THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Advancing the visualisation and quantification of nephrons with MRI. . This project aims to characterise key components of nephrons, the glomeruli and tubules, using magnetic resonance imaging without contrast agents, in combination with Deep Learning and super-resolution techniques. Nephrons, the basic functional unit of the kidney, are critical to the maintenance of the body’s homeostasis. Their number and architecture are critical determinants of kidney function. The expected outcomes are innovative semi-automated nephron visualisation and quantitation tools that enable efficient renal phenotyping. Techniques tailored to widely accessible preclinical research scanners are expected to accelerate research into genetic and environmental factors affecting kidney microstructure in embryonic and post-natal life. Field of research: 1103 - Clinical Sciences The project contributes to Australia’s national interest through potential benefits to the Australian community gained from building scientific expertise and technical capacity in the high value-add biomedical technology sector. Successful outcomes are expected to accelerate research that creates new knowledge into the factors that control the development of key microscopic components of the kidney that are essential for its normal functioning, and the changes that occur through life and normal aging. Australia’s scientific reputation and competitive advantage will be enhanced by novel cutting-edge magnetic resonance imaging and artificial intelligence techniques that will be of commercial interest to manufacturers of magnetic resonance imaging scanners. Furthermore, the new techniques are designed for use on preclinical research scanners that are widely accessible in Australia, enabling kidney researchers across the country to benefit from project outcomes. This is also expected to add significantly to the impact of previous Commonwealth Government investments in the research scanners.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Turning crises into opportunities: Learning from high growth businesses. Being able to adapt and respond to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic or bushfires is important for Australia's economic development. This project investigates how crises can be turned into opportunities. It analyses the strategic crises responses of business ventures that managed to defy the odds and to achieve high growth because of crises. The outcomes include an improved understanding of the opportunities crises present; and actionable, empirically grounded insights into successful crises responses. As such, the project will make significant contributions to core areas of entrepreneurship and management research. It will also help policymakers and entrepreneurs to improve economic resilience and to foster sustainable economic growth. Field of research: 1503 - Business and Management Adapting and responding to environmental change is one of Australia's Science and Research Priorities. COVID-19 same as the 2020 bushfires highlight that being able to respond to crises as a type of environmental change is of utmost importance for Australia to achieve its long-term goals of sustained economic growth, job creation and improved national well-being. This project will contribute to fostering economic resilience and growth in light of crises by providing evidence-based strategies to turn crises into economic opportunities. Specifically, the project will analyse the strategic crisis responses of business ventures that successfully defied the odds and managed to achieve high growth despite and because of crises. Knowledge from this project will provide policymakers and entrepreneurs in Australia insights about successful crises responses and about fostering high growth businesses, thereby helping Australia to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities and to ensure sustained economic growth.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Validation of predicted solution processed organic semiconductor properties. Controlling organic semiconductor film morphology at a molecular level is key to advancing the performance of optoelectronic devices such as large area organic light-emitting diode lighting, solar cells and sensors. The project aims to move from an empirical design cycle of material synthesis, device fabrication and testing to a more predictive approach where morphologies from molecular simulations are used to rationalise differences in experimentally measured optoelectronic properties. Outcomes will include unique insight into atomic-level structural details that determine device efficiency and an understanding of whether atomic simulations can be applied to accelerate improvements in device performance and translation to industry. Field of research: 0303 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry The aim of this project is to validate a predictive approach to improving solution processed organic semiconductor technologies. The foundational nature of the program means that it will impact not just a single technology but span a range of important applications including organic light-emitting diodes (that can be used for large area lighting modules), solar cells and sensors. A key feature of solution processed organic semiconductors is their environmental benefit through enabling low embedded energy manufacturing and technologies that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For example, efficient solar cells and lighting provide societal benefit through green electricity generation and more efficient use of the generated electricity (≈20% of electricity generated in Australia is used for lighting). Determination of the solution processed organic semiconductor film morphology at an atomic level will facilitate the translation of these revolutionary devices from basic science to industrial products, maximising the competitive economic advantage of Australia's rapidly growing organic semiconductor community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes for Organic Solvent Separation. Directly