Mapping networks governing cell state plasticity: how, where and when? Single cell organisms are the basic unit of life, yet, if they had not developed the ability to change cell states we would not exist today. Changing cell states lies at the core of almost every developmental and disease process in multicellular organisms. Building upon our fundamental discovery that stem cells and non-stem cells readily interconvert, we will now incorporate innovative cell systems and the development of our ....Mapping networks governing cell state plasticity: how, where and when? Single cell organisms are the basic unit of life, yet, if they had not developed the ability to change cell states we would not exist today. Changing cell states lies at the core of almost every developmental and disease process in multicellular organisms. Building upon our fundamental discovery that stem cells and non-stem cells readily interconvert, we will now incorporate innovative cell systems and the development of our new multi-layered systems biology strategy to elucidate the first comprehensive understanding of the cell biology that underlies cell state changes. These studies are a major step toward understanding the fundamentals of life. Read moreRead less
Characterization of the dark metabolome of eukaryotic cells. The project aims to investigate the full metabolic potential of a group of eukaryotic organisms using advanced analytical and computational techniques. It will identify novel metabolites and enzyme activities that are currently not predicted from genome annotations. Expected outcomes of the project include the delineation of new metabolic processes that are common to all eukaryotes, the characterization of new enzymes families, and the ....Characterization of the dark metabolome of eukaryotic cells. The project aims to investigate the full metabolic potential of a group of eukaryotic organisms using advanced analytical and computational techniques. It will identify novel metabolites and enzyme activities that are currently not predicted from genome annotations. Expected outcomes of the project include the delineation of new metabolic processes that are common to all eukaryotes, the characterization of new enzymes families, and the generation of comprehensive metabolic databases. An improved understanding of cellular metabolism will provide direct benefits in biotechnology, food production, environmental monitoring and the diagnosis and treatment of human metabolic and infectious diseases. Read 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
Keeping forces local for epithelial homeostasis. This project probes how epithelial cells use mechanical forces to communicate with one another in biological life. It tests the novel concept that negative feedback is a critical, hitherto unappreciated dimension in mechanical communication, which acts to ensure proportionate responses for homeostasis. It will generate fundamental new knowledge in biology using an innovative combination of cellular and biophysical experiments and physical theory. ....Keeping forces local for epithelial homeostasis. This project probes how epithelial cells use mechanical forces to communicate with one another in biological life. It tests the novel concept that negative feedback is a critical, hitherto unappreciated dimension in mechanical communication, which acts to ensure proportionate responses for homeostasis. It will generate fundamental new knowledge in biology using an innovative combination of cellular and biophysical experiments and physical theory. The expected outcomes are fundamental new knowledge, interdisciplinary training for young scientists, new national research capacity and growing international collaborations. It will benefit Australia by enhancing its scientific world linkage, status in scientific leadership and research capacity.Read moreRead less
The effect of methylation and phosphorylation on ribosome function. This project aims to discover how cells regulate ribosome function and selectivity, by modifying their ribosomal proteins. This affects protein synthesis, a process which is central to the growth of all living things. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of protein synthesis, improved techniques for the study of this process and an enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artifi ....The effect of methylation and phosphorylation on ribosome function. This project aims to discover how cells regulate ribosome function and selectivity, by modifying their ribosomal proteins. This affects protein synthesis, a process which is central to the growth of all living things. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of protein synthesis, improved techniques for the study of this process and an enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artificial regulation of the ribosome may also emerge, relevant to synthetic biology and the engineering of industrial yeasts. The project should provide significant new findings for the research community, generate research citations and contribute to a highly skilled workforce by the training of staff and students.Read moreRead less
Empirical and computational solutions for multi-omics single-cell assays. Emerging single-cell sequencing technologies are transforming molecular cell biology, but identifying novel cell types and their functions requires the integration of highly heterogeneous data. The development of computational methods able to extract biologically relevant results is hindered by the lack of high-quality datasets. This project aims to develop novel sequencing methodologies and generate data to drive our dime ....Empirical and computational solutions for multi-omics single-cell assays. Emerging single-cell sequencing technologies are transforming molecular cell biology, but identifying novel cell types and their functions requires the integration of highly heterogeneous data. The development of computational methods able to extract biologically relevant results is hindered by the lack of high-quality datasets. This project aims to develop novel sequencing methodologies and generate data to drive our dimension reduction multivariate method developments for data integration. By combining in silico and in vivo approaches, the project is anticipated to benefit scientists willing to work in cutting-edge single-cell research by providing useful protocols and tools to generate novel insights in cell biology. Read moreRead less
Systems-level characterization of scaffold protein signalling networks. The PEAK family of cell signalling scaffolds regulate cellular responses critical for normal development and physiology. This project will adopt a ‘holistic’ approach to characterizing their mechanism and function, integrating experimental and mathematical approaches and developing predictive computational models. It aims to generate fundamental new knowledge in cell, computational and synthetic biology with broad relevance ....Systems-level characterization of scaffold protein signalling networks. The PEAK family of cell signalling scaffolds regulate cellular responses critical for normal development and physiology. This project will adopt a ‘holistic’ approach to characterizing their mechanism and function, integrating experimental and mathematical approaches and developing predictive computational models. It aims to generate fundamental new knowledge in cell, computational and synthetic biology with broad relevance that will foster establishment of new international linkages. This research will also identify strategies for engineering novel scaffolds that re-program cellular behaviour towards specific, applied outcomes, with potential benefit for the fields of synthetic biology, bioengineering and biotechnology.Read moreRead less
Defining the molecular switches that govern discrete cellular fates. This project aims to elucidate how mammalian cells exploit the same molecular machinery to perform completely distinct jobs. While the repurposing of proteins by cells seems widespread, the mechanisms by which this occurs remains largely undefined. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of cell signalling and systems biology, with important implications for many multi-functional proteins. It will utilise a h ....Defining the molecular switches that govern discrete cellular fates. This project aims to elucidate how mammalian cells exploit the same molecular machinery to perform completely distinct jobs. While the repurposing of proteins by cells seems widespread, the mechanisms by which this occurs remains largely undefined. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of cell signalling and systems biology, with important implications for many multi-functional proteins. It will utilise a highly innovative and interdisciplinary approach that tightly integrates mathematical modelling and biological experiments. The expected outcomes will aid strategies for reprogramming cells towards a desired phenotype, which will bring significant benefits to the fields of synthetic biology and bioengineering.Read moreRead less
Lifespan-dependent molecular shaping of the T cell receptor repertoire. Mammals have an intricate and highly complex immune system, whose function alters throughout life. Why and how this occurs is very unclear however, yet remains a crucial question. This project aims to provide fundamental knowledge on how the human lifespan shapes specific T cell receptors and determine molecular mechanisms underlying gain-of-function and loss-of-function during immunologically distinct phases of life. This p ....Lifespan-dependent molecular shaping of the T cell receptor repertoire. Mammals have an intricate and highly complex immune system, whose function alters throughout life. Why and how this occurs is very unclear however, yet remains a crucial question. This project aims to provide fundamental knowledge on how the human lifespan shapes specific T cell receptors and determine molecular mechanisms underlying gain-of-function and loss-of-function during immunologically distinct phases of life. This project will provide analysis of multi-dimensional, high throughput datasets to identify fundamental links between the transcriptional landscape and TCR signatures across human lifespan, thus will significantly answer key immunological questions in the field.Read moreRead less