Molecular response to interferon beta treatment in multiple sclerosis. Inteferon beta (IFNb) is the frontline drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis. However, in many patients this expensive drug provides no benefit, resulting in unnecessary, uncontrolled disease progression, and in a waste of many millions of dollars each year. A common explanation for this treatment failure is the development of neutralising antibodies (NABs). We will establish the prevalence and effects of NABs in Austra ....Molecular response to interferon beta treatment in multiple sclerosis. Inteferon beta (IFNb) is the frontline drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis. However, in many patients this expensive drug provides no benefit, resulting in unnecessary, uncontrolled disease progression, and in a waste of many millions of dollars each year. A common explanation for this treatment failure is the development of neutralising antibodies (NABs). We will establish the prevalence and effects of NABs in Australian patients, use novel techniques to identify biomarkers for IFNb response, evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic value of the biomarkers, and develop a new test for NABs. Tailored use of this drug, and possible new therapeutic targets, will result, benefiting the patient and community.Read moreRead less
Long Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Heart Health in Humans. The primary aims of the project is to assess the effect of DHA rich tuna oil on cholesterol carrying lipoproteins and to determine a quicker method in assessing someone's omega-3 status. The expected outcomes include the determination of: 1) the most appropriate blood sample and a rapid test and for evaluating the omega-3 status; 2) the minimum dose of tuna oil required which will not only improve a person's omega-3 statu ....Long Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Heart Health in Humans. The primary aims of the project is to assess the effect of DHA rich tuna oil on cholesterol carrying lipoproteins and to determine a quicker method in assessing someone's omega-3 status. The expected outcomes include the determination of: 1) the most appropriate blood sample and a rapid test and for evaluating the omega-3 status; 2) the minimum dose of tuna oil required which will not only improve a person's omega-3 status but also improve their plasma lipid profile and hence reduce their overall risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD); and 3) the use of the Omega-3 Index by medical practitioners. The significance is the increased knowledge of the health benefits of DHA rich tuna oil and that a new CVD risk marker will be generally accepted.Read moreRead less
Development of a non-invasive diagnostic test of Embryo Viability. A successful outcome will:
. improve the cost effectiveness of assisted reproductive technologies resulting in reduced health care costs and allowing greater use of ART in animal production
. by greater cost-effectiveness, facilitate greater access to these advanced technologies in less well developed economies
. build the national capacity in development and validation of biotech diagnostics
. build collaborative relationsh ....Development of a non-invasive diagnostic test of Embryo Viability. A successful outcome will:
. improve the cost effectiveness of assisted reproductive technologies resulting in reduced health care costs and allowing greater use of ART in animal production
. by greater cost-effectiveness, facilitate greater access to these advanced technologies in less well developed economies
. build the national capacity in development and validation of biotech diagnostics
. build collaborative relationship between the CI, University of Sydney and a leading industry partner (Cook Australia)
. lead to significant new fundamental knowledge in embryology that will be of major International significance
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560685
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,000.00
Summary
Scanning Probe Microscopy for Bioelectrochemistry. New methods to study the fundamental properties of biological samples, in particular proteins, are continuing to advance and impact on society. We will establish a leading edge facility for high-resolution imaging of biomolecules with redox functions. This will enable the continued development of new enzyme based diagnostic tests by understanding the dynamic nature of coupled electron and molecular interactions with redox enzymes in solution. Th ....Scanning Probe Microscopy for Bioelectrochemistry. New methods to study the fundamental properties of biological samples, in particular proteins, are continuing to advance and impact on society. We will establish a leading edge facility for high-resolution imaging of biomolecules with redox functions. This will enable the continued development of new enzyme based diagnostic tests by understanding the dynamic nature of coupled electron and molecular interactions with redox enzymes in solution. The bioelectrochemical imaging facility will be unique in Australia and establish an important cross-disciplinary approach within the international community.Read moreRead less
Chemical synthesis of cancer-associated glycoproteins. Glycosylation of proteins is an extremely common event which plays an important role in a variety of biological processes. Aberrant glycosylation and over-production of glycoproteins is associated with numerous cancer types (including breast, prostate, ovarian and small lung) and are recognised as promising agents for disease diagnosis and vaccine development. A range of cancer-associated glycoproteins will be synthesised in this research p ....Chemical synthesis of cancer-associated glycoproteins. Glycosylation of proteins is an extremely common event which plays an important role in a variety of biological processes. Aberrant glycosylation and over-production of glycoproteins is associated with numerous cancer types (including breast, prostate, ovarian and small lung) and are recognised as promising agents for disease diagnosis and vaccine development. A range of cancer-associated glycoproteins will be synthesised in this research program using a number of novel chemical technologies. These glycoproteins will be used to develop cancer vaccines and diagnostics. Cancer is a severe burden on the Australian community and on the economy, therefore this research will be of significant benefit to Australia.Read moreRead less