addressing the pressing challenge of organic solvent separation faced by numerous industries, the project aims to develop molecular sieve membranes with outstanding selectivity and solvent tolerance by constructing zeolite-carbon mixed matrix membrane via incorporating zeolite nanosheets into carbon materials. The project expects to generate advanced knowledge of nanosheet synthesis, membrane fabrication and selective molecule transport. The membranes developed in the project have great potentials for improving the production capacity and sustainability of Australian industries, e.g., pharmaceutical manufacturing, bioethanol production and petroleum refining, providing significant economic and environmental benefits to Australia. Field of research: 0904 - Chemical Engineering Organic solvents are commonly used in Australian key industries (e.g., pharmaceutical manufacturing, bioethanol production and petroleum refining) as reaction media, raw materials or final products. Organic solvent separations are essential for product enrichment and purification, raw materials recycling, resource recovery and waste minimisation. Because of their small molecular sizes and subtle size difference, organic solvent separations still predominantly rely on energy-intensive separation technologies. To address the urgent need for energy-efficient organic solvent separation, the project aims to develop highly selective membranes with outstanding solvent tolerance. The membranes developed in the project have great potentials for improving the production capacity and sustainability of Australian industries, providing significant economic and environmental benefits to Australia. The new knowledge of membrane fabrication and application will improve Australia’s research and innovation capability and train next generation of highly-skilled scientists and engineers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

What predictions can I trust? Stability of chaotic random dynamical systems. This project aims to make significant progress on the intricate question of global stability of non-autonomous chaotic dynamical systems. Using ergodic theory, this project expects to determine when and how errors in dynamical models that are small and frequent, or large and infrequent, can cause dramatic changes in meaningful mathematical model outputs. Expected outcomes include the discovery of mathematical mechanisms underlying large-scale (in)stability for time-dependent dynamical systems, and reliable numerical methods for detecting instabilities. This research is expected to lead to improved characterisations of shocks or collapse in externally driven dynamical systems and assist scientists to gauge which predictions they can trust. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics Random dynamical systems are flexible mathematical models used to describe large-scale and complex phenomena, such as fluidic, atmospheric, oceanic, and granular flows. Because models typically only approximate the evolution of systems of interest, it is important to understand how and when modelling errors can lead to dramatic changes in meaningful model outputs. If instabilities are present, systems evolving under similar (but not identical) rules may exhibit completely different behaviours. This project will provide insights into the stability of random dynamical systems and the susceptibility of these systems to display shocks or collapse under perturbation. The outputs of this project have the potential to inform Australian scientists and policymakers on the reliability of dynamical models, and to assist them to gauge which predictions they can trust. This project will train a body of talent with advanced analytical and computational skills, benefiting the Australian society and economy. Furthermore, it will enhance Australia’s international reputation in mathematics.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Nuclear alarmins escalate tissue immune responses. Humans and other animals are constantly exposed to potential threats, including microbes on and near the body. Animals can live with such dangers because these everyday encounters are made harmless by the immune system. It is unclear how cells distinguish low-danger threats from high-danger threats. This proposal seeks to reveal how immune cells identify increasing levels of threat and appropriately escalate their responses. Expected outcomes include new insights into how immune cells and tissues respond according to the posing threat. Project benefits include understanding how to manipulate danger responses for future basic research and commercial applications, and fundamental understanding of how animals flourish in a dangerous world. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This project will generate new foundational scientific knowledge about the immune system. It seeks to reveal how immune cells identify increasing levels of threat and appropriately escalate their responses. In doing so, this project will characterise novel features of immune cell death that allow the dying cell to signal from beyond the grave. Immediate economic benefit will result from the research itself, including investment in training the next generation of Australian scientists in cutting-edge microscopy techniques. In doing so, this project raises the competitiveness of Australia’s biotechnology sector, stimulating future economic benefits. The project team is skilled at discovering fundamental molecular mechanisms of immune system function, and using this knowledge to develop new commercial products. In the long term, foundational scientific knowledge generated during this project may be used to generate new commercial products, such as diagnostics, anti-infective drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Super-resolving neurotransmitter release machinery during priming. Understanding how neurons communicate in the brain is one of the most challenging feats in neuroscience. The assembly of the molecular machinery involved in communication is unknown. This grant aims to understand how priming molecules Munc18 and Munc13, undergo a series of molecular steps leading to the release of neurotransmitter. Using innovative single-molecule super-resolution imaging we will uncover how Munc18 and Munc13 are spatially and temporally organised to mediate communication. By elucidating how nanoclustering of these essential proteins enables key steps, this grant will reveal how brain cells communicate. This may then provide new opportunities to optimise underlying functions such as cognition, sensory and motor processing. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This research in the emerging field of single molecule super-resolution microscopy is at the forefront of molecular neuroscience. This research will advance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underpinning brain cell communication at the single-molecule level and in living brain cells. This communication is essential for all aspects of nervous system function including, brain plasticity and learning and memory. This is especially important considering future development of artificial intelligence based on brain cell function within networks. In addition to the advancement of fundamental scientific knowledge, this project will contribute in to Australia’s position in the field: by (1) establishing state-of-the-art single-molecule technologies, and (2) establishing the first framework of dynamic organisation of synaptic proteins. This could be use to establish new technologies to further study synaptic dysfunction in a commercial setting. This grant will strengthen Australia's emerging position as world-class university education hubs, thus attracting the best and brightest scientists to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Information support tools for the trauma patient pathway. Processes such as critical supply chain management, disaster management, and trauma patient pathways need people, resources, and information to be smoothly transferred between jurisdictions, but problems can occur at each handover. This project focuses on the prehospital to hospital patient pathway and aims to develop technologies, devices, and displays to support more effective handover of patients between jurisdictions. The project will conduct field research, design activities, and simulation-based evaluation of prototypes with healthcare professionals. Expected outcomes are designs, technologies, and guidelines that will generalise to other multi-jurisdictional processes. Benefits are safer and more efficient handover processes. Field of research: 0806 - Information Systems In advanced economies, goods and services are provided through multiple stages of processing, with organisations specialising in specific processing stages and then handing over to organisations specialising in further stages. Examples are critical supply chains for manufacturing or distribution of goods such as vaccines, movement of populations and resources during disaster response, and the prehospital to hospital transfer of patients. However there are risks at handover points that critical information may be lost or distorted, and new information overlooked, due to challenges of coordination, teamwork, technical support, and situational factors. This project investigates challenges associated with the handover of trauma patients that occur at multiple points in the prehospital to hospital transfer pathway, proposes technical and procedural solutions using different forms of information technology, and evaluates prototype solutions in simulation exercises with healthcare professionals. Our findings will generalise to other industries where people, goods, and services move through different jurisdictions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Network activity and the role of NMDA receptors in associative learning. The brain is the most complex machine we know, and its activity shapes every aspect our lives. Studies over decades using tools from molecular and cellular neuroscience and behavioural experiments have discovered the parts of the brain involved in learning and memory formation. Much is understood about the neural circuits that mediate learning but how memories are formed and stored are not understood. The aim of this project is to understand learning and memory formation using a simple Pavlovian learning paradigm, fear conditioning. Using cutting-edge molecular tools we will label the circuits in the amygdala that mediate this learning and the nature of the memory trace. In the long term, these results may drive novel storage devices. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences The brain is the most complex machine we know, it drives behaviour and disorders of brain function account for nearly half the burden of disease in Australia. However, little is understood about how the brain processes information, stores and retrieves memories. Disorders of brain function such as anxiety disorders and post traumatic stress are little understood, and do not have many effective treatments. This project uses a simple learning paradigm to study information processing and the storage of memories in the mammalian brain. These studies will reveal how circuits in the brain work during learning and memory formation. In the long term these results will help to understand what happens during disorders of brain function. Moreover, it will drive the understanding of new computational architectures that may lead to the development of new ways to process information, store it with little energy and rapidly retrieve it. It will help recruit new scientists to Australia and support the development of novel methods to treat brain disorders.