Our research

We are devoted to the research of renewable energy and clean water supply. With focus on developing advanced functional materials and systems for solar thermal conversion, solar evaporation-based desalination and water treatment, thermal electrochemical cells, moisture-electricity generation and radiative cooling.

Research capabilities include:

• Design and fabrication of Interfacial solar evaporation devices/systems for seawater desalination and industry wastewater treatment
• Solar evaporation and moisture-electricity generation for distributed water and power supply
• Solar evaporation driven soil remediation for heavy metals removal from soil · Solar sea farm for sustainable agriculture
• COMSOL simulations for heat transfer

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: haolan.xu@unisa.edu.au

Our lab’s philosophy is to create fundamental developments in optical physics, data science, materials science, and fabrication and sensing technology, and apply them to critically needed challenges areas including biomedical applications, health care, heavy industry, and defence. Our latest efforts focus on intelligently exploiting the complexity of multimode photonics to create the next generation of sensors and lasers.

Research capabilities include:

• Advanced optical fibre sensors for applications including industrial sensing, healthcare, and biochemical sensing
• Application of wavefront shaping and machine learning techniques to photonics
• Multipoint fibre sensing for heavy industry, such as temperature, pressure, and acoustics
• Multimode fibre laser and amplifier development

For more information or to discuss potential projects please contact: Stephen.Warren-Smith@unisa.edu.au

Exposure to legacy and emerging contaminants is inevitable as thousands of industrial chemicals enter the environment leading to their ubiquitous distribution. Exposure to these contaminants may result in an assortment of adverse impacts including social, economic and environmental effects. The Legacy and Emerging Contaminants Group investigates the fate and dynamics of contaminants in the environment to understand human and ecological exposure and to develop remediation strategies for risk minimisation. =

Research capabilities include:

• Characterisation of legacy and emerging contaminants and their fate (biodegradation, transformation, transport) in environmental matrices.
• Assessment of legacy and emerging contaminant bioavailability using in vivo approaches following oral, dermal and inhalation exposure.
• Prediction of legacy and emerging contaminant bioavailability using in vitro strategies.
• Determination of legacy and emerging contaminant impact on ecological receptors (plants and invertebrates).
• Development of biological and physico-chemical strategies for reducing human and ecological exposure to legacy and emerging contaminants.

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: albert.juhasz@unisa.edu.au

Here at the Materials Engineering Group, we undertake R&D to enhance the performance and manufacturability of a wide range of materials. Not only focused on fundamental materials science, we have extensive capability in the design, development and assessment of materials for industrial applications. We work in partnership with industry on materials and their manufacturing for use across a range of applications, including space, defence, automotive, mining, energy, agriculture and biomedical devices. We have demonstrated capability in the translation and commercialisation of research with industry.

Research capabilities include:

• Materials:
  • Metals (including rare Earth elements)
  • Metal alloys and intermetallics
  • Ceramics
  • Polymers
  • Composites
• Fabrication:
  • 3D printing
  • Strip casting
  • Liquid coating
  • Chemical vapour deposition
  • Physical vapour deposition (small to large scale)
  • Laser etching and patterning

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: rodney.pratt@unisa.edu.au

Research of nanomaterial interactions with biology, radiation interactions with nanomaterials and nanoparticle augmented radiobiology. The group comprises multidisciplinary skills covering Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and the Environment. We discover fundamental information through the application of novel methodologies for single cell analytics and apply the discoveries to address real-world problems from pollutants to cancer care.

Research capabilities include:

• Analytical methods
• Single cell analysis
• Radiobiology
• Physical chemistry
• Biological assays
• Preclinical trial

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: ivan.kempson@unisa.edu.au

Our research lies at the interface of polymer chemistry and separation science. A major focus of our team is the design of novel porous polymers that can be used for the separation of complex mixtures. We are also developing new materials as microsampling platforms for the analysis of biological samples by mass spectrometry.

