Queensland University of Technology

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Generative AI and the future of academic writing and publishing Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advancing Digital Innovation in the Australian Live Performance Sector Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advancing Digital Innovation in the Australian Live Performance Sector Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Using a Light-induced Field-Gradient to Promote Homogeneous Catalysis Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Using a Light-induced Field-Gradient to Promote Homogeneous Catalysis Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Characterising extracellular contractile injection systems in human gut Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Characterising extracellular contractile injection systems in human gut Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Human-Machine Teaming in a Communications-denied Environment. This project will develop new learning and long-term memory capabilities for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to advance human-machine teaming in challenging and communications-denied environments. It will develop new approaches for AI systems to predict future human behaviour, to improve abilities to rapidly respond to changes in the environment, and to enable stronger decision-making with incomplete and uncertain data. New methods will be developed for complex and adversarial environments to support a range of industry sectors including collaborative and service robotics, manufacturing, and transport. Outcomes will increase Australia’s competitive advantage in AI, augmenting human abilities, and will support sovereign defence capabilities. Field of research: 4603 - Computer Vision and Multimedia Computation AI and robotic systems are rapidly emerging as a tool that Australian’s are interacting with daily. Yet working collaboratively with such systems is challenging, if not impossible at present, as systems are unable to effectively coordinate with human co-workers. Our research will enable human-AI teaming by developing approaches that allow human and AI team members to better understand each other’s actions. Our research will allow AI agents to understand and anticipate human actions based on a combination of long-term observations and patterns, an awareness of the current situation, and will allow humans to refine AI teammate actions through direct feedback, building trust and enhancing teamwork. Furthermore, our research will explicitly capture uncertainty in decision making, allowing AI agents to make decisions in complex and rapidly varying conditions, including in settings where sensors of communications fail. This research has broad applications across the service, manufacturing, transport, mining, and defence industries, and will become increasingly important as robots and AI agents become more common place. To promote the research, we will create two demonstration systems that showcase the outcomes in transport and drone contexts, and the research team will work with existing industry connections across government, aviation, defence, and mining sectors to realise the full potential of this ground-breaking research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

An integrated framework to understand emotional learning. Positive and negative emotional responses enrich or harm the quality of our everyday lives. Although the acquisition of emotional responses is well understood, less is known about how they can be modified – amplified or reduced. The proposed research will address this gap, building on our team’s research on both human fear and evaluative conditioning and cutting-edge findings in these areas. The project is innovative in its focus on (a) positive and negative emotional learning; and (b) the processes underlying this learning. The project will provide the foundational knowledge required for the development of an integrated framework of emotional learning and the design of psychological interventions to reduce fear and interpersonal biases. Field of research: 5202 - Biological Psychology Emotional learning, the acquisition of likes and dislikes, of fears and desires, is an important part of what makes us human. Yet, the processes underlying emotional learning are not well understood and research on the topic is fragmented. The current basic research project will address this gap by generating new knowledge on the topic with the aim to develop a new integrated framework to understand emotional learning across the entire range of emotion, positive and negative. The current work also has potential applied implications. Biases and prejudice negatively affect large sections of society and relapse after successful treatment for an anxiety disorder is common (and not unexpected from a basic science perspective). Emotional learning is a key ingredient in the development of biases and prejudice and in gold-standard exposure-based treatments of anxiety disorders. Our basic research has the potential to inform the design of more effective and longer lasting interventions to reduce biases and prejudice or prevent the return of fear after successful treatment. These developments will benefit the people of Australia and beyond. The involvement of national and international leaders in the field of experimental psychopathology will ensure that research translation will not be overlooked and that the outcomes of the current work are not only disseminated in scholarly journals but to practitioners, and, using Curtin radio and social media, the broader public.