Developing a new business model for enabling research - the case of the ACPFG in Australia

Publisher's postprint archived as permitted by publisher.The way in which companies, research centres and educational institutions are organised and structured may provide a competitive advantage for commercialisation, in particular if companies are dependent on the deployment of complementary assets and capabilities by third parties. This paper presents the case of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG), a private agricultural biotechnology (agbiotech) company specialising in early stage Research and Development (R&D) to produce superior adapted cereal varieties, tolerant to abiotic stress conditions such as drought, frost, salt, or mineral toxicity, all of which have a direct and negative impact on plant growth and crop productivity. The organisational structure of the company has been influenced and shaped by Government policy, shareholders expectations and trends in the agbiotech industrial organisation. It has proved attractive to potential alliance partners for collaborative R&D and commercialisation. We present the ACPFG as a new business model to fund basic research and facilitate technology transfer.Stephanie C. Agius, David Corkindale, Antonio G. Dottore, Michael Gilber

Large-scale submarine landslide drives long-lasting regime shift in slope sediment deposition

Submarine landslides and associated mass-transport deposits (MTDs) modify the physiography of continental margins and influence the evolution of submarine sediment routing systems. Previous studies highlighted the control of landslides and MTDs on subsequent sedimentary processes and deposits at spatial scales ranging from tens of centimeters to few kilometers, leaving a knowledge gap on how and for how long large-scale submarine landslides (i.e., headscarps wider than 50–100 km) may affect the stratigraphic evolution of continental margins. To fill this gap, we used three-dimensional seismic reflection data tied to an exploration well to investigate the impact of one of the largest submarine landslides discovered on Earth, the Mafia mega-slide (Mms) offshore Tanzania, on slope sediment deposition. Seismic data interpretation indicates that turbidite lobes/lobe complexes and coalescent mixed turbidite-contourite systems formed the pre-Mms stratigraphy between 38 and ca. 21 Ma (age of the Mms), whereas coarser-grained sheet turbidites and debrites accumulated after the Mms for ∼15 m.y., primarily on the topographic lows generated by the emplacement of the landslide. We interpret this drastic and long-lasting regime shift in sediment deposition to be driven by the increase in seafloor gradient and the capture and focus of feeding systems within the broad failed area. We propose that the extensive evacuation zones associated with such giant landslides can generate major “conveyor belts”, trapping land-derived material or sediments transported by along-slope processes such as bottom currents. During the progressive healing of the landslide escarpments, which may last for several million years, sand-prone facies are deposited primarily in the upper slope, filling up the accommodation space generated by the landslide, while deeper-water environments likely remain sediment starved or experience accumulation of finer-grained deposits. Our study provides new insights into the long-term response of slope depositional systems to large-scale submarine landslides, with implications for the transfer of coarse-grained sediments that can be applied to continental margins worldwide

Antenna sunshield membrane

An RF-transparent sunshield membrane covers an antenna reflector such as a parabolic dish. The blanket includes a single dielectric sheet of polyimide film 1/2-mil thick. The surface of the film facing away from the reflector is coated with a transparent electrically conductive coating such as vapor-deposited indium-tin oxide. The surface of the film facing the reflector is reinforced by an adhesively attached polyester or glass mesh, which in turn is coated with a white paint. In a particular embodiment of the invention, polyurethane paint is used. In another embodiment of the invention, a layer of paint primer is applied to the mesh under a silicone paint, and the silicone paint is cured after application for several days at room temperature to enhance adhesion to the primer

Architecture, structural and tectonic significance of the Seagap fault (offshore Tanzania) in the framework of the East African Rift

The Southeastern portion of the East African Rift System reactivates Mesozoic transform faults marking the separation of Madagascar from Africa in the Western Indian Ocean. Earlier studies noted the reactivation of the Davie Fracture Zone in oceanic lithosphere as a seismically active extensional fault, and new 3D seismic reflection data and exploration wells provide unprecedented detail on the kinematics of the sub-parallel Seagap fault zone in continental/transitional crust landward of the ocean-continent transition. We reconstruct the evolution of the seismically active Seagap fault zone, a 400-km-long crustal structure affecting the Tanzania margin, from the late Eocene to the present day. The Seagap fault zone is represented by large-scale localized structures affecting the seafloor and displaying growth geometries across most of the Miocene sediments. The continuous tectonic activity evident by our seismic mapping, as well as 2D deep seismic data from literature, suggests that from the Middle-Late Jurassic until 125 Ma, the Seagap fault acted as a regional structure parallel to, and coeval with, the dextral Davie Fracture Zone. The Seagap fault then remained active after the cessation of both seafloor spreading in the Somali basin and strike-slip activity on the Davie Fracture Zone, till nowaday. Its architecture is structurally expressed through the sequence of releasing and restraining bends dating back at least to the early Neogene. Seismic sections and horizon maps indicate that those restraining bends are generated by strike-slip reactivation of Cretaceous structures till the Miocene. Finally based on the interpretation of edge-enhanced reflection seismic surfaces and seafloor data, we shows that, by the late Neogene, the Seagap fault zone switched to normal fault behaviour. We discuss the Seagap fault's geological and kinematic significance through time and its current role within the microplate system in the framework of the East African rift, as well as implications for the evolution and re-activation of structures along sheared margins. The newly integrated datasets reveal the polyphase deformation of this margin, highlighting its complex evolution and the implications for depositional fairways and structural trap and seal changes through time, as well as potential hazards

