How do cells survive nutrient stress? Insight into mechanisms. This project studies cell survival under nutrient stress in eukaryotes. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel TOR (Target of Rapamycin) Complex 2 (TORC2) control points it expects to generate new knowledge of critical and conserved features of stress control of macroautophagy that ensures cell survival. It uses interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to validate and characterize nutrient-stress dependent si ....How do cells survive nutrient stress? Insight into mechanisms. This project studies cell survival under nutrient stress in eukaryotes. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel TOR (Target of Rapamycin) Complex 2 (TORC2) control points it expects to generate new knowledge of critical and conserved features of stress control of macroautophagy that ensures cell survival. It uses interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to validate and characterize nutrient-stress dependent signaling. Expected outcomes include novel insights into environmental control of cell proliferation and forging cross institutional collaborations. This knowledge benefits basic and applied biology and is relevant to industries/projects utilizing living cells as nutrient supports cell survival and proliferation.Read moreRead less
Navigating flux control through a branched metabolic pathway. This project aims to uncover control points and programmes in the mevalonate pathway, an important cellular metabolic pathway that produces cholesterol and isoprenoids. Knowledge of its regulation is largely restricted to just one enzyme (HMGCR). This project will determine how regulation of the later sterol-producing segment affects the early isoprenoid-segment of the mevalonate pathway; investigate how the two alternate routes to ch ....Navigating flux control through a branched metabolic pathway. This project aims to uncover control points and programmes in the mevalonate pathway, an important cellular metabolic pathway that produces cholesterol and isoprenoids. Knowledge of its regulation is largely restricted to just one enzyme (HMGCR). This project will determine how regulation of the later sterol-producing segment affects the early isoprenoid-segment of the mevalonate pathway; investigate how the two alternate routes to cholesterol synthesis operate and are regulated; and explore a co-ordinated and possibly co-operative transcriptional program. This project is expected to provide valuable knowledge of how cells control these critical lipids, which will ultimately inform better ways to treat diseases of cholesterol excess and defects in this pathway.Read moreRead less
Unravelling a canonical mitochondrial stress response pathway. Stress has a major impact on all life forms and is considered one of the key determinants of healthy ageing. This project aims to unravel a highly novel pathway through which many different forms of stress converge to induce a conserved stress response in mammalian cells. Major outcomes include rewriting the textbook on how stress is sensed by cells and how cells respond to this stress and will provide novel approaches and technologi ....Unravelling a canonical mitochondrial stress response pathway. Stress has a major impact on all life forms and is considered one of the key determinants of healthy ageing. This project aims to unravel a highly novel pathway through which many different forms of stress converge to induce a conserved stress response in mammalian cells. Major outcomes include rewriting the textbook on how stress is sensed by cells and how cells respond to this stress and will provide novel approaches and technologies for studying stress in a broad range of organisms and systems. This project will benefit all efforts to understand stress and aid efforts by others to ameliorate stress-mediated health defects across the animal kingdomRead moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL200100096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,367,940.00
Summary
Mapping the genetic and lifestyle landscape of Healthy Ageing. This project aims to dissect how genes interact with the environment to control healthy ageing using a multidisciplinary approach combining state-of-the-art omics technologies, metabolic and ageing phenotyping and genetic analysis and a highly diverse model system. The project is expected to establish fundamental new understanding of the ageing process by identifying genes that regulate ageing either alone or in response to diet; by ....Mapping the genetic and lifestyle landscape of Healthy Ageing. This project aims to dissect how genes interact with the environment to control healthy ageing using a multidisciplinary approach combining state-of-the-art omics technologies, metabolic and ageing phenotyping and genetic analysis and a highly diverse model system. The project is expected to establish fundamental new understanding of the ageing process by identifying genes that regulate ageing either alone or in response to diet; by defining the mechanism by which such genes control ageing and by identifying biomarkers that predict different ageing outcomes. This knowledge will contribute to future strategies based on genetic testing and biomarkers to optimise healthy ageing in humans. Read moreRead less
The role of phospholipids in the biogenesis of lipid droplets. The general aim is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis/formation of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets store sterol esters and/or triacylglycerols, two major storage lipids that play key roles in cellular and whole body lipid metabolism. Lipid droplets are also the core components of plant oil and biodiesel. Little is known about how lipid droplets are generated. The proposed work will examine ....The role of phospholipids in the biogenesis of lipid droplets. The general aim is to elucidate the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the biogenesis/formation of the lipid droplets. Lipid droplets store sterol esters and/or triacylglycerols, two major storage lipids that play key roles in cellular and whole body lipid metabolism. Lipid droplets are also the core components of plant oil and biodiesel. Little is known about how lipid droplets are generated. The proposed work will examine the synthesis of certain lipid intermediates such as phosphatidic acid, and their impact on the biogenesis of lipid droplets from the endoplasmic reticulum. Such fundamental new knowledge on how cells store neutral lipids will provide new strategies for enhancing plant oil and biodiesel production. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$379,264.00
Summary
Banking on spermatogonial stem cells to safeguard Australian native fauna. Spermatogonial stem cells in the testis are an untapped resource for species conservation. This project aims to characterise metabolic pathways that control spermatogonial stem cell function, and define the conserved nature of these pathways between model species (mouse) and vulnerable Australian native fauna. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced capacity to culture koala spermatogonia in vitro, which wil ....Banking on spermatogonial stem cells to safeguard Australian native fauna. Spermatogonial stem cells in the testis are an untapped resource for species conservation. This project aims to characterise metabolic pathways that control spermatogonial stem cell function, and define the conserved nature of these pathways between model species (mouse) and vulnerable Australian native fauna. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced capacity to culture koala spermatogonia in vitro, which will be a first step towards using spermatogonial biobanking as a tool to maintain genetic diversity in this species. Outcomes from this study should provide significant benefits in safeguarding our unique Australian native species, which is of particular importance following the catastrophic 2019/20 bushfire season.Read moreRead less