Associate Professor Sally Plush

Dean of Graduate Studies Chancellery and Council Services

City East Campus (P5-28)
tel +61 8 830 22586

email Sally.Plush@unisa.edu.au

Research Degree Supervisor

About me

I am Associate Professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry at the University of South Australia and leads the Bioinorganic Synthesis and Imaging research group. I am currently acting Dean of Graduate Studies. I completed her PhD in 2004 at the University of Adelaide after which I completed a postdoctoral fellowships at Trinity College Dublin and UT Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas. I have experience in start up companies, having co-founded ReZolve Scientific in 2014 for the sale of live cell imaging agents that were developed as a consortium of chemists and biologists in Australia. My research is mainly focused on advancing knowledge in biology and improving health, by synthesising fluorescent and luminescent imaging... Read more

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Research

Research focus

Inorganic Chemistry
Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry
Other Chemical Sciences
Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Organic Chemistry

Highlights

My research focuses on furthering knowledge in biology and medicine through the development of imaging devices. Non-invasive imaging technologies with the ability to report on internalisation, traffic and localisation in conjunction with changes in the intracellular environment (e.g. pH, enzymolysis) have the capacity to transform the biological sector and related disciplines. Current work focuses on the use of luminescent lanthanide optical probes to study the dynamic processes of subcellular traffic and molecular interactions.

Research

Projects

Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.

Development and production of advanced carbon water purification materials, SIEF STEM+ Business Fellowship Program, 09/12/2017 - 09/12/2020
Development and production of advanced carbon water purification materials, Puratap Pty Ltd, 09/12/2017 - 09/12/2020
Developmental research projects for prostate cancer diagnostics and prognosis, and cancer diagnostics, prognosis and therapuetic intervention , EnVision Sciences Pty Ltd, 20/01/2017 - 28/04/2019
Advancing Rezolve Scientific's product categories to market via undertaking further development tasks, Rezolve Scientific Pty Ltd, 21/03/2017 - 25/01/2019
Development of re-pyridine 4 and re-mannose, Rezolve Scientific Pty Ltd, 02/01/2017 - 28/04/2018
Process development for SCV vector vaccine production/manufacturing, DISER-Innovation Connections Grant, 21/11/2016 - 28/12/2017
Optimisation and testing of prototype (C'Wealth funding), Cwth Dept Industry, Science, Energy & Resources, 15/05/2017 - 08/12/2017
Innovation connections puratap development of a chemical detection device, Puratap Pty Ltd, 01/04/2016 - 30/09/2017
Development of a chemical detection device, DISER-Innovation Connections Grant, 18/04/2016 - 18/04/2017

Research

Outputs

Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus

Open access indicates that an output is open access.

