Science Honours Projects 2021 - Federation University Australia
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Science Honours Projects - 2021 CRICOS Provider No. 00103D
Contents Bachelor of Science Honours……………………. 2 How to apply for Honours…………………….…... 3 Biomedical Science………………………….…….. 4 Environmental Science……………………………. 8 Mathematical Science…………………………….. 14 Food Science………………………….................... 15 Veterinary and Wildlife Science…………………. 16 School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 1
Bachelor of Science Honours
Students who excel in their undergraduate degree are eligible to apply for entry into the Bachelor of
Science Honours program. Honours is an intensive research-based program requiring an extra year of full-
time study (or 18 months part-time study) on top of your undergraduate degree.
What is Honours?
The Bachelor of Science Honours program (SZ8) is an additional fourth year of Undergraduate studies,
completed over 9 months full-time (FT), or 18 months part-time (PT). The main objective of the program is
to train students as professional research scientists.
Honours students engage in an individual research project under the close supervision of an academic
staff member with relevant expertise in their chosen field. Students also complete theoretical coursework
designed to complement their research and develop key skills in communication, critical analysis and
project management, equipping them for independent research roles in the workplace or for entry into
postgraduate research programs.
For more program information, see Honours course outline and Honours courses and assessment.
Why complete an Honours year?
For some students completing honours is the first step towards building an academic research career and
pursuing post graduate study. However, completing an Honours year also offers many benefits to those
looking to boost their marketability in an increasingly competitive job market.
Honours gives you the opportunity to:
• Get experience in real scientific research
• Extend your knowledge in a specialist field of interest
• Contribute new knowledge to your field (with possibility of publication)
• Develop workplace skills attractive to employers
• Use advanced techniques and equipment and broaden your technical skill set
Honours can be challenging, with a level of independence expected of students representing a significant
change from previous undergraduate courses. However, most students find that their Honours year is an
extremely rewarding experience.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport Honours Research projects are available in the following
discipline areas, as listed in this Information Booklet:
• Biomedical Science
• Environmental Science
• Mathematical Science
• Food Science
• Veterinary and Wildlife Science
For more information on the Bachelor of Science Honours Program, contact the Science Honours
course coordinator at your campus:
Mt Helen Campus Gippsland Campus
Dr Morgan Wallace Dr Phill Brook-Carter
m.wallace@federation.edu.au phillip.brook-carter@federation.edu.au
+61 3 5327 9939 +61 3 5122 6783
Berwick Campus
Dr Rob Bischof
r.bischof@federation.edu.au
+61 3 4313 7930
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 2
How to apply for Honours
Qualification for the Honours program requires students to have a GPA>6.0 (or equivalent) in a relevant
undergraduate degree, and the support of an academic supervisor.
In addition to completing an Online Application for entry to the Bachelor of Science (Honours) programs,
students will need to submit a completed Research Proposal Form, outlining their intended research
project which is also signed by their chosen supervisor(s).
Step 1 Find a Project and Supervisor
An Honours information session will be held as a webinar in Semester 2, which will provide you with an
introduction to the Bachelor of Science Honours program and the scope of research projects available to
students in 2021. You can also contact academic staff working in areas that interest you directly and ask
them if they would consider supervising you.
This Information Booklet contains a listing of Research projects suitable for Honours students in
2021. Note that this is not a complete list of available projects for 2021, so students are
encouraged to contact academic staff that they are interested in working with at the School
of Science, Psychology and Sport to discuss possible Honours projects.
It is a good idea to talk to a number of prospective supervisors to assess whether their research focus
aligns with your interests and whether you feel you could work well with their research group. If possible,
talk to other students in the group or past students who have worked with them as well.
Some questions to help you refine what you want to work on
• What aspects of your undergraduate degree have you found most interesting?
• Which courses did you enjoy the most?
• What topics or issues did you wish you could have studied in more depth?
• Which academic staff had a teaching style that you liked in undergraduate courses?
• Which academic staff are working in areas that interest you?
Step 2: Apply for Honours
FedUni students can complete an Online Application for entry into the honours program (SZ8). You will
also need to submit a completed Research Proposal Form signed by your prospective supervisor.
Students wanting to enrol in Honours at FedUni, who completed their undergraduate degree elsewhere
should contact the relevant Science Honours Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements.
Step 3: Accept your offer
If you are offered a place in the honours program you need to formally accept your offer in writing. You
should also get in touch with your supervisor to discuss any additional requirements (eg ethics approvals,
laboratory safety training) for your project prior to starting your research work. Semester 1 intake typically
starts at the beginning of February, Semester 2 intake starts at the beginning of August.
Additional discipline-based information sessions may also be run, dates and details to be advised by email
to eligible students.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport Honours Scholarships
The School of Science, Psychology and Sport is offering 5 Honours Scholarships ($3,000 each)
to be awarded to applicants entering Honours in 2021. Applications will be assessed on the
applicant’s academic performance within their undergraduate degree.
For further information, contact the Science Honours course coordinator at your campus.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 3
Biomedical Science
Characterising immune changes in specific The Y chromosome microRNA - a new paradigm of
disease settings coronary artery disease in men
Location: Mt Helen Campus Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leaders: Prof Stuart Berzins, Dr Morgan Wallace Project Leaders: Prof Fadi Charchar, Prof Stephen Harrop
Email: stuart@fecri.org.au, (University of Melbourne)
m.wallace@federation.edu.au Email: f.charchar@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5334 4963 (Prof Berzins) Phone: (03) 5327 6098
(03) 5327 9939 (Dr Wallace)
Project description: There is a well-known “male
Project description: Comparing blood from patients with that disadvantage” in heart disease – men develop and die of it
of healthy people can reveal immune changes associated with more frequently than women. The cause of this disparity is still
disease progression. This not clear and is not explained by many traditional risk factors
type of characterisation is such as diet. We have shown in a recent that the male sex Y
being considered for chromosome is associated with increased risk of heart disease.
patients with blood cancers The current proposed project will utilise molecular techniques
such as multiple myeloma, to measure the expression of Y genes in patients with CAD.
respiratory diseases such This may improve our understanding of why men are more
as asthma, and for patients prone to heart disease and could help to develop sex-specific
with virus infections. This methods for prevention and treatment of heart disease in the
approach provides useful future.
insights into normal immune Key words: genetics, human disease
function and may identify novel prognostic markers that can be
used to improve diagnosis and assist with the selection of
appropriate treatment strategies for patients.
