap into the global methanol market valued at $60 billion.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

A peptide platform to fight pests threatening global food security. This project aims to develop a platform technology for the efficient design of new crop protection agents based on peptides to protect Australia’s food security. It will be first applied against the highly destructive fall armyworm, currently spreading alarmingly in Australia. The project is significant because insect pests cause huge economic and environmental impacts. Peptides are a new generation of crop protection agents that are potentially more effective and sustainable than chemical pesticides. Expected outcomes are a new rapid response technology and associated lead molecules to protect against current and emerging pests. Major benefits are increased food security, improved crop yields and a more sustainable agriculture industry. Field of research: 3404 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry Australia is a major agricultural producer, with >300,000 jobs directly in agriculture and 1.3 million additional jobs in the associated supply chain. This sector represents 3% of our GDP and a gross value of $60 billion. This project aims to develop new molecules to protect our crops from pests and thus safeguard our agricultural industry. In the first instance we focus on one of the most destructive pests in the world, the Fall armyworm, which reached Australia in 2020 and is rapidly spreading. The class of molecules we are developing are more specific for killing target pests and safer for the environment than traditional crop protection chemicals. Thus, in addition to benefits to the Australian economy through the protection of our agricultural industry there will be benefits to our environment. The environment is an important source of revenue for Australia, with the tourism industry worth 3% of GDP and is also important for our well-being and way of life. We have an Australian industry partner ready to translate our research findings into products.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Solar rechargeable Zinc-Bromine Flow Batteries. This project aims to develop a new solar rechargeable Zinc-Bromine flow battery for better utilization of the abundant yet intermittently available sunlight. The key design is to create a solar-driven photoelectrochemical process to convert the discharged electrode materials back to their charged states and realise the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new solar driven rechargeable technology and photoelectrode materials, as well as new knowledge generated from collaborations across materials science, photoelectrochemistry and nanotechnology disciplines. Further advances in functional materials for solar energy storage will assist in addressing the global energy shortage and mitigating environmental pollution. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Australia has an ambitious target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and solar rechargeable batteries are important for Australia to shift to lower emissions electricity and achieve this goal. Typically, such systems involve two separate devices, a photovoltaic cell and a rechargeable battery, and devices that integrate conversion and storage in one unit are an attractive approach for solar energy systems. This project aims to develop a new solar battery system by integrating solar energy conversion and storage in the one device for better utilisation of abundant yet intermittently available sunlight. This new technology with low cost and high solar-to-electricity efficiency will have strong commercial potential in the burgeoning stationary energy storage market and help reduce electricity costs and propel the Australian government’s investment in clean energy. This project will deliver benefits to Australian battery-related industries by generating high-tech manufacturing capability and creating job opportunities, through technology licensing to existing and new industry partners.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

The functional architecture of a unique family of lipid droplet proteins. Eukaryotic cells are distinguished by the presence of membrane-bound compartments called organelles. This project will use structural biology to determine how essential proteins called sorting nexins (SNXs) regulate membrane interactions required for lipid droplet formation. These interactions are essential for life, controlling protein and lipid homeostasis needed for cell survival. The major outcome of this proposal will be a fundamental understanding of how SNXs control this process, and the work will significantly strengthen our international collaboration in this emerging area. The knowledge has potential future translation in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders where dysregulation of these proteins is known to cause disease. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology How cells control the transport and metabolism of fats and cholesterol is of fundamental importance. Malfunction of these processes is associated with loss of brain cell function and various diseases (e.g. lipodystrophy, a disease affecting fat storage). This project addresses a gap in understanding how proteins called ‘sorting nexins’ regulate the storage and removal of fats. State-of-the art imaging technologies will be used to ‘see’ how sorting nexins work in the cell. This will help us understand how sorting nexin mutations cause diseases affecting muscle control and balance, and how they slow ageing. It could also inform cellular engineering strategies for biotechnology to optimise the production of fats and oils of commercial value. The project will build national capacity and international collaborations in cutting edge biochemistry and cell biology research, including new machine learning or ‘artificial intelligence’ methods that are transforming studies of protein structure, function and drug design via highly accurate computational modelling.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Migration-Dependent Signalling in Macrophages . The project aims to investigate a mechanism of communication used by immune cells to guide each other towards sites of damage. The project will characterise newly revealed cell signalling membrane trails left behind by migrating cells, utilising biochemistry, innovative imaging and microscopy and a transparent zebrafish model to view cell migration through living tissues. Expected outcomes include new fundamental knowledge in the area of immune cell migration with relevance to the basic biology of inflammation, repair and regeneration and new innovations for cell imaging. Significant benefits are expected to arise from this new knowledge and from advanced skills training and improved national capabilities in bio-imaging and analysis. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Our ageing society faces a rapidly growing economic and healthcare burden associated with inflammation, which causes tissue damage and injury in many chronic diseases. As part of the body’s defence, immune cells are recruited to sites of tissue damage to initiate vital repairs for these injuries. However we do not fully understand the mechanisms directing immune cells to these critical sites. This project will use advanced live microscopy to investigate recently discovered membrane structures that are left behind as signposts by migrating immune cells, to guide other cells to sites of damage. The project outcomes will include new fundamental knowledge and identify specific molecular targets as foundations for the future development of new therapeutics to enhance tissue repair and regeneration in chronic inflammation. Consumers stand to benefit from improved healthcare and quality of life. This project will deliver national benefit by enabling on-shore development and commercialisation of new immune-directed, tissue repair therapies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Adrenomedullin: a specific regulator of venous vessel integrity. Arteries and veins display different adhesive properties, which enable them to fulfil their physiological roles. We are yet to understand the mechanisms that establish and maintain adhesive function in different vessel types. We have discovered that signalling by the peptide Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a key mediator of adhesion, only in veins but not arteries. This project aims to utilise innovative models (zebrafish, mouse and bioengineered vessels) to identify the biochemical and mechanical mechanisms by which ADM controls venous adhesion. Outcomes will improve our understanding on how vessel integrity is controlled across vessel types and will expand the scope of Australian research by informing efforts to vascularise engineered tissues. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The aging of the Australian population presents a major economic challenge as well as significant implications around healthcare in old age. In recent years, the emergence of engineered organs has brought great promise towards repairing dysfunctional organs, however these organs often lack functional blood vessels that can deliver oxygen and nutrients. This limitation must be overcome before engineered organs can become a viable option. We therefore first need to understand how arteries and veins are made during normal organ development. This project builds on our discoveries which identified a gene that specifically controls development of veins. Here, we will uncover how this gene mediates blood vessel development, adding critical knowledge to this important field. The new knowledge will result in immense benefit for the commercial and economic capacity of Australia, by providing the critical information required to create specific blood vessel subtypes in engineered organs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Glucocorticoid receptor-αD1 modulates stress and inflammation . Environmental stressors in mammalian pregnancy often cause inflammation in the mother which has an adverse effect on the fetus and its survival. The current grant aims to examine the mechanism by which stress and inflammation coexist in pregnancy because stress hormones normally exert anti-inflammatory actions. Contrary to convention, a new glucocorticoid receptor (GR), GRalpha D1, is linked to increasing inflammation. Using innovative molecular biology approaches, GRalphaD1's function will be examined to provide a deeper understanding of how stress regulates inflammation in animal reproduction. The project aims to enhance interdisciplinary collaborations with expected benefits including a paradigm shift in our knowledge in this field. Field of research: 3208 - Medical Physiology Severe stress responses to catastrophic events such as floods and bushfires can cause significant health changes in the body and is very serious during pregnancy. Stress responses during pregnancy can lead to early birth or critically small babies resulting in lifelong complications and even death. These complications are a significant economic burden for the agricultural industry due to lost animal productivity, a challenge for zoo-based species conservation due to pregnancy losses, and a burden to health funding when caring long term for children with disabilities. A solution is required but we do not have sufficient knowledge to treat stress responses during pregnancy. The grant will significantly advance the knowledge required for the development of selective stress modulators that could target specific cell types or organs and repress adverse responses to stress. It has wider implications related to the identification of mechanisms associated with inflammation-induced glucocorticoid resistance, a problem with no known solution that can tackle national problems related to managing stress in reproduction. This project is designed to find new understandings of stress pathways that are active during pregnancy. The findings will be commercially important as the data will contribute to industry partnerships to develop stress modulator drugs or nutritional supplements for humans and animals which will reduce the economic burden associated with severe stress.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

