Real-time imaging of the initiation of adaptive immunity in vivo. Understanding the first few hours of an immune response is fundamental to understanding how the human immune system functions. The immune system mounts our responses to infectious diseases, but can also cause autoimmune disease, allergy, and organ graft rejection. We will study how naive antigen-specific T cells first contact antigen in lymph nodes using 2-photon intravital microscopy. The research has the potential to change the ....Real-time imaging of the initiation of adaptive immunity in vivo. Understanding the first few hours of an immune response is fundamental to understanding how the human immune system functions. The immune system mounts our responses to infectious diseases, but can also cause autoimmune disease, allergy, and organ graft rejection. We will study how naive antigen-specific T cells first contact antigen in lymph nodes using 2-photon intravital microscopy. The research has the potential to change the way we think about the clonal selection of lymphocytes, the fundamental theory underlying our understanding of the immune system.Read moreRead less
Polarity in lymphocytes: Regulation of immune function and cancer. The Fellow will elucidate the mechanisms and consequences of a fundamental new phenomenon in immunology. This is likely to profoundly impact upon approaches to detecting and treating immune-related diseases such as autoimmunity, transplantation, vaccination and immunodeficiencies. The ongoing project and the work that led to our discovery involves interdisciplinary collaborations between physicists and biologists to apply frontie ....Polarity in lymphocytes: Regulation of immune function and cancer. The Fellow will elucidate the mechanisms and consequences of a fundamental new phenomenon in immunology. This is likely to profoundly impact upon approaches to detecting and treating immune-related diseases such as autoimmunity, transplantation, vaccination and immunodeficiencies. The ongoing project and the work that led to our discovery involves interdisciplinary collaborations between physicists and biologists to apply frontier laser technologies to biological studies. These technologies will not only facilitate our elucidation of immune development and function, but will also be made available to other research in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Understanding how the brain uses sensory information to guide reaching and grasping movements. Reaching, grasping and manipulating objects are crucial aspects of our daily lives, which are performed so effortlessly that they tend to be taken for granted. We know however that these functions take a relatively long time to mature (think of a baby learning how to get an object), and that they can be impaired by brain lesions involving a region called the posterior parietal cortex. We also know that ....Understanding how the brain uses sensory information to guide reaching and grasping movements. Reaching, grasping and manipulating objects are crucial aspects of our daily lives, which are performed so effortlessly that they tend to be taken for granted. We know however that these functions take a relatively long time to mature (think of a baby learning how to get an object), and that they can be impaired by brain lesions involving a region called the posterior parietal cortex. We also know that this region has multiple subdivisions, but how exactly these interact in allowing the sensory information to guide arm and hand muscles is unknown. Discovering how this happens in terms of cellular interaction can have profound implications for the creation of new technologies such as artificial limbs and autonomous robots, and result in health benefits.Read moreRead less
Comparison of Techniques for the Removal of Ocular Artefact from the Electroencephalogram: A Validation Study. Although employed extensively for both research and clinical purposes, the utility of the electroencephalograph (EEG) is hampered by the contaminating effects of eye movements on these 'brain waves'. If it can be validated, the recent Australian development of a solution to this problem will mean that the EEG can be measured more quickly and accurately. This purpose of this research is ....Comparison of Techniques for the Removal of Ocular Artefact from the Electroencephalogram: A Validation Study. Although employed extensively for both research and clinical purposes, the utility of the electroencephalograph (EEG) is hampered by the contaminating effects of eye movements on these 'brain waves'. If it can be validated, the recent Australian development of a solution to this problem will mean that the EEG can be measured more quickly and accurately. This purpose of this research is to perform this validation, and its success would mean both more efficient EEG recording for the country, as well as an enhanced scientific reputation.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775747
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Distributed Medical Image Analysis and Visualisation Engine (MedVis). Improved understanding of neurological processes is crucial to improving clinical outcomes for patients. MedVis will contribute in three ways: support development of new methods of interpretation and analysis of complex neurological studies, allowing current methods to be applied more efficiently, and enabling distributed simulations and visualisations in real-time from remote sites.
