Development of the PD GeneChip: a research and diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease. The PD GeneChip will provide both social and economic benefits to Australia. It will be a key research platform for Australian scientists, and will facilitate collaboration both within Australia and overseas. It will assist with health care management of PD (Parkinson's disease) patients by providing a cost-effective diagnostic tool and the possibility of predicting the clinical course of disease. This inform ....Development of the PD GeneChip: a research and diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease. The PD GeneChip will provide both social and economic benefits to Australia. It will be a key research platform for Australian scientists, and will facilitate collaboration both within Australia and overseas. It will assist with health care management of PD (Parkinson's disease) patients by providing a cost-effective diagnostic tool and the possibility of predicting the clinical course of disease. This information will provide the basis for tailoring treatment to a patients needs. It is anticipated that marketing of the PD GeneChip within Australia and overseas may produce revenue of at least $40 million annually.Read moreRead less
Linking mutant zebrafish phenotypes with their underlying genetic lesions. Zebrafish mutants have been generated with many interesting abnormalities, but to understand these abnormalities, the defective genes must be identified by positional cloning. We seek to identify the defective genes underpinning four mutants. Mutant #562 develops a normal nervous system which then undergoes rapid degeneration. The mutant flotte lotte has abnormal gut development. Two mutants with defective early blood for ....Linking mutant zebrafish phenotypes with their underlying genetic lesions. Zebrafish mutants have been generated with many interesting abnormalities, but to understand these abnormalities, the defective genes must be identified by positional cloning. We seek to identify the defective genes underpinning four mutants. Mutant #562 develops a normal nervous system which then undergoes rapid degeneration. The mutant flotte lotte has abnormal gut development. Two mutants with defective early blood formation will be studied. We will establish techniques for several steps that will be useful for all zebrafish mapping projects. We expect the genetic characterization of these mutants to provide new insights into nerve cell survival, gut development, and blood formation.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology. The CoE in Convergent Bio-Nano Science &Technology comprises a multi-disciplinary team focused on research aiming to understand and control the interface of materials with biological systems. The Centre will exploit knowledge of the bio-nano interface to design materials that transport and deliver vaccines, drugs and gene therapy agents, and to design new diagnostic agents and devices. Nanomedicines are on the cusp of revol ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology. The CoE in Convergent Bio-Nano Science &Technology comprises a multi-disciplinary team focused on research aiming to understand and control the interface of materials with biological systems. The Centre will exploit knowledge of the bio-nano interface to design materials that transport and deliver vaccines, drugs and gene therapy agents, and to design new diagnostic agents and devices. Nanomedicines are on the cusp of revolutionizing diagnosis and therapy in many diseases. The CoE will be the focus of bio-nano research activity in Australia, uniting universities, research agencies, institutes and companies. The expected outcomes are better diagnostic and therapeutic tools designed via an enhanced understanding of the bio-nano-interface.Read moreRead less
Genetic and molecular basis of appendicular muscle formation. Fin and limb muscles are generated in the embryo by a series of cell movements and gene regulatory events that are distinct to those that regulate the formation of the rest of the muscles of the body. This project aims to use the genetic advantages of zebrafish to determine how genes regulate fin and consequently limb muscle formation.
