Investigating the molecular function of alpha-Haemoglobin stabilising protein. The research described in this proposal will provide new insights into haemoglobin regulation and redox chemistry in erythrocytes. Deregulation of these processes gives rise to a number of debilitating diseases, including varieties of anaemia and thalassaemia-in Australia it is estimated that 3% of the population could be carriers of b-thalassaemia mutations. Given the contribution of free aHb to the pathology of b-th ....Investigating the molecular function of alpha-Haemoglobin stabilising protein. The research described in this proposal will provide new insights into haemoglobin regulation and redox chemistry in erythrocytes. Deregulation of these processes gives rise to a number of debilitating diseases, including varieties of anaemia and thalassaemia-in Australia it is estimated that 3% of the population could be carriers of b-thalassaemia mutations. Given the contribution of free aHb to the pathology of b-thalassaemia, understanding the specific aHb-binding factor, AHSP is a goal of national significance. In the long term, manipulation of AHSP function through gene therapy may have a direct role in the treatment of thalassaemia.Read moreRead less
From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect thei ....From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect their underlying genetic mechanism. Furthermore, we can also assess how these animals survive and reproduce in relation to how quickly they age, which can be measured by assessing the shortening of telomeres per unit time. Thus, this collaboration provides an opportunity to train Australian researchers and in that process generate very high profile research.Read moreRead less