The leading-edge, grid-based, software and ....Distributed Medical Image Analysis and Visualisation Engine (MedVis). Improved understanding of neurological processes is crucial to improving clinical outcomes for patients. MedVis will contribute in three ways: support development of new methods of interpretation and analysis of complex neurological studies, allowing current methods to be applied more efficiently, and enabling distributed simulations and visualisations in real-time from remote sites.
The leading-edge, grid-based, software and computational techniques developed for the project will enable visualization, analysis and modelling of massive volumes of image and other visualisation data. This capability is important in medical research where large visualisation data volumes are being created and studied by experts remote from each other.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989078
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Unique, state-of-the-art lipidomics infrastructure. The new technologies provided through this grant will significantly enhance our understanding of lipids and their role in normal cell biology and disease. These new insights will be vital in improving our understanding of lipid-related disorders such obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and helping to improve their treatment and prevention.
New methods to complete the lipidomics puzzle: revealing the structural diversity of lipids by mass spectrometry. Lipid-related disorders such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease are reaching epidemic proportions in the western world. The integration of innovative techniques will provide Australia with unique capabilities to investigate these diseases and place Australia at the forefront of lipid research internationally.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0454017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,598.00
Summary
A unique Western Australian multi-photon confocal microscope facility to support nationally prioritised biomedical, biological and materials research. Core national priority research will utilise the low dose and penetrative nature of multi-photon confocal microscopy in current research into nerve regeneration after neurotrauma, the histopathological treatment of diabetic retinopathology, and hair cell information transfer processes in auditory physiology. Other programs will study biomineralisa ....A unique Western Australian multi-photon confocal microscope facility to support nationally prioritised biomedical, biological and materials research. Core national priority research will utilise the low dose and penetrative nature of multi-photon confocal microscopy in current research into nerve regeneration after neurotrauma, the histopathological treatment of diabetic retinopathology, and hair cell information transfer processes in auditory physiology. Other programs will study biomineralisation in the superior epithelium of chiton and limpet teeth and a variety of salinity-related plant processes. In parallel, an optical development program will investigate contrast modes in other non-linear interactions. The instrument complements and will be managed with field emission SEM, TEM and a unique high-resolution scanning ion probe in a well-established regional Centre.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775720
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
State-of-the-art high resolution thermal analysis suite for the life and material sciences. The facility, unique in Australia, will ensure that Australia will retains in a leading position in these research fields, will provide a basis to be competitive in international funding and support postgraduate training. The acquired equipments will strengthen the already existing infrastructures, enhancing understanding of intrinsic physico-chemical characteristic of various materials, to benefit the co ....State-of-the-art high resolution thermal analysis suite for the life and material sciences. The facility, unique in Australia, will ensure that Australia will retains in a leading position in these research fields, will provide a basis to be competitive in international funding and support postgraduate training. The acquired equipments will strengthen the already existing infrastructures, enhancing understanding of intrinsic physico-chemical characteristic of various materials, to benefit the community such as characterising functional nanomaterials for high-tech technologies and use of inhalation aerosol drug delivery to benefit patients with respiratory diseases for an improved therapeutic and health outcome.Read moreRead less
Novel Neural Interfaces and Instrumentation for Stimulation and Monitoring of Retinal Activation in an Epiretinal Vision Prosthesis. Australia's reputation in medical neuroprostheses is second to none with the most notable example being the 'bionic ear' for the deaf. This research compliments that reputation by advancing science and engineering knowledge towards achieving a truly beneficial prosthesis for the blind, a 'bionic eye'. This research will also advance our capacity to address other a ....Novel Neural Interfaces and Instrumentation for Stimulation and Monitoring of Retinal Activation in an Epiretinal Vision Prosthesis. Australia's reputation in medical neuroprostheses is second to none with the most notable example being the 'bionic ear' for the deaf. This research compliments that reputation by advancing science and engineering knowledge towards achieving a truly beneficial prosthesis for the blind, a 'bionic eye'. This research will also advance our capacity to address other areas of therapeutic medical implants including those for limb movement to the paralysed. Benefits to the community include the very real possibility of restoring some visual capacity to the blind thus improving their quality of life through improved mobility, social interaction, and mental health. Read moreRead less