For Advancing the Development of Novel Materials CSIRO and Chemspeed have successfully implemented since July 2009 the SYNTHESIZER robotic platform and extended capacity and capabilities in December 2013 with the acquisition of another SYNTHESIZER robotic platform. An exemplary project was recently published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science and Ben Muir the manager of the Rapid Automated Materials and Processing centre in CSIRO states: ”The use of High-Throughput synthesis techniques in Materials Research conducted at CSIRO has dramatically improved since our acquisition of the synthesizer platform.“ Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 408 (2013) 117–124 Controlling nanostructure and lattice parameter of the inverse bicontinuous cubic phases in functionalised phytantriol dispersions Scott J. Fraser, Xavier Mulet, Adrian Hawley, Frances Separovic, Anastasios Polyzos The understanding of liquid crystalline amphiphile polymorphism and the range of ordered, complex nanostructures that can be formed has been growing over the last half-century [1–5]. This knowledge is being applied directly to develop technologies in several fields including drug delivery, biosensors and protein crystallization. The preparation and phase behavior of dispersed liquid crystalline particles comprised of phytantriol and various functionalised lipids are reported. These inverse bicontinuous cubic phase colloidal dispersions have been sterically stabilized with a triblock copolymer, Pluronic F127. The influence of added negatively charged amphiphiles oleic acid and sodium dodecylsulfate, the positively charged hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and monoolein a neutral amphiphile, on phase behavior and cubic phase structure was examined by synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Functionality was also introduced through ligand specific lipids monosialoganglioside-GM1 and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[biotinyl(polyethylene glycol)-2000]. SAXS measurements showed that all of the additives affected the long-range order of the inverse cubic phase observed through either phase behaviour changes or alteration in lattice parameter.

About CSIRO CSIRO, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world with more than 6500 staff located across 56 sites throughout Australia and overseas. CSIRO is involved in more than 740 research activities, working with leading scientific organisations in over 80 countries with partners and customers ranging from foreign governments, small companies to large multi-nationals and international foundations. CSIRO's research is performed by the 13 Divisions such as Astronomy and Space Science, Earth Science and Resource engineering, Ecosystem Sciences, Energy Technology, Food and Nutritional Sciences, ICT Centre, Land and Water, Livestock Industries, Marine and Atmospheric Research, Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Informatics and Statistics, Plant Industry and Process Science and Engineering. Additional information