Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC200100052
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,789,838.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins for Drug Discovery. This Centre aims to train industry-ready, world class graduates in cryo-electron microscopy of membrane proteins. The Centre’s graduates and research results would enable tomorrow’s industrial expansion in structure-enhanced drug design. Expected outcomes are world-first structural biology knowledge and techniques, and the entrepreneurial and technical skills desired by industry. This should provide signifi ....ARC Training Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins for Drug Discovery. This Centre aims to train industry-ready, world class graduates in cryo-electron microscopy of membrane proteins. The Centre’s graduates and research results would enable tomorrow’s industrial expansion in structure-enhanced drug design. Expected outcomes are world-first structural biology knowledge and techniques, and the entrepreneurial and technical skills desired by industry. This should provide significant benefits including advancing Australian biotechnological capacity and improved linkages with major pharmaceutical partners. It should also provide a substantive competitive advantage to nascent Australian biotechnology companies that also links into new National investment into drug discovery and development infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Advancing programmable genetic computation to control plant gene activity. Plants can sense diverse internal and external conditions and integrate them to appropriately tune their response and maximize fitness. Plant biotechnology relies heavily on manipulating gene activity to change cell functions and confer advantageous agronomic traits. However, our ability to control plant gene activity remains rudimentary, limiting our biotechnology capabilities. This project aims to develop synthetic gene ....Advancing programmable genetic computation to control plant gene activity. Plants can sense diverse internal and external conditions and integrate them to appropriately tune their response and maximize fitness. Plant biotechnology relies heavily on manipulating gene activity to change cell functions and confer advantageous agronomic traits. However, our ability to control plant gene activity remains rudimentary, limiting our biotechnology capabilities. This project aims to develop synthetic gene logic gates in plants, to enable the construction of programmable genetically-encoded computational functions that can sense and process customizable inputs to drive desired changes in plant function. This advance will underpin useful applications in plant biotechnology such as improved crop stress tolerance and yield.Read moreRead less
Mapping networks governing cell state plasticity: how, where and when? Single cell organisms are the basic unit of life, yet, if they had not developed the ability to change cell states we would not exist today. Changing cell states lies at the core of almost every developmental and disease process in multicellular organisms. Building upon our fundamental discovery that stem cells and non-stem cells readily interconvert, we will now incorporate innovative cell systems and the development of our ....Mapping networks governing cell state plasticity: how, where and when? Single cell organisms are the basic unit of life, yet, if they had not developed the ability to change cell states we would not exist today. Changing cell states lies at the core of almost every developmental and disease process in multicellular organisms. Building upon our fundamental discovery that stem cells and non-stem cells readily interconvert, we will now incorporate innovative cell systems and the development of our new multi-layered systems biology strategy to elucidate the first comprehensive understanding of the cell biology that underlies cell state changes. These studies are a major step toward understanding the fundamentals of life. Read moreRead less
Decoding the spatiotemporal control of DNA replication and repair. DNA replication is the fundamental mechanism of genetic inheritance and essential for all cellular life. This project aims to inform our understanding of how human cells coordinate the DNA replication machinery in time and space to accurately copy the human genome. By applying multiple innovative approaches and employing an interdisciplinary research team, this project is anticipated to generate new knowledge that explains how th ....Decoding the spatiotemporal control of DNA replication and repair. DNA replication is the fundamental mechanism of genetic inheritance and essential for all cellular life. This project aims to inform our understanding of how human cells coordinate the DNA replication machinery in time and space to accurately copy the human genome. By applying multiple innovative approaches and employing an interdisciplinary research team, this project is anticipated to generate new knowledge that explains how the human genome is replicated. This knowledge is expected to generate research publications of high quality and provide economic benefits, such as unlocking new potentially patentable DNA technologies. Read moreRead less
Nano-reactors: Protein cages as reusable scaffolds for designer enzymes. This project aims to develop robust protein cages derived from the coats of viruses to contain heat-stable P450 enzymes, for use as specialised protein bio-catalysts in chemical industries. A valuable chemical precursor of renewable bio-plastics will be produced from seed oils by enzymes, reducing the use of fossil fuels. This synthetic biology approach combines biotechnology, nanotechnology and protein engineering to estab ....Nano-reactors: Protein cages as reusable scaffolds for designer enzymes. This project aims to develop robust protein cages derived from the coats of viruses to contain heat-stable P450 enzymes, for use as specialised protein bio-catalysts in chemical industries. A valuable chemical precursor of renewable bio-plastics will be produced from seed oils by enzymes, reducing the use of fossil fuels. This synthetic biology approach combines biotechnology, nanotechnology and protein engineering to establish a plant-based platform biotechnology for using enzymes as catalysts to make high-value molecules. The project aims to show how to engineer clean, sustainable chemistry in designer nano-environments. This should make synthetic processes more sustainable and enhance advanced chemical manufacturing in Australia.Read moreRead less
