Pluses and minuses of lipid mass spectrometry. This project aims to investigate the structural diversity of lipids. Lipids are among the most structurally diverse of all the biomolecules and thus deciphering their many functions requires bio-analytical technologies capable of uniquely identifying and quantifying individual molecules in a milieu of many thousands of analogues. Mass spectrometry is the pre-eminent technique for contemporary lipid analysis but is challenged by the preference of cer ....Pluses and minuses of lipid mass spectrometry. This project aims to investigate the structural diversity of lipids. Lipids are among the most structurally diverse of all the biomolecules and thus deciphering their many functions requires bio-analytical technologies capable of uniquely identifying and quantifying individual molecules in a milieu of many thousands of analogues. Mass spectrometry is the pre-eminent technique for contemporary lipid analysis but is challenged by the preference of certain lipids to ionise with a polarity that affords sensitive detection but does not permit detailed structure elucidation. This project will develop advanced instrumentation capable of on-demand polarity switching of ionised lipids such that the detection and interrogation of molecular structure can take place in the optimal charge state.Read moreRead less
Developing next generation technologies for unmasking the lipidome. Recent discoveries suggest that the number and structural variety of lipids in nature may be far greater than previously imagined. This complexity arises from the presence of structurally similar, but functionally distinct, lipid isomers that are not readily distinguished using current lipidomics technologies. This project aims to develop unique instrumentation that combines ion mobility and mass spectrometry to enable the rapid ....Developing next generation technologies for unmasking the lipidome. Recent discoveries suggest that the number and structural variety of lipids in nature may be far greater than previously imagined. This complexity arises from the presence of structurally similar, but functionally distinct, lipid isomers that are not readily distinguished using current lipidomics technologies. This project aims to develop unique instrumentation that combines ion mobility and mass spectrometry to enable the rapid separation, identification and quantification of isomeric lipids. These next generation technologies will be deployed in the hope of unmasking the molecular diversity within the lipidomes of two important mammalian cell types, thus providing fundamental new insights into the structure and function of lipids within living systems.Read moreRead less
The photons take charge: Elucidating the structure and stability of distonic radical anions by mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy. Recent work has discovered that certain radical anions have electronic configurations that defy chemical convention and exhibit exceptional radical stability. Exploitation of this breakthrough first requires experimental elucidation of the intrinsic electronic structure of these compounds and how it relates to their remarkable properties. This project w ....The photons take charge: Elucidating the structure and stability of distonic radical anions by mass spectrometry and photoelectron spectroscopy. Recent work has discovered that certain radical anions have electronic configurations that defy chemical convention and exhibit exceptional radical stability. Exploitation of this breakthrough first requires experimental elucidation of the intrinsic electronic structure of these compounds and how it relates to their remarkable properties. This project will probe the fundamental structure and energetics of radical anions by modifying instrumentation to enable multi-step gas-phase ion synthesis to be efficiently coupled with anion photoelectron spectroscopy. These investigations are essential to revealing the scope of this phenomenon in free radical chemistry and biology and could inform future development of new catalysts for polymerisation.Read moreRead less
New laser and mass spectrometry-based tools for comprehensive structural elucidation of lipids and their biomolecular interactions. Lipid-related disorders such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease are reaching epidemic proportions. We propose the development of specialised instrumentation to identify and quantify lipids (fats) in tissue and culture samples thus providing Australian scientists with unique capabilities to investigate the mechanisms of disease.