Key words: immunology, T cells, immune responses, cancer, Using RNA-Seq to determine the long-non coding
viruses RNA profile of hypertensive human kidneys
Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leaders: Prof Fadi Charchar,
Characterising the function of innate-like T cells Dr Maciej Tomaszewski (University of
Manchester, UK)
Location: Mt Helen Campus Email: f.charchar@federation.edu.au
Project Leaders: Prof Stuart Berzins, Dr Morgan Wallace Phone: (03) 5327 6098
Email: stuart@fecri.org.au,
m.wallace@federation.edu.au Project description: Hypertension is the number one risk
Phone: (03) 5334 4963 (Prof Berzins) factor for many cardiovascular diseases. It is not clear which
(03) 5327 9939 (Dr Wallace) genes and transcripts are association with increased risk of
hypertension. Our hypothesis is that non-coding RNA or/and
Project description: We are interested in studying the the aberrant expression of long-non coding RNA (exciting new
response of innate like T cells to different forms of stimulation RNA molecules previously thought of as JUNK RNA) may be
to better understand how they function in different disease one of the drivers. We will be using next generation sequencing
settings. This project will stimulate T cells isolated from human and a range of cutting-edge technologies to determine which
blood and tissues and analyse their gene expression, long non-coding RNA are expressed on the human Kidney.
proliferation and cytokine production responses to determine
Key words: genetics, human disease
how they influence immune responses.
Key words: immunology, T cells, immune responses, cancer,
viruses
Self-assembling peptides as building blocks for 3D
printable hydrogels
Understanding how innate like T cells are activated Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leader: Dr Benjamin Long
Location: Mt Helen Campus Email: bm.long@federation.edu.au
Project Leaders: Prof Stuart Berzins, Dr Morgan Wallace Phone: (03) 5327 9452
Email: stuart@fecri.org.au,
m.wallace@federation.edu.au Project description: Short self-assembling peptides have
Phone: (03) 5334 4963 (Prof Berzins) been shown to be useful building blocks for self-assembled
(03) 5327 9939 (Dr Wallace) hydrogels. This project aims to make enzymatically and
spontaneously cross-linkable peptides for 3D printing hydrogel
Project description: T cells need to interact with antigen implants that mimic the extracellular matrix. These hydrogels
presenting cells to become activated. This project aims to can be tuned for anticancer properties, stroke rehabilitation and
identify novel cancer antigens that are capable of activating neuron growth promotion. In this project you will become
innate like T cells. Understanding what antigens are being familiar with solid phase peptide synthesis, organic synthesis
recognised in the cancer environment and the signalling that and a range of chemical characterisation techniques (IR, UV
takes place between APCs and T cells may allow us to develop and NMR Spectroscopy; HPLC-MS; Small Angle X-ray
therapies to either promote or suppress immune responses. Scattering)
Key words: immunology, T cells, immune responses, cancer, Key words: hydrogels, peptides
viruses
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 4
Biomedical Science (continued)
The role of zinc in cell signalling Treatment of atherosclerosis after renal
denervation in mice
Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leaders: A/Prof Mark Myers, Dr Scott Nankervis Location: Mt Helen Campus
Email: m.myers@federation.edu.au Project Leader: Dr Yutang Wang
Phone: (03) 5327 9291 Email: Yutang.wang@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 9394
Project description: Insulin resistance in muscle, liver and fat
tissues is an underlying cause of diabetes. While calcium ions Project description: Hypertension is a major risk factor for
have long been recognized as second messengers in cells, a cardiovascular diseases, and decreasing blood pressure can
similar role for zinc has only recently emerged. Dysfunctional save lives. Disconnecting the nerves in the kidney (renal
zinc signalling has been associated with important diseases denervation) has shown to low pressure in humans. However,
including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and renal denervation may also increase atherosclerosis, a disease
cancer. Our previous studies have shown that insulin causes a associated with inflammation. This project, funded by an
transient increase in the concentration of free zinc ions in NHMRC project grant, will investigate whether inhibition of
muscle cells. Understanding how this occurs may reveal new inflammation by atorvastatin and aspirin decreases
ways of treating diabetes. The project will use genetic atherosclerosis after renal denervation in mice. This project
manipulation of the expression of genes involved in zinc control involves surgery in mice, blood pressure measurement,
and confocal microscopy imaging of live cells and intracellular histology, immunohistochemistry and biochemical analysis.
zinc sensors to work out how zinc signalling is controlled.
Techniques will include cell biology, advanced live cell Key words: atherosclerosis, heart hypertrophy, abdominal
microscopy, cell transfection to manipulate gene expression, aortic aneurysm, cholesterol efflux
and qPCR.
Key words: zinc, diabetes, human disease
The effect of antihypertensive drugs on cholesterol
efflux
Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leader: Dr Yutang Wang
Email: Yutang.wang@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 9394
Project description: Atherosclerosis is the major underlying
mechanism for stroke and heart attack. Treatment of
atherosclerosis can protect us from these diseases.
Atherosclerosis is characterised by the build-up of cholesterol
in the arteries. However, most research on atherosclerosis
Novel pancreatic micro-peptides encoded by small focuses on inflammation. One under-investigated area for
open reading frames (sORFs) in “non-coding” RNA atherosclerosis is the imbalance of cholesterol in the
arteries. This project will investigate the effect of several
antihypertensive drugs, which can inhibit atherosclerosis, on
Location: Mt Helen Campus
cholesterol efflux from aortic smooth muscle cells. The
Project Leaders: A/Prof Mark Myers, Dr Scott Nankervis
techniques involved include cell culture, confocal microscopy,
Email: m.myers@federation.edu.au
biochemical analysis, and quantitative-PCR.
