Multipurpose separation platforms for protein purification. Over the next decades, many new therapies and products will be needed to enhance the quality of human life. Biopharmaceuticals and other protein-based products will thus be increasingly in demand. This will require significant improvements in biotechnological procedures, particularly sophisticated purification technologies. Through the development of a novel technology, this project is anticipated to significantly contribute to these so ....Multipurpose separation platforms for protein purification. Over the next decades, many new therapies and products will be needed to enhance the quality of human life. Biopharmaceuticals and other protein-based products will thus be increasingly in demand. This will require significant improvements in biotechnological procedures, particularly sophisticated purification technologies. Through the development of a novel technology, this project is anticipated to significantly contribute to these societal needs and provide a new way to purify these important molecules. National and community benefits will accrue from this scientific innovation and from its application, which is expected to provide more efficient manufacturing opportunities for key biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
The development of a rapid diagnostic test for heparanase activity. Heparanase is an enzyme that has been implicated in a number of disease states such as cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. Characterisation of this enzyme has been slow, due in part to the lack of a reliable direct activity assay. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this project seeks to establish a rapid assay that will provide easy determination of heparanase activity. Furthermore, this a ....The development of a rapid diagnostic test for heparanase activity. Heparanase is an enzyme that has been implicated in a number of disease states such as cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. Characterisation of this enzyme has been slow, due in part to the lack of a reliable direct activity assay. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this project seeks to establish a rapid assay that will provide easy determination of heparanase activity. Furthermore, this assay could provide a useful diagnostic tool in a clinical environment that would allow for the rapid assessment of these diseases, their progression and indeed response to therapy.Read moreRead less
Structure-based inhibitor design of VAP-1/SSAO for the treatment of respiratory dirsorders and other major inflammatory diseases. Inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, are widespread and often poorly treated in Australia and elsewhere. Inhibitors of the recently studied VAP-1/SSAO protein are predicted to effectively treat the inflammation symptoms of one or more of these diseases. A structure-based approach to discover these new medicines should pro ....Structure-based inhibitor design of VAP-1/SSAO for the treatment of respiratory dirsorders and other major inflammatory diseases. Inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, are widespread and often poorly treated in Australia and elsewhere. Inhibitors of the recently studied VAP-1/SSAO protein are predicted to effectively treat the inflammation symptoms of one or more of these diseases. A structure-based approach to discover these new medicines should provide a means to identify patentable compounds, with high potency, efficacy and safety. If this approach is successful, an Australian pharmaceutical company will be one of the first to the market with this new medicine to treat these chronic diseases.Read moreRead less
The discovery and validation of novel drug classes against parasites with the potential for major economic impacts. This project will develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, resulting in a more efficient use of resources i ....The discovery and validation of novel drug classes against parasites with the potential for major economic impacts. This project will develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; enhance the skills-base in biology, biotechnology and chemistry; increase global visibility with increased investment in Australian science; improve animal welfare and production via improved control of infectious diseases; producing commercial products with benefits to agricultural producers in regional & rural communities.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the performance of existing industrial enzymes through the application of new chemical modification technology. Enzymes have many uses in industry, replacing undesirable chemicals which adversely effect human & animal health & the environment. Enzymes offer advantages in effectiveness, biodegradability, specificity and safety. The concern with enzymes, in industrial applications, is that enzyme performance is degraded by a harsh chemical and/or physical environment. The aim of this stu ....Enhancing the performance of existing industrial enzymes through the application of new chemical modification technology. Enzymes have many uses in industry, replacing undesirable chemicals which adversely effect human & animal health & the environment. Enzymes offer advantages in effectiveness, biodegradability, specificity and safety. The concern with enzymes, in industrial applications, is that enzyme performance is degraded by a harsh chemical and/or physical environment. The aim of this study is to improve the performance of industrially significant enzymes by enhancing resistance to chemical & physical degradation or inactivation. This will be achieved by modifying the enzymes using new technology that we have developed. This will improve cost effectiveness of existing industrial enzymes & create opportunities for new uses of enzymes.Read moreRead less