Journal Articles

Year	Output
2023	Baghapour, S, Nehema, J, Zhang, WQ, Warren-Smith, SC, Hickey, SM, Plush, SE & Afshar Vahid, S 2023, 'Surface functionalised optical fibre for detection of hydrogen sulphide', Biosensors, vol. 12, no.11, article no. 949, pp. 1-16. Open access 2 2
2022	Lazniewska, J, Bader, CA, Hickey, SM, Selemidis, S, OLeary, J, Simpson, P V, Stagni, S, Plush, SE, Massi, M & Brooks, D 2022, 'Rhenium(I) conjugates as tools for tracking cholesterol in cells', Metallomics: integrated Biometal Science, vol. 14, no. 8, article no. mfac040. Open access 4 5 1
2022	Zhang, WQ, Sorvina, A, Morrison, JL, Darby, JR, Brooks, DA, Plush, SE & Afshar Vahid, S 2022, 'Development of an optical fiber-based redox monitoring system for tissue metabolism', Journal of Biophotonics, vol. 15, no. 4, article no. e202100304, pp. 1-11. Open access 2 2 1
2021	Day, CM, Sweetman, MJ, Hickey, SM, Song, Y, Liu, Y, Zhang, N, Plush, SE & Garg, S 2021, 'Concept design, development and preliminary physical and chemical characterization of tamoxifen-guided-mesoporous silica nanoparticles', Molecules, vol. 26, no. 1, article no. 219. Open access 11 10
2021	Day, CM, Sweetman, MJ, Song, Y, Plush, SE & Garg, S 2021, 'Functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles as delivery systems for doxorubicin: drug loading and release', Applied Sciences (Switzerland), vol. 11, no. 13, article no. 6121. Open access 19 16
2021	Dimasi, CG, Lazniewska, J, Plush, SE, Saini, BS, Holman, SL, Cho, SK, Wiese, MD, Sorvina, A, Macgowan, CK, Seed, M, Brooks, DA, Morrison, JL & Darby, JR 2021, 'Redox ratio in the left ventricle of the growth restricted fetus is positively correlated with cardiac output', Journal of Biophotonics, vol. 14, no. 12, article no. e202100157, pp. 1-13. Open access 15 15 6
2021	Gillam, TA, Caporale, C, Brooks, RD, Bader, CA, Sorvina, A, Werrett, M V, Wright, PJ, Morrison, JL, Massi, M, Brooks, DA, Zacchini, S, Hickey, SM, Stagni, S & Plush, SE 2021, 'Neutral Re(I) complex platform for live intracellular imaging', Inorganic Chemistry: Including Bioinorganic Chemistry, vol. 60, no. 14, pp. 10173-10185. 11 11 9
2021	Lazniewska, J, Agostino, M, Hickey, SM, Parkinson-Lawrence, E, Stagni, S, Massi, M, Brooks, DA & Plush, SE 2021, 'Spectroscopic and molecular docking study of the interaction between neutral Re(I) tetrazolate complexes and bovine serum albumin', Chemistry: A European Journal, online, pp. 1-22. Open access 14 12 2
2021	Lazniewska, J, Darby, JR, Holman, SL, Sorvina, A, Plush, SE, Massi, M, Brooks, DA & Morrison, JL 2021, 'In utero substrate restriction by placental insufficiency or maternal undernutrition decreases optical redox ratio in foetal perirenal fat', Journal of Biophotonics, vol. 14, no. 4, article no. e202000322, pp. 1-13. Open access 4 3 1
2020	Caporale, C, Ranieri, AM, Paternoster, S, Bader, CA, Falasca, M, Plush, SE, Brooks, DA, Stagni, S & Massi, M 2020, 'Photophysical and biological properties of iridium tetrazolato complexes functionalised with fatty acid chains', Inorganics, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 1-20. Open access 6 6 4
2020	Darby, JR, Sorvina, A, Bader, CA, Lock, MC, Soo, JY, Holman, SL, Seed, M, Kuchel, T, Brooks, DA, Plush, SE & Morrison, JL 2020, 'Detecting metabolic differences in fetal and adult sheep adipose and skeletal muscle tissue', Journal of Biophotonics, 13, no. 3, article no. e201960085, pp. 1-13. Open access 16 17 3
2020	Day, CM, Hickey, SM, Song, Y, Plush, SE & Garg, S 2020, 'Novel tamoxifen nanoformulations for improving breast cancer treatment: old wine in new bottles', Molecules, vol. 25, no. 5, article no. 25051182, pp.1-27. Open access 64 52 2
