UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Controlling spin coherence with rotation. This project aims to harness the ability to control the fundamental interactions which limit the precision of a diamond quantum sensor, enabling more sensitive magnetometry. Quantum sensors are unveiling new insights into nano-scale phenomena. Single atom defects in diamonds have been at the forefront of this revolution in nano-scale sensor technology. A unique capability, spinning diamond quantum sensors at up to 500,000 rpm, fast enough that quantum properties of the defects are preserved during a cycle has been established. This project will address the long-standing problem of nano-scale solid-materials characterisation using rotationally-enhanced quantum magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Field of research: 0206 - Quantum Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Trade union training: reshaping the Australian industrial landscape . This project aims to investigate the effectiveness of trade union training in developing the capacity of the Australian workforce. Building on earlier forms of union training, the government-funded Trade Union Training Authority (TUTA) provided courses (from 1975 to 1996) to enhance the skills of union officials and lay foundations for further education. This project will draw on extensive archival and oral history sources to investigate TUTA’s origins, development, training practices and impact on individuals and workplaces. The benefits include better understanding of industrial, education and training systems. Insights from the project can inform the challenge of workforce development in a more uncertain and deregulated labour market. Field of research: 1301 - Education Systems

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

International students' sexual and intimate partner violence experiences. This project aims to generate data identifying the nature, circumstances and impacts of sexual and intimate partner violence against female international students in Australia. A range of cultural, social and structural issues may increase the vulnerability of female international students to gendered violence, leading to serious impacts on health and well-being. Yet, little is known about their experiences or how best to support them. This project intends to increase the safety of female international students by identifying their risk and protective factors, exploring their experiences and support requirements, and developing best-practice responses. Outcomes of this project include a new conceptual model and guidelines for service providers. Field of research: 1303 - Specialist Studies In Education

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Visual evidence: transforming modern sex research (1880s - 1930s). This project aims to explore how photography and film transformed understandings of human sexuality. By analysing how and why doctors and scientists shifted their attention from textual to visual evidence, the project will contribute to understandings about how images have been used historically to create medical norms and communicate scientific knowledge to broad audiences. Focusing on Germany as the international centre of early twentieth-century sex research, the project will examine how the turn to visual evidence had a transnational impact by paving the way for post-war researchers such as Kinsey, Masters and Johnson, and for a better understanding of the history of human sexuality in Australia. Field of research: 2003 - Language Studies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Environmental mismatch in invertebrate translocations for conservation. This project aims to use matchstick grasshoppers as a model system to develop strategies and protocols for maximising the adaptive potential of species when movement of individuals or genes is required. Biodiversity management increasingly requires translocation or targeted gene flow to maintain genetic diversity, raising the issue of disrupting local environmental adaptations. Matchstick grasshoppers are extremely well understood genetically, are highly amenable to experimental investigation, and include populations and species threatened by habitat destruction. This project will generate novel conservation tools for the focal species as well as empirical precedents for resolving the problem of environmental mismatch in translocation. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Understanding climate and harvest induced changes in fish life histories. This project aims to quantify the cumulative impacts of harvest and climate change across marine fishes and ecosystems. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this area by coupling the rich biological information archived in fish ear bones, with targeted multi-generation experiments and predictive modelling. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into how human-induced environmental change affects fish growth and maturation, and a subsequent critical evaluation of the sensitivity of fisheries models to trends in these life-history traits. This should provide significant benefits to fisheries and ecosystem management, ensuring they remain productive and resilient in a time of rapid environmental change. Field of research: 0603 - Evolutionary Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A cellular hub for the organisation of T cell priming. This project aims to delineate the cellular interactions involved in the initiation of immune responses by utilising advanced in vivo imaging. Adaptive immunity in vertebrates functions via the acquisition of signals by immune cells via complex interactions with other immune cells, yet these exchanges are difficult to observe and define. This project expects to provide insights into the mechanisms that underpin effective cell-mediated immune responses. The expected outcomes are to generate fundamental new knowledge about immune responses and enhance capacity to study the immune system. This could benefit future development of new vaccines and therapies to improve health. Field of research: 1107 - Immunology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

