THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Unifying Traffic Modelling and Safety Management for Safer and Faster Roads. This project aims to balance road safety and efficiency as conflicting goals of transport systems mixed with connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). This project is expected to generate fundamental knowledge on operational algorithms and analytics for CAVs and develop innovative tools for operating them. Expected outcomes include ground-breaking models capable of the co-estimation of efficiency and safety impacts of CAVs, and control strategies to safely and efficiently integrate CAVs into existing transport systems. This should provide significant safety and efficiency benefits that currently cost about 1160 lives and 1.25 billion hours of congestion per year, and make Australia better prepared for the connected and automated vehicle era. Field of research: 1507 - Transportation and Freight Services This project will provide not only scientific breakthroughs in modelling safety, operation, and dynamics of traffic flow mixed with connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), but also efficient transport solutions that will significantly contribute to fully utilise the well-acknowledged benefits arising from CAVs, including safety benefits by reducing fatalities and injuries, mobility benefits by reducing congestion, and environment benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Findings from this pioneering, ground-breaking research will help researchers, policy makers and transport authorities in Australia to plan for optimal integration of CAVs in the transport systems and identify appropriate transport management strategies that maximise the productivity of its transport network without compromising safety. These models will also help government town planning and road design. As the first of its kind in Australia, the unprecedented data yielded will pave the way for the exploration of new operational and control strategies to better manage CAVs on Australian roads.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Organising Intracellular Compartments by Formation of Transport Carriers. This project aims to investigate the cellular components which generate carriers that transport material between compartments within the cell. The process of sorting proteins and sending them to the right place is a fundamental mechanism critical to understand how individual proteins function as the move around within cells. The generated knowledge about how cells organise themselves through the movement of proteins between endosomal intracellular compartments will provide significant benefits by enhancing our capacity to understand this conserved cellular pathway which ensures the integrity of all cellular processes including signalling, communication, homeostasis and development. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The proposed research will generate fundamental knowledge that will lead to an increased understanding of a key cellular pathway underpinning numerous critical cellular systems. The outcomes from this project will deepen our understanding of how cells organise the thousands of distinct components with each needing to be precisely located within defined regions of the cell. This will include defining the details of the vessels which move material between compartments inside the cell that ultimately controls the functional levels of individual proteins. Dysfunction in this pathway is directly associated with human metabolic disorders and neurodegenerative states and the knowledge generated from this project may ultimately feed into understanding these diseases which represents a significant social and economic burden in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Decoding the spatiotemporal control of DNA replication and repair. DNA replication is the fundamental mechanism of genetic inheritance and essential for all cellular life. This project aims to inform our understanding of how human cells coordinate the DNA replication machinery in time and space to accurately copy the human genome. By applying multiple innovative approaches and employing an interdisciplinary research team, this project is anticipated to generate new knowledge that explains how the human genome is replicated. This knowledge is expected to generate research publications of high quality and provide economic benefits, such as unlocking new potentially patentable DNA technologies. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This proposal will provide critical information about the control of DNA replication in humans. Since DNA replication is the cornerstone of molecular biology, advances in this field can unlock new DNA technologies with commercial applications and patentable processes that will provide economic benefits to the Australian community. For example, our research will provide information that can be used to copy large amounts of DNA accurately and rapidly, which can be used in ultra-low-cost DNA based data storage. This technology harnesses the extreme information-storage density of DNA, which is several orders of magnitude higher than any other known storage technology. Moreover, our research can be used for high-efficient, low-cost whole genome synthesis and assembly technologies. Synthetic genomics is an emerging discipline and will make it commonplace to engineer entire pathways and genomes beyond what is possible with current editing strategies.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Imitation learning in infancy. We copy others all the time, to learn new skills and to connect socially and emotionally with those around us. But where does this ability to imitate come from? This is a long-standing question in developmental psychology that the proposed project aims to answer. Using a unique combination of EMG and behavioural observations, this project will chart infants’ imitation skills from birth through the first year of life, and test whether infants learn to imitate from watching themselves and being imitated by others. The new knowledge arising from this research will clarify the origins of our uniquely human sociality. The outcomes should also enable earlier identification of developmental problems and provide novel avenues for intervention. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology Imitation is fundamental to being human; it is one of ways that people connect with and learn from each other. Where does this ability come from? Currently there is no clear answer to that question. This project will provide a definitive answer and in so doing, clear up 40 years of controversy that has stymied theories of development, blocked progress on early intervention and confused parents of newborns. With innovative and sensitive new ways of testing imitation in young infants, this project will identify when imitation first occurs in typical infants, and how it arises. The new knowledge generated by this project will showcase Australia's world-leading paediatric research. It will also clear up parents’ confusion about what newborns actually do, alleviating potential anxiety about what they can expect from their babies. In the long run, this project will generate new early detection and intervention tools for children with social learning problems, thereby improving quality of life for many Australian children and their parents.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A role for sleep in optimising attention. All animal brains are prediction machines, which allows even tiny flies to effectively navigate complex environments. To predict what will happen next is important for guiding attention, but also for detecting anything surprising. This project aims to understand how prediction is optimized by sleep in Drosophila flies. We aim to use electrophysiology and calcium imaging to map visual prediction error signals across the fly brain, and then determine how genetically controlled delivery of sleep regulates the quality and distribution of these signals. This knowledge will benefit our understanding of how brains balance a capacity for prediction versus surprise, by examining how evolution has solved this difficult problem in the smallest brains. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology Although sleep is a subject of great general interest, there is surprisingly little understanding of what sleep does for the brain. This is especially true for REM sleep, when the brain seems awake but remains disconnected from the world. Our lack of understanding here is evidenced by the growing use of sleeping pills, which mostly promote deep sleep at the expense of REM sleep. This modern trend ignores the fact that sleep is not just one phenomenon, but that it instead comprises distinct stages that are tightly regulated even in the smallest animal brains. There is therefore an acute need to understand the fundamental neurobiology underlying the link between sleep stages and cognitive functions, and it is only very recently that efficient genetic models such as Drosophila melanogaster have been made accessible to this necessary research direction. While knowing how to achieve better sleep is of crucial national interest, it is just as important to know what different sleep stages are doing for the brain. This project proposal focusses on one function, prediction, that has relevance to any animal brain.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A perimeter defence in Australian processionary caterpillars. Microscopic, detachable hairs on processionary caterpillars cause clinical reactions when they enter the skin or internal tissues of humans and animals. There is a time delay between exposure and the most serious effects, inferring an action more complex than simple irritation. The project aims to test a novel mechanism – how the hairs form a perimeter defence around caterpillars that primes the immune system of potential predators, how these hairs function within the layered caterpillar defensive system and how far setae can disperse. The research will inform relevant authorities and in particular veterinarians of the risks being exposed to processionary caterpillar hairs and add to the theory of predator-prey interaction. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology Australia's processionary caterpillar species have been shown to cause illness in humans and other animals following accidental exposure, including abortions in mares. Foetal loss is a major economic cost and source of anxiety in the Thoroughbred horse breeding industry and among recreational horse owners alike. We aim to provide an understanding of the caterpillars layered defensive systems and behaviour and how it interacts with vertebrate and invertebrate predators. Our characterisation and distribution maps of different nesting forms in this species complex will show regions where processionary caterpillar activity is likely to impact communities, and our models of effective exposure will show how caterpillar activity is likely to impact individual farms and premises. This project will provide the scientific basis for health and veterinarian professionals to make evidence-based decisions, and to take the appropriate action to effectively reduce or even eliminate the health, economic and social costs associated with this insect.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

