Future Industries Research - Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Small talk: Communication networks in microbes. We will use the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility to address the multifaceted mechanisms of microbial interactions and produce new knowledge about the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of death in cystic fibrosis patients. We will characterise the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the emerging fungal pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum as a proactive step towards be ....Future Industries Research - Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Small talk: Communication networks in microbes. We will use the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility to address the multifaceted mechanisms of microbial interactions and produce new knowledge about the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of death in cystic fibrosis patients. We will characterise the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the emerging fungal pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum as a proactive step towards better understanding of pathogen communication. Improved understanding of pathogen interactions should facilitate the development of novel anti-adhesives as therapeutics. Our project will train young scientists in a new integrated approach to biology.Read moreRead less
Analysing the protective role of platelets during malaria infection. Platelets protect the host during malarial infection. This project aims to study how platelets kill the malaria parasite by investigating the role of host molecules and their potential as novel antimalarial agents. The role of platelets in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria syndrome will also be investigated.
Understanding the dynamics of malaria infection. Malaria infection kills around one million patients each year and this project involves an interdisciplinary team who will directly measure how the parasite grows and is killed by the immune system. A better understanding of parasite growth and control will help develop better drugs therapy and vaccination for this important infection.
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.
Developing novel chemistries for removing environmental surface biofilms to reduce hospital acquired infections. This project will develop new detergents that more efficiently clean hospitals. This will increase hospital safety by decreasing infections, thus saving lives and healthcare costs.
Peril and promise: Origins and spread of integron gene cassettes. Integrons have a major role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes among pathogens. They do so by capturing gene cassettes encoding resistance, yet how these cassettes are generated, the taxa in which they originate, and the range of traits that cassettes can encode have been outstanding questions for 30 years. This project addresses these long standing questions. The project will analyze single bacterial cells to detect newly ....Peril and promise: Origins and spread of integron gene cassettes. Integrons have a major role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes among pathogens. They do so by capturing gene cassettes encoding resistance, yet how these cassettes are generated, the taxa in which they originate, and the range of traits that cassettes can encode have been outstanding questions for 30 years. This project addresses these long standing questions. The project will analyze single bacterial cells to detect newly generated cassettes and assign them to specific taxa, using an innovative method that links cassette DNA to bacterial 16S rDNA. Understanding cassette origins is the key to controlling their activity, both to harness integrons for biotechnology, and to prevent pathogens from acquiring new, dangerous traits. Read moreRead less
Determining features that separate groups of protein sequences. This project aims to develop mathematical approaches for determining features that distinguish one group of proteins from another, based on their amino acid sequences. The groups of sequences will reflect different outcomes, so that identifying the fundamental features can result in targeted interventions against the poorer outcome. A simple comparison at each position or of known features can fail to determine robust differentiator ....Determining features that separate groups of protein sequences. This project aims to develop mathematical approaches for determining features that distinguish one group of proteins from another, based on their amino acid sequences. The groups of sequences will reflect different outcomes, so that identifying the fundamental features can result in targeted interventions against the poorer outcome. A simple comparison at each position or of known features can fail to determine robust differentiators and so more complex methods are required. The project will, for example, help identify HIV vaccine targets by comparing early HIV transmission sequences from those in chronic infection. The methods will be applicable to viral proteins where high mutation rates make this task even more complex.Read moreRead less
Novel antimicrobial surface coatings for Cochlear implants. The objective of this project is to develop new antimicrobial coatings for materials used to manufacture biomedical devices. Infection associated with the use of biomaterials such as biomedical implants, catheters and orthopaedic prostheses is a major barrier to the use of these devices. The coatings that the project plans to develop are based on novel antimicrobials which have been shown to prevent adhesion and colonisation of biomater ....Novel antimicrobial surface coatings for Cochlear implants. The objective of this project is to develop new antimicrobial coatings for materials used to manufacture biomedical devices. Infection associated with the use of biomaterials such as biomedical implants, catheters and orthopaedic prostheses is a major barrier to the use of these devices. The coatings that the project plans to develop are based on novel antimicrobials which have been shown to prevent adhesion and colonisation of biomaterials by bacteria in vivo. This strategy has the potential to prevent device-related infections and revolutionise the biomaterials industry.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100111
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,000.00
Summary
Expanding the Genomic Frontier - from Species to Strains and Individuals to Populations. Expanding the genomic frontier from species to strains and individuals to populations: The Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis, a consortium of five universities, provides a large number of genomics and transcriptomics analyses. This project will establish an Ion Proton semiconductor-based sequencer and iScan platform to facilitate research breakthroughs in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, an ....Expanding the Genomic Frontier - from Species to Strains and Individuals to Populations. Expanding the genomic frontier from species to strains and individuals to populations: The Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Function Analysis, a consortium of five universities, provides a large number of genomics and transcriptomics analyses. This project will establish an Ion Proton semiconductor-based sequencer and iScan platform to facilitate research breakthroughs in genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and SNP analysis. Cell screening technology will also be established to allow the rapid analysis of cells of interest, prior to genomic / transcriptomic analysis. The increased data output, and concomitant reduction in analysis cost on the new platforms, will expand the genomics frontier, allowing researchers to fully analyse many strains from a single-celled species or many individuals from a population.Read moreRead less
Structure function analysis of the NusA-RNA polymerase interaction. Genes must be turned on at the right time, at the correct level in the appropriate cell in all organisms. This project will determine the role of an essential component of the process in bacteria called NusA. The results will apply to bacteria as well as higher organisms, and also have the potential to identify a new antibiotic target.