A new Src, PKCdelta and Akt regulated protease activated receptor system in metastasis. In contrast with localised cancer which can often be cured, curative treatment is generally not possible for cancer that has spread. This project will characterise a protein that drives the spread of cancer and to develop new approaches to treat patients at risk of developing these aggressive tumours that spread to other organs.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100078
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Establishment of a comprehensive regional biophysical analysis facility. Interactions between molecules are needed for cells to function correctly. This facility will permit comprehensive molecular characterisation as well as research into the fundamentals of how molecules interact.
Inhibiting pathological signalling in haematopoietic disease. Certain leukaemias and other blood diseases are caused by the mutation of one particular molecule, called Janus Kinase (JAK), inside our bodies. This project aims to understand the biochemical details of these diseases by studying this mutated molecule in detail. The project will aim to provide the information for developing effective therapeutics against these diseases.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL140100027
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,898,150.00
Summary
Under the hood: single-molecule studies of multi-protein machines. Under the hood: single-molecule studies of multi-protein machines. Living cells are filled with complex protein machines that are responsible for the molecular processes supporting life. This project is aimed towards the development of physical tools that enable the study of these protein complexes at the level of single molecules. This project aims to study the protein machinery responsible for DNA replication, the process of du ....Under the hood: single-molecule studies of multi-protein machines. Under the hood: single-molecule studies of multi-protein machines. Living cells are filled with complex protein machines that are responsible for the molecular processes supporting life. This project is aimed towards the development of physical tools that enable the study of these protein complexes at the level of single molecules. This project aims to study the protein machinery responsible for DNA replication, the process of duplicating genomic information before cell division. By making real-time single-molecule movies of the replication process, this project aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms of this important process and provide the knowledge required to understand disease mechanisms and catalyse drug development.Read moreRead less
The discovery and characterisation of novel protein regulators of blood cell formation. All of the mature blood cells in the human body are derived from a common ancestor cell type known as a stem cell. Our proposed studies will enhance our knowledge of how functional, mature blood cells are formed from stem cells and how dysregulation of these normally tightly controlled pathways can give rise to severe blood diseases.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100668
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,574.00
Summary
Cysteamine dioxygenases: novel oxygen sensors implicated in hypoxia? This project aims to characterise and manipulate a novel oxygen sensing system, the cysteamine dioxygenases, to help understand how mammalian cells respond to low oxygen concentrations, a condition known as hypoxia. A number of the world’s most destructive diseases can impair oxygen delivery, altering biochemical landscapes. By understanding how cells respond to fluctuations in oxygen, the project expects to develop effective m ....Cysteamine dioxygenases: novel oxygen sensors implicated in hypoxia? This project aims to characterise and manipulate a novel oxygen sensing system, the cysteamine dioxygenases, to help understand how mammalian cells respond to low oxygen concentrations, a condition known as hypoxia. A number of the world’s most destructive diseases can impair oxygen delivery, altering biochemical landscapes. By understanding how cells respond to fluctuations in oxygen, the project expects to develop effective methods to treat these detrimental conditions. Characterisation of the cysteamine dioxygenases could establish a novel mechanism by which cells monitor changes in oxygen, assisting in understanding hypoxia and disease. The project will also enable new cysteine initiating substrates to be identified, allowing the full impact of this regulatory process to be appreciated in mammals.Read moreRead less
Structural and functional analysis of the protein kinase R. We have shown that protein kinase R (PKR) plays a key role in regulating the body's response to virus infections, inflammation and cancer. This project will identify mechanisms that regulate the activity of PKR and provide information useful for the development of novel drugs.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100149
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,000.00
Summary
Reaching new heights in high-resolution electron microscopy . High-resolution electron microscopy (EM): Direct electron detection cameras are a recent technological breakthrough delivering one of the greatest single advancements to the field of molecular cryo-EM. The aim of this project is to enable a 'first of a kind' cryo-EM platform in Australia enabling high-throughput atomic resolution protein structure determination. This will be achieved by integrating a state-of-the-art Gatan K2 Summit D ....Reaching new heights in high-resolution electron microscopy . High-resolution electron microscopy (EM): Direct electron detection cameras are a recent technological breakthrough delivering one of the greatest single advancements to the field of molecular cryo-EM. The aim of this project is to enable a 'first of a kind' cryo-EM platform in Australia enabling high-throughput atomic resolution protein structure determination. This will be achieved by integrating a state-of-the-art Gatan K2 Summit Direct Electron Detection camera system into the established cryo-EM facility managed by the University of Queensland node of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility. This will offer unique and significantly improved capabilities for atomic resolution protein structure analysis, and will support a broad range of projects across the biological sciences.Read moreRead less
DNA end resection: from basic mechanisms to genome editing. The project aims to understand processes underlying genome editing, a bioengineering process that introduces specific mutations into genomic DNA. Homologous recombination and nonhomologous end-joining pathways play a crucial role in repairing broken DNA strands, which are a toxic form of DNA damage. The proteins that function in the repair process have been recently identified, but it remains unclear how they function on a mechanistic l ....DNA end resection: from basic mechanisms to genome editing. The project aims to understand processes underlying genome editing, a bioengineering process that introduces specific mutations into genomic DNA. Homologous recombination and nonhomologous end-joining pathways play a crucial role in repairing broken DNA strands, which are a toxic form of DNA damage. The proteins that function in the repair process have been recently identified, but it remains unclear how they function on a mechanistic level and how either of the two main pathways is selected. The project aims to define how the activity of a key control protein, Sae2 (Sporulation in the Absence of Spo Eleven), is regulated by posttranslational modifications, and how this activates homologous recombination. The project plans to first use Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast as a model and then to extend research into the human system in an attempt to improve the efficiency of genome editing. Read moreRead less