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Sustainable Electrosynthesis of Urea and Formamide Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Using a Light-induced Field-Gradient to Promote Homogeneous Catalysis. Synthesizing fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals often relies on homogeneous transition metal-complex catalysts for their selectivity and efficiency. However, they are difficult to separate and reuse. This project offers a solution to not only overcome limitations of traditional catalysts but that can enhance metal-complex catalyst performance by leveraging the optical properties of plasmonic metal nanoparticles. Our approach will advance understanding of light-matter interactions and explore parameters of a versatile photocatalyst design to achieve high-turnover chemical synthesis with minimal catalyst waste. It will provide invaluable training opportunities for graduate students, contributing significantly to our knowledge-based economy. Field of research: 3406 - Physical Chemistry Transition metal complexes have long been essential in producing fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural compounds due to their proficiency in bond formation and high selectivity under mild reaction conditions. This proposal introduces a novel method to harness the advantages of homogeneous transition metal complex catalysts by temporarily immobilizing them on solid supports without loss of activity, using light. The concept integrates homogeneous catalysts into fine chemical flow synthesis in a manner that overcomes the challenging difficulties of catalyst separation and reuse. By utilizing the unique optical properties of plasmonic nanomaterials, this project will efficiently use light to bind and energize catalysis reaction centres, to trigger important chemical transformations at low temperatures, consuming less energy. To promote the research outcomes beyond academia, we will engage with industry partners through workshops, conferences, and high-profile publications relevant to industry. The research offers significant benefits as it promises substantial cost savings and increased efficiency in chemical manufacture. Environmentally, it promotes a cleaner process and reduces raw material waste. Commercially, the innovation is adaptable to synthesis of valuable chemical products, boosting industrial competitiveness and job creation by developing safer, less hazardous chemical processes, with economic and environmental benefits for Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Curriculum, resources and teachers' work. This project aims to investigate the capacity of commercial curriculum resources to alleviate teacher workload concerns. This project expects to generate significant new knowledge about how teachers work productively with commercial tools and platforms in delivering the Australian curriculum. Expected outcomes include publicly available policy resources to facilitate the equitable distribution and use of commercial resources in teacher lesson planning and preparation, and the development of best practice guidelines to support the development, sale and use of curriculum resources. This project will have significant benefits in improving teacher outcomes and better use of public funds for teacher workload reduction. Field of research: 3901 - Curriculum and Pedagogy This project evaluates the efficacy of the shadow curriculum industry in enhancing Australian school teachers’ ability to deliver quality lessons and reduce their curriculum planning time. This research addresses the urgent need for an assessment of commercial curriculum resources and their impact on the educational landscape. By developing evaluative materials and best practice guidelines, the project aims to improve transparency and accountability in teacher-platform interactions. The benefits for Australians are significant. Economically, the project will ensure that schools and teachers invest in curriculum resources based on evidence-informed practices, leading to potential workload reductions at a systemic level. Socially, it will enhance the quality and curation of curriculum resources by teachers, leading to more effective and equitable educational practices and an improved educational experience for students. The project will make important contributions to ongoing policy debates over teacher workload reduction strategies and the take-up of curriculum resource platforms in State Education Departments. It will also guide curriculum authorities on curriculum regulation and oversight issues. This project aligns with the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan’s goal of retaining teachers to address workforce shortages and will culminate in research engagement and translation activities with industry stakeholders, ensuring impactful outcomes.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Better feet, better lives: Next generation care for people with diabetes... Category: Medical Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Engineering 2D van der Waals Materials for Solar Hydrogen Production. Efficient and low cost photo-catalyst for solar hydrogen production will be vital in the transition to environmentally responsible energy industries. This project aims, through engineering polarization and the binding of photoexcited electron and hole in stacked 2D van der Waals materials, to determine novel theoretical principles on new photocatalyst design, yielding insights for translation into sustainable new photocatalytic processing in water splitting. Expected outcomes include innovative 2D photocatalysts for producing clean hydrogen fuels. The materials and knowledge achieved from this project will dramatically advance the development of renewable energy technology, providing solutions to the global energy and environmental issues. Field of research: 4018 - Nanotechnology Efficient photocatalyst is of central importance in renewable energy industries that involve cost-effective production of hydrogen fuel under solar energy irradiation. This project will deliver innovative designs of finetuned and highly active 2D van der Waals photocatalysts for enhancing hydrogen production efficiency. They will, for example, enable sustainable production under solar light, potentially help to reduce energy cost, and carbon emissions in the currently industrial processes. This cutting-edge research will address national research priorities in Advanced Manufacturing and Powering Australia. A new generation of clean energy technology for splitting water into hydrogen under solar light will bring significant economic and environmental benefit, underpinning new research capability and applied industry-relevant renewable technology for Australia. Additionally, the extensive training of PhD students and early career researchers will be critical for Australian research and the development for commercialising new, internationally competitive clean energy and environmental technologies. Research outcomes from this project will be promoted beyond academia by organising a workshop that brings together academics and policymakers, making media contributions in social media, and publicising research findings on a dedicated website.