QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for Honours, Masters and PhD study. Search to find a topic that interests you or propose your own research topic to a prospective QUT supervisor. You may also ask a prospective supervisor to help you identify or refine a research topic.
Found 210 matching student topics
Displaying 25–36 of 210 results
Surrogate models for accurate prediction and inference in mathematical biology
High fidelity mathematical models of biological phenomena are often complex and can require long computational runtimes which can make computational inference for parameter estimation intractable. In this project we will overcome this challenge by working with computationally simple low fidelity models and build a simple statistical model of the discrepancy between the high and low fidelity models. This approach provides the best of both worlds: we obtain high accuracy predictions using a computationally cheap model surrogate.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Smoke and mirrors: intercepting the elusive molecular precursors of soot
Soot formation occurs via a complex network of chemical reactions leading from simple gases to macromolecular aggregates. Despite being central to our understanding of extreme environments ranging from engines, to bushfires and interstellar clouds, the critical steps and intermediates in these reactions are poorly described.This project will deploy advanced mass spectrometry and laser-based methods to generate, isolate and interrogate gas phase free radical intermediates and elucidate their role in molecular weight growth processes.Through these chemical insights, advanced computational models will …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Understanding the external surface of fungal mycelia
The way in which fungal cultures grow in liquid cultures are can have a major impact on scale up and producing material. Here, we will examine the growth of three fast-growing filamentous fungi and try understand how various growth parameters affect the morphology that will range from loose mycelia to compact pellets.Fungal morphology is affected by inoculum (form, concentration and growth stage), media components (type and concentration of carbon, nitrogen and phosphate, trace minerals, pH, salt content), dissolved gases (dissolved …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Artificial Intelligence for collaborative and intelligent user interfaces
This project seeks to leverage recent advances in machine vision and natural language processing algorithms to support the design and development of knowledge-driven applications that support communication and collaborations with their users.One particular area where this will be investigated is in workplaces for supported employment, that is employment opportunities for people with intellectual disability. One of the questions to address is how machines could respond to what a user shows them in order to assist with decision making in a …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Computer Science
Representation learning for anti-microbial resistance
This project is about using neural network models help us understand Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), a phenomenon in which bacteria adapt to reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics, usually through a process known as Lateral or Horizontal Gene Transfer - where genes are included in the organism from other sources.Our focus will be on learning compact vector representations of biological sequences known to be associated with AMR genes. By encoding DNA sequences in this way we can more rapidly identify AMR genes …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Computer Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Scalable software solutions for improving the CRISPR gene editing system
The CRISPR-Cas9 technology allows the modification of virtually any gene in any organism of interest. It has generated a lot of interest, both in the research community and the general population.One of the crucial components of CRISPR experiments is the design of the 'guide RNAs' that will control where modifications occur. We have developed a software pipeline, named Crackling, to identify safe and effective guide RNAs across entire genomes.We are seeking to expand and improve various aspects of our current …
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Computer Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Efficient parameter estimation for agent-based models of tumour growth
Cancer is an extremely heterogeneous disease, particularly at the cellular level. Cells within a single cancerous tumour undergo vastly different rates of proliferation based on their location and specific genetic mutations. Capturing this stochasticity in cell behaviour and its effect on tumour growth is challenging with a deterministic system, e.g. ordinary differential equations, however, is possible with an agent-based model (ABM). In an ABM, cells are modelled as individual agents that have a probability of proliferation and movement in each …
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Making the most of many models
In the age of Big Data, machine learning methods, and modern statistics the adage "all models are wrong but some are useful" has never been so true. This project will investigate data science approaches where more than one model makes sense for the data. Is it better to choose a single model or is there something to be gained from multiple models?This project will look at variable selection methods, penalised regression, Bayesian model averaging and conformal prediction. The research has …
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Mathematical Sciences
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Data Science
Keeping carbon – ensuring soil carbon gains through improved grazing management persist through drought in Australia's tropical and semi-arid grasslands
Drought is the biggest barrier to sequestering soil organic carbon (SOC) in soils over the long-term. While options are limited during dry periods, how we manage our pastures prior to drought can influence the resilience of SOC to losses and enhance recovery.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Using time-controlled grazing to sequester carbon in Queensland rangelands
Time-controlled grazing (TCG), or cell grazing is a management strategy in which cattle are stocked and rotated across small paddocks or “cells” according to fodder availability. Grazing takes place in short durations at high stocking densities, in an effort to mimic the grazing patterns of wild ungulate herds.This management strategy has gained traction in recent years due to claims that it improves both pasture productivity and diversity, whilst also increasing long-term carbon pools. Limited data is available on the impact …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Co-benefits of trees on farms: soil carbon
Soils are now in the ‘front line’ of global environmental change. Soils are the largest global pool of actively cycling organic C and N. Maintaining and increasing soil organic matter (SOM) is a prominent strategy for mitigating atmospheric CO2 and adapting agriculture to climate change.At the same time the global biodiversity crisis has led to increased scrutiny on supply chains to scrutinise farms ecological footprint. Planting or retaining trees in the landscape has the opportunity to achieve both outcomes, however …
- Study level
- Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Biology and Environmental Science
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy
Flexible thermoelectrics for wearable electronics
Advancements in miniaturisation and integration of electronics have recently stimulated the explosive progress in wearable electronics. With increasing practical needs, our analysis has indicated that the market values of wearable electronics are predicted to boost up to US$50B in 2022 and US$72B in 2026. Currently, conventional batteries have limited applications in wearable electronics due to their requirements of frequent replacement/recharge and extra-maintenance. This is especially true in temperature or pressure sensors in some circumstances such as remote-control smart home systems …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy
- Faculty
- Faculty of Science
- School
- School of Chemistry and Physics
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
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