Understanding glycopolymer interactions with the extracellular matrix. This project aims to advance knowledge of the biochemical and biophysical structure of the endothelial glycocalyx, a dynamic cell surface extracellular matrix rich in proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. It will be the first to explore how charged glycopolymers interact with this dynamic interface with the goal to develop a model of the glycocalyx lifecycle. This project is expected to enable the transfer of skills, knowledg ....Understanding glycopolymer interactions with the extracellular matrix. This project aims to advance knowledge of the biochemical and biophysical structure of the endothelial glycocalyx, a dynamic cell surface extracellular matrix rich in proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. It will be the first to explore how charged glycopolymers interact with this dynamic interface with the goal to develop a model of the glycocalyx lifecycle. This project is expected to enable the transfer of skills, knowledge and ideas as well as advanced research and industrial training for young scientists. Knowledge derived from this project is expected to enable future innovation in molecules with tailored interactions with the glycocalyx with significant benefits for researchers, manufacturers and end users. Read moreRead less
Engineering nanomaterial interactions with the cell surface. This Fellowship aims to advance understanding of the endothelial cell surface, a key tissue barrier, and its interactions with nanomaterials. Enabled by cross-disciplinary collaboration, it expects to develop knowledge in matrix biology of the cell surface and materials as well as new methods to analyse their interactions. This is expected to unravel causal relationships between nanomaterial features and interactions at the cell surfac ....Engineering nanomaterial interactions with the cell surface. This Fellowship aims to advance understanding of the endothelial cell surface, a key tissue barrier, and its interactions with nanomaterials. Enabled by cross-disciplinary collaboration, it expects to develop knowledge in matrix biology of the cell surface and materials as well as new methods to analyse their interactions. This is expected to unravel causal relationships between nanomaterial features and interactions at the cell surface which will be integrated to engineer optimised materials. This will address the current and critical challenges of nanomaterial technologies in the efficient and targeted interactions with cells with long-term benefits for the consumer, biotechnology and healthcare sectors.Read moreRead less
Nettles & toxic toupees: the molecular weaponry of venomous caterpillars. This project aims to investigate the structure, function and evolution of peptide toxins in venoms made by caterpillars in superfamily Zygaenoidea. Caterpillars in this group are covered in spines that inject pain-causing venoms, and this protects them from vertebrate and invertebrate predators. This project will test if peptides in this venom cause pain by pharmacological modulation of mammalian ion channels and signallin ....Nettles & toxic toupees: the molecular weaponry of venomous caterpillars. This project aims to investigate the structure, function and evolution of peptide toxins in venoms made by caterpillars in superfamily Zygaenoidea. Caterpillars in this group are covered in spines that inject pain-causing venoms, and this protects them from vertebrate and invertebrate predators. This project will test if peptides in this venom cause pain by pharmacological modulation of mammalian ion channels and signalling receptors, and if they have insecticidal properties. The first three-dimensional structures of caterpillar venom peptides will also be solved. Genomes of representatives of two different zygaenoid families will be produced, and genomic techniques will be used to elucidate how venom use evolved at the molecular level.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101144
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,450.00
Summary
Understanding crosstalks between Natural Killer cells and Dendritic Cells. This project aims to investigate the interactions between two populations of immune cells: natural killer cells and dendritic cells. This proposal will advance basic knowledge in immunology by innovating in considering the heterogeneity and diversity of these two immune populations and combining interdisciplinary approaches using cutting-edge technologies. Expected outcomes from this proposal include the identification of ....Understanding crosstalks between Natural Killer cells and Dendritic Cells. This project aims to investigate the interactions between two populations of immune cells: natural killer cells and dendritic cells. This proposal will advance basic knowledge in immunology by innovating in considering the heterogeneity and diversity of these two immune populations and combining interdisciplinary approaches using cutting-edge technologies. Expected outcomes from this proposal include the identification of new immunoregulatory pathways, the development of new scientific theories, and enhancement of Australia’s research capacity through international collaborations and student training. This project will provide significant benefits such as the identification of biological targets for development of new biotechnologies. Read moreRead less
Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and ....Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and proteins will also be developed. The outcomes of this research will lead to breakthroughs in synthetic methodologies for the assembly and functionalisation of peptides and proteins, thereby enabling access to a range of homogeneous, post translationally modified proteins though total chemical synthesis. These research outcomes will expand Australia's research capability and global competitiveness in the field of biotechnology, delivering significant benefits to the third largest manufacturing sector in Australia.Read moreRead less
Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL). This project aims to develop a novel method for markedly accelerating production of genetically modified mice, which are a key 'tool' for studying biological processes and diseases. The work plans to take CRISPR, the latest gene-editing technique, to the next level by developing a novel CRISPR-based method to generate different mouse strains with distinct variations of the same gene sequences, at a fraction of the present cost a ....Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL). This project aims to develop a novel method for markedly accelerating production of genetically modified mice, which are a key 'tool' for studying biological processes and diseases. The work plans to take CRISPR, the latest gene-editing technique, to the next level by developing a novel CRISPR-based method to generate different mouse strains with distinct variations of the same gene sequences, at a fraction of the present cost and time. This project should overcome a major barrier to studying gene function with unprecedented detail, thereby opening new avenues for future research into biological processes. Thus, the outcomes from this project should impact on the entire field of biomedical research, and advance Australia's biotech industry.Read moreRead less