Phone: (03) 5327 9291
Key words: atherosclerosis, hypertension, cholesterol efflux
Project description: The pancreatic islets of Langerhans
produce many important regulatory peptides including insulin
and glucagon and numerous other peptides that also modulate
metabolic control. Over recent years there has been an Functionalised peptides for the detection of
explosion in the study of non-coding RNA e.g. long non-coding pyrophosphate in biological samples
RNA or lncRNA and this is uncovering a whole new level of
genomic regulation. More recently it has become clear that a Location: Mt Helen/Gippsland Campus
small proportion of lncRNA actually does encode small Project Leader: Dr Benjamin Long, Dr David Smith
proteins, or micro-peptides, which also have biological Email: bm.long@federation.edu.au
importance. We have discovered a lncRNA expressed in a Phone: (03) 5327 9452
pancreatic islet cell line that potentially encodes a peptide that
modulates insulin activity. The project will use bioinformatics Project description: Solid phase peptide synthesis allows for
and molecular biology to characterise lncRNA and proteomics rapid prototyping of molecules for the binding and detection of
to identify encoded micropeptides. Techniques will include pyrophosphate. The detection of pyrophosphate could allow for
PCR, cDNA sequencing, cell transfection, and liquid rapid diagnosis of diseases such as pseudogout and
chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify renal/vascular calcification; as well as being a potential probe
micropeptides.. for cell viability. In this project you will become familiar with
Key words: diabetes, micropeptides, human disease solid phase peptide synthesis, organic synthesis and a range
of chemical characterisation techniques (IR, UV and NMR
Spectroscopy; HPLC-MS).
Key words: detection, host-guest chemistry, diagnostics,
peptides
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 5
Biomedical Science (continued)
Transcriptomics study of Host Parasite Interactions DNA damage repair pathways and mutagenesis
Location: Gippsland Campus Location: Gippsland Campus
Project Leader: Dr Phillip Brook-Carter Project Leader: Dr Gregory Davis
Email: phillip.brook-carter@federation.edu.au Email: greg.davis@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5122 8054
Project description: The projects on offer will focus on the
analysis of the interactions that take place between the Project description: DNA damage repair contributes to
parasite Giardia Duodenalis and the host intestinal epithelial genomic stability in all eukaryotes. Due to this, the pathways
cells in an attempt to further the understanding of the associated with DNA damage repair are highly conserved from
mechanisms of parasitism that lead to giardiasis. Projects will yeast through to humans. While these are well characterised,
focus on the generation and / or analysis of transcriptomic data the recruitment and maintenance of these repair mechanisms
representing host cell responses to Giardia infection, as well is largely unknown. This project will use the multicellular model
as the transcriptome of the parasite itself during parasitism. We organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, to explore key genes
have already identified thousands of gene transcription required for repairing DNA damage and their contribution to
changes in host cells during parasitism and we will explore this maintaining chromosomal integrity in early embryonic events.
area more closely in individual projects. This project will involve several approaches including genetics,
There are up to 2 projects available (upon discussion) that immunohistochemistry, cloning and fluorescence microscopy.
would suit both molecular biologists and / or those with a desire Key words: DNA damage, genome, mutagenesis
to utilise bioinformatics on complex data sets.
Key words: Giardia, Transcriptomics, Bioinformatics
The role of an eosinophil-specific galectin
(galectin-14) in allergic airway inflammation
Germline specific small non-coding RNAs and
epigenetic control Location: Berwick/Gippsland/Mt Helen Campus
Project Leaders: Dr Rob Bischof, A/Prof David Piedrafita,
Location: Gippsland Campus Dr Benjamin Long
Project Leader: Dr Gregory Davis Email: r.bischof@federation.edu.au;
Email: greg.davis@federation.edu.au david.piedrafita@federation.edu.au;
Phone: (03) 5122 8054 bm.long@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 4313 7930
Project description: Small non-coding RNAs are short
stretches of RNA which are associated with regulating gene Project description: Members of the galectin family have
expression at the post-transcriptional level (e.g., microRNAs), been shown to mediate a variety of important cellular functions
but also guard the genome against viruses, pseudogenes and including inflammation and immune responses through binding
cryptic loci. This project will utilise the model organism and crosslinking with glycoproteins. Galectin-14 was identified
Caenorhabditis elegans to explore how specific subgroups of in sheep and is elevated in the mucus of asthmatic airways,
small RNAs contribute to the development of viable germ cells similar to its human homologue galectin-10. This project will
that are free from genomic lesions, mutations, and insertions. focus on the role of galectin-14 in mucus thickening, which is
This requires analysis of the mechanisms that control stem cell known to contribute to fatal asthma, and whether targeted
quiescence through to the early stages of embryogenesis and galectin inhibition can alter the properties of this mucus. Using
will apply a variety of techniques including genetics, a sheep model of allergic asthma, airway mucus samples will
epigenetics (histone analysis), molecular biology and be collected and assessed for galectin-14 content and
fluorescence microscopy. viscoelastic properties. In vitro experiments will examine the
Key words: DNA damage, genome, RNA, reproduction function of galectin-14 in mucus viscosity and eosinophil
degranulation. Techniques to be used will include Western blot,
immunology and rheology. Outcomes of this work will provide
further insights into potential therapeutic targets to treat allergic
diseases.
Key words: galectin-14, mucus viscosity, allergic airway
disease
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 6
Biomedical Science (continued)
Characterisation of ACE2 expression in the lungs A sheep model of chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD)
Location: Berwick/Gippsland Campus
Project Leaders: Dr Rob Bischof, A/Prof David Piedrafita Location: Berwick/Gippsland Campus
Email: r.bischof@federation.edu.au; Project Leaders: Dr Rob Bischof, A/Prof David Piedrafita,
david.piedrafita@federation.edu.au Dr Andrew Davies (Monash University)
Phone: (03) 4313 7930 Email: r.bischof@federation.edu.au;
david.piedrafita@federation.edu.au
Project description: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 Phone: (03) 4313 7930
(ACE2) is the cellular receptor for the severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (also known as COVID- Project description: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
19). The ACE2 receptor/protein is expressed in the upper and (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways.
lower respiratory tract and Sheep have similar lung size and physiology to that of humans
plays a critical role in and thus represent a suitable large animal preclinical model for
covid-19 infection and respiratory studies. This project will provide the opportunity for
transmission. With lungs a more ‘realistic’ large animal model that can be used to better
similar to human lungs, understand how COPD develops and how we can effectively
sheep are widely treat the disease with new therapies. Techniques will include
recognised as a good whole-animal physiology and cell and tissue immune studies.
translational model for
Key words: COPD, translational model, sheep
human respiratory
diseases. This study will examine cellular localisation and
tissue distribution of the ACE2 protein in the sheep respiratory
tract, using molecular, biochemical and immunological
techniques. This work may help to clarify potential targets for
the development of more effective antiviral therapies against
COVID-19.