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Generative AI and the future of academic writing and publishing. This project examines the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) technologies on scholarly research and publishing. The project investigates how GenAI technologies are shaping the future of academic research from search to publication, including how academic publishers and peak research advisory bodies are responding to the potential of these technologies. The project develops a framework for understanding the sociotechnical drivers shaping the debate and establishes cross-sector principles to promote a more consistent and critical response by key stakeholders. In doing so, it supports ongoing learning within scholarly communities for a more responsive national research system, optimising GenAI for public good. Field of research: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies Understanding the impacts of GenAI technologies is crucial for maintaining the integrity of scholarly work. GenAI technologies promise to streamline existing processes in higher education, public knowledge production and commercial scholarly publishing, but raise questions about the quality and fairness of academic processes and knowledge outcomes. These technologies are provoking rupture and change - and through this project we have the opportunity to positively influence engagement with GenAI technologies in the academic writing and publishing sector. Our research is timely and vital for Australia because it investigates how academic practices that are supported by GenAI technologies can continue to meet high quality standards, essential for maintaining Australia’s reputation for academic excellence and contributing to Australia’s socio-economic competitive advancement. The project supports innovation and efficiency in scholarship, keeping Australia’s academic institutions at the forefront of technological integration. We will share our findings beyond academic circles through policy reports and briefs to influence the publishing industry and governmental approaches to GenAI in scholarly settings. We will use media channels to raise awareness about this important issue within the broader community and stimulate public discussion for a well-informed community equipped to navigate the complexities of GenAI in academia and ensure research quality that benefits all Australians.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Complex analysis of nonlinear models in applied mathematics. This project aims to investigate nonlinear mathematical models using applied complex analysis. By employing a variety of applied mathematical tools and repurposing them in the complex plane, the project expects to generate new insight into how properties of complex-valued solutions are manifested in real-valued nonlinear models. The expected outcomes include a powerful new mathematical framework for interpreting classes of nonlinear mathematical models. It is anticipated that significant benefits will be delivered to the applied mathematical community via the development of new mathematical theory and a deeper understanding of nonlinear mathematical models for profoundly important phenomena in the physical and biological sciences. Field of research: 4901 - Applied Mathematics Applied mathematicians use mathematical models to describe nonlinear phenomena in the physical and biological sciences, with the goal of better understanding the underlying processes and making predictions about possible future behaviours. Typically, the independent variables in these models are spatial position and time. This project is concerned with studying important classes of nonlinear mathematical models and re-interpreting them so that the spatial variable is allowed to be a complex number. Here, a complex number means a normal real number plus an imaginary number, where imaginary numbers are multiples of the square root of negative one. There are many fascinating mathematical properties of these complexified models that we shall study with a view to making new mathematical discoveries and, importantly, generating new knowledge about the original real-valued mathematical models and the associated applications. The project will benefit Australia by enriching applied mathematics as a discipline, positioning Australian researchers at the forefront of contemporary research in this far-reaching topic, and providing a unique research training experience for younger mathematicians. We shall promote our research outcomes via our established strong collaborative networks and via extended workshops. We expect our results to be influential across the applied mathematics community, opening up new fronts of research and providing new exciting opportunities for discovery.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

New mathematical models for brain tissue microstructure imaging. Diffusion MRI is a modern workhorse for neuroscientists to non-invasively study the brain. However, the mechanism underlying diffusion MRI signal formation, due to the movement of water molecules in complex brain tissue, is still unclear. This project aims to develop the next generation mathematical framework to interpret and model diffusion-weighted MRI signals, surpassing the capability of conventional mathematical models. Expected outcomes include novel mathematical and computational approaches enabling more sensitive and specific imaging markers for characterising brain tissue microstructure. The mathematical tools developed will advance the state of the art in diffusion MRI data analysis and benefit both researchers and clinicians. Field of research: 4901 - Applied Mathematics Since the first images of water diffusion in the human brain were captured in 1985, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) has become a crucial tool for neuroscientists. This project will develop the next-generation mathematical theory and computational tools to interpret and analyse DW-MRI