2020	Hickey, SM, Nitschke, SO, Sweetman, MJ, Sumby, CJ, Brooks, DA, Plush, SE & Ashton, TD 2020, 'Cross-coupling of amide and amide derivatives to umbelliferone nonaflates: synthesis of coumarin derivatives and fluorescent materials', Journal of Organic Chemistry, vol. 85, no. 12, pp. 7986-7999. 14 15 12
2019	Coad, BR, Michl, TD, Bader, CA, Baranger, J, Giles, C, Gonçalves, GC, Nath, P, Lamont-Friedrich, SJ, Johnsson, M, Griesser, HJ & Plush, SE 2019, 'Visualizing biomaterial degradation by Candida albicans using embedded luminescent molecules to report on substrate digestion and cellular uptake of hydrolysate', ACS Applied Bio Materials, vol. 2, no. 9, pp. 3934-3941. Open access 3
2019	Lundquist, N, Sweetman, MJ, Scroggie, KR, Worthington, MJ, Esdaile, LJ, Alboaiji, SF, Plush, SE, Hayball, JD & Chalker, JM 2019, 'Polymer supported carbon for safe and effective remediation of PFOA- and PFOS-contaminated water', ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, vol. 7, no. 13, pp. 11044-11049. Open access 49 47 67
2019	Pincher, DW, Bader, CA, Hayball, JD, Plush, SE & Sweetman, MJ 2019, 'Graphene quantum dot embedded hydrogel for dissolved iron sensing', Chemistry Select, vol. 4, no. 33, pp. 9640-9646. 16 15 3
2019	Sweetman, MJ, Hickey, SM, Brooks, DA, Hayball, JD & Plush, SE 2019, 'A practical guide to prepare and synthetically modify graphene quantum dots', Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 29, no. 14, article no. 1808740, pp. 1-18. Open access 96 94 1
2018	Du, Z, Sun, J, Bader, CA, Brooks, DA, Li, M, Li, X & Plush, SE 2018, 'Synthesis, photophysical and cellular characterisation of folate and methotrexate labelled luminescent lanthanide complexes', Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, vol. 178, pp. 32-42. 13 11
2018	Fiorini, V, Bergamini, L, Monti, N, Zacchini, S, Plush, SE, Massi, M, Hochkoeppler, A, Stefan, A & Stagni, S 2018, 'Luminescent protein staining with Re(i) tetrazolato complexes', Dalton Transactions: An International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 47, no. 28, pp. 9400-9410. Open access 12 12 5
2018	Gillam, TA, Sweetman, MJ, Bader, CA, Morrison, JL, Hayball, JD, Brooks, DA & Plush, SE 2018, 'Bright lights down under: Metal ion complexes turning the spotlight on metabolic processes at the cellular level', Coordination Chemistry Reviews, vol. 375, pp. 234-255. 9 7 2
2018	Hickey, SM, Ashton, TD, Boer, G, Bader, CA, Thomas, M, Elliott, AG, Schmuck, C, Yu, HY, Li, J, Nation, RL, Cooper, MA, Plush, SE, Brooks, DA & Pfeffer, FM 2018, 'Norbornane-based cationic antimicrobial peptidomimetics targeting the bacterial membrane', European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 160, pp. 9-22. Open access 24 24
2018	Morrison, JL, Sorvina, A, Darby, JR, Bader, CA, Lock, MC, Seed, M, Kuchel, T, Plush, SE & Brooks, DA 2018, 'Label-free imaging of redox status and collagen deposition showing metabolic differences in the heart', Journal of Biophotonics, vol. 11, no. 3, article no. e201700242, pp. 1-7. Open access 5 6 4
2018	Sorvina, A, Bader, C, Lock, MC, Brooks, DA, Morrison, JL & Plush, SE 2018, 'Label-free imaging of healthy and infarcted fetal sheep hearts by two-photon microscopy', Journal of Biophotonics, vol. 11, no. 1, article no. e201600296, pp. 1-8. Open access 6 4 3
2018	Sorvina, A, Bader, CA, Caporale, C, Carter, EA, Johnson, IR, Parkinson-Lawrence, EJ, Simpson, P V, Wright, PJ, Stagni, S, Lay, PA, Massi, M, Brooks, DA & Plush, SE 2018, 'Lipid profiles of prostate cancer cells', Oncotarget, vol. 9, no. 85, pp. 35541-35552. Open access 39 5