How does environmental enrichment affect brain development? This project aims to use brain imaging and advanced computational analyses to investigate how early sensory experience affects brain development. It adopts the larval zebrafish as a model system, since they display sophisticated behaviours from an early age, and neural activity can be recorded at whole-brain scale with single neuron resolution. The project aims to generate new knowledge regarding environmental effects on brain development and behaviour. This will provide significant benefits including greater insight into normal brain development, and the formulation of new concepts potentially relevant for brain-inspired computing. The expected outcomes also include enhanced capacity at the interface between neuroscience and computation. Field of research: 1109 - Neurosciences By better understanding how computations in the brain emerge during normal development we will be able to design improved artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, and be in a better position to understand the underlying causes of neurological dysfunction. The huge current economic impact of AI depends on algorithms inspired by relatively old concepts for how biological brains work. By developing our understanding of brain computation using the very latest experimental and theoretical tools, this project has the potential to inspire new AI algorithms which could have significant economic impact. Furthermore, by expanding our knowledge of the mechanisms driving normal neural development, in the longer term it could inspire an improved understanding of what might be going wrong in neurodevelopmental disorders, which have a significant social and economic impact.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A new class of sodium channel toxin from ant venoms . Ants are diverse and ubiquitous and the ability of certain species to sting is familiar to many of us. Yet we know remarkably little about the chemistry underlying these stings. We recently discovered that the venoms of ants, including common Australian species, harbour a novel and unique class of sodium channel toxins. Building on this discovery, the aim of this project will be to perform an in-depth characterisation of the effects of these toxins on sodium channels and to uncover the diversity and breadth of this toxin class in ant venoms. The outcome of this project will be novel insights into the chemistry of ant venoms and new insights into sodium channel function. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology Ants and their stings are things that many of us, particularly in Australia, are familiar with. Yet ant stings are still subject to much misunderstanding. The overarching objective of this project is to generate new knowledge in biology, which will be relevant not just in academia, but also in a practical sense to many Australians. Our discovery of a new class of neurotoxin in the venoms of ants, including Australian species, challenges the long-standing and popular misconception that ant venoms are “acid”. The results of this project have the potential to attract commercial interest in the development of new, rational, sting treatments. Furthermore, they will shed new light on specific mechanisms by which sodium channels contribute to pain in humans, and could ultimately lead to the development of new treatments for some pathological pain states. This project will further advance Australia’s reputation as a leader in venom research, and provide opportunities for students and postdoctoral trainees to develop high-level skills in proteomics, transcriptomics, peptide chemistry, and electrophysiology.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Evolutionary models and biodiscovery tools from neurotoxic snake venoms. This project aims to identify the selection pressures that shape snake venom neurotoxins and how they interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and to elucidate their biodiscovery potential. This project aims to test these important toxins on model systems that represent natural prey items in order to determine the molecular and functional evolution of neurotoxic peptides. Expected outcomes include substantial contributions to the body of evolutionary biology knowledge, while also having the applied benefit of discovering novel compounds with potential for use in drug design and discovery. These outcomes will benefit Australian science and society by elucidating fundamental processes while revealing biodisovery resources. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology In recent years, snake venom compounds have been demonstrated as incredibly useful models for evolutionary studies and from which to synthesise therapeutic drugs to improve health and well-being. Neurotoxic snake venom peptides in particular have tremendous potential for use as investigational probes and lead compounds for the development of pain-killers. This project uses advanced technology established by a previous ARC infrastructure grant (LIEF) to advance Australian basic science while simultaneously having significant potential for applied outcomes with commercial benefit. The innovative approach will develop new techniques for use in advanced robotics and biomolecular interaction research. Real world potential benefits of this project include the discovery of novel lead compounds for use in the drug design pipeline. This could lead to economic and commercial benefits in Australia such as novel painkillers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

The psychology of understanding and reducing conspiracy beliefs. This project aims to provide new understandings of the psychology of believing conspiracy theories, a problem that promotes prejudice, undermines trust, and costs lives. This project will involve the first large-scale, multi-national survey of willingness to believe conspiracies, allowing us to identify how national and cultural factors influence conspiracist thinking around the world. It will also use innovative experimental techniques to test how group-based loyalties shape people’s conspiracist thinking and their online behaviours. Doing so paves the way for us to test novel strategies for reducing the impact of conspiracy theories, with benefits in terms of reducing societal mistrust, prejudice, and political violence. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology A surprisingly large percentage of the Australian population believe that it is common for networks of powerful elites – including scientists, bankers and politicians – to plot in secret for their own benefit against the common good. To the extent that official sources of knowledge are met with instinctive mistrust, it becomes increasingly difficult for governments and scientists to successfully communicate social messages that promote evidence-based change for individuals and societies (e.g., around climate change and vaccination). Furthermore, conspiracy theories have been designed and exploited by extreme ideological elements – both left and right – to promote intolerance, provoke violence, and distort democracy. As such, conspiracist thinking is a major problem, promoting prejudice, undermining science, and costing lives. By offering new ways of understanding and reducing the impact of conspiracist thinking, this project will have benefits for maintaining Australia’s social harmony, reducing institutional mistrust, and protecting the role of science and facts in terms of guiding decisions.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Development of Unprecedented Aluminosilicate Adjuvants. High-performance adjuvants are essential components of vaccine technology. Aluminium-based adjuvants are widely used, but provide weak cellular immunity and possible risk of neurotoxicity. Combining state-of-the-art nanotechnology and classic coordination chemistry, this project aims to apply a new design principle to create novel mesoporous aluminosilicate nanoparticles with alkalinity, for use as nanoadjuvants. This project expects to advance knowledge of how immune systems respond to changes in chemistry and nanostructure of aluminosilicate materials and enable the design of nanoadjuvants with enhanced cellular immunity and reduced toxicity. Outcomes include a new family of functional materials with unprecedented adjuvant performance. Field of research: 0912 - Materials Engineering This project will develop innovative materials for antigen delivery to overcome the limitations of conventional aluminium-based adjuvants. By advancing understanding of the interactions between nanoparticles and biosystems, a new generation of adjuvants will be developed with improved performance and safety. These adjuvants have the potential to enable the development of more efficient animal vaccines for improved productivity, animal healthcare and food safety. The new knowledge gained in this project will place Australian scientists at the forefront of an exciting interdisciplinary area. It will also train and mentor future research leaders to use the power of nanotechnology and multidisciplinary skillsets to solve problems in the biotech industry. On completion, the project is likely to generate IP and attract commercial interest, supporting and enhancing Australia’s leading role in bionanotechnology. Innovation in advanced materials as adjuvants and their manufacturing will ultimately provide social and economic benefits to Australia by enhancing profitability in a number of livestock industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Catastrophic Rock and Concrete Brittle Failures. Brittle rocks and concrete under extreme stresses fracture spontaneously and without pre-warning. In deep mining and tunnelling this causes fatalities, injuries and serious damage. Based on recent advances by the CIs in understanding the effect of biaxial loading and the free surface on catastrophic fracture propagation, the project aims to develop a new paradigm of monitoring, prediction and prevention of dangerous skin rock burst-type failures. A unique experimental methodology, measurements and analytical and numerical models will be employed to provide a better understanding of the fundamental processes in rock fracturing. This will lead to safer and more cost-effective deep rock engineering designs. Field of research: 0914 - Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy Australian society will not accept unsafe and dangerous engineering design and practice. Since all materials fail under excessive load, due to a limit to material strength, representative material samples are tested in a laboratory to measure their strengths under various design loading conditions. However, catastrophic failures of earthen and built structures and machineries occur due to the unreliable, inconsistent, overestimated, inaccurate and wrong measurements of the real material strength. This research aims to address one of the long-lasting and fundamental strength measurement issues related to failure in brittle solids used in Civil, Mining, Mineral Processing, Petroleum, Materials and Mechanical Engineering, such as glass, hard rock, concrete, ceramics, natural and artificial bones, and diamond composites. The outcomes will provide guidelines for the safer and optimal design of structures, automated machineries, excavations, foundations, rock breakage, testing and drilling equipment, cutting, tunnelling and mining industries, which are of critical importance to the growing Australian economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Pathways for performance improvements of organic light emitting diodes . Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) represent the next generation technology for displays and lighting. Despite their rapid uptake, one of the factors limiting their application in lighting is the efficiency roll-off at high brightness. This project aims to work towards solutions for this problem using an innovative combination of simulation studies and experimental work. Expected outcomes include improved theoretical and experimental approaches leading to new design rules for OLEDs. This should provide significant benefits such as a pathway for development of improved efficient, high brightness OLEDs for applications in low energy consumption lighting and long-lasting, bright displays. Field of research: 0306 - Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural) This project is concerned with developing technology that has direct relevance to advanced manufacturing of devices that are already in commercial production (OLED displays and lighting) as well as technology that is highly promising and in the advanced stages of development (organic photovoltaics). As a result, it will lead to benefits that include, but extend beyond, new knowledge and understanding, to potential economic and commercial benefits for Australia. These benefits directly contribute to two of the Federal Government’s National Science and Research Priorities, namely Advanced Manufacturing and Energy. There is great potential for the development of capabilities in high value-add areas of the market, where the results of this project can facilitate the development of Australian manufacture of premium display and lighting components. The wider uptake of efficient displays and lighting will lead to significant environmental benefits, lowering our dependence on fossil fuels. This work also has the potential for application in organic solar cells, contributing to the Energy research priority.