A longitudinal study of neuropsychological and neuromotor effects of low level manganese exposure. This study will investigate the neuropsychological and neuromotor effects of low level exposure to mangenese particulate. Previous studies have indicated symptomology of high level exposure, but there is contention in the literature regarding the effects of low levels of exposure. Our aim is to refine measures of cumulative exposure and develop a more comprehensive and senstitive testing protocol t ....A longitudinal study of neuropsychological and neuromotor effects of low level manganese exposure. This study will investigate the neuropsychological and neuromotor effects of low level exposure to mangenese particulate. Previous studies have indicated symptomology of high level exposure, but there is contention in the literature regarding the effects of low levels of exposure. Our aim is to refine measures of cumulative exposure and develop a more comprehensive and senstitive testing protocol than has been reported thus far. These measures and protocols will be incorporated into a longitudinal design, which has not been conducted in research studies to date. In addition, a database of exposure variables will be developed to facilitate long-term, accurate research into the effects of the low levels of exposure.Read moreRead less
New approaches to inhibition of activity of HIV integrase. This project aims to assist in the development of novel anti-HIV drugs that will benefit the 17000 Australians and more than 33 million people worldwide who are currently suffering with this terrible disease. The project will utilise state-of-the-art approaches in structure-based drug design to identify and synthesise compounds as leads for the development of anti-HIV drugs. Furthermore, the project will provide invaluable training for t ....New approaches to inhibition of activity of HIV integrase. This project aims to assist in the development of novel anti-HIV drugs that will benefit the 17000 Australians and more than 33 million people worldwide who are currently suffering with this terrible disease. The project will utilise state-of-the-art approaches in structure-based drug design to identify and synthesise compounds as leads for the development of anti-HIV drugs. Furthermore, the project will provide invaluable training for the researchers involved and enhance the relationship between the academic and commercial collaborators.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560940
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$229,326.00
Summary
Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility. This application for a Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Facility provides a focus for research collaboration and training in northern Australia. The Facility will enhance strong collaboration between organisations committed to increasing understanding of unique northern environments, and will include the Arafura Timor Research Facility, a Major National Research Facility. The Facility will contribute to studies of conservation biology, nat ....Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility. This application for a Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Facility provides a focus for research collaboration and training in northern Australia. The Facility will enhance strong collaboration between organisations committed to increasing understanding of unique northern environments, and will include the Arafura Timor Research Facility, a Major National Research Facility. The Facility will contribute to studies of conservation biology, natural resource management, environmental and marine science and resource development in the tropical north. It will help develop knowledge bases, innovative approaches to environmental management and sustainable development and high levels of research and research training for regional development.Read moreRead less
Theoretical and computational approaches to accurately predict the structures of a unique family of circular and knotted proteins. The primary outcome will be a fundamental new knowledge on cyclotide structures and a new protein engineering method to design stabilised proteins. Because cyclotides have significantly higher stabilities than conventional proteins, they have a range of pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. Both fields of use have the potential for very great economic and soc ....Theoretical and computational approaches to accurately predict the structures of a unique family of circular and knotted proteins. The primary outcome will be a fundamental new knowledge on cyclotide structures and a new protein engineering method to design stabilised proteins. Because cyclotides have significantly higher stabilities than conventional proteins, they have a range of pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. Both fields of use have the potential for very great economic and social benefits for Australia. From a pharmaceutical perspective our computing development will greatly facilitate the design of stabilised peptide-based drugs using the cyclotide framework. Such drugs have potential sales of several billion dollars per annum and the royalty returns from successful commercialisation of IP can be substantial.Read moreRead less
Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laborator ....Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laboratory techniques and DNA identification methods to provide a template for determining ground water diversity and food web dynamics throughout Australia. This project will lead to a better understanding of how to manage ground water in a sustainable manner.Read moreRead less
Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotope ....Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotopes and aboriginal land management. The project will provide a late Quaternary environmental reconstruction along a transect from the coastal regions in South Australia into the Lake Eyre Basin and explore the methodological limitations at sites with long fossil records.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing landscapes for biodiversity: From predictive modelling to future scenarios. Many landscapes around the world have been effectively denuded of natural vegetation, causing precipitous declines in native biodiversity. Mitigation of such effects in the near/medium-term future requires substantial ecological advice. We will employ our skills developed in modelling distributions of species across landscapes based on terrain, soils and climate to assess alternative landscape-reconstructi ....Reconstructing landscapes for biodiversity: From predictive modelling to future scenarios. Many landscapes around the world have been effectively denuded of natural vegetation, causing precipitous declines in native biodiversity. Mitigation of such effects in the near/medium-term future requires substantial ecological advice. We will employ our skills developed in modelling distributions of species across landscapes based on terrain, soils and climate to assess alternative landscape-reconstruction scenarios. This links use of existing data sets for initial modelling, a validation phase for testing model reliability and for refining models, and a subsequent GIS-based modelling phase in which alternative options for reconstructing landscapes are evaluated for their effectiveness in sustaining landscape-scale native biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0566602
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$87,933.00
Summary
Development of a collaborative online environment and workbench for the investigation of protein folding. The investigation of protein folding – one the most important unsolved biological problems, is generating large amounts of complex data. This proposal aims to develop a highly collaborative content management system and interactive data mining tools that will allow the open exchange and analysis of protein folding data. A chief goal of this proposal is, by creating a rich informatics envir ....Development of a collaborative online environment and workbench for the investigation of protein folding. The investigation of protein folding – one the most important unsolved biological problems, is generating large amounts of complex data. This proposal aims to develop a highly collaborative content management system and interactive data mining tools that will allow the open exchange and analysis of protein folding data. A chief goal of this proposal is, by creating a rich informatics environment, to foster the exchange of ideas and rapid dissemination of new data across the international array of groups working in parallel on various aspects of the folding problem.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100142
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
An integrated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-MS-NMR) facility for applications in proteomics and organic chemistry. This application completes the requested liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LCMS-NMR) facility and will allow the training of over 150 researchers, significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. New breakthroughs in drug development, smart mate ....An integrated liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-MS-NMR) facility for applications in proteomics and organic chemistry. This application completes the requested liquid chromatography mass spectrometry nuclear magnetic resonance (LCMS-NMR) facility and will allow the training of over 150 researchers, significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. New breakthroughs in drug development, smart materials, organic electronic materials and biomedical research require routine access to cutting edge technology. The LCMS-NMR augments the capabilities of our research teams at the forefront of these efforts. These include understanding the impact of the environment on plant and animal development, pest animal control, development of new biotechnology tools, new drugs and new methods for the detection of narcotics and explosives.Read moreRead less
Vision and remote sensing: using nature's technology to examine the health of The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. We aim to use what is known and what we will discover about animals visual systems to examine environmental health on The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. Technology and knowledge from 8 university departments, 4 industry partners, and 7 international collaborators will be combined to both learn and provide information. The innovative aspect of our approach is to examine the w ....Vision and remote sensing: using nature's technology to examine the health of The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. We aim to use what is known and what we will discover about animals visual systems to examine environmental health on The Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. Technology and knowledge from 8 university departments, 4 industry partners, and 7 international collaborators will be combined to both learn and provide information. The innovative aspect of our approach is to examine the world with the eyes of birds, fish and invertebrates. Tricks animals employ to solve visual tasks will be implemented at scales of instrumentation from hand-held to remote sensing and used to address problems such as coral reef bleaching.Read moreRead less