The Foundation for Australia-Japan Studies Rio Tinto Australia-Japan Collaboration Program Grants in 2019 were awarded to:
University of Western Australia and Sysmex Corporation
Australia-Japan Collaboration to Improve the Identification of Blood Cancers with Immuno-flowFISH
Professor Wendy Erber and Associate Professor Kathy Fuller, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia with Sysmex Corporation (Japan).
Their project, Australia-Japan Collaboration to Improve the Identification of Blood Cancers with Immuno-flowFISH will conduct pre-clinical evaluation of a new diagnostic tool developed by Erber and Fuller for more precisely targeting blood and bone marrow cancers. Fluorescencein situ hybridisation (FISH) is a method for the visualisation of chromosomal abnormalities in cells. They will collaborate with Sysmex Corp Japan who are developing software to more accurately enumerate small FISH signals.
Total FAJS funds awarded: AUD 140,000
CSIRO and Kumamoto University
3D Printing of Novel High Vapour Pressure Metals and Metal Matrix Composites as Bio-absorbable Implant Components
Dr Robert Wilson and Dr Shirley Shen (CSIRO, Australia) and collaborators and Dr Ritsugun Gen (Former Professor) (Kumamoto University, Japan) and collaborators.
Their project 3D Printing of Novel High Vapour Pressure Metals and Metal Matrix Composites as Bio-absorbable Implant Components aims to develop and fabricate new types of metal alloys and composites for use as bio-degradable implants in clinical procedures.
Total FAJS funds awarded: AUD 150,000
Griffith University, The University of Tokyo, and Aichi Institute of Technology
Superior Sensor Network (SSN) for Harsh Environments
Associate Professor Dzung Dao, Mechanical Engineering, Griffith University, Prof Toshihiro Itoh, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS) University of Tokyo, Professor Takahiro Namazu, Mechanical Engineering, Aichi Institute of Technology, Dr Toan Dinh, Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Griffith University, and collaborators.
Their project, Superior Sensor Network (SSN) for Harsh Environments, aims to develop a low-cost, low power consumption, high-performance sensor network technology for a wide range of applications including preventing accidents and catastrophic failures in, for example, the energy, extractive, chemical and aeronautical industries.
Total FAJS funds awarded: AUD 144,573
University of Western Australia and University of Kyoto
Understanding the role of glutathione S-transferase: an important enzyme to protect crops and fight weeds
Dr Roberto Busi, Faculty of Science, University of Western Australiaand Dr Satoshi Iwakami, Graduate School of Agriculture, University of Kyotoand collaborators for their project, Understanding the role of glutathione S-transferase: an important enzyme to protect crops and fight weeds.
They aim to identify the role(s) for the enzyme glutathione S-transferase in crop protection by looking at the behaviour of crop and weed plants exposed to various stresses and protectants as a basis for new strategies to ameliorate cold damage in wheat and herbicide resistance in ryegrass, ultimately leading to better crop yields.
Total FAJS funds awarded: AUD 93,196