Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668526
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$542,000.00
Summary
Biomolecular discovery and analysis facility. This facility will provide Australian researchers with unrivalled access to advanced cell visualisation and analysis tools, which until very recently were only available to the pharmaceutical industry and large US and European institutions. The facility will allow new approaches to identifying novel natural products and understanding cell signalling pathways. Knowledge of these pathways and the identification of molecules that can affect them are key ....Biomolecular discovery and analysis facility. This facility will provide Australian researchers with unrivalled access to advanced cell visualisation and analysis tools, which until very recently were only available to the pharmaceutical industry and large US and European institutions. The facility will allow new approaches to identifying novel natural products and understanding cell signalling pathways. Knowledge of these pathways and the identification of molecules that can affect them are keys to understanding normal cellular physiology and identifying drug-like molecules able to inhibit malfunctioning pathways found in different disease such as cancer. The facility will accellerate drug discovery and basic research in cell biology and underpin National Research Priorities.Read moreRead less
Neurons isolated from embryonic stem cells as functional models for drug discovery. By using gene expression-based selection criteria embryonic stem cells can be driven to differentiate into specific neuronal lineages which show many of the morphological characteristics and immunocytochemical features of neurons in culture. There is, however, comparatively little evidence indicating that these stem cell-derived neurons actually behave as neurons. Our aim is to characterise and contrast four ne ....Neurons isolated from embryonic stem cells as functional models for drug discovery. By using gene expression-based selection criteria embryonic stem cells can be driven to differentiate into specific neuronal lineages which show many of the morphological characteristics and immunocytochemical features of neurons in culture. There is, however, comparatively little evidence indicating that these stem cell-derived neurons actually behave as neurons. Our aim is to characterise and contrast four neuronal cell cultures established with gene-based selection criteria. These cultures will be characterised by gene expression, immunocytochemistry, radiolabelled neurotransmitter release, electrophysiology and Ca2+ imaging studies. This study will highlight the functional effects of gene selection procedures upon stem cell-derived neurons.Read moreRead less
Biased information processing in anxiety: Low anxiety scores, but still at risk. Information processing in anxious persons is biased if confronted with threatening stimulus materials such as words or pictures. This finding has considerable implications for our understanding of fear acquisition and maintenance and for the design of therapeutic interventions. More recent research has shown, however, that low anxious persons who employ repressive coping styles show similar biases. The present proj ....Biased information processing in anxiety: Low anxiety scores, but still at risk. Information processing in anxious persons is biased if confronted with threatening stimulus materials such as words or pictures. This finding has considerable implications for our understanding of fear acquisition and maintenance and for the design of therapeutic interventions. More recent research has shown, however, that low anxious persons who employ repressive coping styles show similar biases. The present project will follow up on these findings by combining the expertises of the two CIs in contemporary cognitive and psychophysiological research. It will not only provide new insights, but also offer research opportunities for postgraduate students, and prospects for future collaborative funding.Read moreRead less
Human learning of likes and dislikes: A test of the dual process account and an investigation of its neural substrates. Dual process accounts of human affective learning hold that affective learning, the learning of likes and dislikes, and relational learning, the learning of predictive relationships, reflect separate learning mechanisms. Affective learning, for instance, is said not to extinguish, a claim that has far reaching consequences for the design of behaviourally based treatments of a ....Human learning of likes and dislikes: A test of the dual process account and an investigation of its neural substrates. Dual process accounts of human affective learning hold that affective learning, the learning of likes and dislikes, and relational learning, the learning of predictive relationships, reflect separate learning mechanisms. Affective learning, for instance, is said not to extinguish, a claim that has far reaching consequences for the design of behaviourally based treatments of anxiety. The project will test this and other predictions of dual process accounts. Moreover, it will extent the experimental analysis of affective learning to the acquisition of likes and identify the cortical bases for aversive, appetitive, and relational learning using event related functional magnetic resonance imaging.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354494
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
BRAINnet:
Brain Research And Integrative Neuroscience Network. The brain is the ultimate frontier of science, and its complexity requires an integrative approach to neuroscience. This initiative will facilitate a unique integration of disciplines (biological, physical, computational) and scales of focus (single neurons to networks to whole-brain), within a high profile Network of Australian and international players. The Network will be harnessed by a centralized hub for sharing of data and tec ....BRAINnet:
Brain Research And Integrative Neuroscience Network. The brain is the ultimate frontier of science, and its complexity requires an integrative approach to neuroscience. This initiative will facilitate a unique integration of disciplines (biological, physical, computational) and scales of focus (single neurons to networks to whole-brain), within a high profile Network of Australian and international players. The Network will be harnessed by a centralized hub for sharing of data and techniques, and mentoring of early career researchers. The principal socio-economic and discovery outcomes will flow from the exceptionally strong foundations in fundamental and applied science, established collaboration, and demonstrated capacity for development and commercialization of frontier biotechnologies.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0566756
