THE FIRST DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SPECTRO-ELECTROCHEMISTRY AND ITS APPLICATION TO CRUCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN INORGANIC SYSTEMS. Electrolysis is a very widespread and efficient method of chemical synthesis both in industry and research. However, the link between the control voltage and the resultant current is often complicated and easily misinterpreted. To overcome this fundamental problem, we propose an optical spectro-electrochemistry instrument based on a two-dimensional CCD detectio ....THE FIRST DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SPECTRO-ELECTROCHEMISTRY AND ITS APPLICATION TO CRUCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN INORGANIC SYSTEMS. Electrolysis is a very widespread and efficient method of chemical synthesis both in industry and research. However, the link between the control voltage and the resultant current is often complicated and easily misinterpreted. To overcome this fundamental problem, we propose an optical spectro-electrochemistry instrument based on a two-dimensional CCD detection array. This radically new approach enables simultaneous spectroscopic and spatial data mapping in the realm adjacent to an electrode surface. Important applications range from unequivocal identification of elusive molecules to monitoring metal corrosion. Our first objective is to elucidate certain crucial transformations of mono- and binuclear heavy metal complexes.Read moreRead less
New Methods for Structural Biology in Solution. This project aims to expand the range of applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in pharmaceutical research, where NMR spectroscopy is already used routinely for the identification of chemical compounds that bind to protein targets. The techniques developed aim at providing rapid and broadly applicable tools for 3D structure determinations of chemical compounds bound to their protein target, identification of protein-protein i ....New Methods for Structural Biology in Solution. This project aims to expand the range of applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in pharmaceutical research, where NMR spectroscopy is already used routinely for the identification of chemical compounds that bind to protein targets. The techniques developed aim at providing rapid and broadly applicable tools for 3D structure determinations of chemical compounds bound to their protein target, identification of protein-protein interaction sites and characterization of protein motions. The limits of NMR spectroscopy will be pushed to analyse systems of significantly increased molecular weights. The project includes applications to drug targets such as the dengue virus NS2B/NS3 protease.Read moreRead less
New Methods for Structural Biology in Solution. New technologies will be developed that are sufficiently rapid and inexpensive to compete with and replace the mutagenesis experiments that biologists usually perform to identify and characterize the functionally important parts of a protein. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques in combination with various selective labelling schemes will be developed with the goal of identification and structural characterization of protein-lig ....New Methods for Structural Biology in Solution. New technologies will be developed that are sufficiently rapid and inexpensive to compete with and replace the mutagenesis experiments that biologists usually perform to identify and characterize the functionally important parts of a protein. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques in combination with various selective labelling schemes will be developed with the goal of identification and structural characterization of protein-ligand interactions at increased rates and enhanced accuracy. In addition, the three-dimensional structures of proteins and protein domains of biologically important functions and unknown fold will be determined by NMR. The project aims at techniques of direct impact in pharmaceutical industry.Read moreRead less
Connecting soil nitrogen and plant uptake for greener agriculture. This project will use synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, root and rhizosphere biology and rhizosphere modelling to establish detailed mechanistic knowledge of the nitrogen (N) transport and uptake processes at the soil-root interface to develop new, efficient urease and nitrification inhibitors for reliable provision of N to the plant/root system. The reduction of excessive N fertilisation has significant environmental be ....Connecting soil nitrogen and plant uptake for greener agriculture. This project will use synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, root and rhizosphere biology and rhizosphere modelling to establish detailed mechanistic knowledge of the nitrogen (N) transport and uptake processes at the soil-root interface to develop new, efficient urease and nitrification inhibitors for reliable provision of N to the plant/root system. The reduction of excessive N fertilisation has significant environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. This project will lead to a breakthrough for the triple challenge of food security, environmental degradation and climate change, while improving plant productivity and increasing the profitability of agriculture through lower fertiliser costs.Read moreRead less
Using the fractionation of hydrogen and carbon isotopes to analyse the mechanisms of the primary processes of photosynthesis. The primary processes of CO2 fixation and reduction in photosynthesis leave their signatures in the isotopic composition of organic matter. Although these signatures are used widely in geochemistry, biology and climatology to infer the dynamics and history of the biosphere, the information they provide about the mechanisms of the processes that produce them has not been e ....Using the fractionation of hydrogen and carbon isotopes to analyse the mechanisms of the primary processes of photosynthesis. The primary processes of CO2 fixation and reduction in photosynthesis leave their signatures in the isotopic composition of organic matter. Although these signatures are used widely in geochemistry, biology and climatology to infer the dynamics and history of the biosphere, the information they provide about the mechanisms of the processes that produce them has not been exploited fully. We propose to map the underlying biochemistry responsible for fractionation of hydrogen isotopes, to assess its ability to indicate the water relations of plants, and to use carbon-isotope discrimination to probe the catalytic chemistry of the CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco.Read moreRead less
