Please use the links to navigate to the projects in the location you’re interested in:
Cochlear
Cochlear Ltd (Cochlear) is the global leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing electronic implantable hearing solutions.
Masters Project 1:
The cochlear implant includes an electrode array that is chronically implanted in the cochlea. Connecting the array to the body of the implant is the electrode lead. This project aims to identify alternative insulating materials that can be used to coat the electrode lead wires and demonstrate that the insulation will be stable for the intended life of the device. This will require detailed physicochemical knowledge of the studied insulating materials, including their degradation mechanisms, in order to develop appropriate accelerated life testing models.
Once the materials have been exposed to the accelerated aging regimes, detailed material analysis will be performed to assess what changes may have occurred in the materials. Testing techniques include FTIR, DSC, DTA and SEM.
UNSW School of Chemistry academic supervision is by Prof Naresh Kumar.
Pharmaxis
Pharmaxis is an Australian pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Sydney with a focus on research and development in the area of inflammatory and fibrotic disease.
Masters Project 2:
Pharmaxis is conducting research directed at ameliorating the effects of severe tissue insult by inhibition of a protease enzyme that has been identified as a key mediator of the pathological processes resulting from such insult. Towards the further development of the research, a biomarker assay is desired.
Biomarkers, together with suitable assays to measure them, are powerful tools in drug development. They may allow bridging preclinical information from in vitro assays, experiments in tissues, and experiments in preclinical species with human data from clinical studies, helping dose selection and confirming on-target action.
This project has the goal of identifying specific biomarkers for the activity of the target protease. A mass spectroscopy (MS) based proteome analysis approach will be used, with work undertaken at both UNSW and Pharmaxis’ Sydney laboratories.
UNSW School of Chemistry academic supervision is by Prof W. Alexander Donald.
Southern Dental Industries
SDI Limited is primarily involved in the research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of specialist dental materials.
Masters Project 1:
This project will work towards the development of the next generation of light cured Glass Ionomer Cements (GICs). Assisting the Senior R&D Scientist, the project will incorporate both acid-base (cement) chemistry and polymerisation chemistry to achieve a rapid initial cure under blue light as well as ion release, bonding, and ongoing strength development associated with GICs.
Key scientific questions surround topics such as:
Filler chemistry and functionalisation, including glass chemistry and surface treatment;
Reaction kinetics, and material handling modifiers;
Particle morphology and size variation;
Influences on rheology, reactivity, strength, aesthetics, and other aspects predictive of clinical longevity; and
Handling, physical testing, market introduction, and the whole New Product Development (NPD) pathway through Manufacturing Readiness Levels at SDI.
UNSW School of Chemistry academic supervision is by Prof Martina Stenzel.
Masters Project 2:
A major portfolio product line is SDI’s range of resin composite materials. Ongoing improvements in biomimicry and aesthetics provide opportunities to develop more fundamental approaches to resin-particle interactions. In particular, human enamel exhibits complex translucency, fluorescence, opalescence, and other optical properties. Materials that emulate these, while providing enhanced clinical experience are likely to be increasingly in demand in modern dentistry.
The key objectives of this project are to improve the aesthetic properties of resin composite dental materials, by investigating topics such as:
The influence of solid (‘filler’) and liquid (‘matrix’) phases on colour and other complex optical parameters;
Fundamental emulation/biomimicry of human enamel’s complex structure, mechanical performance, and appearance;
Formulation of fillers with varying composition, structure, etc.;
Surface modification of fillers, including particle-matrix bonding treatment and other interfacial techniques; and
Handling, physical testing, market introduction, and the whole New Product Development (NPD) pathway through Manufacturing Readiness Levels at SDI.
UNSW School of Chemistry academic supervision is by Prof Vinh Nguyen.