Key words: ACE2 receptor, COVID-19, sheep airways
Determining the age of infant gastrointestinal
Functional and phenotypic characterisation of
pathogen colonisation in Papua New Guinea
airway macrophages
Location: Berwick/Gippsland Campus
Location: Berwick/Gippsland Campus Project Leaders: Dr Richard Bradbury,
Project Leaders: Dr Rob Bischof, A/Prof David Piedrafita A/Prof Andrew Greenhill
Email: r.bischof@federation.edu.au; Email: r.bradbury@federation.edu.au;
david.piedrafita@federation.edu.au Phone: (03) 5327 6584
Phone: (03) 4313 7930
Project description: Gastrointestinal pathogens can cause
Project description: Airway macrophages are prominent considerable illness and potentially death in children,
immune cells that are known to play an important role in particularly in the first year of life. The greatest impacts on
healthy and diseased lungs. Macrophage M1/M2 polarisation health occur in low-income and middle-income countries,
and functional differentiation is affected by a range of stimuli, where basic nutrition is lower and risk of infection higher than
but we know very little about the ’altered’ state of macrophages in high income countries. We have conducted a preliminary
in the context of airway disease. The aim of these studies is to study to investigate the development of the gut microbiota in
examine and better understand the characteristics of airway infants, and how that collates with
macrophages in healthy and inflamed lung tissues. This project carriage of pathogens. A cohort of
will include immunohistology, microscopy, immunology and `20 infants from the highlands of
cell biology techniques. Papua New Guinea have had faecal
Key words: airway macrophages, inflammation samples collected monthly over the
first 12 months of life. Faecal
samples have also been collected
from mothers of infants. This study
will focus on gastrointestinal
parasites. Faecal samples will be
tested for the presence of targeted
parasites using real-time
polymerase chain reaction.
Outcomes of the study will be a) age
of first infection of specific parasites;
b) determine correlation between
mother’s infection status and
age/likelihood of infant infection;
and c) correlation between general
health status of infant and parasite
infection history.
Key words: parasites, infant health, global health, nutrition,
lab diagnostics
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 7
Environmental Science
Biodiversity of insect decomposers in Kosciusko Climatological characteristics of tropical cyclone
NP rainfall in the Pacific Islands
Location: Mt Helen Campus Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leader: Dr Philip Barton Project Leader: Dr Savin Chand
Email: ps.barton@federation.edu.au Email: s.chand@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 6868 Phone: (03) 5327 6901
Project description: An exciting research project is currently Project description: Pacific island countries have high
underway examining the biodiversity of insect and vertebrate concentrations of settlements in close proximities to coastlines.
scavengers found at deer and kangaroo carcasses in These communities are highly vulnerable to extreme tropical
Kosciusko National Park. This project will look at the flies and cyclone rainfalls, and at present there is little quantitative
beetles collected from carcasses, and to answer questions information on how these risks have changed over the past
about seasonal changes in important species. There is scope decades and will change under a warmer climate. The
to conduct field work in the mountains, as well as learn new frequency and magnitude of tropical cyclones are likely to
skills in insect identification in the laboratory. Work will be done change and so are the risks they pose for coastal communities
in collaboration with experts at Federation University and the and infrastructure. This project will emphasise on magnitude-
University of Sydney. frequency relationship of tropical cyclone rainfall on selected
Key words: ecosystem function, insect, carrion, scavengers, Pacific island countries. Understanding the impact of climate
Kosciusko NP change on the magnitude of tropical cyclone rainfalls provides
one indication of conditions under a changed climate, but it is
also useful to understand the expected changes in the
frequency of extreme rainfalls.
Effect of artificial light at night on insects as food
for fish and birds at Lake Wendouree
Location: Mt Helen Campus
Downscaling bushfire conditions to the station-
Project Leaders: Dr Philip Barton, Dr Penelope scale in regional Victoria
Greenslade, Dr Teresa Jones (University
of Melbourne) Location: Mt Helen Campus
Email: ps.barton@federation.edu.au; Project Leader: Dr Savin Chand
p.greenslade@federation.edu.au Email: s.chand@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 6868; (03) 5327 6205 Phone: (03) 5327 6901
Project description: There is considerable evidence Project description: Climate models are very useful tools to
accumulating on the deleterious effects of artificial lights at understand how climate change may affect bushfire conditions
night on wildlife. This has recently been emphasised in the in Australia. However, due to their coarse resolution and other
press and elsewhere on the damage to bogong moth inherent deficiencies (such as parametrization issues),
populations along their migratory route to montane areas resolving the station-scale changes in the climate conditions is
where they aestivate and provide food for the mountain pygmy problematic. The main emphasis of this project is to downscale
possum. Lake Wendouree is the most important habitat in climate model output to the station-scale in order to better
Ballarat for aquatic insects that, as larvae, are food for fish and understand the changes at local-scale. Several case studies
birds and as will be used, utilising data from regional and remote locations
adults are a in Victoria.
resource for bats
as well as some
birds. There is a
plan to place Long-term changes in tropical cyclone landfall
artificial lights at over Australia
20 m intervals all
around lake Location: Mt Helen Campus
Wendouree for Project Leader: Dr Savin Chand
the benefit of Email: s.chand@federation.edu.au
runners at night. It has been observed that the existing trial Phone: (03) 5327 6901
lights attract large numbers of flying insects at certain times of
the year with the result that massive deaths occur from the heat Project description: Tropical cyclones are one of the costliest
and insect debris that accumulates under them which has even natural disasters affecting coastal communities around tropical
been observed smouldering. It is proposed that this Honours Australia. However, due to quality and quantity issues
work would involve sampling flying insects both at lights and surrounding tropical cyclone database and the presence of
where there are no lights in close proximity to the lake. The large variability from natural sources at multiple timescale, it is
method to be used would be yellow sticky cards. If the results difficult to ascertain how TC characteristics have changed over
show a significant difference between catches at lights Australia. This project utilises results from climate model
compared to away from lights, it is planned that they will be simulations to examine high-impact features of our past and
submitted to local councils for consideration in future lighting future tropical cyclone activity over Australia. In particular, we
plans in the city. will examine model-derived TCs for past several decades over
Key words: insects, artificial lights, fish, birds, bats Australia and determine how the landfall characteristics of
tropical cyclones have changes over the coastal regions.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 8
Environmental Science
(continued)
Statistical assessment of tropical cyclone intensity The vegetation history of Enfield - what does
from climate models Dereel Swamp tell us?
