A sustainable cellular factory for the production of antibiotics by photosynthetic bacteria. The range and rate of natural product discovery is the limiting factor in developing new pharmaceuticals. Traditional methods for the screening of these compounds or for their chemical synthesis are rapidly becoming inadequate as an increasing number of specific therapies, for cancers and infectious diseases for instance, are required. The research proposed will enable the design and production of "unnat ....A sustainable cellular factory for the production of antibiotics by photosynthetic bacteria. The range and rate of natural product discovery is the limiting factor in developing new pharmaceuticals. Traditional methods for the screening of these compounds or for their chemical synthesis are rapidly becoming inadequate as an increasing number of specific therapies, for cancers and infectious diseases for instance, are required. The research proposed will enable the design and production of "unnatural" products, including novel antibiotics, via combinatorial biosynthesis in photosynthetic microorgansims. The outcomes include graduate student training and Australian innovation in an enormous global market that is awaiting the next generation of medicines and associated pharmaceutical production technologies.Read moreRead less
Improving the sustainability of Australia's water resources: an effective approach for diagnosing and treating foulants on water recycling membrane filters. By determining ways to diagnose and treat fouling problems we will have effectively solved a critical problem in the water recycling industry. By creating more efficient and sustainable ways of using water, we will transform the effectiveness of a wealth of Australian industries that increasingly rely on the efficient use of water (e.g. mini ....Improving the sustainability of Australia's water resources: an effective approach for diagnosing and treating foulants on water recycling membrane filters. By determining ways to diagnose and treat fouling problems we will have effectively solved a critical problem in the water recycling industry. By creating more efficient and sustainable ways of using water, we will transform the effectiveness of a wealth of Australian industries that increasingly rely on the efficient use of water (e.g. mining, agriculture, textiles, energy). By reducing the demand for water (by effectively recycling it), and the energy requirements (by efficiently recycling it), we will increase national wealth and provide significant social and environmental benefits to all Australians.Read moreRead less
Development of novel forms of Marguerite Daisies (Argyranthemum species). Nuflora International Pty. Ltd. and its partners have developed a world class breeding program in marguerite daisies which has seen this formerly minor garden plant become an important commercial commodity in the international nursery industry, with sales of PBR protected varieties now topping ten million plants per year. However, further commercialization of this species into diverse international markets, such as the cut ....Development of novel forms of Marguerite Daisies (Argyranthemum species). Nuflora International Pty. Ltd. and its partners have developed a world class breeding program in marguerite daisies which has seen this formerly minor garden plant become an important commercial commodity in the international nursery industry, with sales of PBR protected varieties now topping ten million plants per year. However, further commercialization of this species into diverse international markets, such as the cut flower market, is limited by the level of genetic diversity in the gene pool available to breeders. This project seeks to greatly expand the level of genetic variability in marguerite daisies through inter-specific hybridization, mutation and chromosome engineering.Read moreRead less
Developing an integrated device for on-farm detection of sugarcane diseases. Pathogenic organisms cause yield losses of more than $150M pa to the Australian sugarcane industry and many millions more worldwide. Partnering with Sugar Research Australia, this project aims to develop a novel on-farm diagnostic device, comprising new nanotechnology and magnetism-induced microfluidics with naked eye observation and electrochemical detection. This device is expected to enable improved disease managemen ....Developing an integrated device for on-farm detection of sugarcane diseases. Pathogenic organisms cause yield losses of more than $150M pa to the Australian sugarcane industry and many millions more worldwide. Partnering with Sugar Research Australia, this project aims to develop a novel on-farm diagnostic device, comprising new nanotechnology and magnetism-induced microfluidics with naked eye observation and electrochemical detection. This device is expected to enable improved disease management strategies through the prediction of potential risks and rapid and effective actions to mitigate impending yield loss. In turn productivity and sustainability of Australia’s sugar industry will be enhanced. The new platform device has great potential for improved disease management in other crops in Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
Enhanced biocatalysis in organic solvents for pharmaceutical biotransformation. Enzymes such as hydrolases play an important role in biotechnology because of their extreme versatility with respect to substrate specificity and stereoselectivity. The use of lipases as catalysts for optical isomer-specific organic reactions is often limited by unacceptably low enantioselectivities. We will investigate recombinant enzymes cloned from thermophilic lipolytic bacteria for synthetic reactions in orga ....Enhanced biocatalysis in organic solvents for pharmaceutical biotransformation. Enzymes such as hydrolases play an important role in biotechnology because of their extreme versatility with respect to substrate specificity and stereoselectivity. The use of lipases as catalysts for optical isomer-specific organic reactions is often limited by unacceptably low enantioselectivities. We will investigate recombinant enzymes cloned from thermophilic lipolytic bacteria for synthetic reactions in organic solvents, especially chiral resolution of mixtures in the production of pharmaceutical intermediates. Genetic improvement of lipase enantiospecificity and regioselectivity will be achieved using in vitro evolution by recombination and screening. The outcome will be cost-effective production superior biocatalysts with specifically enhanced regiospecific, enantioselective and hydrolytic characteristics.
