Making peptides orally bioavailable. Bioactive peptides are exceptionally useful molecules, however to fully realise their exciting applications key limitations need to be overcome: they can't be delivered orally and they do not last long in the body. This project aims to develop a molecular tag that can dramatically enhance both the oral absorption and time in the body of a peptide. This will include identifying the key elements of the tag required for function, the breadth of peptide cargoes i ....Making peptides orally bioavailable. Bioactive peptides are exceptionally useful molecules, however to fully realise their exciting applications key limitations need to be overcome: they can't be delivered orally and they do not last long in the body. This project aims to develop a molecular tag that can dramatically enhance both the oral absorption and time in the body of a peptide. This will include identifying the key elements of the tag required for function, the breadth of peptide cargoes it can be applied to and the mechanisms underlying this technology. The outcomes of this project will facilitate the future development of peptides for biotechnology, pharmaceutical and veterinary applications.Read moreRead less
Pushing The Boundaries Of Flow Chemistry – Towards New Anti-Viral Agents. Synthetic chemistry approaches to new drugs rely on access to robust reliable reactions. Traditionally these approaches are highly wasteful with the pharmaceutical industries producing five to a hundred kilograms of waste per kilogram of product. Total flow chemistry approaches will significantly reduce waste, allow rapid reaction sequence optimisation, and seamless scale up. In a collaborative effort spanning Australia, G ....Pushing The Boundaries Of Flow Chemistry – Towards New Anti-Viral Agents. Synthetic chemistry approaches to new drugs rely on access to robust reliable reactions. Traditionally these approaches are highly wasteful with the pharmaceutical industries producing five to a hundred kilograms of waste per kilogram of product. Total flow chemistry approaches will significantly reduce waste, allow rapid reaction sequence optimisation, and seamless scale up. In a collaborative effort spanning Australia, Germany and the USA, in an exemplar of a real world application, this project will produce benefits not only in enhanced and greener synthetic approaches, but also in the development of strategies for the identification of small molecules, the precursors to a new mode of action class of anti-viral drugs.Read moreRead less
Nicotinic receptor structure and function probed with conotoxins. Nicotinic receptors are intrinsic membrane proteins that play a role in communication in excitable cells, particularly in the nervous system. The primary goals of this project are to define the structural and functional determinants of nicotinic-conotoxin interactions at a molecular level, and develop new selective probes that advance neurophysiological research. The diversity and distribution of nicotinic receptor subtypes being ....Nicotinic receptor structure and function probed with conotoxins. Nicotinic receptors are intrinsic membrane proteins that play a role in communication in excitable cells, particularly in the nervous system. The primary goals of this project are to define the structural and functional determinants of nicotinic-conotoxin interactions at a molecular level, and develop new selective probes that advance neurophysiological research. The diversity and distribution of nicotinic receptor subtypes being uncovered through molecular biology and selective conotoxin probes presents an exciting opportunity for the discovery of new therapeutic agents.Read moreRead less
Fragment-based screening approaches for new antibiotics directed against the bacterial sliding clamp. This project will use new approaches to develop a new generation of effective antibacterial agents to combat rising resistance in key pathogens. The project will target DNA replication and repair processes that are essential for bacterial survival and proliferation.