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Opening Up Access to L-Sugars through a Synergy of Experiment and Theory. This project aims to address a major bottleneck in the science of carbohydrates by developing the first broad-scope synthetic routes to L-sugars. L-sugars are critical components of many biologically and commercially significant molecules, but knowledge of their functional roles is impeded by the fact that most L-sugars are expensive or difficult to make. This project expects to develop expeditious routes to L-sugars via an innovative combination of synthetic and theoretical chemistry. Expected outcomes include a markedly increased capacity to access pure samples of L-sugar-based biomolecules, as needed for studying their biological functions. Significant benefits in the development of vaccines, diagnostics and biomaterials are anticipated. Field of research: 0305 - Organic Chemistry L-Hexoses are rare but biologically widespread components of various biomolecules which are crucial mediators of many biological processes. However, they remain under-exploited because of a lack of commercial availability and lack of methods to prepare them in significant quantities for biological studies and subsequently for production. These compounds are of great current interest to biotechnology companies, particularly for the development of new products for biotechnological and materials applications. This project involves the development of new chemical methods for preparing these important compounds. Access to these compounds will also provide opportunities to develop advanced understanding of biological processes and provide a platform for the development of new biotechnological products. Exploitation of this new technology by Australian companies has the potential to result in significant economic benefits in the future through commercialization of these products.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Is there a climatic tipping point for Antarctic Bottom Water formation? Antarctic Bottom Water plays an important role in global ocean circulation and climate and yet its formation is also highly sensitive to climate change. This project will analyse new seafloor, core and water samples from the understudied Cape Darnley, East Antarctica, collected on a voyage in early 2022. This new data will be used in combination with an improved high resolution regional ocean model, to understand modern and past Antarctic Bottom Water formation under different climate states (warmer and colder than present), to determine if there are climate tipping points for the shut down of Antarctic Bottom Water formation. The anticipated benefits include a better understanding of future climate change on this important water mass. Field of research: 0405 - Oceanography This project will improve Australia's understanding of oceanography and environment of Cape Darnley, East Antarctica, a remote and understudied region of Australia’s Antarctic Territory where the globally important Antarctic Bottom Waters are formed. This project will contribute to Australia's commitment to the Antarctic Treaty to undertake science in the region for improved management and scientific diplomacy. The project also aligns with Australia’s Antarctic Science Strategic Plan and the National Marine Science Plan to improve our understanding of oceans and ice in the southern hemisphere and past climate change in Antarctica. The team for this voyage and project is led by a multi-institutional team of female CIs and PIs from various stages of their careers, early, mid and experienced. This project will champion the recommendations from the Women in STEM Decadal Plan by supporting opportunities for training women at all career stages and developing core leadership skills. We are also committed to training up the next generation of Australian Antarctic scientists.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Lie superalgebra representations: a geometric approach. The concept of a Lie group provides a mathematical underpinning for the idea of symmetry in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The project aims to advance two fundamental problems related to this concept: classification of unitary representations of Lie superalgebras, and the prescribed Ricci curvature problem on Lie groups. The research builds on newly-discovered connections between these problems to achieve exciting progress in their resolution. Outcomes are expected to find applications across a range of fields, such as condensed matter physics, particle physics, quantum field theory and knot theory. Anticipated benefits include stronger links between different areas of science achieved through a deeper understanding of symmetry. Field of research: 0101 - Pure Mathematics Symmetry is ubiquitous in science, engineering and technology, from large constructions in architecture, to plant structures in biology, to models of subatomic physics. The notion of a Lie group provides a precise and adaptable mathematical description of symmetry which underpins scientific research and has recently found a range of more industry-related applications. Our project aims to discover new fundamental properties of Lie groups through an innovative combination of methods from algebra and geometry. These discoveries will help explain phenomena in several areas of science (e.g., the modern field of supersymmetric particle physics) and lay the groundwork for new technological developments significant to a range of industries in Australia, such as image processing software and intelligent manufacturing. As the project addresses important challenges for the international scientific community, it will expand Australian researcher networks and facilitate interdisciplinary ties. It will help attract students to Australian universities, thus contributing to the Australian economy and intellectual capacity.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Voter behaviour and polarisation: The role of social preferences. This project aims to investigate how peer pressure and other social concerns affect voter participation, vote choice, and political polarisation. It will marry behavioural experimental economics with political economics and make use of complementary experimental methods that will allow for the study of carefully controlled elections, followed by a large-scale real-world test of the results. Expected outcomes include improved understanding of how social media and other social factors, and political institutions such as compulsory voting, distort election representation and outcomes. Major benefits include the ability to advise policies to reduce polarisation and improve political institutions to ensure they reflect true societal preferences. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics Australia has played a leading role in ensuring fair democratic processes since it became the first country to adopt the secret ballot and one of only a few to use compulsory voting. This research will help Australia maintain this important status by addressing the modern threat to fair elections posed by social media. Social media is dramatically changing the culture of how people associate with others and engage with political debate in their various peer groups, and this may interact with voting institutions to produce polarised voters and politicians, distorted outcomes, and political gridlock. This research will reveal the mechanisms of this process. The goal of Australian democracy is to measure and aggregate societal preferences, so it is in our strong national interest to consider policies, advised by research like this, that preserve the integrity of that process. The results will similarly benefit Australian corporations and other organizations that use elections, for example by boards of directors or stockholders, to make economically critical choices.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Supporting Entry and Growth of Australian Businesses via Tax and Transfers. This project aims to characterise the optimal tax treatment of business income for insurance and efficiency purposes. Using new data for Australia, the project expects to first identify key determinants of businesses creation, growth and exit, before and after COVID-19. In light of those determinants, the project expects to develop original macroeconomic models integrating firm dynamics into optimal taxation frameworks. Expected outcomes include formulating fiscal policies that provide adequate stimulus to businesses, by balancing public insurance and income inequality. This should deliver evidence-based inputs to promote Australia's post-pandemic recovery, through the design of a fairer and more efficient business tax and transfer system. Field of research: 1402 - Applied Economics Over the last two decades, the macroeconomic business climate in Australia has become significantly less dynamic. Fewer entrepreneurs are setting up new firms, which has raised concerns around potential negative consequences for Australian innovation, job creation, and productivity. These pressing concerns have been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This project aims to first identify the ex-ante and ex-post drivers of the differences of business income and employment across firms in Australia, before and after COVID-19. Taking into account those drivers, this project will build state of the art theoretical methods to yield novel results on the interaction between firm heterogeneity, income insurance, and the design of business taxes before and after the pandemic. Such results would be essential to the economic recovery of Australia’s business community post COVID-19, and would not only advance disciplinary knowledge in economics, but produce social benefits to the broader national community by guiding tax debates, and by contributing to a fairer and more efficient distribution of resources in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The social psychology of minority experiences of interracial contact. Interracial contact is perhaps the most prominent social psychological approach to reducing racism. This project aims to test the novel proposition that there may be hidden costs to relying on contact, however. Generating new knowledge in the field of social psychology, this project plans to examine whether minority group members feel pressured to 'perform' during interracial contact, engaging in emotional labour, and experiencing psychological burnout as a result. Expected outcomes include substantive collaboration, theory development, and scientific progress leading to social change. Ultimately, the project aspires to benefit those who suffer most from discrimination and prejudice by improving techniques for targeting racism. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology Australia is increasingly multicultural, bringing the country many benefits but also a higher risk of group based conflict and racism. Interventions to reduce or prevent racism are vital in this context; intergroup contact - repeated positive interactions between minority and majority group members - has strong evidence showing it can reduce the prejudice carried by majorities toward minorities. However, this project proposes that minority group members often feel pressured to engage in emotional labour during intergroup contact to ensure a positive experience for the majority group member. This emotional labour is predicted to lead to psychological burnout, reduced wellbeing, and maladaptive coping strategies. Examining and combating this phenomenon benefits Australia by opening the path to new anti-racism interventions which can serve all Australians. In sum, this project will investigate potential downsides of current anti-racism interventions, and provide solutions. Improving intergroup relations will bring social, cultural, and economic benefits and improve Australia's appeal as a home for everybody.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Transforming titanium component fabrication with free machining additives. Australian manufacturers of titanium products face grand challenges in affordably machining precision components because titanium is expensive, inherently difficult to machine and most designed parts require significant machining, all of which exacerbates cost. This project aims to overcome these impediments by discovering new alloy additives that can be introduced locally during additive manufacturing of titanium products in order to make machining operations easier and faster without affecting the quality of the final product. The knowledge gained from this project seeks to create new capabilities and improve the productivity of Australian manufacturers while lowering the cost of products for consumers. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering Australia is a leader in fabricating high value titanium products but low manufacturing productivity remains a key impediment during the production of precision titanium components. In particular, the difficulty of mechanically removing and shaping this material through machining operations is high and consequently these operations account for up to half of the final product cost. This project takes a new approach to address this issue by developing alloy additives that greatly improve titanium’s machinability that, when combined with additive manufacturing, result in higher manufacturing productivity without sacrificing the quality of the end product. This will enable Australian manufacturers to produce high quality titanium products faster and more affordably, allowing them to more competitively participate in global supply chains (such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program). As a material with many applications, including defence, this strengthens our sovereign advanced manufacturing capability and supports the growth of an important industry, while also boosting jobs and local economies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Structural basis of plant immune receptor signaling. Plants detect invading pathogens and trigger immune responses in a process called “effector-triggered immunity”, in which pathogen effector (avirulence) proteins are recognized by plant resistance proteins, typically so-called “plant NLRs”. Ongoing work in the applicants’ laboratories has shown that oligomerization into “resistosomes” and NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) cleavage play central roles in the process. Building on these data, the project aims to characterize the structures of the signaling molecules resulting from TIR (Toll/interleukin-1 receptor) domain-mediated NAD+ cleavage and the structural architecture of plant NLR resistosomes. This knowledge will support the long-term objective of protecting crops from pathogens. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Pathogens account for >15-30% loss of global crop production, representing a threat to food security. Fungicides, one key form of protection, represent environmental concerns. Plant resistance gene breeding can protect against a broad range of pathogens, but suffers from lengthy breeding processes, restricted choice of genes from sexually compatible species and short effective time spans in the field, as pathogens evolve to avoid detection. Incursion of new pathogens from other parts of the world represents further threat. Understanding how resistance proteins function and finding new sources of these proteins, the subject of the proposed research, are central objectives to achieve effective and durable resistance and reduce the economic and environmental implications of plant diseases, especially for grains industry and other crops relevant to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Autocyclases: A new class of self-cyclising proteins. The biotechnology sector is emerging as an important economic strength in Australia. While the improved efficacy and selectivity of biomolecules has seen them emerge as alternatives to existing chemicals in health and agriculture, the stability of biomolecules remains a major limiting factor. A general strategy for improving protein stability is by joining the ends of the peptide chain in a cyclisation reaction. While a wide range of cyclic peptides and proteins are being developed in Australia and around the world, the cyclisation reaction presents a significant challenge. In this proposal we detail a novel method for protein cyclisation as a general, low-cost and green production method for making a diverse range of biomolecules. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The use of biomolecules as novel reagents, catalysts and drugs is revolutionising chemical and pharmaceutical industries. A major limitation of biomolecules is their poor stability compared to traditional chemicals. A general strategy for improving the stability of biomolecules, such as peptides and proteins, is joining their ends to create a cyclic molecule using protein cyclisation. Existing protein cyclisation methods are inefficient and costly, hence unsuitable for industrial applications. In this proposal we outline innovations in protein engineering that will allow us to create a general, scalable, low-cost, and environmentally friendly protein cyclisation method. This will provide a rapid translational path for cyclised therapeutic and agricultural (bio)products being developed across Australia. The outcome of this research will strengthen Australia’s position as an international leader in the field of biotechnology, a sector recognised as a nationally important economic strength. In addition, the proposed work will train future Australian scientists in an area of significant growth and skills demand.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Enhancing and evaluating stakeholder engagement for improved water outcomes. Stakeholder engagement, widely recognised as essential in successful water governance, remains ad hoc both in practice and as a research theme. Using a detailed analysis of a complex evolutionary case of stakeholder engagement in water management in the Murray-Darling Basin (1900- 2020), this project aims to develop new approaches to measure the structure and form of socio-culturally derived stakeholder engagement system, to improve socio-economic and environmental benefits from water. The expected output is a new diagnostic tool for evaluating stakeholder engagement that can be taken up by governing bodies. The expected benefit is more inclusive, equal, and adaptive water governance through more effective stakeholder engagement. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management Australia’s water crises stem from the complex interdependence of hydrological cycles complicated by intense conflict and competition of water use among stakeholders. To date, stakeholder engagement practices have failed to foster sustainable water management and use, and have led to clientelism and the marginalisation of groups such as indigenous communities. This project will offer government agencies and river basin authorities a tool for designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating stakeholder engagement in river basin governance by assessing the structure of stakeholder engagement networks and explicitly linking them to both stakeholders’ values of water and their water uses at catchments. Application of the tool will lead to more inclusive, equal, and adaptive water governance, and in the long run, greater socio-economic and environmental benefits from increasingly scarce water.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Ductile grinding mechanism and technology of brittle single crystals. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the removal mechanics of emerging brittle single crystals under grinding-induced loading. A successful outcome will not only develop a new theoretical model for predicting the ductile removal regime of this class of difficult-to-machine materials, but their cost-effective ductile grinding processes will also be generated. It will address a longstanding bottleneck productivity issue in advanced manufacturing. The breakthrough technology developed in the project is expected to significantly benefit a number of industrial sectors for the fabrication of more affordable high-performance devices including mobile phones, light-emitting diodes, solar cells, sensors, and laser systems. Field of research: 0910 - Manufacturing Engineering Semiconductors are in all the modern technologies around us, such as mobile devices, computers, medical equipment and sensors. The most common semiconducting materials are brittle single crystals, which need to be carefully machined with high precision as machining induced faults can interfere with the performance of semiconductor based devices. This project aims to develop a new cost-effective process for machining brittle single crystals, thereby addressing the shortcomings of the current trial and error approach that significantly slows production. This new technology will enable Australia’s manufacturing sectors to make higher quality, lower cost, and less energy-consuming electronics devices such as LEDs, cochlear implants, microphones, security sensors, and solar cells, thus enhancing Australia’s manufacturing capacity to meet the high demand from domestic and global consumers. It will enable Australian manufacturing to engage with the multi-billion dollar semiconductor market.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Advancing the Science of Giant Planet Atmospheric Entry. This project aims to improve models used to design the heat shields which protect probes entering the atmospheres of the giant planets - four gaseous planets out beyond Mars. Further giant planet exploration is a key planetary science goal of the coming decade. However, the environment which an entry probe would experience features many unknowns and large uncertainties, making a mission a risky undertaking. Using unique experimental capabilities and state-of-the-art modelling, the expected project outcome is experimentally validated giant planet entry flow and surface chemistry models. This will allow more efficient heat shields to be designed while also increasing the chance of mission success, furthering our understanding of the universe. Field of research: 0901 - Aerospace Engineering Entering the atmosphere of an ice giant, Uranus or Neptune, is a key space science goal for the coming decade as these planets played a pivotal role in our solar system’s formation and are common in the universe. Studying them is of great multi-disciplinary interest. Our goal is to advance the design of the heat shield that will protect the entry probe, allowing Australia to leverage our planetary entry expertise for this mission. These missions are high-profile, multi-decade endeavours. They provide prolonged international interactions that increase our value as strategic partners. This will raise the profile of Australian space capability and grow collaborations between our industry and NASA and ESA. For our space industry to reach its full scientific and economic potential, an appropriately qualified workforce and the related local knowledge base are required. This project will directly contribute by training the future workforce, greatly increasing sovereign capability in heat shield design. This will aid Australian companies developing heat shields for future Australian or international space missions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

The costs and consequences of resistance to stress in microbial systems. The coexistence of antibiotic resistant and sensitive bacteria in microbial communities represents a paradox. Combining novel ecological models and competition experiments, this project aims to investigate how the pulsing of antibiotics and resources affects the coexistence of resistant and sensitive bacteria. This project expects to generate new knowledge into how the complex non-equilibrium dynamics of natural systems feeds back to regulate the spread of antibiotic resistance in microbial communities. This should advance our fundamental understanding of microbial competition, and provide a foundation for the development of new ecologically-aware strategies for managing resistance. Field of research: 0602 - Ecology The adaptive evolution of resistance to antimicrobials and other biocides can have significant negative economic, environmental and health impacts. This project will take advantage of recent advances in ecological theory to better understand the evolution of resistance under pulsed exposure to stress in the form of antimicrobials. In addition to consolidating Australia’s reputation as a hotspot for ecological and evolutionary research, the findings should ultimately inform ecologically-aware strategies for limiting resistance, and in doing so this project has the potential to provide beneficial economic, environmental and human health outcomes. More generally, the fundamental insights arising from this project should also apply to non-microbial communities, including floral and faunal systems subject to pulsed environmental stressors characteristic of Australian landscapes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

