Director's Welcome

Professor Tanya Monro

Our Vision is to become a global  hub of disruptive Photonics and Advanced Sensing research, creating transformational new approaches to sensing, and a new profession of transdisciplinary problem solvers.

Many of the best opportunities for scientific breakthroughs over the next few decades sit between the conventional scientific disciplines. Similarly, pressing problems in health, the environment and national security require the fusion of technologies and approaches from many areas of science. IPAS has been created to bring together physicists, chemists and biologists to pursue a transdisciplinary approach to science. Through this, we are developing novel photonic, sensing and measurement technologies that will create new tools for scientific research, stimulate the creation of new industries, and inspire a new generation of scientists to be engaged in solving real-world problems. IPAS performs cutting edge research. We possess the capability to design, fabricate and experimentally test our creations, which allows us to push the boundaries of understanding in photonics and other measurement sciences. In partnership with government and industry, we are working to translate research discoveries into practical solutions. IPAS research targets applications in five key market areas:

• Defence and national security (e.g. corrosion detection, high power lasers and luminescence techniques)
• Environmental and agricultural monitoring (e.g. laser radar systems for monitoring wind, moisture and pollution in the atmosphere, sensors for monitoring soil quality)
• Medical diagnostics (e.g. rapid virus detection to help prevent global flu pandemics, early detection of cancer biomarkers and technologies to improve IVF success rates)
• Food and wine (e.g. monitoring of wine maturation, nutrient monitoring) 
• Mining (e.g.optical fibre sensors to measure trace metallic elements within drilling fluids)

The Australian Federal Government, SA State Government, DSTO, Defence SA and The University of Adelaide have invested over $40 million to construct a headquarters for IPAS, this will house a unique suite of transdisciplinary laboratories. These facilities include glass making and processing, optical fibre fabrication, laser and device development, luminescence dating, environmental genomics, photonic sensor development, and synthetic, surface and bio-chemistry. In addition to this there will be specialist labs for the handling of hazardous and chemical specimens, pathogens and micro-organisms, and offices to co-locate IPAS researchers and students from a broad range of scientific disciplines.

This will all be located in the new University building, The Braggs, which is due for completion in early 2013. IPAS acknowledges the strong ongoing partnership with DSTO, their support for the Centre of Expertise in Photonics (CoEP) and numerous research projects. The CoEP conducts research in new optical fibres, lasers and photonic solutions for the needs of defence.