The transgenerational effect of thermosensing in plants. This project aims to understand how thermosensing mechanisms in plants result in transgenerational change, and potentially adaptation to climate. Exploiting the recent discovery of the thermosensor phytochrome B, this project will decipher the molecular cascade which, either through long-distance communication or through persistence of an epigenetic state in the cell lineage, could lead to a trans generational memory in plants helping with climate adaptation. This project will unravel novel molecular mechanisms, which have the potential to pave the way for designing new climate-proofing solutions to cope with temperature uncertainty. Field of research: 0604 - Genetics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Wolbachia endosymbionts: novel strain dynamics in Australian Drosophila. This project aims to understand Wolbachia infections across Australian Drosophila flies. Wolbachia bacteria that live inside the cells of insects and other invertebrates are widely seen as a promising tool for pest and disease control. This project will assess the population distribution, host phenotypic effects, population dynamics and evolutionary context of multiple Wolbachia infections across Australian Drosophila flies. The outcome will include new and novel strains for applied projects, new information on the fate of Wolbachia infections, and new insights into the factors that dictate the fate of Wolbachia infections across populations. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Age-related mechanisms of amino acid signalling in skeletal muscle. This project aims to increase our understanding of the role of glycine receptor-mediated signalling and its metabolism in the amino acid sensing capacity of mTORC1, a key enzyme regulating muscle protein synthesis. Ageing is associated with a progressive decline in skeletal muscle mass, weakness, and impaired regeneration after injury. Impaired anabolic signalling after food intake has been proposed as a key contributor, yet the metabolic pathways responsible for nutrient sensing and regulation of protein synthesis remain unresolved. The project will assess defective amino acid sensing and protein synthesis in old mammals, identifying the role of glycine signalling in these processes. The project expects to underpin development of muscle-specific modulators of muscle homeostasis with broad relevance to Australia’s ageing population. Field of research: 0606 - Physiology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Can we engineer plants to grow on salty soils? This project aims to answer questions about how plants can sustain their growth on salty soils. Plant-derived products constitute a pillar for our society. However, crop yields may be severely penalised due to unfavourable growth conditions, including soil salinity. This is particularly relevant for Australia as a large fraction of its arable land is affected by salt. This project aims to use molecular and cell biology techniques to resolve mechanisms of how the synthesis of cellulose, which constitutes the bulk of a plant's biomass, is maintained in plants during salt stress. This project has potential for climate change mitigation, enhanced plant biomass production and improved fuel security. Field of research: 0607 - Plant Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

High-density mobile fronthaul optical interconnects using few-mode fibers. This project aims to develop a prototype of high-density optical interconnects for mobile fronthaul systems using few-mode transmission techniques. This is required to meet the high bandwidth demand from 5G mobile standard, which is to be rolled out worldwide in the near future. The project expects to advance knowledge of space-division-multiplexing techniques using cost-effective direct detection. The methodologies and technologies developed through this project will enhance the competitiveness of the Australian’s telecommunication sector, especially on the deployment of 5G services to the broader community. This technology will be critical to Australia’s digital economy, from supporting virtual reality to autonomous driving and will provide significant benefits to the Australian optical communication industry. Field of research: 1005 - Communications Technologies