Group research capabilities include:

• Design of porous polymers for different areas of separation science (stationary phases, sample preparation, microsampling)
• Characterisation of porous materials by gas physisorption techniques
• Polymer characterisation

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: dario.arrua@unisa.edu.au

The regenerative medicine team investigates the mechanisms of wound repair using both cell and molecular biology in conjunction with preclinical models of impaired healing to identify novel targets for the treatment of wounds. With a particular interest in the actin cytoskeleton we are developing new therapeutics, advanced cell-based dressings, diagnostic platforms and new technologies for the treatment of people with impaired wound healing.

Research capabilities include:

• In vivo preclinical models of wound repair
• Real-time cell imaging
• Wound infection
• Biomaterials

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: allison.cowin@unisa.edu.au

A dynamic team of chemists that study the interfaces of colloidal materials, be they solids, droplets, or bubbles. We investigate how molecules can alter the interfacial properties of these materials (liking/hating water, reactive/unreactive, flexible/rigid) and how we can exploit these changes to control the behaviour of macroscopic amounts of these materials and their mixtures. The end goal is to discover the knowledge that will allow colloids to be used in industry, healthcare, and the environment, whether it be to design a delicious dairy dessert, package and protect a therapeutic molecule, or minimise the use of energy and water in industrial processes.

Research capabilities include:

• Wetting
• Vibrational spectroscopy
• Atomic force microscopy
• Interfacial tension measurements
• Microfluidics for sensing and colloid production
• Nanomaterials for sensing

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: david.beattie@unisa.edu.au or marta.krasowska@unisa.edu.au

Engaging in real world problem solving at all scales and timelines, from fundamental laboratory studies to processing plant surveys and challenges, the Sustainable Minerals Processing group is focussed on the application of advanced analytical techniques, such as surface spectroscopies and mineralogical microscopies to determine chemical and physical factors influencing separation. Aiming to achieve improvements in recovery and grade to concentrates with reduced energy, water and environmental footprint, through deep understanding and new technologies this group excels in strategic-basic and applied R&D in minerals processing/beneficiation.

Research capabilities include:

• Flotation (pulp and surface chemistry)
• Leaching (including heap)
• Physical Separation and other Unit Operations (including surface effects)
• Surface Chemical Control in Grinding/Milling
• Mineral formation-Processing Relationships
• Bulk Property-Surface Reaction Relationships in Processing Contexts (oxidation, activation, dissolution and molecular adsorption)
• Agglomeration Chemistry
• Impact of Water Chemistry on Processing, Recovering Value from Tailings, etc.

All commodities, including base metals (sulphide and oxide), gold and precious metals, PGM, Rare Earths, Li, graphite, iron ore, industrial minerals/catalysts and strategic metals.

For more information or to discuss potential projects contact: william.skinner@unisa.edu.au

David’s research is looking at moving towards a green economy with low carbon emissions. MinEx CRC has developed coiled tubing drilling for use in the minerals exploration industry, which hasn’t occurred in the past. Coiled tubing drilling is cheaper, faster and more environmentally friendly and after many years of research, it has just gone to market for the use in the minerals exploration industry.

Matthew is looking to use simple inkjet-printable, water-based materials to cure neurological diseases. The diseases currently being looked at are blindness caused by macular degeneration and multiple neurological diseases.

Craig’s research is looking at creating devices at a very small scale to provide real-time information. This is done using fluids and fluidics in sensing applications for use in many areas – from minerals processing to cancer therapy and everything in between.

Colin’s research is in the additive manufacturing area. Colin has worked with Stärke AMG to bring electron beam melt printers to Australia. These printers will be for industrial use in areas such as defence, aerospace and the medical industry.

Benjamin’s group is researching the best possible treatment for cancer, and to be able to balance the aggressiveness of treatment with the patient’s quality of life. Benjamin is developing a contrast agent that will work with MRI to help find cancer spread at the smallest scale.