Location: Mt Helen Campus Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leader: Dr Savin Chand Project Leader: Prof Peter Gell
Email: s.chand@federation.edu.au Email: p.gell@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 6901
Project description: Dereel Swamp is a large, seasonal
Project description: Over the past few years, our wetland in the Enfield Forest. While there have been numerous
understanding of tropical cyclones has improved considerably records of vegetation change revealed from the lakes of
through improvements in climate model simulations of ocean western Victoria, none have come from wetlands within the
and atmospheric processes. However, there are still forested uplands. This study promises to reveal how vegetation
reservations around model simulation of tropical cyclone responded to past climate change, how fire-vegetation
intensities, which need very fine model resolution to be dynamics evolved in the millennia before European arrival, and
explicitly resolved. Such fine-resolution simulation is difficult how European settlement modified the regional landscape.
due high computation cost, as well as issues with model Key words: water quality, pollen, diatoms, climate change, fire
parametrization. Regardless, cutting-edge mathematical and
statistical techniques can now provide opportunities to
examine high-impact features of tropical cyclones – such as
tropical cyclone intensity – through drawing “links” with large- Wastewater treatment and the state of the
scale environment in which tropical cyclones form. The main
emphasis of this work is to examine the relationship between
Yarrowee River
tropical cyclone intensity and several large-scale features, and
develop statistical models to assess changes in cyclone Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leader: Prof Peter Gell
intensity in current and future climate scenarios.
Email: p.gell@federation.edu.au
Project description: The Yarrowee River is important
regionally as it has a guaranteed flow. Its condition is
Spatial variations in the seed ecology, effect of compromised by the release of treated wastewater from ponds.
elevated CO2 and effect of soil moisture on This project will use water quality monitoring, and diatom-
agricultural and environmental weeds based biomonitoring, to examine seasonal variation in the
nutrient status of the River, with a view to informing the next
Location: Mt Helen Campus stage of the Yarrowee Corridor plan of the City of Ballarat.
Project Leader: Prof S. K. Florentine (Florry)
Key words: water quality, diatoms, eutrophication
Email: s.florentine@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 9231
Project description: One of the most challenging issues in
natural resource management is the control of elevated or
unbalanced populations of weed species. Although substantial
financial and other resources have been directed towards the
control of some weeds, natural resource management
agencies in Australia continue to struggle with who or what
management. Invasive species tend to adapt to new areas so
overcoming any environmental limitations. Knowledge of the
ecology of weeds is essential for the selection and
development of control strategies. Such information is also
needed to ensure appropriate management of fragile Lake Cartcarrong: relative impact of people and
ecosystems which might be prone to invasion, particularly in
the light of future climatic changes. This project aims to collect
climate
empirical data on spatial variations in seed ecology, effect of
Location: Mt Helen Campus
elevated CO2and water availability on key environmental and
Project Leader: Prof Peter Gell
agricultural weeds. Australian environments are subject to El
Email: p.gell@federation.edu.au
Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and, as a result, drought,
fire, and flood may occur at unpredictable intervals. Under this
Project description: Lake Cartcarrong is among few volcanic
scenario, there is a high probability that weeds species will
plains wetlands that have not been analysed for climate
increase in abundance, significantly impacting on community
change over time. Situated in the dairy country of western
composition and ecosystem function. It is essential to
Victoria, it offers an opportunity to contrast the relative impact
understand how all species will respond to elevated CO2 and
of a changing climate and landscape development on wetland
water availability. To date, very limited studies have been
condition over centuries.
conducted and thus a comprehensive study on these issues is
needed. This research would link ecological understanding of Key words: water quality, pollen, diatoms, climate change, fire
current variations in different populations and predict how this
aggressive species would respond to future climatic variations
in particular elevated CO2 and water availability. This research
will address critical issues affecting Australia and equivalent
systems in other parts of the world.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 9Environmental Science
(continued)
Barmah Lake: Understanding the Natural Management of native grassland remnant reserves
ecological character of a Ramsar wetland for maintenance of native invertebrate diversity
Location: Mt Helen Campus Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leader: Prof Peter Gell Project Leaders: Dr Nick Schultz, Dr Penelope Greenslade
Email: p.gell@federation.edu.au Email: n.schultz@federation.edu.au;
p.greenslade@federation.edu.au
Project description: Barmah Lake is a Ramsar listed wetland Phone: (03) 5327 9681; (03) 5327 6205
of international significance. Fossil remains within sediments
records will provide evidence of its natural character prior to Project description: There are a fairly large number of native
river regulation and how it has changed through time since. grassland reserves within 50 km of Ballarat under the
This will inform plans for the local CMA and the Yorta Yorta management of the Ballarat Environmental Network. They are
people. of varying sizes and under different types of management. For
Key words: water quality, diatoms, pollen, MDB wetlands, fire instance, some have been burnt using local indigenous
methods others have been manage to enhance indigenous
food plants and/or control weeds. Native grasses are a habitat
for a surprisingly large number of endemic species, even
endemic genera of invertebrates that are restricted to certain
grass genera such as Themeda, Danthonia and the like. Until
now the conservation status and protection of this part of the
native grass fauna has received no attention. This honours
project will involve sampling a number of these reserves for
invertebrates to investigate the effect of size of reserve,
management and lack of weeds on this fauna. Methods will
include suction sampling, sweeping and pitfall trapping. It is
anticipated that the results will make an important contribution
to the future management of native grassland in Victoria.
