Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100164
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$310,000.00
Summary
A facility for ex-vivo molecular imaging. The facility will allow a consortium of Australian researchers to create an integrated facility for imaging biological receptors in tissue, bringing together laboratory, radiochemistry and imaging expertise. Digital data at each site will be able to be viewed and analysed remotely.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668382
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,000,000.00
Summary
e-Research Infrastructure for the Molecular and Materials Structure Sciences. Understanding molecular and materials structure in atomic detail is vital to a knowledge-based economy and a healthy society. The development of smart materials, nanotechnological devices, hydrogen storage materials, molecular switches, magnets and sensors, for example, depends on knowledge of three-dimensional atomic structure. Cures for illnesses such as SARS, AIDS and Alzheimer's disease and understanding the aging ....e-Research Infrastructure for the Molecular and Materials Structure Sciences. Understanding molecular and materials structure in atomic detail is vital to a knowledge-based economy and a healthy society. The development of smart materials, nanotechnological devices, hydrogen storage materials, molecular switches, magnets and sensors, for example, depends on knowledge of three-dimensional atomic structure. Cures for illnesses such as SARS, AIDS and Alzheimer's disease and understanding the aging process depends on knowledge of biomolecular structure. The deployment and development of automation-enhanced remote access to structural instruments through the web will greatly enhance Australian structure-based research, and make this science accessible to the public. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102687
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Development of sensors for biological redox state. The plethora of antioxidant supplements on the market to prevent aging and disease highlights the great importance of oxidation state in the body. This project involves the development of chemical compounds that can be used to measure oxidation state in living tissue by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or microscopy and help us understand various diseases.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100170
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$580,000.00
Summary
Bioaffinity mass spectrometry infrastructure to identify small molecules binding to therapeutic targets. The development of anti-infective therapies is challenging because the underlying biology and biochemistry of pathogen virulence is not yet completely understood. This mass spectrometer facility will be used to identify small molecules suited for development into new therapies for malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.
Surface Chemistry meets Cell Biology: Molecular Level Control of Surface Architecture for Cell Adhesion and Migration. Biotechnological applications such as tissue engineering, bone supports, implantable materials, cell assays and biosensors all require detailed knowledge of how cells interact with their environment. The proposed research aims to provide this knowledge by developing unique modified surfaces to investigate white blood cell migration and adhesion. Additional expected outcome will ....Surface Chemistry meets Cell Biology: Molecular Level Control of Surface Architecture for Cell Adhesion and Migration. Biotechnological applications such as tissue engineering, bone supports, implantable materials, cell assays and biosensors all require detailed knowledge of how cells interact with their environment. The proposed research aims to provide this knowledge by developing unique modified surfaces to investigate white blood cell migration and adhesion. Additional expected outcome will contribute to our understanding of the many fundamental cellular processes such as cell growth, differentiation and cell death as well as the molecular basis of diseases such as inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and wound healing. This research program will establish Australia as a leading force in this new research field.Read moreRead less
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.
Nanotherapeutics: nanoparticles with high specificity for the delivery and controlled release of drugs. This technology will deliver therapeutic drugs and/or MRI contrast agents to individual diseased cells with very high specificity and selectivity. The cells can be interogated to determine when they are "loaded" and the site of the "loaded" cells precisely determined. Drugs can be released photochemically. The administered dosage can be decreased with no loss of efficacy, and side effects re ....Nanotherapeutics: nanoparticles with high specificity for the delivery and controlled release of drugs. This technology will deliver therapeutic drugs and/or MRI contrast agents to individual diseased cells with very high specificity and selectivity. The cells can be interogated to determine when they are "loaded" and the site of the "loaded" cells precisely determined. Drugs can be released photochemically. The administered dosage can be decreased with no loss of efficacy, and side effects reduced. Read moreRead less
Biomagnification of the biotoxin BMAA in the environment. Using unique models and technics, the project aims to demonstrate that long-term exposure to the blue green algae toxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) leads to uptake, accumulation and toxicity within the central nervous system. The risks for heath, mechanisms of contamination and toxicity of BMAA are very poorly understood. Algal blooms cost the Australian community more than $250 million each year and represent a major health issue fo ....Biomagnification of the biotoxin BMAA in the environment. Using unique models and technics, the project aims to demonstrate that long-term exposure to the blue green algae toxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) leads to uptake, accumulation and toxicity within the central nervous system. The risks for heath, mechanisms of contamination and toxicity of BMAA are very poorly understood. Algal blooms cost the Australian community more than $250 million each year and represent a major health issue for human and fauna. This project aims to be the first to fully characterise BMAA mechanisms of contamination and neurotoxicity and to highlight the major environmental risk of exposure of human to BMAA. It also aims to develop new and unique detection and quantification tools for BMAA.Read moreRead less
Engineered Hydroxamic Acids for Zirconium-89 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) using a zirconium-89-ligand complex bound to a prostate-specific membrane antigen is used to detect and monitor prostate cancer. The hydroxamic acid-based ligand bound to zirconium has a high affinity towards iron, which can cause metal exchange in vivo and loss of radiotracer. The project will prepare new ligands with a higher specificity towards zirconi ....Engineered Hydroxamic Acids for Zirconium-89 Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) using a zirconium-89-ligand complex bound to a prostate-specific membrane antigen is used to detect and monitor prostate cancer. The hydroxamic acid-based ligand bound to zirconium has a high affinity towards iron, which can cause metal exchange in vivo and loss of radiotracer. The project will prepare new ligands with a higher specificity towards zirconium over iron, and measure immuno-PET imaging activity. A second series of macrocyclic zirconium-specific ligands will be prepared to establish the relationship between variable water-lipid solubility and pharmacokinetic properties. The results will increase the capability of immuno-PET for prostate cancer detection and improve survival outcomes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100075
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$315,000.00
Summary
Acoustic liquid handling robotics for bioactive compound discovery. This project aims to use a Labcyte Echo 550 acoustic dispenser with Combination Software to deliver sophisticated assay-ready screening. The Echo is the only liquid handling dispenser for 1536-well microplates and will allow Australian researchers to develop assay miniaturisation. The robotics will provide our nation’s researchers with a distinct competitive edge by enhancing assay sophistication, accuracy and reproducibility wh ....Acoustic liquid handling robotics for bioactive compound discovery. This project aims to use a Labcyte Echo 550 acoustic dispenser with Combination Software to deliver sophisticated assay-ready screening. The Echo is the only liquid handling dispenser for 1536-well microplates and will allow Australian researchers to develop assay miniaturisation. The robotics will provide our nation’s researchers with a distinct competitive edge by enhancing assay sophistication, accuracy and reproducibility while reducing cost. The expected benefits will advance the elucidation of molecular mechanisms involved in complex biological phenomena. The benefits of this are substantial, including reduction in test compound and reagents, which in turn reduces laboratory costs, conserves cells and increases data quality.Read moreRead less