News

Investigators

Professor Matthew Tucker; Dr Tristan Coram; Dr Douglas Stewart

Summary

Development of rapid-drying barley for sustainable malting. Barley is a fundamental ingredient in the brewing and distilling industries, but traditional malting processes that germinate and dry grain are resource-intensive and challenged by rising energy costs. This project aims to identify natural genetic variation in barley that contributes to improved performance during gas-powered kilning, the most costly processing step for the $484M malt export industry. The multidisciplinary project team of seed biologists, maltsters, and breeders, is expected to generate new information regarding the basis for variation in grain drying. This is expected to deliver reduced-input barley varieties for Australian growers that require less energy to process and are highly valued in domestic and export markets.

Admin organisation - The University of Adelaide

Partner organisations - COOPERS BREWERY LIMITED; AUSTRALIAN GRAIN TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD

Funding awarded - $531,777.00

Investigators

Professor Scott Smith; Dr T. Tafsirojjaman; Mr Nicholas Wotton; Mr Lachlan Nicol

Summary

Multifunctional Structural FRP Panels Incorporating Recycled Plastic Waste. The project aims to develop fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP)-based structural panels that incorporate recycled plastic composite (RPC). This project expects to identify the manufacturing processes to innovate RPC as a construction material. Sustainable panel systems will develop by utilising RPC and/or stiffeners as the inner core with a strong outer made from FRP. The expected outcomes include innovative RPC, experimental validation, numerical optimisation, design guidelines and field investigation for the panel system to adopt this new panel technology. The panel systems will increase our plastic recycling capacity in Australia. The RPC and panel systems present a step change in construction technology and sustainable infrastructure.

Admin organisation - The University of Adelaide

Partner organisations - SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS PTY LTD

Funding awarded - $469,778.00

Investigators

Associate Professor Damien Fordham; Dr Jamie Wood; Associate Professor Jeremy Austin; Dr Elizabeth Reed; Professor Kristofer Helge

Summary

Preventing extinctions of threatened mammals with DNA in sediment archives. This project aims to prevent further extinctions of Australian mammals by strengthening reintroduction programs. It will combine ancient DNA extracted from sediment and bulk-bone deposits with ecological models to reconstruct spatial patterns of mammals and plants across Australian landscapes. Its significance is that it will establish historical distributions and habitats of Australian threatened mammals at geographic scales and spatial resolutions needed for evidence-based ecological restoration. Expected outcomes and benefits are new data, verified models and conservation decision-making frameworks that will enrich the protection and recovery of many of Australia’s most threatened species and reinstate their important ecosystem services.

Admin organisation - The University of Adelaide

Partner organisations

BUSH HERITAGE AUSTRALIA; WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE AUSTRALIA; AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM; DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT NSW; AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE CONSERVANCY

Funding awarded - $540,500.00

Investigators

Dr Wei Zhang; Professor Michael Sheng; Dr Weitong Chen; Associate Professor Ni Yang; Dr Queen Nguyen; Mr Yantao Zhang

Summary

Advanced Data Analytics for Cost-effective Mushroom Cultivation. Bringing together experts in data mining, machine learning, the Internet of Things and bioscience, this project aims to develop innovative models and algorithms, to monitor and understand the automated greenhouse mushroom cultivation environment with multi-modal multi-structured data. The project expects to explore the interplays among these different data modalities and structures to provide practical data analysis approaches establish the theoretical foundations, and generate new knowledge for Precision Agriculture. The cost-effective solution should provide significant benefits to Australian horticulture cultivators.

Admin organisation - The University of Adelaide

Partner organisations

CLEVER MUSHROOMS PTY LTD; PIXELFORCE SYSTEMS PTY LTD; HOKKEN CO., LTD

Funding awarded - $320,562.00

Investigators

Dr Mariya Goray; Dr Roland van Oorschot; Professor Adrian Linacre; Dr Duncan Taylor.

Summary

Evaluation of shedder phenomenon in forensic science. This project aims to deliver the first standardised shedder test and categorisation, population datasets on shedder types and self/non-self DNA contributions; for casework implementation. This project is expected to generate data on factors affecting individual’s propensity to transfer DNA during a contact event (shedder status) which is currently poorly understood. Generated data will be of significant benefit in provision of justice as breakthroughs are urgently needed to bolster forensic DNA expertise in courts. DNA from touch evidence is central to most criminal court cases, yet these data and supporting methods are lacking. New robust methodology and suitable population datasets will pivotally benefit quality of evidence provision.

Admin organisation - Flinders University

Partner organisations

FORENSIC SCIENCE SA; VICTORIA POLICE

Funding awarded - $150,000.00

Investigators

Professor Michelle Tuckey; Professor Paula Brough; Dr Aaron Davis; Dr Yiqiong Li; Dr Sarah Moulds; Professor Nicole Moulding; Dr Kirsten Way; Dr Anuradha Mundkur

Summary

Cultivating Systemic Safety to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment. A major barrier to preventing workplace sexual harassment is that common protections intervene at the individual level, targeting harassing behaviour but overlooking the underlying causes. This project aims to extend knowledge of its roots in the organisational system, then develop, implement, and evaluate novel interventions to cultivate systemic safety and reduce harassment risk. Expected outcomes include advanced understanding of the risk contexts for sexual harassment, evidence for intervening at root cause level, and detailed case studies outlining what works in realising positive duty obligations. Significant anticipated benefits include pragmatic strategies and resources for creating workplaces resistant to sexual harassment.

Admin organisation - University of South Australia

Partner organisations

OUR WATCH LIMITED; COMCARE AUSTRALIA; SAFEWORK SA; RETURN TO WORK CORPORATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA; SAFEWORK NSW; QUEENSLAND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION; EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SA; WORKING WOMENS CENTRE INC; BASIC RIGHTS QUEENSLAND INC; TEAMGAGE PTY LIMITED

Funding awarded - $418,950.00