Knotty Problems

Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Associate Professor Andrew Francis from the School of Computing and Mathematics is using mathematical modelling to explore biological systems. This research is funded by the Australian Research Council.

‘Mathematics has made numerous significant contributions to our understanding of the evolution of biological systems,’ says Associate Professor Francis. ‘Both algebra and biology have developed at an unprecedented pace over the last 30 years. The structural approach at the core of algebra has long found applications in sciences such as physics and analytical chemistry but only in a limited way, so far, in biology. I will be modelling DNA cutting and rejoining as operations in an algebraic setting. The goal is to enable scientists to address certain specific biological problems in new ways, provide new tools and ways of thinking for biologists, and bring new problems in algebra to the mathematical community. In turn, this could lead to a better understanding of such problems as cross-species infections, and the development and proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria.’

The research will use algebraic methods such as knot theory and group theory to develop models of evolution in bacteria, the dominant form of life on our planet. These models will allow scientists to understand the evolutionary processes giving rise to the richly diverse genetic structures we observe today. Such processes cannot be studied directly in the laboratory because the time scales are too long. Mathematical methods using the latest genetic data provide a way to address these questions. Developing accurate models that explain the present diversity may also help to predict the consequences of specific genetic changes in bacteria, and has the potential to affect the way we do both algebra and biology.
This research will demonstrate new ways in which computational and mathematical power can be applied to novel questions in living systems. Algebraic methods can give biologists novel ways to deal with large amounts of data in the study of evolution due to genetic mutations.
http://www.uws.edu.au/computing_mathematics

if you are interested in engaging with UWS researchers, licensing opportunities www.uws.edu.au/innovate  and UWS Innovation contact us on ip@uws.edu.au.

Western Sydney insect infestation

Dr Markus Riegler from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, together with Blacktown City Council have been awarded a UWS Research Partnership grant to identify the key characteristics of the current psyllid infestation in the endangered remnant Cumberland Plain Woodlands.

‘Eucalypts in the endangered remnant Cumberland Plain Woodlands throughout Western Sydney are currently experiencing massive infestation by lace lerp insects, Australian native insects in the family of Psyllidae (Hemiptera),’ explains Dr Riegler. ‘In large numbers, these insects cause defoliation through their plant sap feeding activity on leaves and repeated infestations is likely to also result in tree mortality. Information about the population dynamics of the current psyllid infestation will be collected in the affected woodlands of Western Sydney, in particular of the Blacktown City Council, in order to predict future development and to help with design of management strategies.’

The research team will first assess the geographic expansion of the infestation using vegetation maps and climatic events that have occurred in the region over the last 5 years. We will identify and characterise the lace lerp species and study life history traits such as developmental times, reproductive potential and number of generations per year. We will test the host plant specificity on the Grey Box, Eucalyptus moluccana, measure plant physiological and biochemical traits in order to obtain an understanding of their stress status. We will look for variation in lace lerp population densities between individual trees within and between stands with different canopy cover and understorey.

The research will provide information about the lace lerp outbreak and the monitoring data obtained will be used to test different management options for the recovery of lands affected by lace lerps.

If you would like to find out more about research and innovation at UWS contact us ip@uws.edu.au.

"Man Up" Project

Professor Gregory Kolt from the School of Science and Health and Professor Anthony Maeder from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics are part of a large team undertaking research into men’s physical activity and nutritional behavioural change. This project is supported by the Department of Health, Queensland.

‘Health and well-being is clearly linked to the everyday life and work experiences of all men and is becoming an increasingly important issue,’ says Professor Kolt. ‘Interventions delivered via the internet have emerged as a novel and popular promotion strategy with the potential for wide population reach, and could be a way to engage hard-to-reach groups such as middle-aged men. Although social media with a high degree of interactivity can be effective in communicating and producing behaviour change by promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition to the general population, the newer generation of web-based applications, including social networking websites, need to be studied to determine their effectiveness in terms of participant engagement and retention in physical activity and nutritional behaviour change.’

Based on a systematic review of current literature, this project will develop tailored e-health support materials for 2nd generation web-based applications including mobile-phones. These "apps" will be integrated into a community-based and supported intervention. Interest in workplace health and wellbeing on the part of community consortium members will provide an important conduit for the dissemination phase of the project which will take place after completion of the trial phase and involve the development of marketing plans to engage organisations in the launch of the program.

Health promotion programs can improve health and wellbeing, decrease medical and disability costs and reduce absenteeism from work. Increased general good health and fitness also improves mental alertness, morale and job satisfaction.

If you have an interest in working with top academics at UWS contact us at ip@uws.edu.au

The Research Consortium: Central Queensland University (administering institution), University of Western Sydney, the Australian E-Health Research Centre, and the CSIRO Centre for Human Nutrition. The research team is also supported by a variety of research, industry, government and non-government agencies.

Raising the Bar; IP changes for Researchers

Australia’s Patents Act 1990 will be changing for the better for researchers...

An Amendment (Raising the Bar) Bill 2012 was passed by the House of Representatives 20 March 2012. The Bill will now be assented to (signed by the Governor General).  Most provisions will come into effect 12 months later (in 2013).

