2011 University of Queensland Results

Open Winner ($3,000)
Dr Trent Munro (AIBNⁱ) – Biologic Bullets for Beating Bacterial Infections
Dr Munro believes the creation of designer biologic bullets to target drug resistant superbugs will offer treatment new options for life-threatening bacterial infections.  He is working on therapies that aim to be first-in-class therapeutic antibodies for rapidly targeting and clearing infection with limited side-effects.

Open Runner-Up ($1,000)
A/Prof Jon Whitehead, Ms Yu-Hee Kim & Ms Xiao Luo (MMRIⁱ) – Fit Fat Cells
The underlying concept of this work is to establish a therapeutic approach that will turn ‘angry fat cells’ into ‘fit fat cells’.  Changing the nature of fat cells in this way will improve health and reduce obesity related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Open Highly Commended ($500)
Ms Emily Duggan (UQ Diamantina Institute) – Custom Lab Databases for Lab/Clinical Management
Custom Lab Databases provides data management solutions that are tailored to a lab’s individual needs.  This service focuses on increasing efficiency of how labs are run and how experimental information is managed.

Student Winner ($3,000)
Mr Callum Hickey (School of Chemical Engineering) – The Hickey Process
The Hickey process is an innovative method for sustainable ammonia production. It is designed to significantly increase production profitability, flexibility and price stability while decreasing energy demands - when compared to traditional ammonia manufacturing processes.

Student Runner-Up ($1,000)
Mr William Hawker, Mr Patrick Littlejohn, Mr James Vaughan (School of Chemical Engineering) – Resin in Basket
This proposed new method of metal extraction could mean that the plants built to treat the ores can be smaller, the cost of treating the ore and producing the metal may be decreased, and  environmentally damaging methods to satiate the demand for these metals could become obsolete.

Student Highly Commended ($500)
Mr Sean Muir (AIBN) – HydroFuel Vehicular Energy System
The HydroFuel Vehicular Energy System a water-based innovation that seeks to offer a safer and renewable alternative for future energy systems.

Pitching Excellence ($1,000)
Ms Emily Duggan (UQ Diamantina Institute) – Custom Lab Databases for Lab/Clinical Management.
See above.