2018	Sorvina, A, Bader, CA, Darby, JR, Lock, MC, Soo, JY, Johnson, IR, Caporale, C, Voelcker, NH, Stagni, S, Massi, M, Morrison, JL, Plush, SE & Brooks, DA 2018, 'Mitochondrial imaging in live or fixed tissues using a luminescent iridium complex', Scientific Reports, vol. 8, no. 1, article no. 8191, pp. 1-8. Open access 32 28 9
2018	Sweetman, MJ, Sebben, D, Noll, BD, Wang, WH, May, S, Mebberson, N, Plush, SE & Hayball, JD 2018, 'A rapid technique to determine performance and efficiency of activated carbon water filters', Water Science and Technology: Water Supply, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 371-382. Open access 8 7
2017	Caporale, C, Bader, CA, Sorvina, A, Magee, KD, Skelton, BW, Gillam, TA, Wright, PJ, Raiteri, P, Stagni, S, Morrison, JL, Plush, SE, Brooks, DA & Massi, M 2017, 'Investigating intracellular localisation and cytotoxicity trends for neutral and cationic iridium tetrazolato complexes in live cells', Chemistry: A European Journal, vol. 23, no. 62, pp. 15666-15679. Open access 53 49 16
2017	Farashishiko, A, Plush, SE, Maier, KB, Sherry, AD & Woods, M 2017, 'Crosslinked shells for nano-assembled capsules: A new encapsulation method for smaller Gd3+-loaded capsules with exceedingly high relaxivities', Chemical Communications, vol. 53, no. 47, pp. 6355-6358. Open access 7 7 3
2017	Jenie, SA, Hickey, SM, Du, Z, Sebben, D, Brooks, DA, Voelcker, NH & Plush, SE 2017, 'A europium-based 'off-on' colourimetric detector of singlet oxygen', Inorganica Chimica Acta, vol. 462, pp. 236-240. 12 12 3
2017	Jenie, SA, Plush, SE & Voelcker, NH 2017, 'Singlet oxygen detection on a nanostructured porous silicon thin film via photonic luminescence enhancements', Langmuir: The ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids, vol. 33, no. 35, pp. 8606-8613. 15 15
2017	Sinha, S, Tong, WY, Williamson, NH, McInnes, SJ, Puttick, S, Cifuentes-Rius, A, Bhardwaj, R, Plush, SE & Voelcker, NH 2017, 'Novel Gd-loaded silicon nanohybrid: a potential epidermal growth factor receptor expressing cancer cell targeting magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent', ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, vol. 9, no. 49, pp. 42601-42611. Open access 20 18 1
2017	Stevens, K, Bader, C, Sorvina, A, Plush, S & Morrison, J 2017, 'Imaging and lipidomics methods for lipid analysis in metabolic and cardiovascular disease', Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 566-574. Open access 4 4
2017	Sweetman, MJ, May, S, Mebberson, N, Pendleton, P, Vasilev, K, Plush, SE & Hayball, J 2017, 'Activated carbon, carbon nanotubes and graphene: materials and composites for advanced water purification', Journal of Carbon Research, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 1-29. Open access 89 3
2017	Wedding, J, Harris, H, Bader, C, Plush, S, Mak, R, Massi, M, Brooks, D, Lai, B, Vogt, S, Werrett, M, Simpson, P, Skelton, B & Stagni, S 2017, 'Intracellular distribution and stability of a luminescent rhenium(I) tricarbonyl tetrazolato complex using epifluorescence microscopy in conjunction with x-ray fluorescence imaging', Metallomics: integrated Biometal Science, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 337-426. Open access 36 35 8
2016	Bader, C, Carter, E, Safitri, A, Simpson, P, Wright, P, Stagni, S, Massi, M, Lay, P, Brooks, D & Plush, S 2016, 'Unprecedented staining of polar lipids by a luminescent rhenium complex revealed by FTIR microspectroscopy in adipocytes', Molecular Biosystems, vol. 12, no. 7, pp. 2064-2068. Open access 29 26 6