A Bioinspired Plasmonic Nanocomposite Actuator Sunlight-Driven by a Photothermal-Hygroscopic Effect for Sustainable Soft Robotics

Combined photothermal-hygroscopic effects enable novel materials actuation strategies based on renewable and sustainable energy sources such as sunlight. Plasmonic nanoparticles have gained considerable interest as photothermal agents, however, the employment in sunlight-driven photothermal-hygroscopic actuators is still bounded, mainly due to the limited absorbance once integrated into nanocomposite actuators and the restricted plasmonic peaks amplitude (compared to the solar spectrum). Herein, the design and fabrication of an AgNPs-based plasmonic photothermal-hygroscopic actuator integrated with printed cellulose tracks are reported (bioinspired to Geraniaceae seeds structures). The nanocomposite is actuated by sunlight power density (i.e., 1 Sun = 100 mW cm−2). The plasmonic AgNPs are in situ synthesized on the PDMS surface through a one-step and efficient fluoride-assisted synthesis (surface coverage ≈40%). The nanocomposite has a broadband absorbance in the VIS range (>1) and a Photothermal Conversion Efficiency ≈40%. The actuator is designed exploiting a mechanical model that predicted the curvature and forces, featuring a ≈6.8 ± 0.3 s response time, associated with a ≈43% change in curvature and a 0.76 ± 0.02 mN force under 1 Sun irradiation. The plasmonic nanocomposite actuator can be used for multiple tasks, as hinted through illustrative soft robotics demonstrators, thus fostering a bioinspired approach to developing embodied energy systems driven by sunlight

High yield production of a soluble human interleukin-3 variant from E. coli with wild-type bioactivity and improved radiolabeling properties

Human interleukin-3 (hIL-3) is a polypeptide growth factor that regulates the proliferation, differentiation, survival and function of hematopoietic progenitors and many mature blood cell lineages. Although recombinant hIL-3 is a widely used laboratory reagent in hematology, standard methods for its preparation, including those employed by commercial suppliers, remain arduous owing to a reliance on refolding insoluble protein expressed in E. coli. In addition, wild-type hIL-3 is a poor substrate for radio-iodination, which has been a long-standing hindrance to its use in receptor binding assays. To overcome these problems, we developed a method for expression of hIL-3 in E. coli as a soluble protein, with typical yields of >3mg of purified hIL-3 per litre of shaking microbial culture. Additionally, we introduced a non-native tyrosine residue into our hIL-3 analog, which allowed radio-iodination to high specific activities for receptor binding studies whilst not compromising bioactivity. The method presented herein provides a cost-effective and convenient route to milligram quantities of a hIL-3 analog with wild-type bioactivity that, unlike wild-type hIL‑3, can be efficiently radio-iodinated for receptor binding studies.Timothy R. Hercus, Emma F. Barry, Mara Dottore, Barbara J. McClure, Andrew I. Webb, Angel F. Lopez, Ian G. Young, James M. Murph

A plant-inspired robot with soft differential bending capabilities

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Applying knowledge management concepts to engage students in an undergraduate online learning community

This article presents a case study of blended learning and teaching in an undergraduate course in business economics. The online component was used as a live experiment in knowledge management, with volunteer students forming a Knowledge Management Committee (KMC) to work with the Lecturer, who took on the role of Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO). This experience is analysed in the context of the literature on organisational learning and communities of practice, with particular focus on common identity and common bonding in online communities. Evaluation of the Case within the theoretical context developed, argues for the adoption of a knowledge management approach, with program level online communication, as well as course-specific websites. There is scant evidence of this approach in the Engineering education literature. Peculiarities of each setting also argue for ongoing monitoring of the education experience, through qualitative and quantitative methods.Antonio Dottor

External orientation and business model adaptation in young and nascent firms: preliminary analysis from the CAUSEE project

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