Genetics and evolution of Shigella O antigens. We use genome scale sequencing techniques to sequence 26 O-antigen gene clusters from Shigella. With the seven already known, this will give sequences for every O-antigen of Shigella. This will be the first time that such set is fully sequenced. Shigella are human specific pathogens, have emerged with the evolution of humans. O-antigens are important for their life and pathogenicity. This project will greatly extend our knowledge of the genetic basi ....Genetics and evolution of Shigella O antigens. We use genome scale sequencing techniques to sequence 26 O-antigen gene clusters from Shigella. With the seven already known, this will give sequences for every O-antigen of Shigella. This will be the first time that such set is fully sequenced. Shigella are human specific pathogens, have emerged with the evolution of humans. O-antigens are important for their life and pathogenicity. This project will greatly extend our knowledge of the genetic basis and evolution of this important polymorphism. O-antigens are used for typing Shigella and also elicit strong immunity. The molecular data will help establish DNA based typing and vaccine development.Read moreRead less
Functional Genomics to Predict and Enhance Response to Interferon. The increasing number and huge cost impost of new therapies to health providers, both worldwide and nationally, has not yet resulted in a concomitant increase in strategies to optimise their use. Many of the new therapies are proteins (recombinant human proteins or humanised monoclonal antibodies). The improved use of one of Australia's most expensive commonly used protein drugs, pegylated interferon ribavirin (Peg-IFN-R), could ....Functional Genomics to Predict and Enhance Response to Interferon. The increasing number and huge cost impost of new therapies to health providers, both worldwide and nationally, has not yet resulted in a concomitant increase in strategies to optimise their use. Many of the new therapies are proteins (recombinant human proteins or humanised monoclonal antibodies). The improved use of one of Australia's most expensive commonly used protein drugs, pegylated interferon ribavirin (Peg-IFN-R), could potentially produce savings to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and improve delivery of healthcare to thousands of Australians.Read moreRead less
The photonic immunochip: retrieving individual Enzyme-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) array-units using optical waveguide multicolour fluorescence. Improving the sensitivity and availability of in-vitro immuno-diagnostic tests is a critical goal towards developing real time efficient tools for the detection of infectious diseases, cancers, allergies and auto-immune diseases. The goal is to increase the sensitivity of these tests by reducing background noise that has been a feature of the com ....The photonic immunochip: retrieving individual Enzyme-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) array-units using optical waveguide multicolour fluorescence. Improving the sensitivity and availability of in-vitro immuno-diagnostic tests is a critical goal towards developing real time efficient tools for the detection of infectious diseases, cancers, allergies and auto-immune diseases. The goal is to increase the sensitivity of these tests by reducing background noise that has been a feature of the commonly used ELISA technology. This will be achieved by developing a novel optical integrated waveguide array supporting a large range of distributed tests, including several based on a novel multi-colour detection scheme. This massively parallel approach will underpin a new generation of low-cost, efficient diagnostic tests.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668507
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$260,000.00
Summary
Real time PCR and nanoparticle diagnostic facilities for high-throughput quantitative analysis of genomic structure and gene expression. Modern molecular tools have lead to an explosion in genome projects and unification of all areas of biology. The most basic need for such research is access to improving technologies for detecting DNA fingerprints that distinguish genetically-diverse genes, and determining which genes are "switched on" or 'off' in various situations. Real time PCR technology, ....Real time PCR and nanoparticle diagnostic facilities for high-throughput quantitative analysis of genomic structure and gene expression. Modern molecular tools have lead to an explosion in genome projects and unification of all areas of biology. The most basic need for such research is access to improving technologies for detecting DNA fingerprints that distinguish genetically-diverse genes, and determining which genes are "switched on" or 'off' in various situations. Real time PCR technology, pioneered by The University of Queensland (UQ) and Southern Cross University (SCU) using ARC funding in 1996, is now the technology of choice for much of this research. This project will provide high-throughput equipment for real time PCR, and will develop complementary high-throughput "nanoparticle" DNA genotyping technologies, with applications to medicine and agriculture.
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Proteomics of the Influenza Virus for In-field Surveillance. The influenza virus continues to pose a serious health risk to Australians and remains a leading cause of death. The molecular characterisation of emerging strains of the virus lies at the heart of current surveillance procedures vital to vaccine preparation and the development of new anti-viral drugs. This research will advance a world-first proteomics surveillance of the virus developed in this laboratory that will enable it to be ch ....Proteomics of the Influenza Virus for In-field Surveillance. The influenza virus continues to pose a serious health risk to Australians and remains a leading cause of death. The molecular characterisation of emerging strains of the virus lies at the heart of current surveillance procedures vital to vaccine preparation and the development of new anti-viral drugs. This research will advance a world-first proteomics surveillance of the virus developed in this laboratory that will enable it to be characterised in-field at the site(s) of infection outbreaks. This rapid response is vital, particularly in the event of a pandemic or a deliberate release of the virus in a bioterrorist attack.Read moreRead less