signals, surpassing the capabilities of traditional imaging models like diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). The highly efficient computational models and tools will establish a mapping between the mathematical model parameters and tissue microstructural properties, potentially leading to more sensitive and specific imaging markers for characterizing brain tissue microstructure. The innovative techniques are poised to not only benefit researchers in applied mathematics, biological mathematics, and biomedical imaging, but also neuroscientists and clinicians. Through publications in high-impact journals, this project will position Australia as a world leader in mathematical modelling with fractional calculus theory and tissue microstructure imaging using DW-MRI. Furthermore, it will foster long-term interdisciplinary collaborations with leading brain imaging centres in Australia and Europe. This project will also train the next generation of researchers in the intersection of mathematical sciences and neuroimaging, providing exciting research and collaborative opportunities for the development of their careers.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Defining cell communication and mechanics in tissue specific vasculature. This project aims to improve our understanding of the mechanical properties that regulate the organ-specificity of blood vessels and their function. The endothelial cells lining blood vessels play a specialised role in the local physiology of their respective organs, however little is known about the fundamental biophysical events which trigger or characterise this function. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of developmental biology using collaborative, cutting-edge biomechanical techniques. In studying this process, the project should provide critical insights into how changes in cell and fluid mechanics are interpreted by, and consequently determine the identity and function of organ-specific endothelial cells. Field of research: 4003 - Biomedical Engineering As the connecting pathway to all organs in the human body, blood vessels are an important system underpinning how organs form, how they change and how they regenerate. However, due to the biological complexity of human blood vessels, most of the factors controlling the communication of blood vessel cells within different tissues are yet to be identified. By leveraging and integrating key research strengths in tissue engineering, microvascular biology and biomechanics, this project will deliver new knowledge in how mechanical forces influence organ-specific blood vessel function. By mimicking dynamic interactions within different tissues, this project will allow us to comprehensively characterize how blood vessels transfer signals within tissues, how they function and what may lead to their dysfunction. This project will shape future scientific research and pharmaceutical development across all human organs through a new knowledge framework of specialised organ-specific blood vessel biology and physiology. Future translation of these research outcomes will be of significant value to the medical technologies and pharmaceuticals sector. Our research outputs will be shared with relevant organisations for further validation in mechanistic, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Help wanted: The Dynamics of AI-Driven Recruitment and Selection. The increasing use of AI in the recruitment and selection of job candidates is widely acknowledged but not well understood. AI-enabled recruitment offers substantial value to employers but has a significant and unchecked influence on job-seekers. This project will explore how AI capability is developed by technology vendors, deployed by recruiters, and utilised by job candidates. Findings from three integrated studies will build new theoretical understandings of the social and technical implications of AI-enabled recruitment. Benefits include the development of governance principles, industry practice standards, and strategies to assist job-seekers, that promote transparency, privacy and equality in the Australian labour market. Field of research: 3505 - Human Resources and Industrial Relations The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the recruitment and selection of job candidates is widely acknowledged, and appears to offer a cost-effective, automated means to match potential employees with relevant work opportunities. However, AI is currently being utilised in a wide range of recruitment functions without an understanding of precisely how it is used, or how it impacts job-seekers. This project proposes to conduct the first comprehensive investigation of AI in the recruitment and selection of job-seekers in the Australian labour market. Through the involvement of (a) AI developers and vendors, (b) recruiters, (c) organisations (employers), and (d) candidates, the project aims to: • Map how AI capability is used across key recruitment functions • Develop governance principles for AI development in recruitment • Formulate industry best practice standards for AI use • CoDesign mechanisms to maximise the transparency and explainability of AI in recruitment software, and to disclose the relative limits of confidence of AI- enabled recruitment decisions • Identify strategies to assist job-seekers to successfully navigate AI-enabled recruitment processes These outcomes will be shared with industry sectors, peak recruitment bodies, recruitment firms, and employing organisations, in order to maximise the impact of these aims and create social and economic benefits.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Chemo-mechanical behavior in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. Currently available commercial lithium-ion batteries do not satisfy the increasing demands of portable electronic devices and electric vehicles, due to low energy densities, safety issues and high cost. High capacity electrode materials such as Li metal anode, Ni-rich cathode together with solid-state electrolytes have been confirmed as promising alternatives. However, poor interface stability and material failure remain as significant challenges. The project aims to solve these coupled chemo-mechanical problems through in situ characterisation and advanced modelling technologies. The expected outcomes will help develop next generation batteries and fill the key knowledge gaps in broad energy materials. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Lithium-ion batteries have become the main power sources for mobile electronics and large-scale emerging applications, including various types of electric vehicles and energy storage for utility grids. However, in addition to potential safety issues, their energy densities cannot meet the ever-growing demand for high performance energy storage systems to power mobile devices with increased power consumption and to extend the driving range of electric vehicles. To address these issues, this project aims to develop all solid-state lithium metal batteries with superior safety and high energy and power densities. Through collaborating with the Australian mining industry, a top exporter for almost all materials required for manufacturing high performance batteries, this project will identify opportunities for establishing Australia’s future battery industry for value added products, in line with the newly released National Battery Strategy - Leading the charge towards a competitive and diverse Australian battery industry. Uniting the Australian research community, government agencies and local industries, it will also contribute to Australia’s current efforts in building national battery testing centres and research hubs.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Developing Sustainable Hard Carbon for High Performance Sodium-Ion Battery. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) demonstrate a great potential to replace expensive lithium-ion batteries for energy storage as sodium is low-cost, safe and abundant as compared to lithium. However, the larger radius of sodium ions often leads to a sluggish kinetics process, and they cannot intercalate into commonly used anode materials like graphite. This project aims to investigate the atomic level sodium storage mechanism in hard carbon and develop a novel green hydrothermal carbonisation process to obtain spherical microstructures via combined experiment and atomistic modelling. This project will not only fill the knowledge gaps in developing high performance SIBs but guide the establishment of sustainable hard carbon manufacture industry. Field of research: 4017 - Mechanical Engineering Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as a promising alternative to Li-ion batteries for long term and large scale energy storage, due to high abundance of sodium, low cost, inherent safety and high energy density. Hard carbon has been recognised as viable electrode material as it can be produced from low-cost biomass or polymers. However, the overall battery performance is relatively poor and the sodium storage mechanism in hard carbon has not been well understood. This project will develop innovative, bottom-up strategies to optimise the structure of lignin-based hard carbon from sugarcane bagasse to achieve high battery performance. The sodium storage mechanism will be investigated at atomic scale through combined experimental and modelling approaches. The project will not only fill the existing knowledge gaps in development of carbon-based sodium-ion batteries but provide technical support for utilising Australian biomass and minerals to develop next generation rechargeable batteries for renewable energy storage, contributing to the establishment of multi-billion-dollar biorefinery and battery materials industries, in line with the newly released National Battery Strategy - Leading the charge towards a competitive and diverse Australian battery industry. The project outcomes will be released through industry magazines, university and social media, and broadcast/TV to increase public awareness and attract industry investment towards technology transfer and commercialisation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Novel transparent electrodes for efficient bifacial perovskite solar cells. This project aims to design transparent electrode composed of dielectric-metal-dielectric (DMD) structure with required optical and electrical properties for bifacial semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs). Expected new knowledge of how properties of the dielectric materials and metal layer control the transmittance, conductivity, work function as well as stability of the transparent electrodes, and subsequently their performance in ST-PSCs will be generated. The important research outcomes will facilitate the development of efficient ST-PSCs in practice such as building-integrated photovoltaics (PVs), placing Australia in the forefront this important emerging photovoltaics. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering How to make solar electricity more efficient, affordable and reliable is one of the grand challenges in 21st century to address the global issue of climate change and the increasing demand for energy in the society. Bifacial semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs) are a new photovoltaic (PV) technology that can produce electricity when illuminated on both sides (front or rear) of the device by using a material called metal halide perovskite, rendering them suitable for applications in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) and smart windows by fully using not only direct sunlight illumination, but also environmental reflected and diffuse sunlight to achieve higher areal energy yield. This project addresses the critical issues of inefficient transparent electrode, that limits the performance of existing ST-PSCs. The main research outcomes of new transparent electrodes with desirable optoelectronic and chemical properties for efficient bifacial ST-PSCs will advance adoption of perovskite based photovoltaic technology in practical applications such as BIPVs, placing Australia at the forefront of exploitation of this new PV technology for more efficient utilization of solar energy. The outcomes of this research project align with the two priority areas in Australian Government National Reconstruction announced in 2022: “Renewables and Low Emission Technologies”, and “Enabling Capabilities”.