Regulation Of Neural Progenitor Cell Self-renewal By The RNA-binding Protein ZFP36L1 During Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,401.00
Summary
The timely differentiation of neural stem cells is critical during development, and the unrestrained proliferation of neural stem cells in the adult can lead to deadly brain cancers such as glioma. At present our understanding of the key molecules that regulate neural stem cell behaviour during these processes remains limited. In this proposal we will investigate the molecular determinants underpinning neural stem cell biology, both within the developing brain, and within glioma.
Characterisation Of Eurl, A Novel Gene Implicated In The Etiology Of Abnormal Brain Development And Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,541.00
Summary
Intellectual disability affects around one per cent of Australians, and can arise from genetic abnormalities during fetal life, such as through abnormal regulation of gene expression. We have identified a novel gene, known as eurl, which controls brain assembly as well as the ability of neurons to form functional connections within the brain. We will investigate how this novel gene controls brain development, and characterise eurl as a potential therapeutic target for learning and memory.
The Role Of The Zinc Finger Transcriptional Repressor Znf238 During Nerve Cell Maturation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,264.00
Summary
Proper foetal brain assembly is critical for brain function, but the underlying genetic mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this study, I will investigate a family of proteins that “turn on” neural gene expression in combination with another protein that “turns off” their expression during nerve cell development. Understanding this novel on/off mechanism for controlling gene expression in newborn nerve cells will further our understanding of how the brain is assembled.
The Molecular Basis For Target Selection In The Central Nervous System By Sensory Axons
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$251,325.00
Summary
The normal function of the brain depends upon the specific connections that nerve cells make with each other. These connections are set up in the developing embryo when nerve cells send out long processes - axons - which grow towards their synaptic targets. How axons select their correct targets from amongst the millions of alternatives in the developing brain is unknown. A better understanding of this problem will help us develop therapies to assist regenerating axons re-establish correct conne ....The normal function of the brain depends upon the specific connections that nerve cells make with each other. These connections are set up in the developing embryo when nerve cells send out long processes - axons - which grow towards their synaptic targets. How axons select their correct targets from amongst the millions of alternatives in the developing brain is unknown. A better understanding of this problem will help us develop therapies to assist regenerating axons re-establish correct connections following injury to the brain or spinal cord. We propose to use a simple model system, the embryo of the fruitfly Drosophila, to find molecules that are involved in this process of neuron target recognition - ' axon targeting' molecules - and to study how they work. Drosophila can be genetically manipulated in ways not possible in higher animals. Furthermore the simplicity of its nervous system means that we can determine the connections of individual nerve cells with a high degree of precision. In the first part of our project, we will examine Drosophila embryos that carry mutations in genes suspected to code for targeting molecules. We will stain individual sensory nerve cells in these embryos with dyes to reveal the anatomy of their axons in the brain. If sensory axons terminate abnormally in the brain of a given mutant, the affected gene is likely to code for an axon targeting molecule. In the second part of the study, we will investigate the functions of candidate axon targeting molecules using two approaches. Firstly, we will seek to determine whether the molecule acts in the sensory axons or in their target cells. Secondly, we will use time-lapse microscopy to study how the homing behaviour of the sensory axons is affected in mutant embryos. The results of these studies will lead us closer to an answer to the question: How do axons recognise their specific target cells in the brain?Read moreRead less
Models of Knowledge Restructuring. In a world of rapid change, people must frequently adapt cognitive skills to new technologies. This often requires restructuring of knowledge, from simple initial strategies to increasingly complex ways of mastering the task. This is not always easy and people sometimes resist knowledge restructuring. We present a network model of knowledge restructuring that combines attentional processes with error-driven learning. The model accounts for several existing resu ....Models of Knowledge Restructuring. In a world of rapid change, people must frequently adapt cognitive skills to new technologies. This often requires restructuring of knowledge, from simple initial strategies to increasingly complex ways of mastering the task. This is not always easy and people sometimes resist knowledge restructuring. We present a network model of knowledge restructuring that combines attentional processes with error-driven learning. The model accounts for several existing results and makes predictions that guide the proposed research. Three factors will be examined empirically: (1) the role of directing attention to alternative strategies; (2) the imperfection of existing knowledge; and (3) the complexity of alternative strategies.Read moreRead less
Advancing the science of willpower: investigating the mechanisms and processes of self-control. Willpower or 'good' self control is important for success in our academic, occupational, and social lives. This project will use cutting-edge scientific methods to investigate how glucose, the primary fuel for body function, promotes 'good' self-control and stimulates regions in the brain important for self-control.