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Integrating rifts and swell in the mathematics of ice shelf disintegration. Antarctic ice-shelf disintegrations have the alarming potential to cause rapid sea level rise, through accelerated discharge of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and initiating runaway Ice Sheet destabilisations. The project aims to develop a mathematical model of swell-induced ice-shelf vibrations in a coupled ocean–shelf 3D framework, focusing on interactions between vibrations and the rift networks that characterise outer shelf margins before disintegration. Accurate, efficient solutions will be developed by fusing powerful approximation theories, and validated by numerical solutions. The model will be combined with state-of-the-art data to predict trends in Antarctica’s remaining ice shelves and indicate potential future disintegrations. Field of research: 0102 - Applied Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Contribution of comammox bacteria to soil nitrification. This project aims to understand the diversity, activity and environmental relevance of comammox bacteria, the newly-discovered complete nitrifiers, in Australian soils, and to evaluate their relative contributions to nitrification processes compared to other canonical nitrifying prokaryotes. Nitrogen transformations are pivotal microbial processes, with nitrification largely responsible for nitrogen losses through nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching in the terrestrial ecosystems. The expected outcomes will develop new knowledge on the comammox bacteria and provide novel insights into refined strategies to manipulate nitrification processes for improved nitrogen use efficiency and sustainable agricultural management. Field of research: 0503 - Soil Sciences

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Continuous combinatorial order processing In financial markets. This project aims to develop an order processing capability that eliminates execution risk underlying portfolio rebalancing in financial markets. The proposed market design is expected to lower transaction costs for investors, lower funding costs for firms and governments and enhance liquidity in markets that are naturally thin. The market design is expected to have a significant impact on an economy like Australia’s, which through its superannuation savings system depends on well-operating financial markets for savings and investments. The project is expected to result in lower costs of funding for firms and government, benefitting employment and the enhancement of Australia’s expertise in fintech and its capacity to export cutting-edge financial information technology. Field of research: 1502 - Banking, Finance and Investment

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Photodissociation mass spectrometry for lipidome analysis. This project aims to develop and apply novel bioanalytical mass spectrometry-based methods and workflows to illuminate the otherwise hidden structural diversity and molecular complexity of the lipidome. The structure of individual lipids define their specific biological functions. A major requirement of analytical methods employed for lipid analysis on a lipidome-wide scale, therefore, is to enable the detailed structural characterisation of the, potentially, tens of thousands of individual molecular lipid species that may be present within a sample of interest. This project will develop and optimise novel, ultraviolet photodissociation-tandem mass spectrometry methods which will be integrated within an automated lipidome analysis workflow, to enable comprehensive global lipidome profiling and to reveal the structural diversity of lipids involved in fundamental cellular signalling processes. Field of research: 0301 - Analytical Chemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Statistical Modelling in the Era of Data Science: Theory and Practice. This project aims to develop innovative statistical methodology that is interpretable, theoretically justified, and scalable to today's growing complex data. With the influx of data being collected in both the public and private sectors, making sense of this data is a fundamental task. Through a rigorous modelling framework, this project intends to facilitate the discovery of knowledge by developing powerful new tools to extract insight from these complex datasets. The outcomes of this project will benefit society by providing techniques to enable research advances and inform decision-making for a broad base of disciplines, including applications to network security, energy forecasting, environmental monitoring, and public health. Field of research: 0104 - Statistics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Molecular control of postnatal heart development. This project aims to improve our understanding of how the heart develops after birth and the molecules that control this process. Recent advances in tissue engineering have opened up opportunities for the generation of synthetic tissues but these studies have also highlighted a fundamental knowledge gap in our understanding of how complex tissues mature to prepare for life as an adult. Much is known about the molecules that control early embryonic development but little is known about the molecules that control maturation after birth. This project aims to build new knowledge that is expected to improve our ability to generate mature heart muscle cells for stem cell applications, tissue repair and regeneration. Field of research: 0608 - Zoology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Searching for new phenomena in semileptonic B decays with Belle II. This project aims to examine the mechanisms that explain the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe. Particle physics seeks to understand the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions. This project will use the new Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider in Japan to address the origin of matter-antimatter asymmetry, and why fundamental matter particles have enormous mass differences across the three generations. The project aims to develop new data mining techniques to fully exploit the data from the Belle II experiment, placing Australian researchers in a position to make a major discovery of new physics phenomena in order to complete the theory of the universe at the smallest scale. Field of research: 0202 - Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Integrating niches, interactions and dispersal in species distribution models. This proposal aims to develop a framework for statistical modelling that integrates across spatial scales and disentangles the processes of environmental tolerance, biotic interactions and dispersal. Understanding the processes that drive species distributions and ecological communities is central to ecology and environmental management. This knowledge can be used to anticipate the impacts of environmental change on ecosystems, and the likely benefits of interventions. Current statistical models limit the data that can be used and the ecological questions that can be answered. This project expects to improve our ability to predict species distributions under changed environments given interacting species and dispersal across the landscape. Field of research: 0502 - Environmental Science and Management