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unlocking the secrets of dynamic supramolecular systems. Smart switchable materials have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in drug delivery, smart coatings, and soft robotics. However, rational design of self-assembled supramolecular systems that undergo controlled switching is inhibited by a lack of understanding as to the fundamental mechanisms controlling these dynamic processes. This project will use cutting-edge ion mobility mass spectrometry technologies to gain new insights into controlling switchable processes in supramolecular materials stimulated by light, heat, or electricity. By monitoring these processes in real-time, we will have a window through which we can develop greater understanding of switching mechanisms for future functional materials. Field of research: 3403 - Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry Australian scientific innovation is globally renowned. Through the development of novel analytical methods, this research aims to address critical challenges in realising the promise of switchable supramolecular assemblies as valuable catalysts, chemical sensors or functional molecular devices. Leveraging cutting-edge capabilities in ion mobility-mass spectrometry technologies at QUT, the project will enhance our understanding of the processes that underpin smart switchable materials at the molecular scale. This innovative project lies at the cutting-edge of contemporary international research in supramolecular chemistry, and will contribute significantly to maintaining Australia's international leadership in this dynamic field. The development of novel functional materials is aligned with the national interest to foster sovereign knowledge, harness emerging technologies, create future industries, and accelerate productivity to build a more resilient economy. Development of this emerging technology is strongly aligned with the growth of Australia’s sovereign capability in advanced manufacturing and, when translated to a commercial scale, will be a part of the economic transition of the manufacturing sector towards value-add materials, with emerging industries providing new opportunities for future Australian jobs. Through strategic investments in research and development, we pave the way for a prosperous future driven by emerging technologies and knowledge-driven industries.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

The photochemical tool to probe peptide assembly across water and gas phase. The precise assembly of peptides into defined architectures is paramount for protein functionality, with any errors in this assembly leading to severe diseases. Mass spectrometry, a leading tool for studying protein structures, operates in the gas phase. Tools that close the gap between peptide assemblies in their native state in water and in the gas phase are scarce. This project develops a conceptually unprecedented approach to study the assembly of peptides in both: water and gas phase. The CIs have recently shown that [2+2] photocycloadditions, key reactions of chemical synthesis, can be manipulated by peptide assembly. Exploiting this assembly sensitivity, photoreactions will be turned from a synthetic into a missing analytical tool. Field of research: 3404 - Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry The majority of biological processes and functions are enabled by proteins - including the photosynthesis of plants that feeds us or the muscle movements that allow us to breathe. These specific functions of proteins result from their specific 3D structure. Errors in the structure of a protein lead to a loss of its function, with dire consequences such as alzheimers disease. Techniques to elucidate the structures of proteins including defects are thus of key importance. This project works towards the development of an analytical tool that allows to rapidly analyse the structure of the building blocs of proteins, called peptides.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Resolving the PFAS exposome through advances in mass spectrometry. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances are a major class of persistent organic pollutants that have been detected in even the most remote and pristine environments on the planet. This project will deliver next-generation mass spectrometry-based analytical capabilities for rapid and confident identification of these substances across diverse sample types ranging from clothing to concrete and biological tissues and fluids. These technologies will close the knowledge gap as to the extent of molecular diversity in per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance chemicals and thus provide critical insights into the exposure risks they pose to human health and the Australian environment (including Antarctic territories). Field of research: 3401 - Analytical Chemistry Australia’s national priorities across food, health and the environment all require scientists to be able to detect and identify chemical compounds at vanishingly low concentrations within complex mixtures. Mass spectrometry is recognised as the leading technology to address this need, and it is used daily within Australia to evaluate the safety and quality of our food production and to identify environmental contamination. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in firefighting foams and other products have caused contaminated land and water across Australia. Once released, these “forever chemicals” are persistent in the environment, entering water catchments and the food chain and have been detected in both the general Australian population and specific communities with high exposure. This proposal is a collaboration between university researchers, an industry-leading instrument maker (Waters), a small Australian business (Iugotec) and the Australian Department of Defence to advance analytical instrumentation that breaks new ground for sensitivity and selectivity. The project will deliver unique capabilities to Australian researchers to detect PFAS with high confidence, in less time, and from less sample. Practical, on-site analysis will enable rapid screening for contamination or exposure. Outcomes will drive advanced monitoring of environmental pollutants in Australia and will train a highly skilled workforce to meet growing demand from this technology sector.