Proteomics of the Influenza Virus for In-field Surveillance. The influenza virus continues to pose a serious health risk to Australians and remains a leading cause of death. The molecular characterisation of emerging strains of the virus lies at the heart of current surveillance procedures vital to vaccine preparation and the development of new anti-viral drugs. This research will advance a world-first proteomics surveillance of the virus developed in this laboratory that will enable it to be ch ....Proteomics of the Influenza Virus for In-field Surveillance. The influenza virus continues to pose a serious health risk to Australians and remains a leading cause of death. The molecular characterisation of emerging strains of the virus lies at the heart of current surveillance procedures vital to vaccine preparation and the development of new anti-viral drugs. This research will advance a world-first proteomics surveillance of the virus developed in this laboratory that will enable it to be characterised in-field at the site(s) of infection outbreaks. This rapid response is vital, particularly in the event of a pandemic or a deliberate release of the virus in a bioterrorist attack.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346895
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
A Mass Directed Molecular Resolution Laboratory. The proposed "Mass Directed Molecular Resolution Laboratory" combines an integrated suite of instrumentation housed in purpose built laboratories with technical expertise to provide an unique "one stop shop" to meet the burgeoning mass spectrometry needs of the chemical community in the Melbourne area. This truly collaborative effort will service the needs of 17 research groups with 92 PhD students and post doctoral researchers and will enhance ex ....A Mass Directed Molecular Resolution Laboratory. The proposed "Mass Directed Molecular Resolution Laboratory" combines an integrated suite of instrumentation housed in purpose built laboratories with technical expertise to provide an unique "one stop shop" to meet the burgeoning mass spectrometry needs of the chemical community in the Melbourne area. This truly collaborative effort will service the needs of 17 research groups with 92 PhD students and post doctoral researchers and will enhance existing excellence in a range of areas. Finally, the laboratory will provide opportunities to: collaborate and consult with industry; train postgraduate students in instrumentation used at the cutting edge of chemical and biochemical sciences.Read moreRead less
Gas Phase Dynamics of a Biological Molecular Machine: Fundamentals, Stoichiometries and Stabilities. Over the last twenty years advanced molecular measurement techniques have enabled the characterization of individual biological molecules (proteins and DNA) within different types of cells and diseased tissues. This project uses a new technique that literally "weighs" groups of proteins and/or DNA to help us understand how such large molecules fit together and function within cells (sometimes ref ....Gas Phase Dynamics of a Biological Molecular Machine: Fundamentals, Stoichiometries and Stabilities. Over the last twenty years advanced molecular measurement techniques have enabled the characterization of individual biological molecules (proteins and DNA) within different types of cells and diseased tissues. This project uses a new technique that literally "weighs" groups of proteins and/or DNA to help us understand how such large molecules fit together and function within cells (sometimes referred to as molecular machinery). More detailed knowledge of processes such as those involved in copying DNA when new cells are produced will, in the long term, improve our understanding and treatment of conditions or diseases that result from errors in molecular machinery. Read moreRead less
A Gas Phase Study of Macromolecular Biological Complexes. Following the completion of the human genome project, increased attention has focussed on the elucidation of structure and function of biopolymers in cells. The project aims to use electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (a rapidly developing analytical technique) to detail the processes governing the formation of macromolecular complexes (DNA-protein and DNA-metal-protein) in the gas phase. We aim to explore the relevance of gas pha ....A Gas Phase Study of Macromolecular Biological Complexes. Following the completion of the human genome project, increased attention has focussed on the elucidation of structure and function of biopolymers in cells. The project aims to use electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (a rapidly developing analytical technique) to detail the processes governing the formation of macromolecular complexes (DNA-protein and DNA-metal-protein) in the gas phase. We aim to explore the relevance of gas phase studies of these large macromolecular complexes to interactions between biopolymers in solution and cells. Ultimately, this will aid in the development of improved therapeutics tha t act on DNA and/or DNA-binding proteins and provide new information on biological processes such as replicaton.Read moreRead less