Key words: conservation, indigenous burning, native
grasslands, invertebrates
Bioaccumulation and effect of emerging
contaminants in the environment
Location: Mt Helen/Gippsland Campus
Project Leader: Dr Benjamin Long, Dr Nick Schultz,
Dr David Smith
Email: bm.long@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 9452
Project description: Emerging contaminants such as
Pharmaceuticals, PFAS and microplastics are known to be
discharged to the environment. Little is known about the
concentrations of these contaminants in the Australian Restoration success of native grasslands
environment and their penetration through the food web. In this
project you will contribute to the characterisation of the problem Location: Mt Helen Campus
and help measure the effects of these contaminants on the Project Leaders: Dr Nick Schultz, Dr Penelope Greenslade
environment (through environmental sampling and or Email: n.schultz@federation.edu.au;
microcosm studies). You will become familiar with field p.greenslade@federation.edu.au
sampling techniques, solid phase extraction (SPE and Phone: (03) 5327 9681; (03) 5327 6205
QuEChERS) and HPLC-MS/MS.
Key words: pharmaceuticals, emerging contaminants, Project description: Environmental offsets are a key tool for
detection the management and conservation of biodiversity in Victoria,
but we do not adequately understand how well we can improve
and restore biodiversity at offset sites. In particular, we have a
poor understanding of how invertebrate communities change
with restoration efforts. This project will work in collaboration
with industry to sample the invertebrates and vegetation of
grassland offset sites in various stages of restoration, as well
as high-quality reference sites. The project will ask how well
restored sites reflect the condition and composition of high-
quality grasslands, and will consider the rate at which
biodiversity improvements proceed. The main site is a 95 Ha
Northern Grassland reserve that is an offset for Boral Cement
Company. The project will provide vital data on outcomes of
biodiversity offsetting and may contribute directly to
Environmental Management Plans for endangered grassland
communities.
Key words: native grasslands, invertebrates
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 10Environmental Science
(continued)
Gold containing fluorescent metallo-hydrogels Living Bung Yarnda (Lake Tyers) environmental
stewardship plan
Location: Gippsland Campus/Mt Helen
Project Leaders: Dr David Smith, Dr Benjamin Long Location: Gippsland Campus
Email: d.smith@federation.edu.au; Project Leader: Dr Jess Reeves
bm.long@federation.edu.au Email: j.reeves@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5122 6023 Phone: (03) 5327 9049
Project description: This project will explore the creation of Project description: This project involves both the
gold-containing fluorescent metallo-hydrogels. You will development of an integrated citizen science environmental
investigate the optimal conditions required for gelation to occur, program and analysis of the community and project
and how the relative proportion of the components influences development itself. The environmental aspect will include a
fluorescent properties, and thermal and mechanical stability. review of existing monitoring programs including water quality,
You will characterise the gels through various techniques waterbugs, fish, birds, vegetation and mammal scats and
including UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR scratchings. A database will be developed, specific to Lake
spectroscopy, dynamic scanning calorimetry, Rheology and Tyers, but contributing to larger, extant monitoring programs. It
small angle X-ray scattering. will also involve recruitment and training of volunteer
Key words: metals, hydrogels, fluorescence participants and analysis of the first 6 months of data collected,
to be presented at a community forum. The social science
aspect of the project will map the process of recruitment,
engagement and community outreach of the program, beyond
Sensing arrays for organic contamination in the participants. It will also map the environmental values of
surface water and groundwater the various interest groups around Lake Tyers, to assist in
development of the Environmental Stewardship program.
Location: Gippsland Campus/Mt Helen
Project Leaders: Dr David Smith, Dr Benjamin Long
Email: d.smith@federation.edu.au;
bm.long@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5122 6023
Project description: Sensing arrays use several non-
selective probes in combination to create a unique finger-print
response to an analyte or range of analytes. This project aims
to create a sensing array for the detection of organic
contaminants (artificial sweeteners, pharmaceuticals, PFAS).
This will be developed to quantify concentrations of common
organics pollutants in surface water and ground water as an
Ecology and Water Chemistry of the Morwell
indicator of wastewater contamination. The project would
involve time in the laboratory and data analysis. Wetlands
Key words: sensing array, detection, water Location: Gippsland Campus
Project Leader: Dr Jess Reeves
Email: j.reeves@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 9049
Palaeoecology of Lake Reeve
Project description: This project will look at the seasonal
Location: Gippsland Campus water quality variability and ecology of the Morwell Wetlands.
Project Leader: Dr Jess Reeves Depending on your interest, the project can either focus on the
Email: j.reeves@federation.edu.au flora (aquatic vegetation, algal communities) or the fauna
Phone: (03) 5327 9049 (invertebrate assemblages) of the wetlands. Sampling will be
undertaken in March-April and again in August-September and
Project description: This project will look at sediment cores related to both climatic events and discharge regimes of the
from the Lake Reeve wetlands to look at changes in ecology local industries. There is scope to improve the ecological
and water quality over a longer (decadal-centennial) time values of Morwell Wetlands, so this project will provide a
scale. Depending on your interest, you may focus on sediment ‘before’ study, to determine the current condition and variability
chemistry or preserved ecology, such as macroinvertebrates of the wetland system, prior to changes in the flow of the
or diatoms. There is also the possibility to visit the Australian Morwell, in light of the mine site rehabilitation project.
Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to
undertake iTRAX sediment chemistry sampling and dating of
the core material. This project will determine the natural
conditions and variability of the wetland complex prior to major
impacts in the catchment, such as channel diversion and the
significant industrial and urban activity in the region.