Smart CMOS Vision Sensors in Deep Sub-0.25um CMOS Technologies. This research project aims to develop a new generation of smart vision sensors featuring on-chip and pixel-level implementation of human vision based algorithms. Built in state-of-the-art deep sub-0.25um CMOS technologies, these imagers will feature extensive in-pixel processing power in contrast to the currently commercially available CMOS vision sensors. This will enable on-chip vision-based decision making but also increased on-c ....Smart CMOS Vision Sensors in Deep Sub-0.25um CMOS Technologies. This research project aims to develop a new generation of smart vision sensors featuring on-chip and pixel-level implementation of human vision based algorithms. Built in state-of-the-art deep sub-0.25um CMOS technologies, these imagers will feature extensive in-pixel processing power in contrast to the currently commercially available CMOS vision sensors. This will enable on-chip vision-based decision making but also increased on-chip image processing. These innovative system-on-chip features will contribute towards the positioning of CMOS imaging technology as the technology of choice for most digital imaging applications, in place of the existing, and so far unchallenged, CCD technology.
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Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent n ....Roads to the Future: Infrastructure and the New Development in Africa. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of new road schemes in East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean (a region which sits at the intersection of several major global transport and development corridors), in order to understand their economic, socio-political, cultural and public health effects. As global road-building accelerates at an unprecedented rate, especially in the developing world, there is an urgent need for new models for understanding roads' potential economic benefits, as well as their risks, including their environmental risks. This project is benefitting citizens, NGOs, donors and governments, by generating new knowledge about how we have in the past, do at present, and should in the future, engage with roads.Read moreRead less
A 3D CMOS Vision Sensor with Pixel Level Analog-to-Digital Converter and Intelligent Processing. The aim of this research project is to build a smart vision sensor using advanced 3D technology. The smart sensor will consist of two vertically stacked levels comprising the vision sensor chip with pixel-level Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and the processing chip for edge and motion detection. The pixel level ADC will be based on new architectures offering improved performance in terms of dynami ....A 3D CMOS Vision Sensor with Pixel Level Analog-to-Digital Converter and Intelligent Processing. The aim of this research project is to build a smart vision sensor using advanced 3D technology. The smart sensor will consist of two vertically stacked levels comprising the vision sensor chip with pixel-level Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and the processing chip for edge and motion detection. The pixel level ADC will be based on new architectures offering improved performance in terms of dynamic range, fill-factor, and signal-to-noise ratio. Both the vision and the processing chips will be realised in standard CMOS technology, which make the smart vision sensor very suitable for low cost consumer electronic applications.Read moreRead less
Marsupial germ cells and genes. Germ cells are the most fascinating cells in the body, since theirs is the unique responsibility for transmitting life from generation to generation. Studies in mice have suggested that position in the embryo determines their origin, but the early embryology of the mouse is so different from that of other mammals that the events need confirming and extending in another species. The simplified embryology of the tammar wallaby makes it ideal for studying one of the ....Marsupial germ cells and genes. Germ cells are the most fascinating cells in the body, since theirs is the unique responsibility for transmitting life from generation to generation. Studies in mice have suggested that position in the embryo determines their origin, but the early embryology of the mouse is so different from that of other mammals that the events need confirming and extending in another species. The simplified embryology of the tammar wallaby makes it ideal for studying one of the most fundamental questions in the whole of biology: what is the basis for the primal distinction between sex and soma?Read moreRead less