Novel peptide mimics for the disruption of chemical communication in bacteria. It is now well established that bacteria communicate with each other via small diffusible signalling molecules and coordinate their activities such as biofilm formation, swarming and expression of virulence factors in a coordinated manner. This project will investigate the synthesis of novel organic molecules that have the capacity to disrupt chemical communication in bacteria. This could allow control of the unwante ....Novel peptide mimics for the disruption of chemical communication in bacteria. It is now well established that bacteria communicate with each other via small diffusible signalling molecules and coordinate their activities such as biofilm formation, swarming and expression of virulence factors in a coordinated manner. This project will investigate the synthesis of novel organic molecules that have the capacity to disrupt chemical communication in bacteria. This could allow control of the unwanted microbial activity without the use of growth inhibitory agents such as antibiotics, preservatives and disinfectants that select for the resistant organisms. This elegant approach to eradicating the virulence behaviour of microbes represents a novel strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance.Read moreRead less
Multifunctional biodegradable nanoparticles for enhanced DNA vaccine delivery. DNA vaccine, which shows better immunological and economic merits than conventional vaccines, suffers clinical failure due to the difficulty of delivering intact DNA molecules to relevant cells. This project seeks to develop smart polymer nanospheres to protect the DNA molecules from premature degradation in order to improve its efficacy.
Structure-based design of inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase. This project will produce compounds that block human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication. These compounds will benefit the 17000 Australians and more than 34 million people worldwide who are currently suffering with this terrible disease.
Novel antimicrobial surface coatings for biomedical applications. There are currently no effective biomaterial coatings to reduce device related infections. Such materials are needed to address the high rates of infection that can occur. The melimine technology proposed here has the potential to significantly reduce rates of infection, reduce health care costs and advantage the Australian biomaterials industry.
Development of small molecule primary sulfonamides as new drugs for malaria. Malaria is a major global health threat, causing approximately 800,000 deaths annually. Lives can be saved if patients are treated. The use of current antimalarial drugs is limited by drug resistance, low activity and poor safety. This project investigates the effectiveness of a new class of molecule as a safe drug treatment option to kill malaria parasites.
Rational design of new drug candidates for the treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. There is a serious shortage of safe and effective drugs to treat Chagas disease which is caused by a parasitic infection. This project aims to design and identify new drug candidates by defining the disposition profile within the body which is necessary to achieve a therapeutic effect.
Chemical probes for the study of a unique enzyme from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The design and chemical synthesis of molecules that selectively inhibit pathogen-specific enzymes is a validated approach toward new therapeutic agents. Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains a unique cytochrome P450 enzyme that catalyses an unusual chemical transformation to generate the product mycocyclosin. This research project will synthesise chemical probes to study the mechanism of this enzyme and the biologica ....Chemical probes for the study of a unique enzyme from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The design and chemical synthesis of molecules that selectively inhibit pathogen-specific enzymes is a validated approach toward new therapeutic agents. Mycobacterium tuberculosis contains a unique cytochrome P450 enzyme that catalyses an unusual chemical transformation to generate the product mycocyclosin. This research project will synthesise chemical probes to study the mechanism of this enzyme and the biological role of mycocyclosin. Selective inhibitors of the enzyme will be developed, which will provide a foundation for the exploitation of these molecules in cellular research and medicine.Read moreRead less
Fragment based screening to deliver drugs targeting tuberculosis and the gametocyte and liver stages of Plasmodium. This project will identify natural products that bind to critical proteins in malaria and tuberculosis to discover new ways to treat these diseases.
Discovery of bioactive natural substances from uncultured bacteria and their production using photosynthetic reactor technology. The range and rate of natural product discovery is the limiting factor in developing new therapies for cancer and infectious disease. This research will enable the discovery of new drugs, coupled to their production in a photosynthetic expression system. This represents a truly “green” and sustainable technology for the pharmaceutical industry.
Translating pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data to better design new drugs for the treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. New drugs to treat T. cruzi infection are urgently needed, however their design has been hampered by an incomplete understanding of complex host-parasite interactions, inadequate in vitro and in vivo tools to rigorously define activity during drug discovery, and a poor appreciation of concentration/effect relationships. This project aims to develop new and much needed ....Translating pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data to better design new drugs for the treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. New drugs to treat T. cruzi infection are urgently needed, however their design has been hampered by an incomplete understanding of complex host-parasite interactions, inadequate in vitro and in vivo tools to rigorously define activity during drug discovery, and a poor appreciation of concentration/effect relationships. This project aims to develop new and much needed in vitro methods to better define the kinetic and dynamic activity of new drug candidates, and will provide a rational basis for translating this information into lengthy animal models of T. cruzi infection. The outcome aims to be rationally designed drug candidates that are available in a shorter period of time and are suitable for further development.Read moreRead less