The fate of dietary selenium in vivo; a direct approach to linking chemical form with biological activity. Dietary selenium supplementation has great potential as a preventative treatment for a range of human health conditions, including cancer, that widely affect the Australian population. However, the adverse effects of such treatments are not fully recognised. This project will increase our knowledge of how selenium compounds are stored and utilised in the body and relate the information to c ....The fate of dietary selenium in vivo; a direct approach to linking chemical form with biological activity. Dietary selenium supplementation has great potential as a preventative treatment for a range of human health conditions, including cancer, that widely affect the Australian population. However, the adverse effects of such treatments are not fully recognised. This project will increase our knowledge of how selenium compounds are stored and utilised in the body and relate the information to clinical observations regarding dietary intake of selenium and other compounds. The new understanding generated will delineate the conditions for safe intake, so that the beneficial effects associated with selenium supplementation may be harnessed more effectively.Read moreRead less
Nanoprobe and Microprobe Spectroscopic Techniques in Drug Design, Probing Mechanisms of Diseases, and Bioinorganic Chemistry. Nanoprobe and microprobe spectroscopic techniques offer unparalleled opportunities to probe the structures and distributions of drugs, carcinogens, and biomolecules in cultured cells and tissues. Such techniques represent new frontiers in understanding in vivo metabolic processes at the molecular level, as well as providing unprecedented information on the metabolism and ....Nanoprobe and Microprobe Spectroscopic Techniques in Drug Design, Probing Mechanisms of Diseases, and Bioinorganic Chemistry. Nanoprobe and microprobe spectroscopic techniques offer unparalleled opportunities to probe the structures and distributions of drugs, carcinogens, and biomolecules in cultured cells and tissues. Such techniques represent new frontiers in understanding in vivo metabolic processes at the molecular level, as well as providing unprecedented information on the metabolism and distributions of pharmaceuticals and toxins involved in the treatment and cause of diseases, such as cancer. This project is aimed at pushing the boundaries of nanoprobe and microprobe (X-ray absorption, SRIXE, PIXE, Raman and two-photon fluorescence) techniques for such applications.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775676
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$290,000.00
Summary
An X-ray Diffraction Facility for Molecular Structure Determination. Characterisation of new chemical compounds demands proof of molecular structure. Whether for the identification of a new drug candidate, a material with novel properties or in the exploration of previously unknown types of compounds, X-ray crystallography is the definitive technique for this purpose. This proposal is for an X-ray diffractometer that will significantly enhance the capabilities of all synthetic and natural produc ....An X-ray Diffraction Facility for Molecular Structure Determination. Characterisation of new chemical compounds demands proof of molecular structure. Whether for the identification of a new drug candidate, a material with novel properties or in the exploration of previously unknown types of compounds, X-ray crystallography is the definitive technique for this purpose. This proposal is for an X-ray diffractometer that will significantly enhance the capabilities of all synthetic and natural products chemistry research programs undertaken at the Universities of Queensland and Newcastle, all currently in receipt of ARC funding. This research is aligned with the ARC National Research Priorities, of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.Read moreRead less
Charting intercellular space. The space between the cells in our bodies is poorly understood. Chemical imbalances in this region are associated with many diseases, such as prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease, sleep disorders and depression. This project combines synthetic chemistry and semiconductor technology to understand such imbalances, and their role in disease.