Molecular Interactions with an antibiotic target in DNA replication. This project aims to develop and use new technologies to address mechanistic aspects of anti-bacterial compounds in development, and of the development of resistance to them. The project will focus on the sliding clamp subunit of the bacterial replicative polymerase by studying its association with many other proteins in vitro and in vivo, using novel techniques in solid-state NMR, single-molecule fluorescence and molecular mic ....Molecular Interactions with an antibiotic target in DNA replication. This project aims to develop and use new technologies to address mechanistic aspects of anti-bacterial compounds in development, and of the development of resistance to them. The project will focus on the sliding clamp subunit of the bacterial replicative polymerase by studying its association with many other proteins in vitro and in vivo, using novel techniques in solid-state NMR, single-molecule fluorescence and molecular microbiology. The outcomes are expected to be an increased understanding of bacterial DNA replication and mechanisms of antibiotic action and resistance. This project expects to generate new knowledge to assist in combatting antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.Read moreRead less
Magnetorheological Elastomer Based Tuned Mass Damper. This project aims to protect buildings utilising an advanced tuned mass damper (TMD) which has characteristics of adaptability, is energy and sensor free and has negative stiffness via the integration of magnetorheological elastomers, a self-sensing self-powered element and negative stiffness technologies. This project expects to theoretically and experimentally study the performance of the TMD on structural protection from wind loads and ear ....Magnetorheological Elastomer Based Tuned Mass Damper. This project aims to protect buildings utilising an advanced tuned mass damper (TMD) which has characteristics of adaptability, is energy and sensor free and has negative stiffness via the integration of magnetorheological elastomers, a self-sensing self-powered element and negative stiffness technologies. This project expects to theoretically and experimentally study the performance of the TMD on structural protection from wind loads and earthquakes. The expected outcomes of this project will advance TMD practice and structural protection technology, and benefit the building protection industry, both domestically and globally. This will provide significant benefits to the working efficiency and safety of building occupants.Read moreRead less
Using acoustic retroreflection in architecture to improve rooms for speech. This project aims to discover how a novel form of acoustic treatment can improve acoustics for speech in rooms such as classrooms and open-plan offices. The project will generate new knowledge on the theory, design, and effects of acoustically retroreflective surfaces in room acoustics. Expected outcomes include solutions for effective acoustic retroreflectors, knowledge on how retroreflection influences people’s voice r ....Using acoustic retroreflection in architecture to improve rooms for speech. This project aims to discover how a novel form of acoustic treatment can improve acoustics for speech in rooms such as classrooms and open-plan offices. The project will generate new knowledge on the theory, design, and effects of acoustically retroreflective surfaces in room acoustics. Expected outcomes include solutions for effective acoustic retroreflectors, knowledge on how retroreflection influences people’s voice regulation and sound quality perception, and guidelines and simulation tools for integrating retroreflective treatments to improve speaking comfort. This should provide significant benefits including opportunities to resolve seemingly intractable design dilemmas in the acoustics of education and workplace environments.Read moreRead less
Surfacing urban wetlands in two urban renewal sites in Sydney. Urban wetlands in Australia provide benefits for climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, habitat provision and socioecological connection. However, in large cities like Sydney, urban wetlands are unseen because undergrounded, and, therefore not adequately understood. This illegibility, and loss of understanding by residents, planners and policy makers impedes wetlands' good management. This project surfaces wetlands through v ....Surfacing urban wetlands in two urban renewal sites in Sydney. Urban wetlands in Australia provide benefits for climate change mitigation, pollution reduction, habitat provision and socioecological connection. However, in large cities like Sydney, urban wetlands are unseen because undergrounded, and, therefore not adequately understood. This illegibility, and loss of understanding by residents, planners and policy makers impedes wetlands' good management. This project surfaces wetlands through visualisation in a multimodal knowledge platform focusing on two urban renewal sites, Green Square and Marrickville South. We leverage design ethnography to develop resources for strengthening multiple stakeholders’ socioecological engagement through methods empowering just, creative and open participation.Read moreRead less
Muscle memory: The key to novel interactive memory support systems. This project aims to investigate how the use of muscle memory as a deliberate interaction design resource can effectively support declarative memory. The project brings together memory interaction design and bodily activity design to address increasing concerns surrounding Australians’ memory. By investigating muscle memory in interaction design, the project is expected to advance international understanding of scholarly and pra ....Muscle memory: The key to novel interactive memory support systems. This project aims to investigate how the use of muscle memory as a deliberate interaction design resource can effectively support declarative memory. The project brings together memory interaction design and bodily activity design to address increasing concerns surrounding Australians’ memory. By investigating muscle memory in interaction design, the project is expected to advance international understanding of scholarly and practical processes that complement design for declarative memory. The project will lay the foundation for extending research which will assist movement, rehabilitation, health and educational sports practitioners that can create engaging experiences that use muscle memory for the benefit of all Australians.Read moreRead less
The impact of copper on protein turnover. This project aims to elaborate a novel discovery by the research team, that a conserved copper-binding site in a group of conserved conjugating enzymes promotes ubiquitination of a range of essential proteins leading to their rapid degradation, which might be a means of maintaining copper homeostasis. This project will employ a range of integrated physicochemical, biochemical and cell biology approaches to illuminate the molecular nature of this copper a ....The impact of copper on protein turnover. This project aims to elaborate a novel discovery by the research team, that a conserved copper-binding site in a group of conserved conjugating enzymes promotes ubiquitination of a range of essential proteins leading to their rapid degradation, which might be a means of maintaining copper homeostasis. This project will employ a range of integrated physicochemical, biochemical and cell biology approaches to illuminate the molecular nature of this copper action on the enzyme and its partners. Expected outcomes include an analytical understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this process, and enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration between experts. Potential benefits include new strategies to intervene in copper-related disorders of aging.Read moreRead less