2016	Bader, CA, Shandala, T, Carter, EA, Ivask, A, Guinan, T, Hickey, SM, Werrett, M V, Wright, PJ, Simpson, P V, Stagni, S, Voelcker, NH, Lay, PA, Massi, M, Plush, SE & Brooks, DA 2016, 'A molecular probe for the detection of polar lipids in live cells', PLoS One, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 1-24. Open access 34 32 13
2016	Bader, CA, Sorvina, A, Simpson, P V, Wright, PJ, Stagni, S, Plush, SE, Massi, M & Brooks, DA 2016, 'Imaging nuclear, endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane events in real time', FEBS Letters, vol. 590, no. 18, pp. 3051-3060. Open access 25 23 8
2016	Jenie, SA, Plush, SE & Voelcker, NH 2016, 'Recent advances on luminescent enhancement-based porous silicon biosensors', Pharmaceutical Research, vol. 33, no. 10, pp. 2314-2336. 49 45 1
2015	Fanning, A-M, Plush, SE & Gunnlaugsson, T 2015, 'Tri- and tetra-substituted cyclen based lanthanide(III) ion complexes as ribonuclease mimics: a study into the effect of log Ka, hydration and hydrophobicity on phosphodiester hydrolysis of the RNA-model 2-hydroxypropyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNP)', Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, vol. 13, pp. 5804-5816. Open access 9 6 1
2014	Bader, CA, Brooks, RD, Ng, YS, Sorvina, A, Werrett, M V, Wright, PJ, Anwer, AG, Brooks, DA, Stagni, S, Muzzioli, S, Silberstein, M, Skelton, BW, Goldys, EM, Plush, SE, Shandala, T & Massi, M 2014, 'Modulation of the organelle specificity in Re(i) tetrazolato complexes leads to labeling of lipid droplets', RSC Advances: An International Journal to Further the Chemical Sciences, vol. 4, no. 31, pp. 16345-16351. Open access 54 49
2014	Du, Z, Borlace, GN, Brooks, RD, Butler, RN, Brooks, DA & Plush, SE 2014, 'Synthesis and characterisation of folic acid based lanthanide ion probes', Inorganica Chimica Acta, vol. 410, pp. 11-19. 10 8
2014	Jenie, AS, Du, Z, McInnes, SJ, Ung, P, Graham, B, Plush, SE & Voelcker, N 2014, 'Biomolecule detection in porous silicon based microcavities via europium luminescence enhancement', Journal of Materials Chemistry B, vol. 2 no. 44, pp. 7694-7703. Open access 18 16
2014	Jenie, SA, Pace, S, Sciacca, B, Brooks, RD, Plush, SE & Voelcker, NH 2014, 'Lanthanide luminescence enhancements in porous silicon resonant microcavities', ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, vol. 6, no. 15, pp. 12012-12021. 53 52
2014	Plush, SE & Kehrwald, BA 2014, 'Supporting new academics' use of student centred strategies in traditional university teaching', Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, vol. 11, no. 1, article no. 5, pp. 1-16.
2013	Brooks, RD, Du, Z, Borlace, G, Brooks, D & Plush, S 2013, 'Synthesis and characterisation of first generation luminescent lanthanide complexes suitable for being adapted for uptake via the mannose receptor', Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 2013, pp. 1-8. Open access
2010	Clear, NA, Gunnlaugsson, T, Plush, SE, Fanning, A-M & Leonard, JP 2010, 'The effect on the lanthanide luminescence of structurally simple Eu(III) cyclen complexes upon deprotonation of metal bound water molecules and amide based pendant arms', Dalton Transactions: An International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 39, no. 15, pp. 3644-3652. Open access 23 23
2008	Gunnlaugsson, T & Plush, SE 2008, 'Solution studies of trimetallic lanthanide luminescent anionn sensors: towards ratiometric sensing using an internal reference channel', Dalton Transactions: An International Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, vol. 29, pp. 3801-3804. 63 64