Key words: wetlands, ecology, climate change, rehabilitation,
water chemistry
Key words: wetlands, ecology, climate change, rehabilitation,
water chemistry
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 11Environmental Science
(continued)
Efficacy of Traralgon Artificial Wetlands Lichens as indicators of ecosystem functionality in
revegetated forests
Location: Gippsland Campus
Project Leader: Dr Jess Reeves Location: Gippsland/Berwick Campus
Email: j.reeves@federation.edu.au Project Leaders: Dr Simone Louwhoff,
Phone: (03) 5327 9049 A/Prof Wendy Wright
Email: s.louwhoff@federation.edu.au,
Project description: The Latrobe City Council has established wendy.wright@federation.edu.au
a number of vegetated wetlands for treatment of both industrial Phone: (03) 5122 8026
and urban stormwaters. The council are interested to see how
effective their design is. This will be tested by undertaking bi- Project description: In Victoria, as elsewhere, clearing of our
monthly sampling of the wetlands for water quality, nutrients, native vegetation and associated loss of habitat and
invertebrates and vegetation. There are also parallel projects biodiversity has been extensive. In an effort to remediate this,
related to the construction of the wetland and flow regimes revegetation programs aim to return fragmented landscapes to
(engineering) and social value of the wetland sites (social a more functional state. Lichens are sensitive to microclimatic
science). conditions and have long been known as good indicators of
Key words: wetlands, ecology, climate change, habitat continuity. They also play an important ecological role
Rehabilitation, water chemistry and it is important to recognise their potential contribution to
revegetated forests. Lichens have been used to monitor
ecosystem function or health (described as including
maintenance of productivity, nutrient cycling, and disturbance
response) of a forest. Their presence can, therefore, be used
as an indication that this has been re-created at a revegetated
site. The overall objective is to determine if individual lichen
species or lichen assemblages can be used to determine the
success of a revegetation project in mimicking the ecosystem
functionality usually associated with remnant vegetation.
Students will develop: vegetation and lichen identification skills
Healthy Agricultural Soils
Location: Gippsland Campus
Project Leader: Dr Jess Reeves
Email: j.reeves@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 9049
Project description: This is a two phase project looking at the
chemistry and biology of agricultural soils in Southern
Gippsland. We are working with 8 properties who are
interested in improving their soil health. They have employed a
range of techniques, including compost, mulch, organic
fertilisers, grazing and crop rotation. The project will look at the
efficacy of each of these methods on soil health across a range
of agricultural landscapes and produce types. The project
forms part of Growing Southern Gippsland, funded by the (including microscopy and thin layer chromatography), and
DELWP Climate Change Adaptation grants and led by Bass skills in analysing the success of different revegetation
Coast Landcare Network. techniques. Project aims are to: identify the lichen flora of
revegetation projects in different successional stages;
compare lichen species in revegetated patches with those in
remnant patches in similar ecological vegetation classes
(EVCs); to investigate if the revegetation method employed has
an impact on lichen richness.
Key words: lichen, indicators, ecosystem functionality,
revegetation, monitoring, restoration
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 12Environmental Science
(continued)
Habitat specificity and competitive traits of Seed ecology and agronomy of a selected
Australian acacias invaded to natural landscapes Murnong (Microseris) yam daisy species
in Asia Pacific: a global review
Location: Berwick/Mt Helen Campus
Location: Berwick/Mt Helen Campus Project Leader: Dr Kushan Tennakoon,
Project Leader: Dr Kushan Tennakoon, Prof S. K. Florentine (Florry)
Prof S. K. Florentine (Florry) Dr Nick Schultz
Email: k.tennakoon@federation.edu.au Email: k.tennakoon@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 4313 7954 Phone: (03) 4313 7954
Project description: The genus Acacia (Family: Fabaceae; Project description: Murnong (Microseris sp.) has long been
subfamily: Mimosoideae) commonly known as Wattles are recognised as one of the most important staple food sources
native to both Australia and Africa. The Acacia lineage native for Aboriginal people of the grassy plains of south-eastern
to Australia comprise over 900 species are found in different Australia. However, Murnong on the plains became scarce
habitats: from coastal to subalpine regions, from high rainfall to after the introduction of sheep and rabbits. Murnong persist
arid areas, in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions. now in isolated undisturbed grassland remnants and dry
Approximately 300 Acacia spp. of Australian origin have been sclerophyll forests in Victoria. Recently, Walsh (2016)
introduced around the world as timber and ornamental plants conducted a taxonomic revision which increased Microseris
and approximately 23 of them have become highly invasive in from two to three species. In Victoria Microseris walteri (largely
many terrestrial ecosystems and causing significant impact on found in central and western Victoria), M. scapigera (south-
biodiversity. Ten Acacia spp. (with six species of Australian west Victoria), and M. lancelota (eastern part of Victoria) exist.
origin viz. A. longifolia subsp. sophorae, A. mangium, A. The Murnong SEED Citizen Science Project (SEED - Studies
mearnsii, A. melanoxylon, A. retinodes. and A. saligna) are Exploring Edible Daisies) is a joint Higher Ed and TAFE FedUni
listed in the Global Invasive Species Database with one project, with the assistance of more than 200 citizen scientists
species (A. mearnsii) being in the 100 most invasive species and gardeners. It aims to explore the growth form and
list. distribution of the two local species, analyse their nutritional
and medicinal value and build up stocks for education and
revegetation projects here in Victoria.
This project will investigate the seed ecology and agronomy of
one of the Murnong species. Knowledge of optimum growth
requirements of Murnong species is critically important to
develop cultivation protocols for eventual bushland and
grassland revegetation projects using this culturally significant
species. A suitable candidate can (i) examine the influence
selected environmental factors such as temperature, light, pH,
Salinity, soil moisture, and burial depth on the germination and
emergence of the seeds of one of Microseris species in
Victoria, and (ii) examine the effect of different soil types, light
It is vital to identify a discrete set of characteristics which and application of synthetic fertilisers on the growth and
facilitate successful invasion by exotic plants such as Acacia establishment of the same Microseris species under controlled
species in non-original regions. It has been claimed that conditions (plant house study to be conducted in the Ballarat
invasive plants typically possess novel traits or exhibit more Campus).
extreme trait values which confer on their competitive
advantage over native flora such characteristics: (i) rapid
growth, (ii) high N–fixing ability, (iii) heteroblasty and (iv) high
flexibility in physiological performance found in Australian
Acacia spp. However, no clear separation of particular trait sets
has been reported for either highly invasive or less invasive
Acacia spp. Furthermore, these facilitations may vary in
different environmental conditions. We found that plant
invasion studies have been unevenly distributed
biogeographically, with the majority conducted in either
Temperate or Mediterranean climate regions. The
Mediterranean climate is shared by the Mediterranean Basin,
California, Chile, the Western Cape of South Africa and
Southern Australia. In contrast, related studies in other climate
types such as the seasonal tropics are still scarce. Thus, an
assessment of the contribution of traits to success of Australian
Acacia species’ invasions under these largely unstudied
conditions/climates in the Asia Pacific will help us to better
understand invasive mechanisms and subsequently develop
control approaches.