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Pioneering stable copper carbanions for new C-C bond forming paradigms. The stabilisation of highly reactive carbanions underpins advances in chemical synthesis of new compounds including polymers, agrichemicals and pharmaceuticals. This project aims to deliver an innovative chemical reactivity platform, underpinned by copper carbanion complexes accessed via synthetic electrochemistry. Carbanions are essential components of carbon-carbon bond forming reactions but their high reactivity can be problematic. Expected outcomes of this project are an understanding of why these novel copper compounds are stable and how they can be utilised as synthetic reagents. This should provide significant benefits in unlocking the synthetic potential of a new class of chemical compound that has until now remained unexplored. Field of research: 0302 - Inorganic Chemistry The pursuit of chemical technologies for the efficient preparation of pharmaceuticals, polymers and agrichemicals is demand-driven by society. Academia and industry rely on a toolbox of synthetic methods to produce new chemical compounds that feed commodity supply chains and Australia’s economy. Carbanions play a fundamentally important role as building blocks in chemical synthesis as they lead to new carbon-carbon bonds, but they are highly reactive, difficult to stabilise and decompose in the presence of water which limits their application. Landmark preliminary research by the applicants has revealed an unprecedented way to overcome this stability problem using divalent copper as a partner. The proposed research pioneers a new frontier in copper catalysed synthesis, which offers not only novel routes to materials and bioactive molecules, but focuses on lowering energy consumption and limiting environmental impact, by circumventing traditional methods using existing reagents.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A new lapping process for difficult-to-machine brittle materials. This project aims to address a timely bottleneck issue in the conventional lapping of difficult-to-machine optoelectronic brittle materials. An innovative chemically enhanced lapping technology for fabricating such materials is expected to reduce machined subsurface damage. This is significant because it would shorten the subsequent finishing process and minimise the manufacturing cost. Intended outcomes from this project also include an advanced machining theory and innovations in material removal characterisation. This breakthrough technology should benefit the design and fabrication of high performance electronic devices for energy, medicine and communication sectors with considerable impact on the Australian economy. Field of research: 0910 - Manufacturing Engineering The use of single crystals such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride in electronic devices can significantly improve the device performance and energy efficiency. However, such needs pose great challenges for the manufacturing sector as those materials are hard and brittle, thus difficult to machine. The development of a cost-effective lapping technology in this project will solve a longstanding issue, i.e. to simultaneously improve quality and efficiency in the machining of hard and brittle materials. Their low-cost production will promote the development of next generation light-emitting diodes, solar panels and high power devices and reduce energy losses of the resulting electrical systems, which is a key approach for solving the global, as well as Australia’s, climate and energy crisis. This enhances the competitiveness of Australia’s advanced manufacturing sectors by helping them integrate high value-add and transformative products into global supply chains. The outcome also includes the generation of a new machining concept, which can consolidate Australia’s leading role in manufacturing science.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Neurophysiological predictors of brain stimulation outcomes. This project aims to determine the cognitive and neurophysiological factors that predict an individual’s response to non-invasive brain stimulation used to target learning and executive function processes. Stimulation methods show immense promise for elucidating the causal neural substrates of cognition, and for enhancing performance in a range of applied settings. However, there are large individual differences in response to such interventions. Using advanced imaging techniques, the project aims to provide comprehensive insights into the determinants of these individual differences. Outcomes and benefits include identifying brain characteristics that determine stimulation efficacy and informing the design of protocols for applied use. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology Brain stimulation is used in a range of applied settings; for example, to enhance cognitive performance during learning and in the workplace. However, there are substantial differences in the efficacy of brain stimulation across individuals. These differences are not well understood and thus limit the utility of this promising technique. The project will identify neurophysiological and cognitive factors that predict individuals’ responses to brain stimulation. This basic research will contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of brain stimulation, focusing on core psychological functions including learning and executive control. The findings will support the development of targeted stimulation protocols. This will have application in industry environments to enhance concentration, focus and capacity to improve personnel productivity and efficiency which will result in increased economic return. The findings can also be integrated into educational programs to improve learning outcomes for Australia to create social benefit and invest in Australia’s future smarter workforce.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A dynamic model of work-related effort, recovery, and affective well-being. The aim of this project is to develop and test a computational model of work-related effort and recovery that explains how people recover from work demands moment-to-moment and day-to-day. Recovery is essential for well-being. Paradoxically, however, those who need to recover find it hard to put effort into recovery. The model will be tested in a series of naturalistic observational studies and controlled experiments. In each study, subjective and physiological experiences of well-being and recovery are measured as people regulate effort during work and recovery. The result will be a unifying and general model of work recovery, that can inform when and how to intervene to improve employee well-being. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology The major intended benefit of this project is the development and validation of a computational model of recovery from work-related effort. Increasing work demands is a major problem for society. A computational model of work recovery will help us understand how people can regulate their energy during the work day as well as make the most of work breaks and off-the-job time to facilitate better quality recovery from day-to-day work demands. The model can be used to inform human resources, leadership, and management practices, as well as public policy on occupational health. If successful, this may have a range of benefits, including improvements to employee well-being, work engagement, and productivity. Lost productivity from work demands is estimated to cost Australia billions of dollars each year, equating to 2.7% of GDP (Medibank, 2011). New knowledge on how to improve recovery from work demands has the potential to benefit the Australian economy. Other benefits of the research include research training, capacity building, and international collaboration.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

EnzOnomy - an enzyme-based production pipeline for the bioeconomy. The sustainable production of high value chemicals (e.g. fuels, foods) from renewable materials is a cornerstone for the emerging global bioeconomy. We aim to harness the potential of protein engineering to develop a technology (EnzOnomy) to convert renewable raw material (e.g. sugar) into platform chemicals (e.g. isobutanol, a building block for jet fuels, fibers, plastics and antioxidants). Our multi-disciplinary and well established international team will link scientific progress to markets to enhance potential commercial impact in the bioeconomy. The project thus provides great benefit for our nation as it embeds Australia in technologies and global networks that will cement its leading position to safe-guard the future of our planet. Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The development of sustainable production processes from renewable materials for essential commodities such as foods, energy and pharmaceuticals, and important materials such as plastics and fibres, is a major challenge for the global community to move to a healthier future trajectory. Australia can and should play a leading role in this emerging bioeconomy with its vast natural resources and highly developed technology sector. In this project, scientists, chemical engineers and economists from UQ and two European Universities (from Germany and Ireland) join forces to establish an innovative efficient production technology (EnzOnomy) to convert renewable materials (e.g. sugars, fats) into platform chemicals that underpin the synthesis of a wide range of high value products usable across multiple industrial sectors. Cutting edge engineering of biological catalysts (enzymes), informed by natural evolution, will be used to build this innovative cell-free technology. The ability to scale up the process to industrial dimensions enhances its impact on the Australian (bio)economy.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Analysis of asteroid samples returned by Hayabusa 2 and Osiris-REx . This year sees the highly anticipated return of the Hayabusa2 spacecraft to Woomera carrying samples of the asteroid Ryugu. This is only the fifth extraterrestrial sample return mission in history. The research team has been invited to participate in the preliminary examination which will take place in Japan in early 2021. The investigators have developed unique analytical skills that allow measurement of small amounts of rock for oxygen isotope compositions at unprecedented precision. This project aims to characterise a suite of carbonaceous chondrites, which appear to be the best match to Ryugu, and therefore will provide the exemplar data to understand the provenance of Ryugu, and place it in the context of solar system materials. Field of research: 0403 - Geology International Space Programs are the fundamental conduit for any country, including Australia, to develop the infrastructure necessary for exploiting space related resources. Through participation in the upcoming Japanese Hayabusa 2 space mission, this project will draw on Australia’s unique analytical capabilities to examine preliminary samples returned from the mission. The project will develop protocols for analysing samples from space and unravelling each sample’s solar system history. Expected outcomes include