Synthesis and Characterisation of Encoded Hybrid Polymer/Gold Nanoparticles for Application in Bioassays. Bioassays are the cornerstone of in vitro diagnostic and biomedical research. This proposal will significantly contribute to these areas, by targeting an emerging technology that is crucial for their future development. The hybrid nanoparticles described in this project have the potential to replace conventional detection strategies that are currently used for bioassays. In doing so, they sh ....Synthesis and Characterisation of Encoded Hybrid Polymer/Gold Nanoparticles for Application in Bioassays. Bioassays are the cornerstone of in vitro diagnostic and biomedical research. This proposal will significantly contribute to these areas, by targeting an emerging technology that is crucial for their future development. The hybrid nanoparticles described in this project have the potential to replace conventional detection strategies that are currently used for bioassays. In doing so, they should provide significant advantages over conventional detection strategies. These advantages include increased sample throughput and conservation of biological samples, which makes possible the acceleration of patient diagnosis and drug discovery. Read moreRead less
A global platform for identifying emerging chemical threats. This project aims to develop an automated early warning social network to systematically detect newly identified emerging chemical threats. Rapid identification of chemical exposures is key to managing chemical threats and associated risks. Global collaboration and sharing of archived, high-resolution mass spectrometry data through open/social platforms will revolutionise data processing and chemical threat identification. This project ....A global platform for identifying emerging chemical threats. This project aims to develop an automated early warning social network to systematically detect newly identified emerging chemical threats. Rapid identification of chemical exposures is key to managing chemical threats and associated risks. Global collaboration and sharing of archived, high-resolution mass spectrometry data through open/social platforms will revolutionise data processing and chemical threat identification. This project will result in a new and cost-effective approach for the identification, tracking and prioritisation of emerging chemical threats and address key national and global health risks. The outcomes include the first spatial and temporal distribution of new emerging chemical threats in Australia.Read moreRead less
Uncovering Antarctica’s Secret Chemical Voyagers for Expedited Regulation. This project aims to strengthen global chemical policy by rapidly identifying chemicals that demonstrate environmental persistence and mobility, two requisite risk criteria for regulatory action. It will take the novel approach of applying powerful non-target chemical screening approaches to Antarctic environmental media, leveraging the remoteness of Antarctica to derive unambiguous evidence against the key risk criteria. ....Uncovering Antarctica’s Secret Chemical Voyagers for Expedited Regulation. This project aims to strengthen global chemical policy by rapidly identifying chemicals that demonstrate environmental persistence and mobility, two requisite risk criteria for regulatory action. It will take the novel approach of applying powerful non-target chemical screening approaches to Antarctic environmental media, leveraging the remoteness of Antarctica to derive unambiguous evidence against the key risk criteria. Research will uncover a new catalogue of proven persistent and mobile chemicals, and further assess their ubiquity and biomagnification potential in the Antarctic system. Project findings will be directly disseminated to policymakers, facilitating expedited regulatory decision-making for improved Planetary Health outcomes.Read moreRead less
Formation, photochemistry and fate of gas-phase peroxyl radicals. This project aims to understand how peroxyl radical reactions modulate the composition of air. The gas-phase chemical reactions of organic peroxyl radicals contribute to air quality in clean and polluted environments. However, experimental observations of these reaction intermediates and the complex mechanisms governing their formation and fate are limited. This project will use mass spectrometry and laser-based methods to interro ....Formation, photochemistry and fate of gas-phase peroxyl radicals. This project aims to understand how peroxyl radical reactions modulate the composition of air. The gas-phase chemical reactions of organic peroxyl radicals contribute to air quality in clean and polluted environments. However, experimental observations of these reaction intermediates and the complex mechanisms governing their formation and fate are limited. This project will use mass spectrometry and laser-based methods to interrogate the chemical and photochemical reactions of peroxyl radicals in the gas phase. This project expects to understand the composition and dynamics of the troposphere and inform strategies to improve air quality.Read moreRead less
Novel compounds as natural herbicides for weed management. The development by weeds of herbicide resistance has undermined these systems and limited prospect for development of new chemicals with different modes of actions through traditional methods. Such methods of searching for new herbicides are yielding diminishing returns and the associated costs are becoming prohibitive.
This project aims to develop herbicides by evaluating, isolating and identifying novel natural compounds present in a ....Novel compounds as natural herbicides for weed management. The development by weeds of herbicide resistance has undermined these systems and limited prospect for development of new chemicals with different modes of actions through traditional methods. Such methods of searching for new herbicides are yielding diminishing returns and the associated costs are becoming prohibitive.
This project aims to develop herbicides by evaluating, isolating and identifying novel natural compounds present in a range of weeds and crop plants.
The outcomes will be reduced herbicide inputs, and the development of a new group of natural herbicides to counteract the threat imposed by the development of herbicide resistance.
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Novel compounds as natural herbicides for weed management. The development by weeds of herbicide resistance has undermined minimum-tillage systems and heightened the limited prospects for development of new chemicals with different modes of actions through traditional methods. Such methods of searching for new herbicides are yielding diminishing returns and the associated costs are becoming prohibitive.
This project aims to develop herbicides by evaluating, isolating and identifying novel nat ....Novel compounds as natural herbicides for weed management. The development by weeds of herbicide resistance has undermined minimum-tillage systems and heightened the limited prospects for development of new chemicals with different modes of actions through traditional methods. Such methods of searching for new herbicides are yielding diminishing returns and the associated costs are becoming prohibitive.
This project aims to develop herbicides by evaluating, isolating and identifying novel natural compounds present in a range of weeds and crop plants.
The outcomes will be reduced herbicide inputs, and the development of a new group of natural herbicides to counteract the threat imposed by the development of herbicide resistance.Read moreRead less