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Genetic modification and lyophilisation of microorganisms for the generation of bacteriological internal quality controls. The development of internal quality control micro-organisms in precise numbers is necessary for the evolution of standard methodology in microbiology, which until now, remains obsolete, because it relies on inaccurate methods to produce quantitative and qualitative results. The research described here is largely based on molecular techniques to genetically tag micro-organism ....Genetic modification and lyophilisation of microorganisms for the generation of bacteriological internal quality controls. The development of internal quality control micro-organisms in precise numbers is necessary for the evolution of standard methodology in microbiology, which until now, remains obsolete, because it relies on inaccurate methods to produce quantitative and qualitative results. The research described here is largely based on molecular techniques to genetically tag micro-organisms with fluorescent proteins and pigment producing enzymes, and on the manipulation of growth and storage conditions to maximize the survival of micro-organisms during lyophilisation. Successful completion and application of the proposed project through existing patents owned by BTF, will revolutionise the way microbiological tests are performed worldwide.Read moreRead less
Investigation of almond transformation for self-fertility and virus resistance. This project addresses the long-term goal of the Australian almond industry to produce cultivars that are self-fertile and resistant to Prunus necrotic ringspot and prune dwarf viruses. Both self-sterility and virus infection can result in unreliable and often low yields. Research will address the control of gene expression relating to self-sterility and the introduction of virus resistance, via sequencing of self- ....Investigation of almond transformation for self-fertility and virus resistance. This project addresses the long-term goal of the Australian almond industry to produce cultivars that are self-fertile and resistant to Prunus necrotic ringspot and prune dwarf viruses. Both self-sterility and virus infection can result in unreliable and often low yields. Research will address the control of gene expression relating to self-sterility and the introduction of virus resistance, via sequencing of self-fertility and self-sterility genes, construct development and improved regeneration of transformed almond in vitro without the use of antibiotics.Read moreRead less
Engineering of anti-platelet antibodies for the diagnosis and therapy of infants with bleeding disorders. Foeto-maternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FMAIT) is a serious clinical condition where infants suffer potentially fatal bleeding disorders from 14 weeks gestation to 1-2 weeks post delivery. The cause of the disease is through maternal antibodies destroying foetal platelets. Our aim is to produce human antibodies, which will be used as diagnostic agents to screen for the condition in preg ....Engineering of anti-platelet antibodies for the diagnosis and therapy of infants with bleeding disorders. Foeto-maternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FMAIT) is a serious clinical condition where infants suffer potentially fatal bleeding disorders from 14 weeks gestation to 1-2 weeks post delivery. The cause of the disease is through maternal antibodies destroying foetal platelets. Our aim is to produce human antibodies, which will be used as diagnostic agents to screen for the condition in pregnant women, and to further develop such antibodies for therapy. Identification of mothers at risk of FMAIT and the development of a specific therapy are vital to the management and prevention of this serious condition.Read moreRead less
Molecular technology for biological control of the most destructive horticultural pest in Australia. As part of a world-wide effort to apply transgenic technologies for the improvement of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), this project will place Australian research at the forefront of the latest developments in the field. With a requirement for fruit fly free status of horticultural production and an increasing demand for pesticide free produce, improved SIT strains of Queensland fruit fly wi ....Molecular technology for biological control of the most destructive horticultural pest in Australia. As part of a world-wide effort to apply transgenic technologies for the improvement of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), this project will place Australian research at the forefront of the latest developments in the field. With a requirement for fruit fly free status of horticultural production and an increasing demand for pesticide free produce, improved SIT strains of Queensland fruit fly will be vital to maintain our competitiveness in international horticultural markets. Rural and regional areas will be the main beneficiaries from the outcomes, with health benefits, a clean and green image for horticulture, simplified marketing and reduced costs. Read moreRead less