Endocardial sprouting and mechano-signalling in heart trabeculation. This project aims to understand how the ventricles, the pumping chambers of the mammalian heart, form during embryonic life. Critical is the elaboration of trabeculae, myocardial projections that form a sponge-like layer on the inner surface of the chamber wall and which play vital roles in contraction, oxygen and nutrient exchange, conduction and septation. The project expects to develop a deeper understanding of trabeculation ....Endocardial sprouting and mechano-signalling in heart trabeculation. This project aims to understand how the ventricles, the pumping chambers of the mammalian heart, form during embryonic life. Critical is the elaboration of trabeculae, myocardial projections that form a sponge-like layer on the inner surface of the chamber wall and which play vital roles in contraction, oxygen and nutrient exchange, conduction and septation. The project expects to develop a deeper understanding of trabeculation using high resolution, single cell methodologies, and to investigate how bio-mechanical forces from contraction or blood flow influence chambers formation.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668246
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Advanced Cell Labelling and Imaging Facility. Understanding the genetic regulation of cellular processes such as migration, differentiation and growth is an important frontier technology with significant biomedical potential. The Australian community is facing an increasing need to provide solutions for a variety of human diseases and disorders, including birth defects, nervous system injury and stroke, and ageing-related conditions. The proposed facility will allow researchers to test in vivo g ....Advanced Cell Labelling and Imaging Facility. Understanding the genetic regulation of cellular processes such as migration, differentiation and growth is an important frontier technology with significant biomedical potential. The Australian community is facing an increasing need to provide solutions for a variety of human diseases and disorders, including birth defects, nervous system injury and stroke, and ageing-related conditions. The proposed facility will allow researchers to test in vivo gene/pharmaceutical therapies as well as to better understand the genetic regulation of normal cellular processes. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989920
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$750,000.00
Summary
Microbial and Cellular Imaging and Analysis Facility. The Microbial and Cellular Imaging and Analysis Facility will rapidly establish itself as one of Australia's premier science facilities. It will provide the capacity to investigate the structure and molecular dynamics of viruses and microbial, human, animal and plant cells with unprecedented high resolution in both pure and applied research settings, guided by Australia's leading experts in many research strengths. This facility addresses a c ....Microbial and Cellular Imaging and Analysis Facility. The Microbial and Cellular Imaging and Analysis Facility will rapidly establish itself as one of Australia's premier science facilities. It will provide the capacity to investigate the structure and molecular dynamics of viruses and microbial, human, animal and plant cells with unprecedented high resolution in both pure and applied research settings, guided by Australia's leading experts in many research strengths. This facility addresses a current unmet need for scientists in this country and will provide cutting-edge technologies to Australian researchers so they can better detect, understand, and treat human, animal and plant diseases and the environmental impact of climate change.Read moreRead less
Can an anti-HIV gene in blood stem cells protect from immune depletion by HIV? Approximately 15,000 individuals in Australia are currently HIV infected. Gene therapy has the capacity to remove antiretroviral treatment related issues, dramatically decrease treatment costs and simplify treatment of HIV.
In this study we will model a new approach to treat HIV in which the patient's own cells are used as the therapy by incorporating an anti-HIV gene. These cells are then re-introduced into the p ....Can an anti-HIV gene in blood stem cells protect from immune depletion by HIV? Approximately 15,000 individuals in Australia are currently HIV infected. Gene therapy has the capacity to remove antiretroviral treatment related issues, dramatically decrease treatment costs and simplify treatment of HIV.
In this study we will model a new approach to treat HIV in which the patient's own cells are used as the therapy by incorporating an anti-HIV gene. These cells are then re-introduced into the patient.
The strong mathematical focus of this project, and its application to a promising approach against HIV, will place Australia at the forefront of the mathematics of gene research and contribute to the National Priority Area of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and the Priority Goal of Preventative Healthcare.
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The Centre will enhance Australian clinical immunisation research and training, focussing upon clinical questions with translatable outcomes not easily addressed by industry. Optimal immunisation and interventions to maximise uptake of existing and new vaccines in high risk patient groups, such as children with cancer, immigrants, children with chronic diseases and adolescents will be studied. New vaccine trials, innovative use of existing vaccines, systematic collection of vaccine failure data, ....The Centre will enhance Australian clinical immunisation research and training, focussing upon clinical questions with translatable outcomes not easily addressed by industry. Optimal immunisation and interventions to maximise uptake of existing and new vaccines in high risk patient groups, such as children with cancer, immigrants, children with chronic diseases and adolescents will be studied. New vaccine trials, innovative use of existing vaccines, systematic collection of vaccine failure data, and targeted epidemiology and disease modelling vaccine preventable disease will also allow a broad program of research, enabling training and mentoring of young clinical nurse and physician researchers. Collaborations with existing national immunisation, infectious diseases and research institutions will allow maximal effectiveness of clinical studies.Read moreRead less
The dynamics of viral latency in chronic infection. Although many acute infections can now be controlled, we still suffer from a large number of chronic infections such as HIV or herpes that cannot be eradicated. Many of these infections persist because they can lie dormant in a 'latent' state. How this latent state is established, and how long it lasts are important to understand if we want to control these infections. We have assembled a team of mathematicians, immunologists and virologists in ....The dynamics of viral latency in chronic infection. Although many acute infections can now be controlled, we still suffer from a large number of chronic infections such as HIV or herpes that cannot be eradicated. Many of these infections persist because they can lie dormant in a 'latent' state. How this latent state is established, and how long it lasts are important to understand if we want to control these infections. We have assembled a team of mathematicians, immunologists and virologists in order to study latent infection at the cellular level, and within infected monkeys. This will provide the first insights into the dynamics of latency - how these cells are produced and die - and should lead to novel approaches to controlling chronic infection.Read moreRead less