{"links":{"self":"http://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/API/grants/DE260101673"},"data":{"type":"grant-details","id":"DE260101673","attributes":{"code":"DE260101673","administering-organisation":"The University of Melbourne","announcement-administering-organisation":"The University of Melbourne","scheme-name":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","grant-status":"Active","funding-commencement-year":2026,"years-funded":3,"project-start-date":"2026-01-01","anticipated-end-date":"2028-12-31","grant-summary":"Unlocking cardiac insight: a materials approach to model the left ventricle. This interdisciplinary project aims to unlock cardiac insights using a materials-based approach to modelling the heart’s left ventricle (LV). However, developing an accurate LV model that mimics the LV’s hierarchical structures and functions poses significant challenges. The project expects to achieve such a LV model through a novel 3D scaffold that guides self-organisation, differentiation, and growth of cells in a controlled environment. The expected outcomes include new insights into the development and structure-function relationship of the heart, as well as valuable guidelines for future engineering of the heart in vitro. This should provide significant benefits in reducing animal testing and enhancing human health.","funding-current":534275.00,"funding-at-announcement":530035,"investigators-current":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Linpeng","familyName":"Fan","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":null}],"investigators-at-announcement":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Linpeng","familyName":"Fan","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":null}],"organisations-current":[{"organisationName":"The University of Melbourne","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"VIC"}],"organisations-at-announcement":[{"organisationName":"The University of Melbourne","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"VIC"}],"field-of-research":[{"isPrimary":false,"code":"401408","name":"Manufacturing Processes and Technologies (Excl. Textiles)","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":true,"code":"4016","name":"Materials Engineering","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"401602","name":"Composite and Hybrid Materials","type":"FOR20"}],"socio-economic-objective":[{"code":"240304","name":"Composite Materials","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280110","name":"Expanding Knowledge In Engineering","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280112","name":"Expanding Knowledge In the Health Sciences","type":"SEO20"}],"international-collaboration":[],"lief-register":[],"achievement-summary":null,"national-interest-test-statement":"The heart is a vital organ. Its left ventricle (LV) pumps oxygenated blood into the entire body and also controls the emotional states of the brain by regulating heart rate, including responses to anxiety and fear. Understanding the LV is critical to improving our health. Current in-vivo heart research on animals is complex and has ethical concerns. Since 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed alternatives to animal testing, such as in-vitro studies on biomimetic organ models. Yet, replicating the natural hierarchical structures and functionality of the LV poses significant challenges. This project will engineer an optimal biomimetic LV organ model to study the heart’s structure and function through the directed self-organisation and growth of cells by a novel biomimetic 3D scaffold. It will enhance our understanding of the heart's normal development and the relationship between its structure, function, and pathology. Future translation of this model into in-vitro bioassay platforms will provide insights into the interactions between organs and promote drug discovery that will reduce animal testing, accelerate innovative research discoveries, and lower research costs. This research will benefit Australia economically and socially by supporting its advanced manufacturing, pharmaceutics, and biomedical engineering. Findings will be shared with companies, hospitals, policymakers, and public health organisations through workshops, seminars, and media articles."}}}