boosting visibility of Australia’s capability in extraterrestrial materials analysis and asteroid characterisation in the region, and building relational links between the new Australian Space Agency and a high level international space research project for future productive collaboration. Longer term, this fundamental research will benefit Australia economically by helping to guide our space industry in future exploration of asteroids for commercial purposes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Viral and host RNA methylation in mosquitoes. Mosquitoes transmit a variety of viruses to humans and animals through blood feeding. This project aims to investigate one of the most common modifications of RNA molecules, known as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), in an important mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, and its alterations upon infection with pathogenic as well as mosquito-specific viruses. In addition, m6A modification of viral genomic RNA and its importance in virus replication will be investigated. Expected outcomes of this project include fundamental understanding of RNA methylation in mosquitoes and their role in mosquito biology and virus replication. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology This project aims to use genetics, bioinformatics and molecular biology analyses of the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti, to investigate global methylation of messenger RNAs and their modifications during virus replication in the mosquito. Significance: methylation of RNA is a conserved phenomenon in animals and plays a significant role in various biological processes, including regulation of gene expression, immunity and response to virus infection. Expected outcomes: We will determine global methylation of messenger RNAs and their changes during virus replication, including modifications to the genomes of RNA viruses, and if the methylation modifications are essential for virus replication in the mosquito. Benefits: In addition to generating new knowledge in an unexplored area of research in mosquito biology, this project will provide significant economic benefits by acquiring know-how of a novel approach in gene editing of insects through an international collaboration and training early career researchers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Corpus callosum function in decision making. This project aims to investigate how the major connection between the two brain hemispheres (called the corpus callosum) is involved in higher cognitive functions such as decision making, learning, knowledge updating, and performance optimisation. New knowledge will be generated in the area of human cognition by combining computational theory with measures of cognition and brain MRI. Expected outcomes are to develop and advance computational models of human brain function and structure through interdisciplinary collaboration by combing theory and experimentation. Significant benefits will be to advance our understanding of the brain and enhance Australia's scientific capability through training and collaboration. Field of research: 1702 - Cognitive Sciences Humans engage in decision making in a variety of contexts from making purchases to behavioural and social choices. Theoretical modelling of decision making has found that the brain uses different strategies to make decisions and these have then been applied in the context of machine learning and artificial intelligence to build better machines. This project will discover the decision-making strategies used by people with major alterations to brain wiring (a condition called corpus callosum dysgenesis) where unknown strategies are used that can compensate for their altered wiring. These discoveries will advance Australia’s competitive position in the field of computational modelling and human behaviour. The findings could be applied to solving computationally complex tasks to advance the development of smarter machines, advancing the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence, and bringing economic and commercial benefits to Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Fluid Transport in Materials of Nanoscale Dimensions. This project aims to transform the modelling of fluid transport in materials of nanoscale dimension by determining the coupled interfacial heat and mass-transfer barriers, which critically influence the transport. The outcome will not only be new knowledge on the effects of inherent structural distortion and of the barriers on the fluid flow, but also cutting-edge techniques to estimate system size-dependent transport coefficients in nanoscale systems. These will be achieved through a combination of targeted molecular dynamics simulations and experiment, and will have far-reaching implications for nanotechnology and emerging processes in catalysis, gas separation, human health and nanofluidics, and enable design of more efficient systems. Field of research: 0915 - Interdisciplinary Engineering Gas separation and catalysis operations are ubiquitous in chemical, refining, and power generation industries. Nanotechnology, exploiting enhanced efficiency at small system size, is a rapidly emerging paradigm in the field, and nanoporous materials, which permit transport of molecules in their structure, are central to this craft. However, the effectiveness of nanoporous materials at nanoscales is governed by surface barriers and end effects, which are relatively insignificant at sizes prevalent in conventional processes. This project aims to address these concerns by developing a mechanistic understanding of interfacial effects through molecular scale simulation and experimentation, leading to cutting-edge techniques that enable design of more efficient processes. Enhancing process efficiency will benefit Australian chemical, refining and power industries, and establish Australia as a leader in nanotechnologies such as sensing and nanofluidics. It will also have positive impact on pollution control and