Conferences

Year	Output
2023	Baghapour, S, Nehema, J, Zhang, WQ, Warren-Smith, SC, Hickey, SM, Plush, SE & Sharaam, A V 2023, 'Hydrogen sulphide detection using a fibre optic platform', 28th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors, Optica Publishing Group, article no. Th6.5.
2017	Zhang, WQ, Morrison, JL, Darby, JR, Plush, S, Sorvina, A, Brooks, D, Monro, TM & Afshar Vahid, S 2017, 'A fibre optic fluorescence sensor to measure redox level in tissues', Nanophotonics Australasia 2017, SPIE, vol. 10456, article no. 104564R, pp. 1-6.

Research

Patents

Details	Registry	Status
Complexes for intracellular imaging Brooks, Douglas; Plush, Sally; Massimilio, Massimilio; Stagni, Stefano	WO	Filed
Iridium complexes for intracellular imaging Brooks, Doug; Plush, Sally; Stagni, Stefano; Massimiliano, Massimiliano	WO	Filed
Methods and products for labelling lipids Brooks, Douglas; Plush, Sally; Massi, Massimilio	WO	Filed
Sorbent compositions Chalker, Justin; Hayball, John; Plush, Sally; Sweetman, Martin Jay	AU	Filed

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

Organisation	Country
Argonne National Laboratory	UNITED STATES
Australian National University	AUSTRALIA
Curtin University	AUSTRALIA
Deakin University	AUSTRALIA
Flinders University	AUSTRALIA
Jubail Industrial College	SAUDI ARABIA
Macquarie University	AUSTRALIA
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science	AUSTRALIA
Monash University	AUSTRALIA
Portland State University	UNITED STATES
Puratap Pty Ltd	AUSTRALIA
RMIT University	AUSTRALIA
Shandong University	CHINA
South Australian Health and Medical Institute	AUSTRALIA
The Hospital for Sick Children	CANADA
Trinity College Dublin	IRELAND
University College Dublin	IRELAND
University of Adelaide	AUSTRALIA
University of Bologna	ITALY
University of Dublin	IRELAND
University of Duisburg-Essen	GERMANY
University of Melbourne	AUSTRALIA
University of Queensland	AUSTRALIA
University of South Australia	AUSTRALIA
University of Sydney	AUSTRALIA
University of Texas	UNITED STATES
University of Western Australia	AUSTRALIA

External engagement & recognition

Engagement/recognition	Year
Member ARC College of Experts	2022
Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Department of Education and Training, Australian Government	2017
Member Scientists in Schools	2017
Member Royal Australian Chemical Institute Incorporated MRACI	2017

Teaching & student supervision

Highlights

Organic Chemistry,Fluorescence,Nuclear and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy,Inorganic Chemistry,Bioinorganic Chemistry

Teaching & student supervision

Research degree supervision

Supervisions from 2010 shown

Thesis title	Student status
A fibre-optic system for real-time, in-vivo measurement of the metabolic status of tissues	Current
Development of a fluorescence-based fibre optic platform for multiplexed detection of cancer biomarkers	Current
Atg9 and the visualisation of autophagic compartments	Completed
Coumarin amphiphiles as membrane-active antibacterial agents	Completed
Design, in silico assessment, and synthesis of quinoxaline platinum complexes as ATPase competitive topoisomerase inhibitors	Completed
Development and applications of metal ion complexes as live cellular imaging agents	Completed
Development of targeted luminescent metal complexes for cellular imaging	Completed
Investigation and development of pentafulvene-maleimide ligation for bioconjugation	Completed
Luminescence sensing based on Tb(III) and Eu(III) macrocyclic complexes to monitor drug metabolites in urine	Completed
Novel functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles as targeted delivery systems to estrogen receptor-overexpressing breast cancer	Completed
Study of luminescence enhancement by porous silicon microcavities for biosensing applications	Completed
Synthesis and characterisation of folate and methotrexate labelled luminescent lanthanide complexes	Completed

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Associate Professor Sally Plush

About me

About me

UniSA Chancellery and Council Services

About me

Professional Associations

Experience

Qualifications

Research

Research focus

Highlights

Projects

Outputs

Journal Articles

Conferences

Current research & highlights

Patents

External engagement & recognition

Collaborations

Collaborations

External engagement & recognition

Member

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Member

Member

Teaching & student supervision

Highlights

Courses and programs

Courses I teach

Research degree supervision

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