Regulation of neuronal cell death signalling for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The progression of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and motor neuron diseases, are often underpinned by neuronal cell death-signalling. This project aims to characterise molecules that regulate cell death signalling, thereby increasing our knowledge of how neuronal cell death can be inhibited.
Development of novel reagents that specifically counteract EphA4 to enhance axonal regeneration. This project will examine the role of EphA4, an important guidance protein, in neural cell regeneration. The goal is to understand the signalling mechanisms that inhibit regeneration in the central nervous system and to develop novel biological agents to overcome these processes and promote functional recovery after nervous system injury or disease.
Transcriptional control of neural stem cell differentiation during development and disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control how neural stem cells differentiate is critical to provide potential therapeutic treatment for neurodegenerative diseases and for brain cancer. This project will aim to discover, using an animal model system, the genes and molecules regulating these key biological processes.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,000.00
Summary
Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genet ....Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genetic and acquired disorders across the life-span. Remote viewing and analysis capabilities will help overcome the 'tyranny of distance', increasing national access to the facility. Repositories of digitised images will increase the availability of valuable research material to other Australian and international researchers.Read moreRead less
The role of synapse development in cognitive disorder. In humans, intellectual disability occurs when nerve cells in the brain fail to connect. The project examines fundamental molecular processes involved in synapse development of neurons. The use of insect models provides a generalised biological template to understand how synaptic molecules contribute to behaviours that underlie cognitive disorder.
Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowle ....Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowledge base of how the nervous system develops or degenerates, but the results will provide crucial information for future studies based on genetic approaches, drug therapies and bioengineering technology to repair the injured nervous system.Read moreRead less
New tools to activate and silence neural circuits. Many neurological disorders occur as a result of neuron cell death that is initiated by excessive levels of excitatory activity in central nervous system neurons. This project will develop and validate a new treatment for these disorders that involves silencing excessive neuronal activity using a safe, commonly prescribed drug.
Understanding the generation of hypothalamic sleep neurons. This Project aims to investigate the mechanisms controlling the formation of the sleep neurons in the hypothalamus. We all sleep, and normal sleep-wake cycles play a central role in our biology. The functional role of these sleep neurons in the mature brain are well established. However, how the neurons are generated during development is very poorly defined. This project aims to address this critical knowledge gap, and will greatly inc ....Understanding the generation of hypothalamic sleep neurons. This Project aims to investigate the mechanisms controlling the formation of the sleep neurons in the hypothalamus. We all sleep, and normal sleep-wake cycles play a central role in our biology. The functional role of these sleep neurons in the mature brain are well established. However, how the neurons are generated during development is very poorly defined. This project aims to address this critical knowledge gap, and will greatly increase our understanding of how the development of this critical aspect of organismal function is orchestrated during development. This project will also develop bioinformatics tools with broad utility within the biosciences field and enhance the capacity for interdisciplinary international collaborations.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanisms of GABA type-A receptor activation and drug modulation. There is currently little understanding of how sedative and anxiolytic drugs, including valium, interact with their receptors in the brain. This project will dramatically increase our understanding of how these receptors work and how drugs affect their activity. This will provide new insights into drug discovery and design.
Early formation of the preplate establishes the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is arguably the most complex area of the brain due to its ability to process and integrate a wide variety of information in a seamless manner. To understand how this occurs, it is essential to understand how the cerebral cortex is built during embryonic life. The focus of this project is on the formation of the very earliest neurons of the cortex, called preplate neurons. This project aims to: test a new model f ....Early formation of the preplate establishes the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is arguably the most complex area of the brain due to its ability to process and integrate a wide variety of information in a seamless manner. To understand how this occurs, it is essential to understand how the cerebral cortex is built during embryonic life. The focus of this project is on the formation of the very earliest neurons of the cortex, called preplate neurons. This project aims to: test a new model for preplate development with regards to their origin; their function in formation of the cerebral cortex; and the the molecular mechanisms underlying their development. This work provides a developmental framework for understanding how the cerebral cortex is established.Read moreRead less