Regulation of 3D Cell Migration by Microtubule-Dependent Processes. The overarching aim of this research is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that cells use to move in 3D environments: a basic biological function essential to development and homeostasis. During these processes, cells interact with their surroundings where they translate biophysical forces into biochemical signals to adapt their shape to move. This requires distinct signalling, controlled in space and time, to regulate the cr ....Regulation of 3D Cell Migration by Microtubule-Dependent Processes. The overarching aim of this research is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that cells use to move in 3D environments: a basic biological function essential to development and homeostasis. During these processes, cells interact with their surroundings where they translate biophysical forces into biochemical signals to adapt their shape to move. This requires distinct signalling, controlled in space and time, to regulate the crosstalk between organelles and the cytoskeleton. To date, the role of microtubules remains elusive. Using interdisciplinary approaches combining advanced imaging technology with novel cell biology methods, the project aims to uncover fundamental knowledge about how cells interact with their environment.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC210100047
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Accelerated Future Crop Development . The Centre will create a new generation of leaders in the implementation of advanced gene and field technologies for the benefit of the Australian agriculture industry. We will build the workforce and foundations that will drive translation of breakthroughs in advanced breeding, phenotyping and genetic technologies into higher-yielding crops. This will increase productivity across the sector and create new markets. Our technical trai ....ARC Training Centre for Accelerated Future Crop Development . The Centre will create a new generation of leaders in the implementation of advanced gene and field technologies for the benefit of the Australian agriculture industry. We will build the workforce and foundations that will drive translation of breakthroughs in advanced breeding, phenotyping and genetic technologies into higher-yielding crops. This will increase productivity across the sector and create new markets. Our technical training programs for graduates, trainees and industry will interface with best evidence-based practices in the wider socio-economic, regulatory and environmental contexts. Coupled with community and stakeholder engagement, the Centre will redefine and secure Australia’s future in agriculture. Read moreRead less
The role of HP1 alpha dimerisation in maintaining chromatin structure. Heterochromatin protein 1 alpha (HP1a) is an architectural protein that decorates three-dimensional genome organisation and through self-association into HP1a dimers regulates global gene expression. While there is extensive biochemical evidence on how HP1a molecules bind DNA, dimerise and bridge nucleosomes close together, we still do not know how HP1a regulates higher order chromatin structure in the context of a living cel ....The role of HP1 alpha dimerisation in maintaining chromatin structure. Heterochromatin protein 1 alpha (HP1a) is an architectural protein that decorates three-dimensional genome organisation and through self-association into HP1a dimers regulates global gene expression. While there is extensive biochemical evidence on how HP1a molecules bind DNA, dimerise and bridge nucleosomes close together, we still do not know how HP1a regulates higher order chromatin structure in the context of a living cell. Thus, by use of cutting-edge fluorescence microscopy methods, the overall aim of this research project is to determine the biophysical mechanism by which the HP1a monomer to dimer transition spatially and temporally modulates live cell chromatin network organisation to ensure faithful transmission of the genome.Read moreRead less
Tracking DNA repair dynamics in the nuclear landscape of a living cell. This project aims to track DNA repair factor recruitment in the nuclear landscape of a living cell and quantify the role of nucleus architecture in maintenance of genome integrity. By coupling advanced fluorescence microscopy with a novel DNA double strand break inducible cell system, this project expects to uncover how the nucleus spatially coordinates DNA damage detection, assessment and repair in real time. This research ....Tracking DNA repair dynamics in the nuclear landscape of a living cell. This project aims to track DNA repair factor recruitment in the nuclear landscape of a living cell and quantify the role of nucleus architecture in maintenance of genome integrity. By coupling advanced fluorescence microscopy with a novel DNA double strand break inducible cell system, this project expects to uncover how the nucleus spatially coordinates DNA damage detection, assessment and repair in real time. This research is important because DNA damage threatens organism survival and this project has the potential to define how this genomic threat is resolved at the single molecule level. The benefit of this research is a fundamental insight into DNA repair biology and development of imaging technology to quantify genome function.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100046
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$289,381.00
Summary
A fast fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope to track protein dynamics. This project aims to establish a fast fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope that can track the intracellular journey of a protein throughout the entire structural framework of a living cell. By coupling single particle tracking technology with a cutting-edge fluorescence lifetime camera, this one-of-a-kind microscope will enable protein mobility and interaction to be spatially mapped with unprecedented temporal resolut ....A fast fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope to track protein dynamics. This project aims to establish a fast fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope that can track the intracellular journey of a protein throughout the entire structural framework of a living cell. By coupling single particle tracking technology with a cutting-edge fluorescence lifetime camera, this one-of-a-kind microscope will enable protein mobility and interaction to be spatially mapped with unprecedented temporal resolution. The benefit of this technology is that it will enable scientists in Australia to image, for the first time, the biophysical mechanism by which a protein navigates intracellular architecture to regulate a complex biological function at the single molecule level.Read moreRead less