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Pearls of wisdom - Breeding for increase tolerance to juvenile pearl oyster mortality syndrome (Old ID 23472)
A decade ago pearl farming was one of the major employers and contributors to the social-economic fabric of northern Australia, contributing $189.7 million farm-gate to the national economy. However, in recent years Australian pearl production has been severely impacted by episodic and large-scale mortality events by an as yet unidentified causative factor. These mortality events, termed juvenile pearl oyster mortality syndrome (or JPOMS), have resulted in massive write-downs in production and economic value of the industry. This project will develop the genetic knowledge and lay the foundation for a selective breeding program in pearl oysters that are resistance to JPOMS.
Study of wind loads on US and AU roofing tile systems (Old ID 23540)
Due to the porous nature of roofing tile systems, pressure equalization effects must be considered in estimating wind-induced loads. However, these effects (and therefore net wind loading) are not well understood for various roof zones and the range of tile configurations in the global housing market. To better characterize these effects, IBHS will conduct full-scale wind tunnel testing on North American and Australian roofing tile systems. The CTS will assist with testing design, data analysis and reporting.
International Travel Support - INQUA 2019 (Old ID 26424)
Funding to support international travel to attend and present at the 20th International Quaternary Association Congress in Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation of PhD results in palaeoenvironmental science.
Centre of Research Excellence in Eradicating Food Allergy: Prevention, Cure and Reducing Adverse Events (Old ID 26614)
Funding is provided as a PHD Scholarship towards Mr Shaymaviswanathan to investigate the clinical cross-reactivity seen in patients with seafood allergy to dust mites and insects. Shellfish allergy affects 2% of Australians, and persists life-long in 80% of cases. Shellfish is now the leading cause for food-releated anaphylaxis fatalities among Australian adults. Clinical cross-reactivity between shellfish and mites and insects is frequently reported, however the implicated molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. This research project aims to identify and characterise the food and inhalant cross-reactive allergen repertoire and elucidate the shared IgE binding epitopes, utilising advanced bioinformatic approaches, immunochemcial and clincial tools.
Evaluation framework for community rehabilitation services in remote northern Australia (Old ID 26713)
An evauluation framework for community rehabilitation services in northern Australian will be developed. In Stage 1, a guiding framework will be revised following a systematic literature review. In Stage 2, routinely collected data relevant to the framework will be identified through data scoping. In Stage 3 the framework will be refined using a modified Delphi consensus approach and in Stage 4, tested for data accuracy and to determine rules for application. Processes and outcomes responsive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will be prioritied. This evaluation framework will enable continuous quality improvement, benchmarking against national standards and evidence-informed investment.
Examining playing performance in Rugby Union via static and dynamic approaches (Old ID 26769)
Innovative technology within elite sport has provided high performance staff with an abundance of player and team performance metrics – ‘big rugby data’. Despite the availability of this information, the crucial keys to match success in rugby union remain unknown, possibly due to the complexity of match play. This project will evaluate the complexity of elite rugby union matches by examining teams’ performance via novel sport analytics considering static and dynamic approaches. Outcomes will identify the keys to success from a micro to macro level and assist coaching staff to optimise strategies for enhanced success within rugby union.
Short Term Run-Off Studies on Conventional Knockdowns and Emerging Herbicides in the Burdekin (Old ID 21495)
Because of the characteristic furrow irrigation practises utilised in the lower Burdekin region, significant losses of herbicides into local waterways pose some of the highest risks to any receiving water bodies in the Great Barrier Reef catchment, particularly during the dry season when dilution effects are minimal. Despite substantial investment in practice changes such as improved application technologies (such as shielded sprayers), there has been minimal quantification of benefits to water quality from this funding. This study will compare water quality effects of traditional herbicide application techniques with emerging precision sprayer technologies in furrow irrigated farming systems of the lower Burdekin.
Magmatic History, Fertility and Metallogenesis of the Mary Kathleen Domain of the Mt Isa Inlier (Old ID 24882)
This project aims to highlight the exploration potential in the Mary Kathleen Domain of the Mt Isa Inlier by providing key mineralisation insights that can assist mining companies to plan their exploration strategy for better targeting and enhance the potential for new discoveries. To achieve this, the project has three main objectives: (1) Establish the extent, character and timing of the dominant magmatic epochs in the Mary Kathleen Domain of the Mt Isa Inlier (2) Develop an understanding of the tectono-magmatic history of the Mary Kathleen Domain and its links to metallogenesis; (3) Explore the applicability of magma fertility concepts as a tool for exploration for a variety of deposit types.
Securing the future of Australia’s threatened tropical mountain flora for science and society (Old ID 25045)
This project will enable us to secure the future of Australia’s climate-threatened tropical mountaintop plants. We will do this by building a multi-strategy ex-situ conservation reserve to ‘backup’ at-risk wild populations and support research, display and education. Our novel research on seed banking strategies, genetic diversity and plant tolerance of extreme climates will ensure that the reserve collections, distributed across multiple Botanic Gardens and Seed Banks along Australia’s east coast, incorporate high redundancy, are genetically and physiologically diverse, and climatically matched to wild habitat.
Optimisation of QCIDE oil extraction and separation (Old ID 26712)
This is project for Research Master Degree at JCU. Investigation of the pre-treatment, distillation and separation parameters of QCIDE extraction in order to assess the viability of industrial QCIDE production.