Biomolecular chemical survival strategies of terrestrial extremophiles and the spectroscopic search for life on Mars. This project is aimed to place Australian research at the forefront of developments in the search for extraterrestrial life, the evolution of life on earth, and the design of new probes for the identification of microorganisms. The research will link key centres in Australia and the UK with international space agencies (NASA and the European Space Agency) in the search for cutti ....Biomolecular chemical survival strategies of terrestrial extremophiles and the spectroscopic search for life on Mars. This project is aimed to place Australian research at the forefront of developments in the search for extraterrestrial life, the evolution of life on earth, and the design of new probes for the identification of microorganisms. The research will link key centres in Australia and the UK with international space agencies (NASA and the European Space Agency) in the search for cutting edge techniques to be used in the search for extraterrestrial life forms and their links to paleo and extremophile life forms on Earth. Read moreRead less
New Horizons in Diels-Alder Chemistry. Using a unique joint experimental-computational approach, we will develop reliable ways to predict the outcome of one of the most important chemical reactions. Practical applications of these new predictive tools will be developed involving powerful new versions of the reaction. Several different classes of biologically active natural products will be prepared including molecules with antitumor and antiretroviral activities. Libraries of structurally-relate ....New Horizons in Diels-Alder Chemistry. Using a unique joint experimental-computational approach, we will develop reliable ways to predict the outcome of one of the most important chemical reactions. Practical applications of these new predictive tools will be developed involving powerful new versions of the reaction. Several different classes of biologically active natural products will be prepared including molecules with antitumor and antiretroviral activities. Libraries of structurally-related analogues of natural compounds will be synthesised for biological evaluation.Read moreRead less
The Baylis-Hillman Reaction: Asymmetric Organocatalysis and Applications. Many drugs come in two chiral mirror images (enantiomers) where the therapeutic effect is usually associated with only one while the other has no effect or can be harmful as was the case with thalidomide. Chemical reactions that yield just the desired mirror image, or enantiomer, and not the other are therefore in great demand and heavily pursued by the pharmaceutical, fine chemical and materials industries as a frontier ....The Baylis-Hillman Reaction: Asymmetric Organocatalysis and Applications. Many drugs come in two chiral mirror images (enantiomers) where the therapeutic effect is usually associated with only one while the other has no effect or can be harmful as was the case with thalidomide. Chemical reactions that yield just the desired mirror image, or enantiomer, and not the other are therefore in great demand and heavily pursued by the pharmaceutical, fine chemical and materials industries as a frontier technology. This project will result in the development of novel catalytic reactions that allow the synthesis of chiral chemicals in a cost-efficient and green manner needed by many industries, and also training of students with highly desirable synthetic skills to lead the next wave in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.Read moreRead less
New synthetic strategies towards higher order fullerenes. Fullerene or C60 is a novel soccer-ball shaped molecule with many potential applications as new materials and pharmaceutical drugs. This project aims to develop novel methods for the preparation of new fullerene derivatives that will have potential future applications in materials science, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry and chemical synthesis.