Probing and Developing Hypoxia-Selective Anti-Cancer Agents. The development of compounds that are effective in the treatment of cancer and are less toxic than existing drugs depends on the selective targeting of tumours. Solid tumours have poorly oxygenated regions which represent unique chemical environments that can be targeted using selectively activated compounds. In this project we will develop the first in situ methods for monitoring the activation state in solid tumours to establish the ....Probing and Developing Hypoxia-Selective Anti-Cancer Agents. The development of compounds that are effective in the treatment of cancer and are less toxic than existing drugs depends on the selective targeting of tumours. Solid tumours have poorly oxygenated regions which represent unique chemical environments that can be targeted using selectively activated compounds. In this project we will develop the first in situ methods for monitoring the activation state in solid tumours to establish the selectivity of activation. These results will be used to tune the properties of two novel classes of selectively activated compounds and thereby develop agents able to treat the most problematic of cancers.Read moreRead less
Molecular Probes for Bio-Metals. The nutrient trace metals are essential to life. Problems with the metabolism of iron, copper and zinc are associated with neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). This proposal will develop molecular probes for detection of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel within biological cells. The work will allow examination of the molecular roles of these bio-metals in unprecedented detail and lead to a bette ....Molecular Probes for Bio-Metals. The nutrient trace metals are essential to life. Problems with the metabolism of iron, copper and zinc are associated with neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). This proposal will develop molecular probes for detection of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel within biological cells. The work will allow examination of the molecular roles of these bio-metals in unprecedented detail and lead to a better understanding of their roles in normal metabolism and in disease.Read moreRead less
Microprobe and Nanoprobe Studies on Intracellular Disease Processes and Their Treatment. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables a deeper understanding of changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments an ....Microprobe and Nanoprobe Studies on Intracellular Disease Processes and Their Treatment. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables a deeper understanding of changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments and disease processes. This will provide unprecedented information as to where drugs go and how they are transformed inside cells that, in turn, may revolutionalise the way in which new drugs are designed that have higher specificity and fewer side effects.Read moreRead less
Nanoprobe and Microprobe Structural and Spectroscopic Studies in Biomedical Research. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables multi-layered information on changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments a ....Nanoprobe and Microprobe Structural and Spectroscopic Studies in Biomedical Research. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables multi-layered information on changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments and disease processes. This will provide unprecedented information as to where drugs go and how they are transformed inside cells that, in turn, may revolutionalise the way in which new drugs are designed that have higher specificity and lower side effects.Read moreRead less
An Integrated Approach Towards Development of Highly Specific Chemotherapeutics. Many diseases are caused or can be treated by modifying the activities of particular enzymes. Molecules that affect enzymatic activities have potential as therapeutic agents. A successful approach to the discovery of new drug molecules is to design them based on very detailed knowledge of how the target enzyme works. In this project, a highly motivated team of scientists will use state of the art instruments and the ....An Integrated Approach Towards Development of Highly Specific Chemotherapeutics. Many diseases are caused or can be treated by modifying the activities of particular enzymes. Molecules that affect enzymatic activities have potential as therapeutic agents. A successful approach to the discovery of new drug molecules is to design them based on very detailed knowledge of how the target enzyme works. In this project, a highly motivated team of scientists will use state of the art instruments and their combined creativity to understand the intimate details of how one large group of enzymes work. The enzymes selected are the bimetallic hydrolases, many of which are associated with disorders including osteoporosis, mental illnesses, cystic fibrosis and various types of cancer.Read moreRead less
Synthetic Molybdenum Enzymes. This project aims to produce synthetic molybdenum (Mo) enzymes, small molecules that share structural and functional attributes with the crucially important molybdopterin?Mo enzymes. These ubiquitous enzymes are essential for plant and animal health, natural cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and global climate control and atmospheric albedo (reflectance); consequently, they impact heavily on commerce, the environment and society. The study will provid ....Synthetic Molybdenum Enzymes. This project aims to produce synthetic molybdenum (Mo) enzymes, small molecules that share structural and functional attributes with the crucially important molybdopterin?Mo enzymes. These ubiquitous enzymes are essential for plant and animal health, natural cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and global climate control and atmospheric albedo (reflectance); consequently, they impact heavily on commerce, the environment and society. The study will provide urgently needed insights into the fundamental Mo?sulfur chemistry of the enzyme active sites and inform efforts to reduce the negative impacts of enzyme dysfunction and the design of new commercial catalysts.Read moreRead less