Oxidative stress-induced alterations of the host erythrocyte by the malaria parasite. The malaria parasite spends part of its lifecycle inside the red blood cells of its host. During this time, the parasite modifies many of the features of the red blood cell and subjects it to high levels of oxidative stress. We will use and develop a variety of fluorescence and microscopic techniques to understand the molecular basis of the alterations in the organization of membrane proteins in malaria parasit ....Oxidative stress-induced alterations of the host erythrocyte by the malaria parasite. The malaria parasite spends part of its lifecycle inside the red blood cells of its host. During this time, the parasite modifies many of the features of the red blood cell and subjects it to high levels of oxidative stress. We will use and develop a variety of fluorescence and microscopic techniques to understand the molecular basis of the alterations in the organization of membrane proteins in malaria parasite-infected red blood cells. We will examine the roles of oxidative stress and of parasite proteins in modulating the properties of the host cell membrane.Read moreRead less
An Investigation of the Structure and Conformational Stability of a Membrane Associating Protein and its Petidic Ligands. The genome of the parasite most commonly responsible for fatal malaria will be completed this year. Structural elucidations of proteins identified from these genomic data will expedite the identification and classification of proteins synthesised by the parasite that might be developed as vaccines or as targets for anti-malarial therapeutics. In this work, recent developmen ....An Investigation of the Structure and Conformational Stability of a Membrane Associating Protein and its Petidic Ligands. The genome of the parasite most commonly responsible for fatal malaria will be completed this year. Structural elucidations of proteins identified from these genomic data will expedite the identification and classification of proteins synthesised by the parasite that might be developed as vaccines or as targets for anti-malarial therapeutics. In this work, recent developments in structural biology will be employed to obtain the structure of a vaccine candidate and to identify environmental factors that influence the stability of this structure. A novel approach will be taken to determine the conformation of ligands bound to such proteins, which will provide a basis for the development of therapeutics.Read moreRead less
Microfluidic device for microbial separation and concentration. This project will enhance Australia's capabilities and presence in the rapidly expanding field of chemical and biological analysis systems on a chip. We will develop and build handheld devices for microbial concentration that will facilitate earlier and easier detection of potentially pathogenic organisms in critical situations such as epidemiological crises or forensics. The portability and ease of operation of our integrated micro ....Microfluidic device for microbial separation and concentration. This project will enhance Australia's capabilities and presence in the rapidly expanding field of chemical and biological analysis systems on a chip. We will develop and build handheld devices for microbial concentration that will facilitate earlier and easier detection of potentially pathogenic organisms in critical situations such as epidemiological crises or forensics. The portability and ease of operation of our integrated microfluidic devices and their increased resilience to blockages make them ideal for use in remote areas and non-laboratory settings. Application areas will include disease detection, microbial contamination in food industries and water quality monitoring.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354592
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Mathematical Biosciences Network. The network's aim is to stimulate the transfer of ideas, scientific insights, models and computational methods across the interface of mathematics and biology. Collaborative effort and training will occur to push forward the frontiers of biology and mathematics related to the fundamental problems of life, including how embryos develop, how diseases can be controlled, and how to describe and predict intra- and inter-cellular processes. A major theme of the netwo ....Mathematical Biosciences Network. The network's aim is to stimulate the transfer of ideas, scientific insights, models and computational methods across the interface of mathematics and biology. Collaborative effort and training will occur to push forward the frontiers of biology and mathematics related to the fundamental problems of life, including how embryos develop, how diseases can be controlled, and how to describe and predict intra- and inter-cellular processes. A major theme of the network is the transfer of information through an e-science grid allowing direct access to experimental data and model simulations.Read moreRead less
A hierarchical quantum mechanical and classical simulation of biological ion channels. I aim to develop a methodology incorporating molecular quantum
mechanics and classical Brownian mechanics in a way that can be
applied practically to large macromolecular systems, thus relating
fine structural details to experimentally measurable
properties. Specifically, I will apply this methodology to study ion
channels in which the challenge is to relate electronic and atomic
structure to the conduct ....A hierarchical quantum mechanical and classical simulation of biological ion channels. I aim to develop a methodology incorporating molecular quantum
mechanics and classical Brownian mechanics in a way that can be
applied practically to large macromolecular systems, thus relating
fine structural details to experimentally measurable
properties. Specifically, I will apply this methodology to study ion
channels in which the challenge is to relate electronic and atomic
structure to the conductance properties of the channel. Accurately
determining these relationships provides a pathway to developing cures
for many neurological, cardiac, and muscular diseases.
Read moreRead less
Structural analysis of membrane proteins using template-mediated crystallization. A new frontier technology will be developed in the form of a systematic crystallization pipeline for membrane proteins. This high throughput monolayer template technology is particularly suited for the structure determination of proteins that are otherwise difficult to crystallize and has clear commercial potential. Membrane protein structures are themselves of value to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry ....Structural analysis of membrane proteins using template-mediated crystallization. A new frontier technology will be developed in the form of a systematic crystallization pipeline for membrane proteins. This high throughput monolayer template technology is particularly suited for the structure determination of proteins that are otherwise difficult to crystallize and has clear commercial potential. Membrane protein structures are themselves of value to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry for targeted drug design, which could realise benefits in the form of novel medical treatments and reduced side effects. The monolayer template technology will also extend the capabilities of the National Cryo-EM facility, the infrastructure of which, is open for all Australian researchers. Read moreRead less
Monolayer crystallization of membrane proteins. Membrane proteins comprise 25-40% of all proteins and conduct a myriad of finely tuned reactions in every cell. Despite their importance and diversity only ~40 membrane protein structures have been solved, due to the difficulty of producing high quality 2D and 3D crystals. We propose to develop and use the new monolayer crystallization technique, which employs a lipid monolayer as a crystallization template for 2D crystal production. A number of ....Monolayer crystallization of membrane proteins. Membrane proteins comprise 25-40% of all proteins and conduct a myriad of finely tuned reactions in every cell. Despite their importance and diversity only ~40 membrane protein structures have been solved, due to the difficulty of producing high quality 2D and 3D crystals. We propose to develop and use the new monolayer crystallization technique, which employs a lipid monolayer as a crystallization template for 2D crystal production. A number of important membrane proteins are available for these structural studies including ABC transporters, Caveolin-3 and the NS1 protein of Dengue virus, all of which are difficult to crystallize using conventional techniques.Read moreRead less