Defence awards $7 million for studies on gut health and wearable biomarker technology
QUT researchers will help find ways to predict and prepare Australian Defence Force personnel for mission performance through optimised gut microbiome and wearable biomarker sensors.
The Defence Science and Technology Next Generation Technologies Fund (NGTF) has awarded $7 million over three and a half years to QUT and the University of Newcastle (UON) to lead cutting-edge projects into mind-body health and performance.
Associate Professor Tony Parker and Professor Graham Kerr from the QUT Faculty of Health co-lead the $3.5 million Performance Patch project to develop ground-breaking wearable sensor technology for tracking physical and cognitive stress biomarkers.
“Biomarker tracking could help with team performance and management – knowing in real time who to rest, who can cope with a more difficult task, or who can make better decisions under extreme conditions,” Associate Professor Parker said.
“We will develop a device that can be applied to the body to monitor biological molecules that predict future stress or how an individual responds to different stress conditions.”
Researchers will conduct non-military trials to identify unique biomarkers and patterns produced under heat stress, musculoskeletal stress, sleep stress, and psychosocial stress.
“We will collect and analyse bodily fluids like blood and saliva for biological markers, and correlate these with how individuals perform physically and cognitively in those stress conditions,” Associate Professor Parker said.
“There’ll be general stress markers in each of the four trials but we’re looking for those unique to specific or multiple stressors.”
Once identified, researchers will integrate the biomarkers into developed sensor technology, and work with Defence to identify suitable military cohorts for testing them in the field.
“If the best biomarkers indicate psychosocial stress, for example, suitable cohorts might be pilots who need to focus in a very high stress situations rather than carry heavy loads – or vice versa,” Associate Professor Parker said.
“If a troop has carried heavy loads through the heat all day, a commander would want to know who is most alert to take a first watch, able make good decisions or physically get to a hilltop post.”
While initially focused on military applications, Associate Professor Parker said the research was expected to have broader civilian applications and would be further developed beyond the project.
“Biomarkers could be used to predict best performing teams for different tasks, optimise recovery, or identify individual needs for strength or condition training,” he said.
“This technology could have benefits for emergency services, remote health monitoring, or sport – such as predicting or preparing athletes for the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane.”
The Performance Patch project co-led by QUT Associate Professor Parker and Professor Kerr comprises 16 chief investigators, including 13 from QUT and colleagues from the University of Queensland and the University of New England.
Chief investigators from the School of Biomedical Science include Associate Professor Tony Parker, Dr Andrew Hunt, Dr Jonathan Peake, Dr Daniel Broszczak and Professor Charmindie Punyadeera.
Further chief investogators include Professor Graham Kerr and Professor Ian Stewart from the School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, and Professor Karen Sullivan and Professor Ottmar Lipp from the School of Psychology and Counselling.
Associate Professor Ajay Pandey and Professor Clinton Fookes from the School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics, Professor Kerri Mengersen from the School of Mathematical Sciences and Associate Professor Marianella Chamorro-Koc from the School of Design are additionally a part of the performance patch team.
The project also includes collaboration with Dr Cassandra Pattinson and Professor Simon Smith from the University of Queensland, and Professor Christian Cook from the University of New England.
For the DSTG media release visit DSTG Media Centre.
For more information regarding the NGTF visit DSTG NGFT.