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Safeguarding New Caledonia from insect-borne diseases: sustainable production of insect repellent from native plants (Old ID 22661)
The public debate about climate change and pollution has seen some major shifts in community thinking in regards to sustainability and environmental resilience. These changes in public attitude have placed significant pressure on the chemical industry to move to using renewable energy sources and sustainable starting materials. The tropical region is rich in natural resources, especially biomass from tropical plants and sunlight. At the same time, insect-bone diseases such as dengue and malaria hamper the tropics, causing significant health, economic and social stresses. Following the 'prevention is better than cure' approach, this project will develop economically viable green manufacturing processes for potent insect repellents from local New Caledonian plants.
Bridging Tropical Business Communities: Reaching out to the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the South Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and Polynesia) and Enhancing Research Collaborative Venture and Student's Mobility (Old ID 22956)
This project is threefold. The first objective is to bridge the North Queensland business community with French Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia). The second objective is to follow up the MOU signed between JCU and Tahiti Business School in relation to students' exchanges in view of a forthcoming Erasmus application. The third is flag JCU research expertise and identify avenues for research development, in particular in the field of tourism, in association with the Observatoire International de l'Emploi et du Development Economique de Polynesia Francoise (OIEDE-PF).
The geochemistry of rare earth elements in carbonate melts. (Old ID 24862)
This project aims to determine why deposits of rare earth elements, which are critical for modern devices and technologies, such as phones, tablet and plasma screens, are associated with carbonate magmas. The global supply of these critical metals is geopolitically unstable and although Australia has significant reserves there is very limited production. By improving our understanding of the geochemical behaviour of the rare earths we aim to develop new reverse-engineering methods for their extraction, which will improve the security of supply of these elements and enhance Australia's role in high-tech industries.
Reef lagoon benthic habitat mapping in the Coral Sea Marine Park (Old ID 27466)
This project will undertake reef lagoon benthic habitat mapping within the Coral Sea Marine Park. Sites to be surveyed are the western lagoon of Holmes Reef, all of Herald Cays, the lagoon between the Diamond Islets in Tregrosse Reef, and the eastern corner of the lagoon in Lihou Reef. This project will produce the first extensive reef lagoon benthic maps of the selected regions in the Coral Sea Marine Park and will be the first seagrass survey in the Coral Sea.
HPCT Berth 1 Upgrade – Marine Benthic Habitat Assessment. (Old ID 27895)
Advisian have engaged TropWATER to undertake a survey to determine the presence/absence of marine plants within and adjacent to the extension proposed at HPCT Berth 1, located at the Port of Hay Point. Specifically, the survey requires assessment of marine plant distribution in the area proposed for expanded dredging.
Generation of novel peptide-MHC antibody therapies to combat seasonal and pandemic potential influenza virus (Old ID 28968)
Influenza pandemics have caused significant morbidity and mortality throughout history. The 1918 influenza pandemic resulted in 25-50 million deaths globally. Myrio Therapeutics is a Melbourne-based company leading the development of antibodies directed to peptide-MHC (pMHC) targets. Myrio’s competitive edge is provided by a patented Retained Display (ReD) discovery platform allowing rapid isolation of high affinity human single chain antibodies, which are readily converted into different therapeutic formats. Myrio has identified several first-in-class antibodies against highly conserved influenza virus peptides presented on common human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) for further testing in vitro and in vivo in mice.
Investigating fine-scale habitat use of rays in high-value intertidal nurseries. (Old ID 28989)
Project aims to understand fine-scale habitat use of stingrays on intertidal sandflats. Data on abundances, species composition, and habitat use are being collected via drone assessments, and hands-on capture is being conducted to study diet and assess how foraging shapes habitat use.
Investigating the Effects of Seagrass productivity on pH at Local Scales (Old ID 20928)
During photosynthetic uptake of carbon, seagrasses modify seawater chemistry (reduce DIC and increase pH) and "buffer" against OA at local scales. Furthermore, seagrass meadows are likely to increase their productivity as DIC increases because they can be carbon limited. This project will be undertaken by a PhD candidate who will measure seagrass productivity and its effects on seawater chemistry in a range of
Australian Acoustic Observatory: A Network to Monitor Biodiversity (Old ID 22643)
Acoustic sensing is transforming environmental science by recording vocal species 24 x 7, providing data of unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution for ecosystem monitoring and research. This is particularly relevant to Australia's fragile and mega-diverse environment and Australia has leading research expertise in this emerging field. The proposed observatory will be the world's largest terrestrial acoustic sensor network comprising 450 listening stations deployed across Australia. Funds will purchase autonomous sound recorders and online storage and processing hardware. Data will be freely available to all online, enabling new science in understanding ecosystems, long-term environmental change, data visualisation and acoustic science.
Exploring the educational and program impact of strategies to increase high quality GP registrar supervision and training in underserved communities in north-western Queensland (Old ID 25073)
This project builds on the previously funded ACRRM ERG - to develop a general practice workforce that is aligned with population health needs and optimising workforce sustainability and training in rural and remote areas. The first project identified underserved communities where GP registrar training capacity could be better targeted by strategically establishing registrar training posts in underserved communities. New training posts have been established or are in development in the underserved areas identified by the first project. This new project will evaluate these new training posts; measuring the educational impact of training in underserved areas and the impact of training posts on local communities.