The development of novel oligosaccharides from dairy lactose for improved infant nutrition. This project will develop new milk sugars to enhance nutrition for the 46 per cent of infants who receive formula. It will support rural and regional dairy communities and manufacturers increasing innovation, potentially generating six million dollars in new sales per annum, increasing returns to farmers and promoting regional employment and spending.
Enzymatic synthesis, microencapsulation and biological evaluation of a new class of omega-3 derived functional food ingredients. Inflammatory mediated diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's disease are major causes of death in Australia. Rates of these diseases are rising over time, partly due to poor diet including low consumption levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids from fish. This project aims to develop healthy food ingredients from natu ....Enzymatic synthesis, microencapsulation and biological evaluation of a new class of omega-3 derived functional food ingredients. Inflammatory mediated diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's disease are major causes of death in Australia. Rates of these diseases are rising over time, partly due to poor diet including low consumption levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids from fish. This project aims to develop healthy food ingredients from naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acid derivatives that are more stable to oxidation and more biologically active than fish derived omega-3 fatty acids. The development of these omega-3 derivatives as functional food ingredients could provide an additional strategy for helping to prevent the rapid increase in inflammatory mediated diseases in the Australian population.Read moreRead less
Industrial biotechnology for improved manufacture of medicinal alkaloids. Industrial biotechnology for improved manufacture of medicinal alkaloids. This project aims to develop a new semi-synthetic route for the manufacture of Codeine from Thebaine. Codeine is manufactured by the chemical conversion of poppy-derived Morphine, which is low yielding and environmentally unfriendly. This project will investigate and optimise two key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway to Codeine and develop an innov ....Industrial biotechnology for improved manufacture of medicinal alkaloids. Industrial biotechnology for improved manufacture of medicinal alkaloids. This project aims to develop a new semi-synthetic route for the manufacture of Codeine from Thebaine. Codeine is manufactured by the chemical conversion of poppy-derived Morphine, which is low yielding and environmentally unfriendly. This project will investigate and optimise two key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway to Codeine and develop an innovative bioreactor to achieve high yield. It will research industrial biotransformations, providing a greener and cheaper process for increased global access to Codeine. Australian opiate manufacturing is expected to benefit from value adding and increased flexibility introduced by a biotechnology approach.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100162
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,005.00
Summary
Enzymatic synthesis of pro-resolution lipid mediators: Towards new therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases. Inflammation is a major contributing factor in many diseases, including arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. It has recently been shown that the resolution of inflammation is an active biological process initiated by lipid mediators. The aim of this project is to synthesise and characterise pro-resolution lipid mediators, elucidate ....Enzymatic synthesis of pro-resolution lipid mediators: Towards new therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases. Inflammation is a major contributing factor in many diseases, including arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease and cancer. It has recently been shown that the resolution of inflammation is an active biological process initiated by lipid mediators. The aim of this project is to synthesise and characterise pro-resolution lipid mediators, elucidate the enzyme cascades involved in their biosynthesis and explore their roles in the active resolution of inflammation. This project will provide a fundamental understanding of pro-resolution and anti-inflammatory pathways as well as new therapeutic target molecules for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.Read moreRead less
The protein O-glycosylation pathway of Neisseria: a model system for O-glycosylation of bacterial proteins with potential use in biotechnology. Proteins can be modified by the addition of sugar molecules. This process, called glycosylation, has been studied for some time in humans and other higher organisms, but is relatively new in the field of bacteria. This study will use the bacterium Neisseria as a model system for this process and work to harness the system for use in biotechnology.
