SCU receives $1.2 million in Linkage funding for three diverse research projects

Plastics that tell bacteria to leave a surface is one of three Southern Cross University industry collaboration projects receiving nearly $1.2 million through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage scheme.

Dr Lachlan Yee in the School of Environment, Science and Engineering is investigating how to develop synthetic plastic surfaces that continuously generate nitric oxide to deter the formation of bacterial biofilms.

“We've developed a way to combine plastics and clever sustainable chemistry to tell bacteria to leave this surface alone,” said Dr Yee. “Bacteria communicate in a number of ways. They use chemicals like nitric oxide to communicate to the mature bacteria colony when it is time to leave a surface and recolonise new surfaces. Our plastics send nitric oxide signals in a sustainable way in order to remove established bacteria or repel bacteria trying to settle in order to keep plastic surfaces bacteria free. Furthermore repelled bacteria are susceptible to current antibiotic and anti-microbial technology.”

The funding was announced yesterday (July 7) by the federal Minister for Education The Hon Christopher Pyne MP.

The three successful Linkage projects, totalling $1,191,900, are:

Professor Bradley Eyre (lead investigator), Director of the Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research, Dr Dirk Erler and Dr Damien Maher
$600,000 over 3 years
Partner: Healthy Waterways Ltd

The aim of this project is to understand and quantify the factors controlling the emission of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from estuaries. The project plans to use a combination of continuous concentration and stable isotope measurements, process measurements and advanced numerical modelling across a range of undisturbed to disturbed systems. The findings will have direct implications to the management, rehabilitation and protection of waterways (including biodiversity) in Australia.

“What makes this project nationally and internationally unique is the integration of frontier field measurements of greenhouse gases (GHG) across multiple estuaries and advanced biogeochemical modelling,” said Professor Bradley Eyre, Director of the Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research.

“GHG emissions are driving global climate change and coastal systems play a disproportionately large role, but this is poorly quantified. We are also currently unable to make predictions of GHG emissions from estuaries and what is driving the emissions and how they will respond to management intervention. This type of information is critical for the efficient allocation of management resources in Australian coastal systems, including by our partners.

“Site-specific data on GHG emission (or consumption) in south east Queensland estuaries will also allow them to be included in carbon accounting and emission inventories, and state and national policy frameworks.”

Dr Sally Robinson (lead investigator) and Professor Anne Graham from the Centre for Children and Young People
$360,900 over 3 years
Partners: Department of Family and Community Services – Ageing Disability and Home Care; National Disability Services; Northcott Disability Services; University of Dundee

This project aims to improve the rights and wellbeing of young people with cognitive disability by exploring their relationship and interaction with paid support workers. Using social geography and recognition theory, the project expects to deliver new understanding and improved practice around how paid support relationships can foster mutual care, respect and value at a critically important time in young people’s lives.

“Our project aims to improve the rights and wellbeing of young people with cognitive disability by exploring their relationship and interaction with paid support workers,” said Dr Sally Robinson.

“It comes at a critical time, as the introduction of national individualised funding and support influences the support relationships of people with disability around Australia. Understanding the role that paid support plays in the ongoing identity development of young people is urgently needed to realise national policy aspirations for people with disability of rights, choice, inclusion and independence.”

Chief investigator: Dr Lachlan Yee, Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering
$231,000 over 3 years
Partner: Chemson Pacific Pty Ltd

This project plans to develop synthetic plastic surfaces that continuously generate nitric oxide to deter the formation of biofilms. Plastic surfaces exposed to aqueous environments rapidly become covered by a film of bacteria, which can cause infection. Trace levels of generated nitric oxide can combat this problem by breaking up existing bacterial biofilms. Current research has developed plastics that continuously generate nitric oxide, but not for extended periods of time. This project’s approach is significant because it avoids bacterial resistance to the nitric oxide treatment.

“The technology is readily applicable to PVC polymer surfaces,” Dr Yee said.

“These are found in water distribution pipes for example. We feel the technology is simple enough to include into almost any manufactured polymer surface. The early application gains we would like to target include flexible plastic surface needing to be kept bacteria free. Hospital plastic sheets (patient curtains for example), bench top sheeting. We have had interest from drinking water distributors, food preparation firms and water filtration customers."

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Geraldine Mackenzie said research in partnership with industry and government organisations ensured Southern Cross University remained connected to its regional communities to deliver significant outcomes to benefit Australia.

“These successful research collaborations will build our expertise in partnership with industry and government organisations, ensuring that we deliver results which will have an impact regionally, nationally and globally.

“Our regional footprint allows us to develop models which are scalable to other regional locations both nationally and internationally.

“It is critical to SCU’s growth that we continue to foster research excellence, as it inspires our students through enriching our teaching programs. Funding from the ARC is incredibly competitive and these results highlight the unique expertise of our researchers,” Professor Mackenzie said.

SCU researchers were also successful in Linkage projects administered through other universities, including Professor Bradley Eyre from the Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry Research (with Murdoch University) and Professor Philip Hayward from the School of Arts and Social Sciences (with Griffith University).

Photo: Dr Lachlan Yee.