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Eurasian exchange and artistic transformation in art. This project aims to bring European and Chinese art history into dialogue. It explores the early Italian Renaissance in the larger geopolitical context of Mongol Eurasia and the Yuan Empire, to address the questions of influence, contact, and exchange. In reframing the development of early European art as a fundamentally cross-cultural phenomenon, this project aims to offer a better understanding of the roots of our own global visual culture. The project will benefit and enrich the study of cross-cultural contact and exchange in art history as a larger field, leading to the re-examination of art in the Australasian region. Field of research: 1901 - Art Theory and Criticism

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

A novel link between metabolism and host defence. This project aims to delineate how a protein modification that consists of the addition of a small sugar to cellular proteins, known as O-GlcNAcylation, provides a link between metabolism and complex cell functions. The model for these studies is a cell type of the immune system known as dendritic cells. Upon encountering pathogens these cells undergo metabolic changes that increase the rate of O-GlcNAcylation of proteins involved in immune responses, altering their function. This project will study how O-GlcNAcylation works and is regulated. The project expects to develop new technology and provide high-level training, increasing the competitiveness of the strategic biotechnology sector in Australia Field of research: 0601 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Approximate structures for efficient processing of data streams. This project aims to increase the volume of streamed data that can be handled on a low-powered device with limited memory. In finance, health, and transport, data arrives at enormous rates, and data-driven decisions must be made quickly. Likewise, to keep Australia secure, national agencies monitor and gather vast data sets. Increasingly, devices and monitors that have limited resources are making these decisions and they require computational techniques that run extremely efficiently. The project expects to develop and improve approximate data structures that operate in tight resource bounds. Anticipated outcomes are improved event recognition and dramatic speedup in analysis of streams in areas such as finance, health, transport, and urban data. Field of research: 0802 - Computation Theory and Mathematics

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Harnessing redox-active ligands in functional metal complexes. This project aims to synthesise and investigate metal-based molecules that can be reversibly switched between forms with different physical properties, such as colour or electrical conductivity, upon exposure to heat, light or electrical potential. The project expects to develop compounds that offer physical properties relevant for deployment in advanced materials or nanodevices. Expected outcomes of this project include elucidation of chemical routes to tuning the switchability and candidate compounds for future applications. As well as achieving important advances in fundamental chemistry, this project should provide significant benefits, such as novel materials for molecular electronics/spintronics, photoresponsive devices or sensors. Field of research: 0302 - Inorganic Chemistry

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2019 · 2019-01

Ochre archaeomicrobiology: a new tool for understanding Aboriginal exchange. This project aims to identify the origins and movements of Australian archaeological ochre through the development of a novel tool combining genomic and chemical analysis. The geographic distribution of Australian ochre is closely linked to Aboriginal creation stories, while its physical distribution by people is evidence of cultural cooperation. Using this new archaeomicrobiological technique, the project aims to answer significant questions about past human behaviour, in terms of trade, cultural interactions, territoriality and colonisation. The method also has the potential to benefit traditional owners by contributing to repatriation projects. The collaborative detailed recording, sampling and analysis of ochre sources on traditional lands will also assist Aboriginal communities to manage this important aspect of their cultural heritage. Field of research: 2101 - Archaeology