Research Projects
2015 Woodcutters REMP (Old ID 22095)
Shelley Templeman
01 Mar 2015 - 31 Dec 2019
Development, implementation and reporting of the first stage of a receiving environment monitoring program (REMP) for the closed Woodcutters Mine, Batchelor, Northern Territory.
The Queensland STEM Education Network (Old ID 22162)
Shaun Belward
27 Apr 2015 - 30 Jun 2018
Establish the Queensland STEM Education Network comprising a partnership of key stakeholders in STEM education in Queensland to co-develop a range of programs and initiatives designed to build STEM capacity across the state of Queensland.
Plasma assisted fabrication of nanofirous membranes for energy applications (Old ID 22343)
Mohan Jacob
01 Oct 2015 - 30 Sep 2016
Development of highly stable proton conductive polymer electrolyte membranes will enable advances in energy conversion systems. This project focuses on developing innovative membranes for fuel cells and vanadium redox battery based on cheap electrospun nanofibrous modified with plasma. Nanofiberousmats containing proton conducting functionalities will be prepared by electrospinning of desired polymers followed by immobilising of ionic groups. Composite membranes with webbed morphologies will be obtained using plasma assisted crosslinking of nanofiberousmats followed by introducing additional polyelectrolyte layers. The adopted fabrication technique will be a versatile strategy for producing low cost and mechanically stable PEMs for numerous electrochemical applications.
Activity 2.6 (Banana soil physico-chemical properties) of 'Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 Research program (BA14014)' (Old ID 22760)
Paul Nelson
30 May 2016 - 01 Jun 2020
The project will determine the influence of soil physiocochemical conditions on growth and infectivity of the banana disease-causing fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense (Foc. Foc is one of the world's most destructive banana diseases and Tropical Race 4, which attacks the Cavendish variety, was recently detected in the Tully valley in the heart of the North Queensland banana production region. This project is part of a larger program aimed at providing new information and practices to address key areas of need with a medium to long-term view of developing management practices for banana growers affected by Tropical Race 4.
Advancing the chemistry of topical rare earth metals (Old ID 20618)
Peter Junk
05 Feb 2013 - 31 Dec 2017
With abundant, but until recently neglected, rare earth resources, Australia is positioned to become a major supplier of these strategic elements as the world faces a shortage created by a Chinese monopoly and much reduced exports. Advancing the chemistry of highly reactive rare earth metal-organic compounds including syntheses from the free metals and alloys will provide a knowledge base and breakthrough science to underpin future applications in chemical manufacture, catalysis, new materials and recycling. Steric and electronic manipulation of rare earth coordination behaviour will transform their syntheses and reactions.
Tools to diagnose carcinogenic liver fluke infection (Old ID 26496)
Alex Loukas
01 Mar 2020 - 28 Feb 2023
This program aims to develop molecular tests to diagnose carcinogenic infections with parasitic liver flukes. Throughout Eurasia, ingestion of raw or undercooked fish infected with Opisthorchis species flukes leads to infection, which over decades culminates in fatal liver cancer. Sensitive point-of-care tests to diagnose fluke infection are urgently needed and will be the focus of this proposal.
Improved feral cattle and buffalo herd management for environmental and economic benefits in remote Northern Australia (Old ID 26983)
Ian Atkinson
09 Dec 2020 - 31 Dec 2023
The project aims to develop improved feral cattle and buffalo herd management for environmental, biosecurity and economic development in remote Northern Australia. It includes the following core components: 1) Development of a smart ear tag using GPS and Kineis satellite telemetry (France) - JCU lead agency 2) Testing and development of the ear tag at Fletcherview Research Station (approx. 100 animals) - JCU lead agency 3) Development of management tools for geolocation data - CSIRO lead agency 4) Deployment of tags on 1000 feral Buffalo and Cattle in the NT - CSIRO/NAILSMA 5) Development of on-ground capacity for herd management within indigenous community organisations - JCU/NAILSMA
Waters of Jericho: Characterizing the Cu isotope compostition of water overlying IOCG-style deposaits in the Mt Isa block (Jericho and Eloise deposits). (Old ID 27017)
Brandon Mahan
01 Oct 2020 - 29 Jun 2021
This project is a pilot study that aims to characterize the Cu isotope compositions of borehole waters in 10 km radius around the Jericho and Eloise IOCG type ore deposits. Cu isotopes can act as an ore vectoiring. However, few studies have focused exclusively on natural water samples as a ameans to vector under cover. Novel, efficient techniques are needed as the demand for Cu increases with population and our transition to green energies. A second aim of the project is to stream line the purification of Cu (needed for analysis) to make this more time and cost efficient, and thus more accessible to industry partners.
RRAP CAD-01: Coral propagation and deployment (Old ID 27237)
Elsa Antunes
01 Oct 2020 - 30 Jun 2025
Deployment device shape and material can considerably affect the growth rates and survival of recruits, but the optimal physical properties of deployment devices to maximise the survival and growth of a diversity of corals are not yet clear. For example, crevice size is an important physical factor that influences the survivorship of coral recruits and juveniles. Spatial structure of settlement surfaces can provide refugia from algae and release from grazing. The first part of the project consists of selecting potential device materials, porosities and textures that will be assessed for fouling and recruit survival. These will be first tested in the SeaSim and the most promising candidates in the field in across a range of environments and environmental gradients. The second part of the project consists of optimization and scaling up of the fabrication technology to produce millions of devices.
Quantifying the value of Blue Carbon: Case Study Torres Strait (Old ID 27295)
Alexandra Carter
25 Jun 2021 - 31 Mar 2022
Torres Strait seagrass mapping synthesis and blue carbon presentation.