Robots as a Social Group: Implications for Human-Robot Interaction. This Project aims to identify psychological factors that can limit the acceptance of robots in the home and workplace. As robots become more pervasive in everyday life, they are also likely to elicit fear, rejection, and even damage. The significance of the Project lies in its social neuroscientific approach to promoting better human-robot interaction by considering robots as a social group. Expect outcomes include theory development about human and robot intergroup acceptance, enhanced institutional and international collaborations, and much needed psychological knowledge for robot designers. Benefits include a detailed understanding of how to increase the acceptance of robots in a wide variety of fields. Field of research: 5202 - Biological Psychology Australia’s rapidly growing robotics industry produces robots for healthcare, hospitality, education, and the home, and are now far more prevalent than just a few years ago. Yet, the development of these “social” robots has not fully considered the psychology of human-robot interaction. Thus, many potential users reject or are openly hostile to robots in their everyday lives because they view them as threatening to humans. To address this problem, our novel approach applies established methods for improved interactions among people from different groups to consider robots as a social group as well. We will use our research experience in social psychology, neuroscience, and robotics with state-of-the-art methods to provide vital brain and behavioural knowledge that yields greater understanding of the acceptance of social robots. Given the growing importance of robots, particularly in countries with rapidly aging populations and falling birth rates, this project will provide essential knowledge for roboticists, enabling them to deliver practical applications as they design the next generation of robots. We will use existing ties to engineers and robotics researchers working in this area to transfer knowledge gained from the project.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2023 · 2023-01

A novel microbial process breaking through the nitrogen cycling. Nitrogen transformation is central to life on Earth. This project will challenge a century-old paradigm that microorganisms must cooperate in a team to convert nitrogen from organic- to inorganic forms. We will carry out the first-ever systematic investigation of a novel process, where a single organism mediates complete ammonification and ammonia oxidation, directly connecting organic- and inorganic nitrogen. By revealing metabolic pathways, characterising ecophysiological properties, isolating key microorganisms and exploring their application potential, this project will change our fundamental understanding of global nitrogen cycling, improve the sustainability of water management, and contribute to the circular economy transition Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Urea is the most common organic nitrogen compound in soil and water ecosystems. It was thought that microorganisms cooperate in a team to convert organic nitrogen into inorganic forms. However, this project aims to characterise a novel process, in which a single microbe independently converts urea into inorganic nitrate. This new process and the responsible microorganism will fundamentally change our understanding of the global nitrogen cycle. This project aims to bolster Australia’s international reputation for ground-breaking work in microbiology through national and international collaborations. This project lays the scientific foundations to develop a novel, commercial biotechnology to recover nitrogen from wastewater to generate environmentally friendly liquid fertiliser for agricultural use. This work will support the Australian water and agricultural industries in achieving more sustainable management of soil and water, and positions Australia as a leader in circular economy innovation.