The development of tuneable materials to allow the three-dimensional printing of cells. New low cost three-dimensional (3D) printers and reagents will be developed during this project to allow cancer biologists to print cells and polymers as more realistic 3D tissue models for biological assays. Such technology will be important for performing basic research into cancers as well as for providing better tools for drug testing.
Rapid detection of rare-event cells by strong UP-conversion
encoded nano-radiators (SUPER Dots): finding a needle in a haystack. Current diagnostic tests are not sensitive enough to detect cancer in its very early stages or early recurrence following treatment. The new technologies developed by this project will be able to find single cancer cells in blood and urine samples heralding a new era in medical diagnostics.
Development of a diagnostic microarray to detect aneuploidy in single cells. Chromosomal abnormalities account for about 10 per cent of all babies born with a defect. The risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases with maternal age and in patients with fertility problems. It has been estimated that 50 per cent of all embryos are aneuploid. Chromosomal aberrations also occur in the vast majority of tumours in humans. Accurate and rapid detection of chromosomal defects is an important health ser ....Development of a diagnostic microarray to detect aneuploidy in single cells. Chromosomal abnormalities account for about 10 per cent of all babies born with a defect. The risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases with maternal age and in patients with fertility problems. It has been estimated that 50 per cent of all embryos are aneuploid. Chromosomal aberrations also occur in the vast majority of tumours in humans. Accurate and rapid detection of chromosomal defects is an important health service delivered to the Australian public. This project aims to develop better tests for application in prenatal diagnostics including non-invasive testing of fetal cells from maternal circulation or cervical samples at 6-13 weeks gestation, IVF and cancer diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Bioinks for the 3D printing of cells made from off-the-shelf components. This project aims to develop a simple method for creating complex, multiple-cell-type three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures for in-vitro cell based assays. Using 3D printing technology, this project will develop a versatile polymer system, made from entirely commercially available components, that gels upon printing and has functionality to assist cells in adhering, growing and migrating. The 3D printing of multiple cell typ ....Bioinks for the 3D printing of cells made from off-the-shelf components. This project aims to develop a simple method for creating complex, multiple-cell-type three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures for in-vitro cell based assays. Using 3D printing technology, this project will develop a versatile polymer system, made from entirely commercially available components, that gels upon printing and has functionality to assist cells in adhering, growing and migrating. The 3D printing of multiple cell types will provide biological scientists with more realistic in-vitro cell assays to those found in-vivo. Applications of the research are in cell biology, studying diseases and developing new drugs.Read moreRead less
Proteomic study of urine to discover novel biomarkers for human prostate cancer. The purpose of this project is to identify novel markers in the urine of patients with prostate cancer. These biomarkers may ultimately prove useful in the development of novel diagnostic tools for the management of this disease.
Proteomic study of tears to discover novel biomarkers for human breast cancer. The purpose of this project is to identify novel markers in the tears of patients with breast cancer. The results from this study may improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients.
Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS), a peptide biomarker discovery tool using tissue. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Australia. The newly developed technology of Imaging Mass Spectrometry for peptides in tissue has the potential to discover biomarkers for early diagnosis of cancer. This new technology could avoid a number of cancer deaths and reduce suffering of patients through earlier and better diagnosis.