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Research News | |||||||||||||||||||||
Research Open Day 2007The School held a research open day on September 13, organised by Prof. Justin Gooding. Research students presented their work at a poster session held in the afternoon to a large audience. Many undergraduate students attended to find out about the research projects available in the School. There was a great deal of enthusiasm on the part of both the presenters and the students and all involved commented on how successful the day was in creating interest in the School's research activities.
Australian Research Council Grants Announced September 2007Staff of the School of Chemistry were involved in successful grant applications totalling well over $3.5M. Congratulations to the successful grant recipients! School of Chemistry staff are highlighted in the summary below. Discovery ProjectsAn Integrated Synthetic and NMR Spectroscopic Study of Photochemical Organometallic Bond Activation Dr GE Ball; Prof AF Hill 2008: $163,000; 2009: $114,000; 2010: $109,000 Modifications of alkanes and related processes under study will occupy the heart of next generation catalysed chemical processes that may ultimately be used globally on a vast scale. A detailed knowledge of mechanism is the precursor to rational design and improvement of catalysed processes, making them more efficient and greener. This will allow better usage of Australia's natural gas and precious metal resources and benefit local chemical companies. Specialized new NMR technology that will greatly aid a wide range of local researchers will be developed to facilitate these studies. The researchers of the future will also be trained. Porous and Magnetic Networks: Functional materials by form and design 2008: $125,000; 2009: $124,000; 2010: $119,000 The importance of obtaining smart materials to meet the increasingly stringent demands of modern technology and society, necessitates a determined effort by the research community. Three examples of such demands are the drive towards a hydrogen-based economy, sequestration technologies and green catalysis. Specifically designed meso- or highly porous materials have a central role to play in these extremely topical societal demands. The inclusion of functionality by design into such materials is central to them fulfilling their considerable potential. By researching novel materials technologies today, we aim to deliver practical solutions to market tomorrow, to the benefit of Australian industry. New Strategies for Monitoring DNA-Anticancer Drug Interactions Dr EL Wong APD 2008: $110,000; 2009: $109,000; 2010: $101,000 The highly successful cisplatin works by binding to DNA and partially unwinding or bending the DNA. As a consequence of the success if cisplatin, alternative anticancer drugs are being developed with reduced side effects for patients. One of the bottle necks in the development of alternative drugs is rapid screening of the efficacy on new leads. The proposed research will develop new technologies for monitoring DNA-drug binding, DNA damage and DNA repair using novel DNA biosensors. the novelty of the biosensor technology will be to use the modulation of charge transfer through DNA as a method for determining the structural changes that occur in DNA due to these events occurring. Linkage ProjectsNumerical Modelling and Experimental Studies to Design and Engineer Nanoparticulate Systems for Bioapplications Prof R Amal; Prof PJ Russell; Prof JJ Gooding; Dr BJ Walsh 2008: $121,253; 2009: $124,442; 2010: $125,625 Collaborating/Partner Organisation(s): Minomic Pty Ltd Administering Organisation: The University of New South Wales Project outcomes will enhance Australia's reputation for scientific innovation in the field of bio nanotechnology. The project will expand the knowledge base in this area and increase Australia's international profile in research on nanomaterials for bio related applications. The project partners UNSW and Australian company (Minomic), integrating their skills, expertise and facilities to address current limitations in understanding the stability of magnetic nanoparticles in biological fluids. The Australian partners will play a leading role in commercializing new applications for functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. The project will provide an excellent multidisciplinary research environment and training for early career researchers. LIEF GrantsHigh-resolution imaging of live cells and tissue Dr K Gaus; Prof LM Khachigian; A/Prof M Kavallaris; Prof MD Willcox; Prof IW Dawes; Prof SL Kjelleberg; Prof JJ Gooding; Prof R Amal; A/Prof LA Poole-Warren; Prof R Stocker; Prof NJ King; Prof MA Vadas; Prof CR Murphy; A/Prof FC Braet; A/Prof AD Conigrave; Prof AS Weiss; Prof TW Hambley; Dr P Thordarson; Dr AR Parker; Prof EM Goldys; Prof HK Nevalainen; Prof NH Packer; Dr JR Rabeau 2008: $900,000 Understanding the machinery of life and developing technologies that support life's processes requires biological and physical scientists and engineers to monitor molecular events in living systems. The aim is to take advantage of very recent developments in light microscopy to enable the non-invasive imaging of live cells and tissue at a previously unreachable level of detail. The instruments will form the nucleus of a new imaging facility. Significant advances in research areas including vascular research, cancer, immunology, cell and molecular biology, functional genomics, biotechnology, nanotechnology and material engineering will be of major benefit both nationally and globally. Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer and Rapid Photoluminescence Mapping System for Development of Advanced Materials and Biosystems Dr SS Li; Prof C Zhang; Prof MJ Hoffman; Prof J Nowotny; Dr N Valanoor; Dr JA Stride; Dr T Bak; Prof HK Liu; Dr AV Pan; Dr ZP Guo; Dr J Horvat; A/Prof MR Phillips; Dr RY Yang; Dr R Zheng; Dr Y Liu 2008: $300,000 Australia's energy and renewable energy, defence, biosystem and pharmaceutical industries are spearheading the advancement of technologies in the global competitive market. They are the engines of Australian economy's strength. Future progress of these industries is expected to be largely driven by advances in materials and biosystems. The installation of the proposed facilities will add a new dimension to high-level research performance and significantly enhance the capability for characterization of various forms of materials and biosystems in Australia. The continual development of advanced material and biosystem technology will potentially provide a sustainable means for meeting the increasing global challenge for the industries. 800 MHz NMR spectrometer for biomolecular structure-function analysis Dr JP Mackay; Prof G Otting; Prof PW Kuchel; Dr JM Matthews; Dr DA Gell; Prof J Trewhella; Dr PJ Rutledge; Prof. BA Messerle; Prof MA Vadas; Prof RM Graham; Dr JI Vandenberg; Dr D Stock; Dr GE Ball; A/Prof BD Fazekas de St Groth; Prof J Shine 2008: $1,300,000 An understanding of how organisms function at the molecular level is central to developing the ability to fight many diseases in a rational way. This equipment will provide the capability for many different laboratories around NSW and the ACT to advance our knowledge at this fundamental level, primarily by examining the structures and functions of biomolecules such as proteins. New academic appointmentsThe School extends a warm welcome to Marcus Cole and Pall Thordarson who will be joining us in the next few months. Marcus' research interests include main group hydrides and selective organic transformations, low valent rare earths in organic synthesis, and the development of functionalised N-heterocyclic carbenes. Pall (Palli) works in the broad areas of nanobiotechnology and bio-organic chemistry, with particular interest in bioelectronics, self-assembled gels, and applications of STM and AFM. Australian Universities: Highest Impact in Chemistry 2000-2004The University of New South Wales has the highest ranking of average citations per paper in Chemistry over the period 2000-2004, according to a survey conducted by Thomson ISI:
Source: http://in-cites.com/research/2005/november_28_2005-1.html |
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