This project will aim to provide insights into Australian Acacia
invasiveness for the more efficacious selection of management
practices, including control.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 13Mathematical Science
Optimisation methods for machine learning Reducing high dimensional convex sets
Location: Mt Helen Campus Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leaders: Dr Minh Dao Project Leaders: Dr David Yost
Email: m.dao@federation.edu.au Email: d.yost@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5327 6793
Project description: A convex set P which is symmetric about
Project description: Since conceptualised, mathematical the origin, is called reducible, if there is a nonsymmetric convex
optimisation has always been an effective tool in problem- set Q for which P is the set of all differences of the elements of
solving and decision-making processes. Many real-life Q. Otherwise, P is irreducible. In two dimensions, every square
problems can be treated as optimisation problems, requiring or parallelogram is irreducible, but everything else is reducible.
the best solution among a set of possible ones. In the current For example, the difference set of a triangle is a regular
era of big data, the explosion in size and complexity of datasets hexagon.
has greatly influenced the focus of optimisation research. In higher dimensions, deciding reducibility is not a such an
However, existing methods and theories for large-scale easy problem. Perhaps surprisingly, any d-dimensional
problems have not yet taken full advantages of specific symmetric polyhedron with less than 4d vertices is irreducible
structures and hence, faced major difficulties in handling (unless it is a hexagon). Nevertheless, there is an algorithm for
increasingly massive and distributed datasets. This work finding a nonsymmetric polytope Q which reduces P, or proving
provides a deep understanding of structures of optimisation that no such Q exists. This algorithm has barely been studied,
problems and complexity analysis of numerical algorithms in in dimension three or higher. For example, it remains unknown
order to explore the frontier of research in big data optimisation whether a reducing set (when one exists) can be found with
and machine learning. fewer vertices than the original symmetric set. This project will
examine a large collection of examples in three and four
dimensions, and attempt to find relationships.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 14Food Science
Compositional evaluation of Murnong Role of lactic acid bacteria in flavour formation of
whiskey
Location: Mt Helen Campus
Project Leaders: Dr Lara Wakeling, Dr Benjamin Long Location: Mt Helen/Gippsland Campus
Email: l.wakeling@federation.edu.au; Project Leader: Dr David Bean, A/Prof Andrew Greenhill
Phone: (03) 5327 9250 Email: d.bean@federation.edu.au;
andrew.greenhill@federation.edu.au
Project description: Murnong, commonly referred to as the
yam daisy, is known as a key food source for Aboriginal people Project description: Whiskey has a complex flavour profile,
of south eastern Australia. There are two local species of which is derived in part from the microbial communities
murnong: Microseris walteri and Microseris scapigera. Little is involved in fermentation. Yeast are used in the fermentation
known about process and are well recognised for their contribution to flavour
the nutritional profiles; however, other microbes are also likely to play a role
composition of in flavour profile of whiskey and other spirits. The
murnong and microorganisms with a potential role in flavour are possibly
how it changes, endogenous distillery microbes, potentially originating from
yet anecdotal grain. This endogenous microbiota potentially contributes to
evidence the unique flavour profile of different whiskeys.
suggests that Despite the prospective role of endogenous microbes in
the sweetness, whiskey flavour profiles, there is a dearth of scientific literature
in particular, investigating the contribution of the “secondary” microbes (i.e.,
changes across the year. In this project you will the complete microbes other than those added specifically to convert
a comprehensive analysis of nutritional composition of the two fermentable sugars to ethanol) to the flavour of whiskey. This
local species of murnong and evaluate how the composition project would recover and characterise organisms for a
changes across the seasons. You will become familiar with distillery with the aim of understanding their role in formation of
many techniques involved in food analysis. flavour compounds.
Hydration of yeast in brewing: adding value or Fluorescent sensing arrays for hops in beer
unnecessary risk?
Location: Gippsland/Mt Helen Campus
Location: Mt Helen/Gippsland Campus Project Leaders: Dr David Smith, Dr David Bean,
Project Leader: Dr David Bean, A/Prof Andrew Greenhill A/Prof Andrew Greenhill
Email: d.bean@federation.edu.au; Email: d.smith@federation.edu.au;
andrew.greenhill@federation.edu.au d.bean@federation.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5122 6023
Project description: There has been great advancements in
dry yeasts for the brewing industry in the past 10 – 15 years. Project description: Sensing arrays use several non-
Until recently there were relatively few brewing yeast strains selective probes in combination to create a unique finger-print
available as dry yeast; though now there is a greater range and response to an analyte or range of analytes. This project aims
an increasing acceptance of dried yeast. However, there are to use fluorescent sensing arrays to detect and quantify the
still some reservations in some sectors of brewing fraternity, presence of the acid and essential oil components of different
perhaps in part because large breweries have their own yeasts hop varieties. The aim would be to create new methods for the
strains thus do not depend on dried yeast. However, amongst determination of these compounds within the brewing process.
many in the craft brewing industry dried yeasts have gained Key words: fluorescence, sensing array, brewing
acceptance. Dried yeast has many advantages over liquid
yeast, not the least the storage life of dried yeast. Craft brewing
is a key potential market for dried yeast producers.
Beyond acceptability of dried yeast, there remains debate over
the need to rehydrate dried yeast prior to pitching. Some
manufacturers suggest pitching yeast directly, others
recommend rehydrating the yeast first. To add to the confusion,
texts and brewing websites (many targeting home-brewers)
provide opinions, often conflicting. Currently, decisions are
being made on whether to rehydrate yeast before pitching
based on opinions rather than data. Moreover, many of the
opinions are influenced by dried yeast characteristics of >10
years ago, not on the current product.
The value of rehydrating dried yeast is an important research
question. Dried yeast is a highly convenient product; however,
the need to rehydrate does detract from that convenience.
Moreover, there may be quality risks associated with
rehydration, not the least the risk of contamination. This study
seeks to determine the value of re-hydrating various strains of
brewer’s yeast.
School of Science, Psychology and Sport – BSc Honours Research Projects 2021 15You can also read