manufacturing of value-added products, which is critical to Australia’s industrial and economic future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Gaining control of the future: The cognitive development of foresight. Because humans can anticipate their limitations, they can act in the present to shape their future for the better. This project aims to chart four key developmental processes by which children gain this control over their future outcomes. It will use novel experimental paradigms to map children’s growing ability to compensate for their limits with strategic planning, and to improve their future capacities by acquiring new knowledge and innovating technical solutions. The cognitive underpinnings of these critical behaviours are still poorly understood. This project will therefore provide the essential empirical foundation for fostering the development of wiser, more skilled, and more innovative young people. Field of research: 1701 - Psychology For children to flourish in the modern world, they must be able to think ahead. The proposed research will chart the development of foresight: a hallmark of adaptive human cognition that enables us to anticipate and plan for the future. This project will determine, for the first time, how children learn to anticipate their own future limitations and act to overcome them. Results from this project will provide the necessary foundation for understanding how children gain control over their future to become prudent and productive citizens. The resulting knowledge will benefit parents and educators via improved understanding of the emerging capabilities of children and potential strategies to support lapses in these crucial functions. This work has the potential to benefit society by fostering the development of more judicious and innovative citizens. This novel proposal emerges at an opportune time to elevate Australian research capacity in a rapidly growing area, and place Australian science at the forefront of supporting the next generation to thrive.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

Sulfoxide Polymers - A New Paradigm in Polymer Design. Low fouling polymers are important for moderating interactions of molecules and particles with cells. In pharmaceutical sciences they are essential tools for extending the pharmacokinetics of dissolved drugs. However, the widely-used low-fouling polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been recently reported to induce formation of anti-PEG antibodies. Polymeric alternatives to PEG are thus desperately needed. We introduce in this project super-hydrophilic polymers incorporating sulfoxide groups, mimics of the polar solvent DMSO. The project aims to explore how polymer architecture can enhance biocompatibility and reduce biofouling. The outcome will be a new class of low-fouling polymeric materials with broad application in the biosciences. Field of research: 0303 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry When exposed to biological species, either cells or serum, molecules or particles are rapidly coated with a “corona” of adhered proteins. The protein shell results in the particles being recognised by the immune cells and either encapsulated, or excreted. This reduces effectiveness of drugs, and can lead to fouling of implanted devices. A class of polymer with low-fouling properties, primarily poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), are routinely used to reduce protein adhesion and imbue the particle with stealth-like properties. However, over the past several years it has been recognised that PEG can indeed be recognised by the immune system leading to generation of anti-PEG antibodies and hence elimination by the immune cells. This project will develop a new class of polymers with substantially superior stealth properties to PEG, and with low immunogenicity. The polymer will have broad application in for example in pharmaceutics, bio-sensing device technologies and human-interface devices. The project thus has the potential to provide innovative solutions for the growing biotechnology industries in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2021 · 2021-01

A theoretical framework for elder abuse to guide social work practice. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework to assist health social workers to effectively assess and intervene in elder abuse. Social workers have responsibility in health settings to respond when abuse is noticed. Elder abuse damages trust, increases health costs and hastens death. Improving practice to assist older people who are abused relies on the knowledge, experiences and wishes of older people, social workers and international experts to provide an effective and efficient theoretical model to address elder abuse. A new framework will allow practitioners to assist vulnerable older people and improve the quality of their lives. Further, this information will assist the government to address elder abuse in Australia. Field of research: 1607 - Social Work Elder abuse poses a significant social and economic burden on the community. Elder abuse increases the risk for hospitalisation, emergency presentations, nursing home placement, morbidity and death. In hospitals, social workers are the primary responders to concerns about elder abuse. Most social work literature focuses on caregiver education and providing referrals to services and does not take account of the context in which the abuse is identified and addressed. What goes on in a health setting has a significant impact on how this problem is identified and addressed. There is also a significant gap in understanding how to work with older people with cognitive impairment who are at risk of abuse. By engaging with older people and their experiences, social workers and published researchers, this research will provide guidelines for social workers in hospitals on how to address this problem. This can lead to significantly improved outcomes for older people, as well as improved efficiencies in the health system.