Science and research in the spotlight
by Geraldine Hinter
UniSA is set to benefit from state government funding and support from industry partners to develop a unique synchrotron X-ray facility for mineral processing, an innovative centre for drug formulation and delivery, and a facility for advanced materials surfaces engineering.
The funding will enable UniSA’s Applied Centre for Structural and Synchrotron Studies to develop synchrotron technology that can simultaneously determine the structure and chemical composition of mineral samples at microscopic levels – a capability not possible in the laboratory, according to Professor Andrea Gerson, director of the Centre, and leader and manager of the project.
“The funding allows us to build a niche industrially-oriented market for SA with an applied high tech capability not available elsewhere in Australia,” Prof Gerson said.
Advanced materials surfaces engineering will also receive a boost with a facility, unique within Australia, that enables existing materials to be equipped with novel, advanced coatings designed for specific applications. Led by Professor Hans Griesser, Deputy Director of the Ian Wark Research Institute, the facility will also be used to develop efficient manufacturing processes for novel coatings used in the production of industrial products.
A new centre in the Sansom Institute, with a goal to harness SA’s sustained excellence in the pharmaceutical sector and become a world leader in developing novel drug delivery technologies, has received $550,000 in state government funding. The Centre for Innovative Drug Formulation and Delivery will expand the Sansom Institute’s capabilities in drug formulation and delivery through enhanced equipment infrastructure and staff recruitment. To be led by Professor Allan Evans, Professor Ross McKinnon and Jason Valentine, the Centre is a highly collaborative initiative with initial partners including Mayne Pharma, PharmaQest, the Royal Adelaide Hospital, UniSA’s Ian Wark Research Institute and Virient.
The projects will be funded by the Science, Innovation and Technology Directorate and the Premier’s Science and Research Fund.