Integrative Genomics And Prediction Of Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$766,820.00
Summary
Technologies that measure whole molecular systems are just beginning to reveal the complexity of living organisms and the underlying molecular networks that govern them. Cardiovascular diseases emerge out of these networks as a result of genetic and molecular perturbations. This project aims to characterize the role molecular networks play in cardiovascular disease risk as well as how they react to genetic risk factors. In doing so, it will identify potential therapeutics and personalized approa ....Technologies that measure whole molecular systems are just beginning to reveal the complexity of living organisms and the underlying molecular networks that govern them. Cardiovascular diseases emerge out of these networks as a result of genetic and molecular perturbations. This project aims to characterize the role molecular networks play in cardiovascular disease risk as well as how they react to genetic risk factors. In doing so, it will identify potential therapeutics and personalized approaches to target pathogenesis.Read moreRead less
Charting The Interface Between Cellular Metabolic States And Gene Regulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$653,196.00
Summary
The research successes of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry have given us detailed pictures of the regulatory and metabolic states of cells and tissues, yet we know little about how these states affect each other. We hypothesise the existence of regulatory interactions between ribonucleic acids, enzymes and metabolites to connect gene expression and metabolism. We will employ novel RNA Biology methods to discover such regulatory interactions in medically important cellular contexts.
Identifying Early Molecular Changes Underlying Familial Alzheimer’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$755,793.00
Summary
Analysis of our unique genetic model of inherited, familial Alzheimer’s disease (fAD) using advanced molecular, computational and behavioural techniques is revealing dramatic, early changes in brain function long before the disease would occur. We will expand our work to compare our first model with a model of the most common fAD mutation E280A “Paisa” from Columbia. Commonalities between the models will help us identify the initial stresses that cause Alzheimer’s disease.
Investigating The Roles Of The Wnt And Notch Signalling Systems In Colon Cancer Crypt Biology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,439.00
Summary
Colon cancer occurs because of mutations to a tumour suppressor gene. These mutations alter the growth and positional signals for the cancer cells. This project aims to produce a computer model of the regulatory processes in normal colonic cells, to discover why the mutations lead to cancer and to discover rational drug targets for interfering with the growth of colon cancer cells.
Systems Biology Of Asthma Development In Early Childhood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,800.00
Summary
Recent studies have established that both human genetic susceptibility and viral infections during early childhood are important drivers of asthma development. It has also been noted that asthmatics’ airways are colonized with different bacteria to non-asthmatics. In this project we will examine how genetic susceptibility and interactions between bacteria and viruses in children's airways promote the development of allergy and asthma.
Exploring The Role Of MicroRNA And Target Processing Variability In Cardiac Hypertrophy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,190.00
Summary
microRNAs are gene regulators with critical roles in heart disease. How interactions between microRNAs and their messenger RNA targets change during disease is poorly understood. We hypothesise that these interactions are critically affected by altered processing of microRNAs and targets. We will thus characterise and validate such differences in healthy and diseased hearts. This will define gene regulatory changes underpinning heart disease and contribute to the search for better treatment.
Blocking Human Cytomegalovirus: Targeting Host Organelle Remodelling And The Viral Assembly Complex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$553,477.00
Summary
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a human pathogen that infects over 60% of adults, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immuno-compromised people, and a major cause of birth defects. Fundamental knowledge gaps remain in understanding host-pathogen relationships during infection. This project will systematically define molecular events giving rise to release of virus from an infected cell, and thereby reveal novel targets to block therapeutically.
Identification Of New Mechanisms In Insulin Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$478,781.00
Summary
Type II diabetes is a major cause of disease in Australia. Resistance of the liver to the effects of insulin plays a key role in the uncontrolled blood glucose levels in this disease. In this proposal, we will combine state-of-the-art protein chemistry techniques with advanced statistical analysis to identify the pathways driving liver insulin resistance. We will also predict clinically-approved drugs that may reverse these changes, to guide drug development for future therapeutic gain.
Izumo1 And Its Role In Male Infertility And Male Contraception
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$317,371.00
Summary
The project will study the role of the essential sperm-egg fusion protein Izumo1. Without some infertile men, this protein fails to move to the correct location in spermatozoa.
Systems Approaches To Understanding The Assembly Of Mitochondrial Machines
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,005.00
Summary
Mitochondria produce the energy for our bodies. Defects in this process cause mitochondrial disease, which affects at least 1/5000 people. Diagnosis is often inconclusive as we do not understand the function of many proteins important in mitochondrial energy production. State of the art CRISPR gene-editing tools will be coupled with advanced proteomics techniques to model different types of mitochondrial disease and identify the functions of new candidate disease genes.