Characterisation and Development of Dynamic Supramolecular Combinatorial Libraries. The discovery of biologically active molecules, in particular drug discovery, requires the design and synthesis of host molecules that bind selectively to the biological target. Combinatorial chemistry has greatly assisted this discovery process as it allows the rapid screening of large collections of molecules. In this proposal, metal ion interactions will be used in the combinatorial library as this will grea ....Characterisation and Development of Dynamic Supramolecular Combinatorial Libraries. The discovery of biologically active molecules, in particular drug discovery, requires the design and synthesis of host molecules that bind selectively to the biological target. Combinatorial chemistry has greatly assisted this discovery process as it allows the rapid screening of large collections of molecules. In this proposal, metal ion interactions will be used in the combinatorial library as this will greatly increases the diversity of the pool of compounds to be screened for activity. Understanding how to generate and analyze these libraries has potential applications in drug screening, the discovery of new substrates, enzymes and inhibitors. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101896
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$436,875.00
Summary
Interface engineering of 2D materials for advanced battery application. The fast-growing energy storage market demands new devices with both high energy and power density. This project aims to understand and then engineering electrode-electrolyte interfaces using novel two-dimensional (2D) materials to achieve accelerated ion transport and enhanced surface redox reactions. Advanced in-situ and ex-situ characterization tools, including X-ray scattering, neutron scattering, and terahertz time-doma ....Interface engineering of 2D materials for advanced battery application. The fast-growing energy storage market demands new devices with both high energy and power density. This project aims to understand and then engineering electrode-electrolyte interfaces using novel two-dimensional (2D) materials to achieve accelerated ion transport and enhanced surface redox reactions. Advanced in-situ and ex-situ characterization tools, including X-ray scattering, neutron scattering, and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, will be employed to study energy storage mechanisms. Novel solid-state batteries will be demonstrated based on well-designed electrodes using 2D materials. This project will boost the standing of Australia in the global competition of developing more efficient energy storage devices. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100793
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,180.00
Summary
Unraveling a new cytokine working model in immune cell exhaustion. This project will investigate a novel paradigm of how a key messenger protein can be sensed by fundamental immune cells, preventing their ‘exhaustion’. Immune cell exhaustion is a fundamental mechanism to maintain the internal homeostasis of vertebrates. However, it is often hijacked by pathogens to dampen the defensive capacity of the immune system. And this specific messenger protein is the only known soluble factor that can d ....Unraveling a new cytokine working model in immune cell exhaustion. This project will investigate a novel paradigm of how a key messenger protein can be sensed by fundamental immune cells, preventing their ‘exhaustion’. Immune cell exhaustion is a fundamental mechanism to maintain the internal homeostasis of vertebrates. However, it is often hijacked by pathogens to dampen the defensive capacity of the immune system. And this specific messenger protein is the only known soluble factor that can deliver ‘anti-exhaustion’ signals to immune cells. This study will advance basic knowledge in biochemistry and immunology by combining interdisciplinary and cutting-edge approaches. The expected outcomes include the developing new scientific theories and identifying novel molecular basis of biological processes. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100293
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Cracking the phosphoinositide code. This project seeks to determine how protein interactions with membrane lipids regulate recruitment to cellular organelles, providing new insight into the complex pathways of cellular homeostasis. Controlling the distribution of proteins within cells is critical for cell signalling and membrane trafficking. This is orchestrated by the interaction of specific protein modules with lipids on the surface of different organelles. The phox homology (PX) domain is a l ....Cracking the phosphoinositide code. This project seeks to determine how protein interactions with membrane lipids regulate recruitment to cellular organelles, providing new insight into the complex pathways of cellular homeostasis. Controlling the distribution of proteins within cells is critical for cell signalling and membrane trafficking. This is orchestrated by the interaction of specific protein modules with lipids on the surface of different organelles. The phox homology (PX) domain is a lipid-binding module found in numerous proteins essential for normal cell trafficking and homeostasis, and perturbed in many conditions including immune dysfunction and cancer. This project plans to investigate molecular determinants of PX-lipid association, generating knowledge about protein-membrane interactions required for cellular function. These insights may underpin future drug design.Read moreRead less