Shedding Light Onto The Structural Secrets Inside Pluripotent Stem Cells In Real-time
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,890.00
Summary
To meet the challenges of life, a human being requires 30 trillion cells, a blue whale a staggering 100 quadrillion. This vast diversity of cells derives from very few unspecialised cells that can become any cell type of the adult body - the pluripotent stem cells. We will use innovative imaging techniques to uncover the cellular architecture of pluripotency to provide critical insights into how the various parts of a versatile cell, its cytoskeleton and organelles, are assembled in real-time.
Modulating The Skin Immune System With Physical Stimulus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,353.00
Summary
The Fellowship will be based between Uni QLD and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. It will consist of pre-clinical development and validation of an in vivo optical micro-manipulation system for laser-guided extraction of cells. A comparable system will then be developed for characterization of leukocytes in healthy and diseased human skin. The long term outcomes will be better characterisation of inflammatory skin disease resulting in new targets and therapeutic strategies.
Mechanotransduction is defined as the ability of living cells to respond to and convert mechanical stimuli into electro-chemical cellular signals to ensure survival. It is largely dependent on membrane proteins known as mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels. These channels are involved in senses of hearing and touch, and are also crucial regulators of heart and muscle function. This research aims to elucidate the general physical principles underlying mechanotransduction in living cells.
Elucidating The Mechanisms Of Action Of And Resistance To Endoperoxide Antimalarials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$716,755.00
Summary
Artemisinin-based antimalarials (ARTs) save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Unfortunately resistance of P. falciparum to ART is now emerging in South East Asia and it is critical to know how and why. We will determine what is different about resistant parasites and will develop assays to monitor drug resistance in the field. We have found that the immature form of the malaria parasite is more resistant to ARTs, which helps explain resistance. We will build on this to develop new targe ....Artemisinin-based antimalarials (ARTs) save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Unfortunately resistance of P. falciparum to ART is now emerging in South East Asia and it is critical to know how and why. We will determine what is different about resistant parasites and will develop assays to monitor drug resistance in the field. We have found that the immature form of the malaria parasite is more resistant to ARTs, which helps explain resistance. We will build on this to develop new targetted treatments.Read moreRead less
The rapid interactions of circulating human blood platelets is critical to prevent bleeding, but can cause thrombotic diseases (heart attack, stroke). These highly regulated interactions involve specific adhesive proteins. Our studies will define factors regulating platelet interactions. Imaging the thrombotic process will quantify platelet function at an unprecedented resolution and we have a panel of new candidate reagents that will be assessed for antithrombotic potential.
Unraveling the variability in the protein expression in tissues or cell populations is critical to understand how cells respond to their environment. For example, this can provide details about the cellular response to an infection or to a chemoterapic. As of today, single cell protein analyses has become at reach, but its application is still cumbersome and its throughput is low. This proposal aims to develop and deploy a simple and robust method to analyse the protein content in single cells.
The Structural Basis Of Direction Selectivity In The Retina
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,705.00
Summary
The retina is part of the central nervous system and there are almost one hundred types of retinal neurons which process visual information before it is passed up the optic nerve to the brain. This project examines how some of these neurons are wired together to form a simple neuronal circuit that detects the direction of a moving object. The elucidation of the cellular mechanisms of direction selectivity will provide an important paradigm of complex processing by simple neuronal circuits, with ....The retina is part of the central nervous system and there are almost one hundred types of retinal neurons which process visual information before it is passed up the optic nerve to the brain. This project examines how some of these neurons are wired together to form a simple neuronal circuit that detects the direction of a moving object. The elucidation of the cellular mechanisms of direction selectivity will provide an important paradigm of complex processing by simple neuronal circuits, with direct relevance to information processing in other parts of the central nervous system. In particular, the project may provide strong evidence for two neuronal strategies that may be of general significance. First, information may be processed at a very local level, which would greatly increase the computational power of a single neuron. Second, neurons may make selective contact with only some processes of an input neuron, which would require novel mechanisms for producing the necessary specificity.Read moreRead less
The University of Queensland Dermatology Research Centre are committed to conducting and promoting high quality clinical research into skin disease, particularly skin cancer, aimed at improved patient outcomes. Telemedicine and cutting edge imaging technologies are employed with a view towards their implementation into clinical practise to potentially overcome geographical inadequacies of health care in Qld. We expect the research will impact on Australian policies and guidelines in the field of ....The University of Queensland Dermatology Research Centre are committed to conducting and promoting high quality clinical research into skin disease, particularly skin cancer, aimed at improved patient outcomes. Telemedicine and cutting edge imaging technologies are employed with a view towards their implementation into clinical practise to potentially overcome geographical inadequacies of health care in Qld. We expect the research will impact on Australian policies and guidelines in the field of telemedicine and skin cancer management.Read moreRead less