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,254.00
Summary
Application for funding to develop a software grid for data-sharing associated with the NISAD/LONI Virtual Brain Bank. This project will produce tools to enhance collaboration between researchers at physically disparate locations. It builds on emerging Grid computer network technology to create virtual research communities that permit secure sharing of geographically disjoint resources such as data collections, computer software and computer processing power. The project’s test case will creat ....Application for funding to develop a software grid for data-sharing associated with the NISAD/LONI Virtual Brain Bank. This project will produce tools to enhance collaboration between researchers at physically disparate locations. It builds on emerging Grid computer network technology to create virtual research communities that permit secure sharing of geographically disjoint resources such as data collections, computer software and computer processing power. The project’s test case will create a community of researchers into brain disease (e.g. schizophrenia) who are located in three Australian and one USA site and who will share their patient data, analysis tools and special-purpose computer equipment. The developed tools will allow relatively simple and rapid deployment of similar research grids suitable for a wide range of collaborative projects.Read moreRead less
Structural neurobiology - developing a new capability in Australia to treat mental illness. Mental illness encompasses a multitude of devastating conditions that present a major burden to the Australian economy. In this project powerful tools for determining the three-dimensional shapes and functions of proteins will be utilised to gain new knowledge about the molecular bases of various mental illnesses. The project will involve extensive use of the Australian Synchrotron Facility that is due to ....Structural neurobiology - developing a new capability in Australia to treat mental illness. Mental illness encompasses a multitude of devastating conditions that present a major burden to the Australian economy. In this project powerful tools for determining the three-dimensional shapes and functions of proteins will be utilised to gain new knowledge about the molecular bases of various mental illnesses. The project will involve extensive use of the Australian Synchrotron Facility that is due to open in 2007. This knowledge gained from the project will be used to develop new therapeutic drugs to ameliorate or combat mental diseases in partnership with the Australian Biotechnology Industry.Read moreRead less
Learning and memory in the honeybee: Task-dependent brain development. We wish to explore whether the development of specific brain regions in young bees depends upon the nature of the learning task in which they are engaged. We will examine tasks that involve two sensory modalities: olfaction and vision, both of which are important to successful foraging. The relative ease with which bees can be trained, and their nervous systems accessed, make them a very attractive subject in which to study f ....Learning and memory in the honeybee: Task-dependent brain development. We wish to explore whether the development of specific brain regions in young bees depends upon the nature of the learning task in which they are engaged. We will examine tasks that involve two sensory modalities: olfaction and vision, both of which are important to successful foraging. The relative ease with which bees can be trained, and their nervous systems accessed, make them a very attractive subject in which to study fundamental principles of learning and memory that may span a variety of organisms.Read moreRead less
The cortical location of hunger and thirst: a multifunctional study in sheep. The escalating problems associated with obesity are immense. These effects contribute to a global epidemic that now eclipses both infectious diseases and (ironically) undernutrition in its proportions. The effects of disorders of thirst are less apparent but potentially devastating albeit on a smaller scale. The elderly and psychotic in the community have impaired thirst mechanisms which impacts on their life in a dra ....The cortical location of hunger and thirst: a multifunctional study in sheep. The escalating problems associated with obesity are immense. These effects contribute to a global epidemic that now eclipses both infectious diseases and (ironically) undernutrition in its proportions. The effects of disorders of thirst are less apparent but potentially devastating albeit on a smaller scale. The elderly and psychotic in the community have impaired thirst mechanisms which impacts on their life in a dramatic way particularly during prolonged hot weather. The aims of these experiments are to understand the basic brain mechanisms that underpin these drives. This understanding will have far reaching repercussions for the community both in terms of promoting good health and in preventative health care.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775768
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
High-throughput automated cell culture facility. This facility, the first of its kind in Australia, is a state-of-the art, robotic technology for large scale cell culture for high throughput production of cells for stem cell biology, drug discovery, and cancer research. It brings together research teams to apply frontier technologies in stem cell biology, genome biology and drug development to better understand and find treatments for diseases, especially brain disorders and diseases. It will be ....High-throughput automated cell culture facility. This facility, the first of its kind in Australia, is a state-of-the art, robotic technology for large scale cell culture for high throughput production of cells for stem cell biology, drug discovery, and cancer research. It brings together research teams to apply frontier technologies in stem cell biology, genome biology and drug development to better understand and find treatments for diseases, especially brain disorders and diseases. It will be located at Griffith University complementing the most advanced suite of high throughput instruments currently available internationally. It will be shared by Australia's leaders in adult stem cell biology, wound repair and natural products drug discovery at Queensland's three leading Universities.Read moreRead less