Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL230100100
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,300,000.00
Summary
Forces in Nature: Tissue mechanics and cell sociology. Epithelial cells cover surfaces in the body, forming a shield to protect us from the environment. Despite their importance, we understand poorly how the cells communicate. This project aims to test the novel concept that epithelial cells communicate via transmission and detection of mechanical forces, using an innovative combination of cellular and biophysical experiments and physical theory. The expected outcomes are new knowledge, interdis ....Forces in Nature: Tissue mechanics and cell sociology. Epithelial cells cover surfaces in the body, forming a shield to protect us from the environment. Despite their importance, we understand poorly how the cells communicate. This project aims to test the novel concept that epithelial cells communicate via transmission and detection of mechanical forces, using an innovative combination of cellular and biophysical experiments and physical theory. The expected outcomes are new knowledge, interdisciplinary training for young scientists, new national research capacity and growing international collaborations. Benefits include enhancing Australia’s scientific linkages and research capacity and providing fundamental knowledge that could lead to future advances in bioengineering and drug discovery. Read moreRead less
Novel mechano-signalling pathways at sites of cellular adhesion. Piezo channels are membrane proteins that detect mechanical cues and underlie our sense of touch. We aim to characterize the first protein regulator of Piezo channels by developing and utilizing novel technologies including acoustic forces to monitor Piezo channel function. The significance of this study is underscored by the wide spread expression of Piezo channels and their involvement in many cellular processes. Expected outcome ....Novel mechano-signalling pathways at sites of cellular adhesion. Piezo channels are membrane proteins that detect mechanical cues and underlie our sense of touch. We aim to characterize the first protein regulator of Piezo channels by developing and utilizing novel technologies including acoustic forces to monitor Piezo channel function. The significance of this study is underscored by the wide spread expression of Piezo channels and their involvement in many cellular processes. Expected outcomes are novel technologies to study mechanobiology, patentable peptide-based Piezo modulators and a new conceptual paradigm for understanding cellular mechanosensing. This knowledge will benefit a broad scientific community through technological advancements and pharmacological agents to manipulate Piezo channels.Read moreRead less
Viral capsids as high-efficiency nanoreactors. This project aims to develop state-of-the-art single-molecule imaging to visualise DNA synthesis inside authentic retroviral capsids in real time. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the fields of virology, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology by utilising cutting-edge fluorescent labelling reagents and microscopy technology. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive description of retrovirus reverse transcription, development of innov ....Viral capsids as high-efficiency nanoreactors. This project aims to develop state-of-the-art single-molecule imaging to visualise DNA synthesis inside authentic retroviral capsids in real time. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the fields of virology, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology by utilising cutting-edge fluorescent labelling reagents and microscopy technology. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive description of retrovirus reverse transcription, development of innovative biophysical techniques for the study of viruses, and an understanding of the engineering principles at play in natural nano-reactors. This project anticipates contributing advanced capabilities in bionanotechnology, benefiting therapeutic, biotechnology and synthetic biology applications.Read moreRead less