Synthesis and evaluation of anti-microbial porphyrin adducts for the targeted inhibition of Porphyromonas gingivalis. At present the effectiveness of therapy for inflammatory disease of the gum tissue (periodontitis) is limited by the lack of a selective anti-microbial agent. The investigators have discovered a novel mechanism of binding of the blood product porphyrin by a unique receptor of a key pathogen implicated in this disease. By exploiting this knowledge a modified porphyrin linked to an ....Synthesis and evaluation of anti-microbial porphyrin adducts for the targeted inhibition of Porphyromonas gingivalis. At present the effectiveness of therapy for inflammatory disease of the gum tissue (periodontitis) is limited by the lack of a selective anti-microbial agent. The investigators have discovered a novel mechanism of binding of the blood product porphyrin by a unique receptor of a key pathogen implicated in this disease. By exploiting this knowledge a modified porphyrin linked to an antibiotic was shown to have a selective effect on the target organism. Refinement of this complex has the potential to provide a clinically useful, selective agent.Read moreRead less
Development of Multivalent Hyaluronan Derivative Therapeutics. Over-expression of the hyaluronan receptor CD44 has been identified at pathological sites of diseases such as cancer, psoriasis, arthritis and asthma. The research described in this proposal aims to develop novel therapeutic compounds which target CD44 whilst eliciting a therapeutic index. The design of these new therapeutics is based on a template structure which incorporates known cytotoxic or anti-fungal agentsas well as hyalu ....Development of Multivalent Hyaluronan Derivative Therapeutics. Over-expression of the hyaluronan receptor CD44 has been identified at pathological sites of diseases such as cancer, psoriasis, arthritis and asthma. The research described in this proposal aims to develop novel therapeutic compounds which target CD44 whilst eliciting a therapeutic index. The design of these new therapeutics is based on a template structure which incorporates known cytotoxic or anti-fungal agentsas well as hyaluronan, a naturally occurring carbohydrate, ubiquitous in nature.Read moreRead less
Understanding dendrimer pharmaceuticals: The application of parallel computing to the investigation of dendrimer structure and activity. Dendrimers or starburst polymers are an important new class of synthetic material with physical and chemical properties that lie between those of small organic molecules and traditional linear polymers. One exciting area of application is the development of new dendrimer-based pharmaceuticals. This project aims to use computer-aided molecular modelling method ....Understanding dendrimer pharmaceuticals: The application of parallel computing to the investigation of dendrimer structure and activity. Dendrimers or starburst polymers are an important new class of synthetic material with physical and chemical properties that lie between those of small organic molecules and traditional linear polymers. One exciting area of application is the development of new dendrimer-based pharmaceuticals. This project aims to use computer-aided molecular modelling methods to investigate the three dimensional structure and dynamic behaviour of dendrimers. This will assist in the design of new compounds to target diseases such as secondary cancers, asthma and viral respiratory diseases.Read moreRead less
Covalent Hydrogen Bond Mimetics of Helical Peptide Hormones. Peptide hormones have been identified that adopt a helical shape when bound to their receptor. The project will produce new versions of these hormones by the use of directly bonded chemical linkers in place of the relatively weak helix hydrogen bonds. The resulting hormone mimics will be more stable, have lower molecular weight and be more selective than the natural hormones making them more suitable as drugs. Our new chemical techn ....Covalent Hydrogen Bond Mimetics of Helical Peptide Hormones. Peptide hormones have been identified that adopt a helical shape when bound to their receptor. The project will produce new versions of these hormones by the use of directly bonded chemical linkers in place of the relatively weak helix hydrogen bonds. The resulting hormone mimics will be more stable, have lower molecular weight and be more selective than the natural hormones making them more suitable as drugs. Our new chemical techniques allow us for the first time to fully investigate this approach which if successful will be applicable to many other helical peptides and therefore could be an important drug development technique.Read moreRead less
Targeted isolation of specific marine bacterial species associated with higher organsims for the purpose of discovering new antimicrobial compounds. Specific bacterial species that are commonly found in association with marine plants and animals often produce active secondary metabolites. The aim of this project is to apply our understanding of these bacterial-host associations to the targeted isolation of novel antimicrobials from the marine environment. While these new compounds will undoubted ....Targeted isolation of specific marine bacterial species associated with higher organsims for the purpose of discovering new antimicrobial compounds. Specific bacterial species that are commonly found in association with marine plants and animals often produce active secondary metabolites. The aim of this project is to apply our understanding of these bacterial-host associations to the targeted isolation of novel antimicrobials from the marine environment. While these new compounds will undoubtedly have a number of commercial applications this project focuses on the development of products for dental hygiene in animals. Generally, the urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds to combat the growing number of microbes that are resistant to current antibiotics highlights the importance of this project.Read moreRead less