Modulation of cellular metabolism by protein and peptide peroxides. Oxidation of peptides and proteins by a wide range of reactive radicals and other oxidants, in the presence of oxygen, generates protein peroxides. These species are now recognised to be key intermediates in both the deterioration of foods (e.g. development of rancidity and off-flavours, changes in colour and texture) and a number of human diseases, including cancer, heart disease and ageing. How these peroxides cause biological ....Modulation of cellular metabolism by protein and peptide peroxides. Oxidation of peptides and proteins by a wide range of reactive radicals and other oxidants, in the presence of oxygen, generates protein peroxides. These species are now recognised to be key intermediates in both the deterioration of foods (e.g. development of rancidity and off-flavours, changes in colour and texture) and a number of human diseases, including cancer, heart disease and ageing. How these peroxides cause biological perturbations is poorly understood. The proposed studies will provide valuable information as to how these peroxides affect cellular metabolism and provide key leads as to strategies which may prevent such damage.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of carbohydrate antigens and production of monoclonal antibodies for biotechnological applications. Plant proteoglycans are widely used in the Australian agrifood industry as emulsifiers and thickening agents. In plants, they have been implicated in critical roles such as embryogenesis, development and programmed cell death; processes that ultimately determine agricultural production. However studies into plant proteoglycans are limited by a lack of specific reagents to probe their cel ....Synthesis of carbohydrate antigens and production of monoclonal antibodies for biotechnological applications. Plant proteoglycans are widely used in the Australian agrifood industry as emulsifiers and thickening agents. In plants, they have been implicated in critical roles such as embryogenesis, development and programmed cell death; processes that ultimately determine agricultural production. However studies into plant proteoglycans are limited by a lack of specific reagents to probe their cellular function. We propose to develop a series of monoclonal antibodies that can be used to study the structure and function of plant proteoglycans. These antibodies will have broad uses in basic and strategic research programs and will accelerate the commercial development of plant proteoglycans for use in the food industry.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668403
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,000.00
Summary
Enhanced micro-Raman and Fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging facility for biosystems and materials. The state-of-the-art spectroscopic and fluorescence imaging equipment will provide cutting-edge capabilities for fundamental and applied research with the potential to impact on improved health outcomes, pharmaceutics, biotechnology and nanomaterials research. Chemical probes based on molecular vibrations and fluorescence will allow changes in biomolecular composition within cells and tissues to ....Enhanced micro-Raman and Fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging facility for biosystems and materials. The state-of-the-art spectroscopic and fluorescence imaging equipment will provide cutting-edge capabilities for fundamental and applied research with the potential to impact on improved health outcomes, pharmaceutics, biotechnology and nanomaterials research. Chemical probes based on molecular vibrations and fluorescence will allow changes in biomolecular composition within cells and tissues to be mapped/imaged down to nanometre spatial resolution. This will provide new techniques for the diagnosis of diseases, e.g. cancer, the rapid identification of pathogens, the understanding and design of new drugs, and a range of biotechnology, nanomaterials and nanotechnology applications.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882977
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Enhanced NMR Research, Characterisation and Analysis Facility. Studying molecular species is at the heart of chemistry and biochemistry and fundamental to improving our understanding of molecular mechanisms and interactions. This becomes important for elucidating aspects of biological function, medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, materials science and synthetic methodology, which all underpin health and technology advances in Australia. The infrastructure will support projects involving fun ....Enhanced NMR Research, Characterisation and Analysis Facility. Studying molecular species is at the heart of chemistry and biochemistry and fundamental to improving our understanding of molecular mechanisms and interactions. This becomes important for elucidating aspects of biological function, medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, materials science and synthetic methodology, which all underpin health and technology advances in Australia. The infrastructure will support projects involving fundamental and strategic research spanning nanotechnology and the biological and materials sciences to industry-oriented projects.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and consequences of oxidation of glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans by myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation r ....Mechanisms and consequences of oxidation of glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans by myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in weakening the structure of lesions and making them prone to rupture. Little is known about the fundamental chemistry of such damage; this will be addressed in the proposed program. The data obtained will underpin the development of new preventative and protective strategies to minimise lesion rupture and deaths from this major disease.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and consequences of myeloperoxidase-mediated damage to glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in we ....Mechanisms and consequences of myeloperoxidase-mediated damage to glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in weakening the structure of lesions and making them prone to rupture. Little is known about the fundamental chemistry of such damage; this will be addressed in the proposed program. The data obtained will underpin the development of new preventative and protective strategies to minimise lesion rupture and deaths from this major disease.Read moreRead less