Algal direct-air CO2 capture through interfacial enzyme immobilisation . Capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere is challenging due to inherently slow mass transfer kinetics. This project aims to overcome this using an enzyme that can rapidly solubilise CO2 from air into water, to produce algae. By engineering the enzyme immobilisation at the air-water interface, this project will activate and protect the enzymes, increasing their lifespan and reducing costs. By understanding mass transfer an ....Algal direct-air CO2 capture through interfacial enzyme immobilisation . Capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere is challenging due to inherently slow mass transfer kinetics. This project aims to overcome this using an enzyme that can rapidly solubilise CO2 from air into water, to produce algae. By engineering the enzyme immobilisation at the air-water interface, this project will activate and protect the enzymes, increasing their lifespan and reducing costs. By understanding mass transfer and enzyme activity in the interfacial immobilisation media, floating enzyme rafts can be developed for deployment over expansive areas, facilitating large-scale conversion of atmospheric CO2 into algae-derived fuels, feeds and chemicals.Read moreRead less
Novel concepts for bioelectrochemical generation of renewable fuels and chemicals from wastewater. Global warming and the diminishing fossil fuel resources are posing an ever increasing threat to our societies and economies. This project aims to develop novel and highly innovative bioelectrochemical processes for the production of valuable fuels and chemicals from wastewater, which is a largely untapped renewable resource.
Combining new synthetic biology tools to boost crop CO2 capture and growth. A solution for improving crop yield is to enhance the carbon dioxide fixation properties of the enzyme Rubisco whose inefficient activity often limits plant growth. This project makes use of new synthetic biology capabilities to artificially evolve Rubisco in the laboratory and select for new versions with improved performance. These beneficial changes will be introduced into crop Rubisco using targeted gene editing appr ....Combining new synthetic biology tools to boost crop CO2 capture and growth. A solution for improving crop yield is to enhance the carbon dioxide fixation properties of the enzyme Rubisco whose inefficient activity often limits plant growth. This project makes use of new synthetic biology capabilities to artificially evolve Rubisco in the laboratory and select for new versions with improved performance. These beneficial changes will be introduced into crop Rubisco using targeted gene editing approaches and the improvements in photosynthesis, growth and yield evaluated. This information will aid complimentary biotechnological efforts seeking to supercharge photosynthesis and help deliver the second Green Revolution needed to meet the improvement required in future agriculture productivity and resource use.Read moreRead less
Synthetic phenazines for enhanced biogas production from renewable and non-renewable resources. Methane (biogas) has a large role to play in meeting the energy needs of the human race globally whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Microbial communities are responsible for biogas production from non-renewable (coal) and renewable (food waste) resources. This project seeks to: increase biogas yields by redirecting electron flow towards biogas producing microbes using electrochemically active p ....Synthetic phenazines for enhanced biogas production from renewable and non-renewable resources. Methane (biogas) has a large role to play in meeting the energy needs of the human race globally whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Microbial communities are responsible for biogas production from non-renewable (coal) and renewable (food waste) resources. This project seeks to: increase biogas yields by redirecting electron flow towards biogas producing microbes using electrochemically active phenazines; understand the molecular mechanism by which phenazines increase biogas yields; and, assess the environmental consequence of phenazine application to coal seam gas production and anaerobic digestion of food waste. Phenazines are likely to emerge as a safe and cost-effective technology for improved biogas generation.Read moreRead less
Design and engineering of proteins for biotechnology and biomedicine. The primary aim of this application is to enhance the thermodynamic and folding properties of proteins by redesign and engineering. The structures and folding behaviour of the redesigned proteins will be characterised using X-ray crystallography and biophysical techniques. The expected outcomes of this project are: engineering of new proteins that can be used in biotechnology, medical and pharmaceutical applications, or basic ....Design and engineering of proteins for biotechnology and biomedicine. The primary aim of this application is to enhance the thermodynamic and folding properties of proteins by redesign and engineering. The structures and folding behaviour of the redesigned proteins will be characterised using X-ray crystallography and biophysical techniques. The expected outcomes of this project are: engineering of new proteins that can be used in biotechnology, medical and pharmaceutical applications, or basic research; fundamental insights into protein design and engineering; and a wealth of knowledge on the factors that dictate protein stability and folding.Read moreRead less