INTRINSIC PROPERTIES OF THE PORE FORMING DOMAIN OF THE RYANODINE RECEPTOR CALCIUM CHANNEL. The project is to understand how a calcium ion channel is able to regulate muscle performance. The ion channel, known as the ryanodine receptor, is essential for human and animal survival. The results of the project will be integral to understanding muscle performance in humans and will have long term implications for Australian sports physiology and sports science. The project will also be integral to ....INTRINSIC PROPERTIES OF THE PORE FORMING DOMAIN OF THE RYANODINE RECEPTOR CALCIUM CHANNEL. The project is to understand how a calcium ion channel is able to regulate muscle performance. The ion channel, known as the ryanodine receptor, is essential for human and animal survival. The results of the project will be integral to understanding muscle performance in humans and will have long term implications for Australian sports physiology and sports science. The project will also be integral to understanding muscle performance and development in animals and will have repercussions for the Australian livestock and racing industries. The results may lead to the development of new insecticides since insect mobility depends on ryanodine receptor activity. This will benefit to Australian agriculture.Read moreRead less
The role of the Ttyh1 protein in cell activation. We have cloned TTYH1, a human homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster tweety gene. The mouse gene has also been identified. The predicted structure of the protein is a membrane protein with 5 transmembrane domains. We have also expressed a GFP-tagged fusion protein in mouse fibroblasts. Confocal microscopy indicates that this protein is likely to be a novel adhesion molecule, with a cellular distribution characteristic of molecules such as integ ....The role of the Ttyh1 protein in cell activation. We have cloned TTYH1, a human homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster tweety gene. The mouse gene has also been identified. The predicted structure of the protein is a membrane protein with 5 transmembrane domains. We have also expressed a GFP-tagged fusion protein in mouse fibroblasts. Confocal microscopy indicates that this protein is likely to be a novel adhesion molecule, with a cellular distribution characteristic of molecules such as integrins. We aim to determine the function of Ttyh1, its interacting intra- and extra-cellular proteins and to assess its candidature as a molecule of importance in cell migration and adhesion.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354622
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the early embryo have major consequences for the development of individuals. The aim of this Network is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the previously distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to better understand developmental regulatory networks and how environmental factors impinge on them. The formation of such a Network ....Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the early embryo have major consequences for the development of individuals. The aim of this Network is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the previously distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to better understand developmental regulatory networks and how environmental factors impinge on them. The formation of such a Network is unique, timely and strategic in that it will generate new insights into the mechanisms by which events in early life determine the risk of adverse outcomes in perinatal and adult life.Read moreRead less
ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the developing organism have major consequences for the lifetime health of individuals. The primary objective of the Network in Genes and Environment in Development is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the currently distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to define key developmental regulatory ne ....ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the developing organism have major consequences for the lifetime health of individuals. The primary objective of the Network in Genes and Environment in Development is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the currently distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to define key developmental regulatory networks and to address how environmental factors impinge on these regulatory networks. The formation of this National Research Network is unique, timely and strategic. It will generate new insights into the mechanisms by which events in early life determine the risk of adverse outcomes in perinatal and adult life.Read moreRead less
The Shape of Plants; Discovering factors that control morphology by organizing the cytoskeleton. Understanding how plants generate the huge diversity of shapes seen in nature is both a scientific challenge and a biotechnological opportunity. Microtubules dominate cell architecture, providing dynamic, yet rigid, frameworks for defining or changing growth polarity. We recently discovered and cloned MOR1, a gene that is essential for organizing microtubules and controlling morphogenesis. This place ....The Shape of Plants; Discovering factors that control morphology by organizing the cytoskeleton. Understanding how plants generate the huge diversity of shapes seen in nature is both a scientific challenge and a biotechnological opportunity. Microtubules dominate cell architecture, providing dynamic, yet rigid, frameworks for defining or changing growth polarity. We recently discovered and cloned MOR1, a gene that is essential for organizing microtubules and controlling morphogenesis. This places us in a strong position to resolve a long-standing mystery: how are microtubules organized? We intend to define MOR1's structural attributes, identify its interacting proteins and innovate an ambitious screen for additional genes that have related functions. This project should stimulate new ideas and applications.Read moreRead less
