Characterisation of nanobubbles. Surprisingly, nano-sized bubbles have recently been found to exist in aqueous solutions. Classical theory tells us they should rapidly dissolve, yet they are stable for several days, a phenomenon which has only recently been explained. Despite this, nanobubbles are already used in cleaning processes and appear to have significant health benefits. They are being investigated in treatments for asthma and neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with a pharmaceu ....Characterisation of nanobubbles. Surprisingly, nano-sized bubbles have recently been found to exist in aqueous solutions. Classical theory tells us they should rapidly dissolve, yet they are stable for several days, a phenomenon which has only recently been explained. Despite this, nanobubbles are already used in cleaning processes and appear to have significant health benefits. They are being investigated in treatments for asthma and neurodegenerative diseases. In collaboration with a pharmaceutical company, the best means to produce and characterise nanobubbles will be investigated, as well as the conditions governing their stability. The project also aims to determine how the nanobubbles interact with surfaces in order to better control their properties and achieve a better understanding of these bubbles.Read moreRead less
Control of immune recognition and response by microbial metabolites. This project aims to study immune recognition of microbial metabolites and develop reagents to control immune responses. Chemical synthesis will be used to develop new antigens for unconventional T cells and the first soluble agonists and antagonists of a glycolipid-sensing immune receptor. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new immune effectors, broadening our knowledge of the repertoire of small molecules that can be ....Control of immune recognition and response by microbial metabolites. This project aims to study immune recognition of microbial metabolites and develop reagents to control immune responses. Chemical synthesis will be used to develop new antigens for unconventional T cells and the first soluble agonists and antagonists of a glycolipid-sensing immune receptor. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new immune effectors, broadening our knowledge of the repertoire of small molecules that can be sensed by the immune system, and developing chemical approaches to promote or dampen immune responses. Major benefits include research training in chemical biology, strengthened international linkages and fundamental insights into the chemical basis of immune recognition and response.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the immunology of complex glycolipids by chemical synthesis. This project seeks to develop new approaches to chemically synthesise bacterial and fungal glycolipids and develop a molecular-level understanding of their effect on the immune system. Bacterial and fungal glycolipids are exotic chemical species that act as danger signals to prime and modulate our innate immune responses. These complex glycolipids possess powerful immunological activities that continue to shape our understa ....Unravelling the immunology of complex glycolipids by chemical synthesis. This project seeks to develop new approaches to chemically synthesise bacterial and fungal glycolipids and develop a molecular-level understanding of their effect on the immune system. Bacterial and fungal glycolipids are exotic chemical species that act as danger signals to prime and modulate our innate immune responses. These complex glycolipids possess powerful immunological activities that continue to shape our understanding of innate immunity, yet cannot be acquired from natural sources in the quantities and purity needed. The approaches expected to be developed in the project will be used to illuminate molecular details of immune signalling through pattern recognition receptors and presentation on specialised glycolipid antigen-presenting molecules. Outcomes may include new ways to fight disease and promote health by marshalling the resources of the immune system.Read moreRead less
New platform technologies for the chemical synthesis of post-translationally modified proteins. The last decade has seen an explosion in the number of protein drugs approved for use in the clinic, a large proportion of which possess post-translational modifications (PTMs). These modified protein drugs are produced and sold as mixtures which has led to difficulties in understanding the role of specific PTMs on activity and in gaining clinical approval for candidate drugs. This project will provid ....New platform technologies for the chemical synthesis of post-translationally modified proteins. The last decade has seen an explosion in the number of protein drugs approved for use in the clinic, a large proportion of which possess post-translational modifications (PTMs). These modified protein drugs are produced and sold as mixtures which has led to difficulties in understanding the role of specific PTMs on activity and in gaining clinical approval for candidate drugs. This project will provide a fundamental solution to this problem through the development of novel synthetic methods and a powerful new platform technology for accessing PTM proteins in pure form. The utility of this technology will be demonstrated through its use in the total chemical synthesis of a range of PTM proteins for applications in biology and medicine.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100125
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Advanced fluorescence imaging facility: from super high resolution to whole animal imaging. The establishment of this advanced fluorescence imaging facility will provide cutting-edge infrastructure to examine cells, pathogens and interactions between engineered drug delivery systems in both cells and whole animals. The facility will foster the development of new nanomedicines.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100078
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Establishment of a comprehensive regional biophysical analysis facility. Interactions between molecules are needed for cells to function correctly. This facility will permit comprehensive molecular characterisation as well as research into the fundamentals of how molecules interact.