Fluorine-labelled proteins for NMR spectroscopy. The technique developed in this project has direct impact on pharmaceutical research: NMR spectroscopy is used routinely to identify chemical compounds that bind to protein targets. This project includes the development of novel assignment techniques of 19F-labelled proteins, so that 19F-NMR can be used to detect specific binding interactions. One of the methods proposed here is designed to reveal structural information about the binding mode in s ....Fluorine-labelled proteins for NMR spectroscopy. The technique developed in this project has direct impact on pharmaceutical research: NMR spectroscopy is used routinely to identify chemical compounds that bind to protein targets. This project includes the development of novel assignment techniques of 19F-labelled proteins, so that 19F-NMR can be used to detect specific binding interactions. One of the methods proposed here is designed to reveal structural information about the binding mode in solution with atomic detail. This knowledge can significantly accelerate drug development. It is otherwise only available from crystal structures that can not always be determined.Read moreRead less
Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Phosphines, Arsines, and Stibines. There are now chiral phosphine-transition metal catalysts that rival enzymes in their efficiency for the asymmetric synthesis of important chiral drugs, fragrants, cosmetics, nutrients, vitamins, and pesticides. This project is aimed at a generalised asymmetric synthesis of the critical components of these enzyme mimics, notably enantiopure chiral phosphines, but also chiral arsines and stibines, by a highly innovative approach t ....Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Phosphines, Arsines, and Stibines. There are now chiral phosphine-transition metal catalysts that rival enzymes in their efficiency for the asymmetric synthesis of important chiral drugs, fragrants, cosmetics, nutrients, vitamins, and pesticides. This project is aimed at a generalised asymmetric synthesis of the critical components of these enzyme mimics, notably enantiopure chiral phosphines, but also chiral arsines and stibines, by a highly innovative approach that involves novel six-electron phosphenium, arsenium, and stibinium cations that are themselves stabilised by chiral phosphines so that chemical breeder reactions are possible. The use of chiral auxiliaries from the natural pool and from biotechnology will also be investigated.Read moreRead less
Quantum-chemical design of stereoregular polyphosphines for nanowires. In this project we will be designing and producing stereoregular polyphosphines that can self-assemble gold and silver complexes that mimic the molecular architectures of DNA and certain proteins. The longer gold complexes will behave as insulated nanowires, and are an exciting prospect for the development of nanotechnological devices. The shorter silver and gold complexes are expected to have significant antitumour propertie ....Quantum-chemical design of stereoregular polyphosphines for nanowires. In this project we will be designing and producing stereoregular polyphosphines that can self-assemble gold and silver complexes that mimic the molecular architectures of DNA and certain proteins. The longer gold complexes will behave as insulated nanowires, and are an exciting prospect for the development of nanotechnological devices. The shorter silver and gold complexes are expected to have significant antitumour properties. This project, which will use a unique theoretical-experimental approach to design the stereoregular polyphosphines, will enhance Australia's international scientific reputation, and will contribute to technological advancement in the national priority areas of nanotechnology and biotechnology.Read moreRead less
Towards Nano-circuits: 2 and 3-Dimensional Carbon-Wired Nano-architectures. Whilst Australia has a world-class profile in organotransition metal chemistry, main-group chemistry is under-represented, despite the enormous technological importance of materials based on these elements. In addition to the fundamental breakthrough science to be explored, the project will provide a training vehicle for 5 young scientists in both main group and organometallic chemistry. The target compounds involve an e ....Towards Nano-circuits: 2 and 3-Dimensional Carbon-Wired Nano-architectures. Whilst Australia has a world-class profile in organotransition metal chemistry, main-group chemistry is under-represented, despite the enormous technological importance of materials based on these elements. In addition to the fundamental breakthrough science to be explored, the project will provide a training vehicle for 5 young scientists in both main group and organometallic chemistry. The target compounds involve an essentially unique marriage of the fields of main-group and transition metal chemistry to provide complex nano-architectures based on the modular interconnection of metals and non-metals by carbon wires at the molecular level - nanoscopic counterparts of macroscopic circuit components.Read moreRead less
Understanding and Harnessing the Unique and Curious Metal Boron Bond: Unlocking the Metallaboratrane Cage. Metal-boron bonding holds enormous technological importance due to the emergence of boron-based metal-mediated synthetic transformations that access a diversity of high value-added fine chemicals. Whilst Australia boasts an emergent boron-based fine chemicals industry, no research program into the nature of metal boron bonding exists to provide either fundamental science or advanced trainin ....Understanding and Harnessing the Unique and Curious Metal Boron Bond: Unlocking the Metallaboratrane Cage. Metal-boron bonding holds enormous technological importance due to the emergence of boron-based metal-mediated synthetic transformations that access a diversity of high value-added fine chemicals. Whilst Australia boasts an emergent boron-based fine chemicals industry, no research program into the nature of metal boron bonding exists to provide either fundamental science or advanced training in organometallic boron chemistry. The proposed work offers two distinct national benefits: The maintenance of a discipline in which Australia leads the world (metallaboratranes) and the genesis of one, which whilst intensely studied elsewhere, is notably absent from the Australian science base (low coordinate, unsaturated boron chemistry).Read moreRead less