General systems modelling of hydrogen production network in Australia. The project aims at further developing a general framework for systems modelling and applying the framework to investigate the feasibility and sustainability of large-scale hydrogen production in Australia. Two pathways proposed in this project are to be examined: 1) hybrid plants sourcing hydrogen from fossil fuels and solar thermal energy and 2) hydrogen production network producing hydrogen from 100% renewable energy. The project involves building systems models and using these models to determine optimal operational parameters and conditions with the goal of maintaining export of high-end energy resources to Japan and other countries as well as using hydrogen domestically while minimising the environment effects of hydrogen production. Field of research: 0913 - Mechanical Engineering Australia approaches a period of rapid technological changes and it is important that the country progresses towards a new generation of technologies while retaining its standing in the areas of national advantage. A rapid increase in the production of hydrogen can be instrumental in achieving both of these strategic goals (i.e. upholding leading positions in the resource area and introducing a new technological base). While hydrogen can easily be produced in small and moderate quantities, a large scale production from renewable or partially renewable sources can put significant pressure on the resources and environment. This project suggests and investigates two pathways, hybrid fossil/renewable and 100% renewable, that should allow us to produce hydrogen from (partially) renewable sources in quantities sufficient for the export of clean hydrogen energy and, at the same time, minimise the environmental effect of the production. The project is to be conducted in cooperation with our strategic partners in developing a hydrogen economy (Japan and Germany) and should assist in objective policy selections.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Coupled effects of stress and temperature changes on concrete structures. The coupled effects of stress and temperature changes that concrete structures are commonly subject to are significant and need to be properly accounted for. However, existing engineering models accounting for these effects remain essentially empirical, necessarily limiting their predictive capability. This research aims to examine such coupled effects using an innovative approach combining original physical-based analytical study with novel tests and advanced numerical work. Expected outcomes include a robust yet simple engineering model, and guidelines for rational design of structures (incl. concrete spalling in fire) with due account for such coupled effects, thereby enabling to achieve more robust structures at substantial cost saving. Field of research: 0905 - Civil Engineering Concrete is the most common construction material in Australia and worldwide. The critical need to properly account for the combined effects of stress and temperature changes commonly encountered in concrete structures has long been recognised: e.g. tall buildings in fires; bridges subject to varying temperatures; or nuclear reactors accidentally overheated. Unfortunately, current approaches are mainly through the use of empirical correlations with lack of rational basis and possibly questionable reliability. In consequence, constructed structures may be unsafe or overly conservative, with the degree of safety or conservatism unable to be rationally determined. The more rational structural design with due account for such coupled effects, resulted from this study, will enable to achieve more robust structures at substantial cost savings – thereby offering significant benefits to the Australian and global community. Such benefits now become even more significant in the context of the recent increasingly extended heat waves with amplified intensities and frequencies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2022 · 2022-01

Neuronal Control of Adaptive Walking. This project seeks to understand how signals from the brain control motor circuits so that an animal can adaptively walk across varying terrains in pursuit of its ever-changing goals. It will focus on the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model. The fly is an agile walker, its nervous system has been almost fully mapped at the synaptic level, and genetic reagents are available to selectively measure or manipulate the activity of single neurons. This project specifically focuses on the circuits that generate forward and backward walking, and switch between the two. It will enhance Australia's capacity in connectome-driven neuroscience research, deliver fundamental insights into neuronal motor control, and inspire the design of more agile robots. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology This research will elucidate how neural signals from the brain control motor circuits to produce coordinated yet flexible patterns of leg movements during walking. It will focus on the fruit fly, an agile walker whose neuronal connections have been almost fully mapped, and in which it is uniquely possible to measure or manipulate the activity of single neurons. The knowledge gained in the fly is expected to be directly applicable to the study of leg motor control in other species. This research will strengthen Australia’s capacity in important areas of neuroscience, in particular the application of connectomes and optogenetic methods to the analysis of neural circuit function. The fundamental insights gained by this work can be expected to seed novel approaches in the engineering of more agile robots. Insights from the fly might also ultimately help us to better understand how leg motor circuits in humans might fail as a result of injury or degeneration, and find ways to restore their function by repairing or augmenting them.