Evolvability and the Evolution of Complexity. Anyone engaging in a moment's reflection on the striking richness, diversity, and complexity of the biological world is faced with the question: how did it get here? Though natural selection is central to answering this question, important new work has identified various conditions that make some lineages of organisms "evolvable": capable of changing in ways that radically expand the range of further possible changes. This project will clarify and in ....Evolvability and the Evolution of Complexity. Anyone engaging in a moment's reflection on the striking richness, diversity, and complexity of the biological world is faced with the question: how did it get here? Though natural selection is central to answering this question, important new work has identified various conditions that make some lineages of organisms "evolvable": capable of changing in ways that radically expand the range of further possible changes. This project will clarify and integrate these various conditions using empirical examples and simple models. The resulting work from this project will provide a clearer general understanding of what biological complexity is, and how science has compelling candidates for understanding how it evolves.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989084
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$275,000.00
Summary
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy for Live Cell Imaging. The University of Newcastle has invested heavily in its biological and life sciences to create a research nexus focusing on national research priorities in biotechnology and environmental protection. The Live Cell Imaging platform will be utilized by scientists researching such strategically important areas including developmental biology, intracellular signalling cascades, cell cycle dynamics, plant development and microbiology. Moreover ....Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy for Live Cell Imaging. The University of Newcastle has invested heavily in its biological and life sciences to create a research nexus focusing on national research priorities in biotechnology and environmental protection. The Live Cell Imaging platform will be utilized by scientists researching such strategically important areas including developmental biology, intracellular signalling cascades, cell cycle dynamics, plant development and microbiology. Moreover, this component of the University's research portfolio plays a major role in the postgraduate training of young Australian scientists who will, in turn, fuel future developments in both the life sciences and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Role of a novel zinc-binding motif in the structure-function of deubiquitinating enzymes. The ubiquitin pathway destroys many proteins that control cell function and growth, by attaching ubiquitin to them and marking them for degradation. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) regulate protein destruction by controlling the amount of ubiquitin attached. DUBs and the ubiquitin pathway can also be manipulated in biotechnology applications. However, very little is known about the structure/function of DUB ....Role of a novel zinc-binding motif in the structure-function of deubiquitinating enzymes. The ubiquitin pathway destroys many proteins that control cell function and growth, by attaching ubiquitin to them and marking them for degradation. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) regulate protein destruction by controlling the amount of ubiquitin attached. DUBs and the ubiquitin pathway can also be manipulated in biotechnology applications. However, very little is known about the structure/function of DUBs. We have identified a new zinc-binding motif in DUBs, and we will explore how this contributes to their structure, and interactions with other proteins. This will significantly enhance our knowledge of how DUBs function in both biotechnology and in controlling cell function.Read moreRead less
Protein degradation in mammals. One mechanism by which the regulation of protein turnover occurs is the balance between the activity of enzymes responsible for the ubiquitination and deubiquitination of target proteins. The majority of targets of this second family of enzymes are unknown. This project proposes a method for the identification of the targets of two specific mammalian deubiquitinating enzymes in order to understand their function and to begin to explore this new research field. ....Protein degradation in mammals. One mechanism by which the regulation of protein turnover occurs is the balance between the activity of enzymes responsible for the ubiquitination and deubiquitination of target proteins. The majority of targets of this second family of enzymes are unknown. This project proposes a method for the identification of the targets of two specific mammalian deubiquitinating enzymes in order to understand their function and to begin to explore this new research field. Knowledge about this new aspect of protein degradation could provide a powerful tool to test the effect of the stabilisation or removal of specific proteins in the cell and also to develop new technologies in protein production.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0214135
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$492,000.00
Summary
High performance protein crystallography. This proposal will provide state of the art high performance facilities for protein crystallography, bringing together the major structural biology groups in NSW and the ACT. A renewed focus on protein crystal structures will stimulate new interpretation and utilization of the vast amount of data that has come from genomics, especially the sequencing of the human genome. The proposed facility will generate new research collaborations between the partn ....High performance protein crystallography. This proposal will provide state of the art high performance facilities for protein crystallography, bringing together the major structural biology groups in NSW and the ACT. A renewed focus on protein crystal structures will stimulate new interpretation and utilization of the vast amount of data that has come from genomics, especially the sequencing of the human genome. The proposed facility will generate new research collaborations between the partner institutions which will result in advances in basic life sciences, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals. The facility will complement regional initiatives in functional genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics and high-field NMR spectroscopy.Read moreRead less