New Cascade Routes to Biologically Important Molecules. This research involves the development of short and efficient syntheses of several different classes of biologically active molecules using cascade reactions: spectacular events in which many chemical bonds are formed. Two distinct types of cascade reactions will be investigated and naturally-occurring molecules with antineoplastic, anti-immunosuppressive, antiviral and antimalarial activities will be prepared. These new, expedient routes a ....New Cascade Routes to Biologically Important Molecules. This research involves the development of short and efficient syntheses of several different classes of biologically active molecules using cascade reactions: spectacular events in which many chemical bonds are formed. Two distinct types of cascade reactions will be investigated and naturally-occurring molecules with antineoplastic, anti-immunosuppressive, antiviral and antimalarial activities will be prepared. These new, expedient routes allow the preparation of a wide range of structurally-related analogues; an important prerequisite for the preparation of libraries of compounds for biological evaluation. Along the way, important information about the chemical reactivity patterns of a newly-prepared, fundamental class of hydrocarbon molecules will be obtained.Read moreRead less
Asymmetric Synthesis of Bioactive Alkaloids and Analogues via Chiral, Polylfunctionalized-Pyrrolidines. Alkaloids are plant products that have many useful biological and pharmaceutical properties. Many of these compounds have potential as antiviral and anticancer therapeutics. This project aims to develop novel methods of preparing bioactive alkaloids and their structural analogues. These compounds potentially have applications as new potent and less toxic pharmaceutical agents.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561203
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,000.00
Summary
Microwave Assisted Chemistry - new approaches to molecular diversity. This project will support the establishment of a multi-user, fully automated microwave reactor facility that will be the first of its kind in an academic laboratory in Australia. The equipment will support a wide range of synthetic chemistry research by providing microwave acceleration to otherwise slow reactions and in some cases promotion of reactions that do not normally proceed under conventional conditions. The automation ....Microwave Assisted Chemistry - new approaches to molecular diversity. This project will support the establishment of a multi-user, fully automated microwave reactor facility that will be the first of its kind in an academic laboratory in Australia. The equipment will support a wide range of synthetic chemistry research by providing microwave acceleration to otherwise slow reactions and in some cases promotion of reactions that do not normally proceed under conventional conditions. The automation capability will be used to create diverse compound libraries and to investigate and optimise reaction conditions.Read moreRead less
Natural Product-derived Proteomics Probes for Specific Detection of Protein Kinase C Activities. Better health care depends on how well diseases are understood and how accurately disease analysis and diagnosis can be carried out. This is not only important to disease treatment but also prevention. This project will first generate new compounds that could have improved therapeutic value in cancer treatment. In addition, these compounds will be further engineered to provide a new technology of ....Natural Product-derived Proteomics Probes for Specific Detection of Protein Kinase C Activities. Better health care depends on how well diseases are understood and how accurately disease analysis and diagnosis can be carried out. This is not only important to disease treatment but also prevention. This project will first generate new compounds that could have improved therapeutic value in cancer treatment. In addition, these compounds will be further engineered to provide a new technology of tracing the molecular signature of diseases such as cancer for early detection and better preventative care and treatment. This will create new economic advantage and contributes to the transformation of Australian health care industry.Read moreRead less
Tailored porphyrins for nanoscience applications. Porphyrins are the pigments of life, the central components of haemoglobin in blood and chlorophyll in living plants. In order to expand their use into important areas of nanoscience, this project will establish a new porphyrin paradigm. It will result in the synthesis of novel porphyrins with inbuilt structural features that enhance their propensity to self-assemble into monolayers on surfaces, and into nanorods. This will lead to advanced mate ....Tailored porphyrins for nanoscience applications. Porphyrins are the pigments of life, the central components of haemoglobin in blood and chlorophyll in living plants. In order to expand their use into important areas of nanoscience, this project will establish a new porphyrin paradigm. It will result in the synthesis of novel porphyrins with inbuilt structural features that enhance their propensity to self-assemble into monolayers on surfaces, and into nanorods. This will lead to advanced materials for molecular sensing, photonics, molecular memory devices, catalysis, and organic photovoltaics. A new means of improving the efficiency of solar cells will also be explored. Well-trained graduates and strong international scientific cooperation will also result from the project.Read moreRead less
Self-Assembled Porphyrin-Fullerene Photovoltaic Electrodes: Towards Nanostructured Organic Solar Cells. Energy is arguably the single most important problem facing humanity today. The development of cheap, efficient photovoltaic technology could dramatically change this, providing humanity with renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. The need to replace present electrical energy generation, largely based on fossil fuel, is without argument given the detrimental effects of global ....Self-Assembled Porphyrin-Fullerene Photovoltaic Electrodes: Towards Nanostructured Organic Solar Cells. Energy is arguably the single most important problem facing humanity today. The development of cheap, efficient photovoltaic technology could dramatically change this, providing humanity with renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. The need to replace present electrical energy generation, largely based on fossil fuel, is without argument given the detrimental effects of global warming from increasing carbon dioxide production. The development and implementation of cheap, efficient photovoltaic technologies in Australia will not only ensure its sustainable economic growth but also contribute in a major way to the improved use of land, water, mineral and other energy resources in Australia. Read moreRead less