The Bill includes several significant reforms, the most important is a research exemption which will allow researchers to conduct experiments on patented matter without risking infringement (N.B. this is research only, doing more than research with your new findings may need agreement with another party or there could be new results/findings which could be protected and commercialised).

The other major reform is tightening the conditions for granting new patents.  This will align Australian patent law more closely with international standards.

The Bill also simplifies IP application processes, streamlines patent and trademark procedures and improves trademark and copyright enforcement.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact UWS Innovation on ip@uws.edu.au.

Remember, if you are a UWS researcher and believe you have an invention, we would like to hear from you. (http://www.uws.edu.au/innovate/innovate/guidelines,_policies_and_forms)

UWS visits Intellectual Ventures in Seattle

UWS Innovation dropped in to Seattle to Intellectual Ventures (IV) headquarters while in the US this month. It may be wet, cold and grey in Seattle, but the blossom trees outside the IV building believe it is Spring – beautiful.

UWS has a signed agreement with IV to jointly develop new inventions, and it was fascinating to see the depth and breadth of the undertaking based in Seattle. Having been established for a number of years, IV now has 800 people across its various teams and in addition to its US headquarters, has a footprint in 8 other countries, including Australia.

The tour of the separate IV laboratory was a real eye opener, focused on some fascinating global good projects utilising Bill Gates foundation funding. The photo above of Nicole Bates from IV with Michael Manion of Invention Evaluator (Australia) who toured the facility with me, shows a prototype in the Cold Chain project. This project aims to solve the cold chain problem of maintaining the viability of vaccines being delivered into underdeveloped countries, many of which struggle to deliver vaccines which are still useful at the point of injection.

IV’s co-founder, Nathan Myhrvold, also produced a significant sized “cook book” which takes a very different scientific look at food and cooking equipment to your usual food technologist or domestic chef. This book, “Modernist Cuisine” took 4 lbs of ink to print! Fiona Cameron, Ass. Director of UWS Innovation and Michael Manion are picture at the test kitchen with 2 of the experimental chefs.

UWS researchers who are interested in finding out more about our relationship with IV should contact UWS Innovation on ip@uws.edu.au.

ARC Success at UWS

UWS has been awarded 10 Discovery
Project grants and 2 of the inaugural
Discovery Early Career Researcher
Awards, Dr Emma Waterton, Centre for
Cultural Research and Dr Jason Shaw,
MARCS Auditory Laboratories. With
grants valued at $3,635,788 million,
UWS continues its top 20 position in
this scheme and has moved to 16th in
the sector (out of 40) up from a ranking
of 21st on 2011 dollars awarded.
UWS has also been awarded 2 Future
Fellowships, Dr Paolo Bubbio and
Dr Philip de Chazal, with funding of
$1.47 million over four years.

Newly recruited UWS researchers have

also been successful with Discovery

grants totalling $0.290 million and our

researchers have also achieved success

in collaboration with other universities.

UWS researchers have also achieved

success in collaboration with other

universities, including with research

infrastructure, equipment and facilities

funding under the Linkage Infrastructure,

Equipment and Facilities scheme.

Nationally, the ARC has awarded $236
million under the Discovery Project
scheme following consideration of 3544
applications with 778 grants awarded:
a national success rate of 21.95%.
Congratulations to our excellent
UWS researchers, the Research
Grants and Development Team within
Research Services and Research
Program Coordinators in our
Research Centres and Institutes.

Gene patenting controversy reaches the Australian Federal Court

A controversial patent over a common genetic mutation is accused of being tantamount to privatisation of the human body. This is the argument being put forward by lawyers representing patient advocacy group Cancer Voices who, for the first time in Australia, are asking the Federal Court to decide if patents granted over segments of DNA are valid.

The US biotech company Myriad Genetics and the exclusive Australian licensee, Genetic Technologies, have a monopoly right to control the use of the BRCA1 mutation sequence (linked to breast cancer) for commercial R&D as well as diagnostic testing. It was granted on the basis that the process of isolating the gene from the human body in a laboratory constituted an "invention". It is worth noting that patenting gives no rights to genes inside the human body.

However, Cancer Voices claim that the key characteristic of the gene mutation relevant to the test – its ability to code for particular proteins – is identical inside the body and out, and should thus not be patentable. The spark for this case being brought before the courts began when the licensee sought to assert its patent rights over a number of public laboratories who were effectively performing the patented breast cancer diagnostic test “in-house” and without paying for a license.

Early last year, UWS Innovation prepared a submission to the Senate Inquiry on behalf of the S7 group of Universities, as did many other research bodies, arguing against a private members bill seeking to restrict the patenting of genes and other biological material. We argued then, and still believe, that restricting the ability to patent biological materials, including isolated genes, would have far-reaching and unintended consequences across the biotechnology industry, impacting on the development and ultimately the generation of diagnostics, novel therapies, tests, vaccines and drug delivery platforms while not solving the issue at hand.

UWS researchers who have questions on how this could affect their research should contact UWSI on ip@uws.edu.au