The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
Molecular Characterisation Of Lipid Droplet Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,446.00
Summary
Fat is stored inside cells in spherical structures called lipid droplets. The accumulation of fat within lipid droplets underlies obesity. This project aims to understand how fat is stored within lipid droplets and how it is released when energy is required. In particular, we will look at two types of protein which move to lipid droplets under certain energy conditions and attempt to unravel how these proteins control fat storage and release. The first protein we will study, caveolin, normally a ....Fat is stored inside cells in spherical structures called lipid droplets. The accumulation of fat within lipid droplets underlies obesity. This project aims to understand how fat is stored within lipid droplets and how it is released when energy is required. In particular, we will look at two types of protein which move to lipid droplets under certain energy conditions and attempt to unravel how these proteins control fat storage and release. The first protein we will study, caveolin, normally associates with regions of the cell surface but moves to lipid droplets when cells are fed lipids. Mice which lack this protein eat more food but remain leaner than normal mice. Understanding how caveolin moves to lipid droplets and how it controls fat accumulation will therefore provide new insights into obesity and conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes. The second protein to be studied, Rab18, is a member of a protein family which controls membrane movement within cells. Rab18 moves to lipid droplets when lipid release is stimulated. Therefore studies of Rab18 can provide new insights into the way lipids are released from fat tissue under conditions of starvation. The project will provide fundamental new insights into the basic mechanisms by which we store energy and the energy imbalances which cause obesity and related diseases.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of The Tumour Suppressor Function Of Caspase-2
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,096.00
Summary
Aberrant cell death (apoptosis) is associated with many diseases including cancer. Apoptosis is mediated by a group of enzymes called caspases. Recently we have discovered that one of these enzymes, caspase-2, acts as a tumour suppressor. We now wish to validate this finding in several preclinical models of cancer and understand precisely how caspase-2 works to safeguard cells against cancer development. These studies will help better understand cancer and ways to treat it.
Function And Regulation Of ATM: Mechanistic Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,250.00
Summary
The human genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia is characterised by neurodegeneration, immunodeficiency, radiosensitivity and a very high risk for development of cancer. The gene product defective in this syndrome, ATM, was identified in 1995 and since then its role in protecting the cell against genetic damage has been investigated in some detail. The ATM protein is a very large molecule and to date only one functional region has been described. It is very likely that other regions of the mole ....The human genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia is characterised by neurodegeneration, immunodeficiency, radiosensitivity and a very high risk for development of cancer. The gene product defective in this syndrome, ATM, was identified in 1995 and since then its role in protecting the cell against genetic damage has been investigated in some detail. The ATM protein is a very large molecule and to date only one functional region has been described. It is very likely that other regions of the molecule will be important in its function in the cell. This project is designed to investigate the importance of other domains in the protein and also what it is that causes ATM to be activated. We have developed a methodology which allows us to introduce changes anywhere in the ATM gene and then test the effects of these changes in a biological read-cut assay. This approach will enable us to ascribe functional significance to any region of ATM. We will focus on regions where we have some preliminary evidence for activity. Finally we will carry out a mechanistic study to see how ATM is activated. These data will be useful in future design of molecules to interfere with the function of ATM in applications designed to make tumours more receptive to radiotherapy.Read moreRead less
How Does Fra-1 Regulate The Invasive Properties Of Tumour Cells?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$468,119.00
Summary
Most cancer deaths occur when tumours spread and destroy vital body functions. The invasion of tumour cells into surrounding tissue is a critical step during the spread of cancer. This project aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms that control the ability of tumour cells to invade into surrounding tissue and subsequently spread to other sites in the body. We expect to identify potential targets to better diagnose and treat the spread of cancer.
Role Of Sphingosine Kinase 1 In PP2A-associated Tumorigenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$522,994.00
Summary
Defects in protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) are widely associated with the development of solid tumors and leukemia. The precise mechanisms whereby defects in PP2A lead to cancer, however, remain undefined. We have recently identified that the oncogenic protein sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) as a target of PP2A. In this study we will examine the role of SK1 in PP2A-associated cancers. Successful outcomes in these studies will establish SK1 as a target for therapeutic intervention in these cancers.
Mechanisms Of Regulation And Biological Roles Of Sphingosine Kinase 2
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$517,989.00
Summary
We have identified that a protein called sphingosine kinase 2 (SK2) is a potential target for anti-cancer therapies. Our preliminary studies indicate that phosphorylation of SK2 controls its function. In this proposal we will define how phosphorylation alters SK2 function so that potential therapies may be developed to target this process.
Role Of The MicroRNA MiR144 In Haemopoiesis In Vivo
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,328.00
Summary
Recently a new form of gene regulation has been discovered involving small RNA molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs). Although vertebrates (like man, mouse and fish) contain many hundreds of miRNAs, the function and true gene targets of each individual miRNA are largely unknown. A better understanding the normal function and targets of miRNAs is needed so that their role in normal biology and disease development can be understood. These studies exploit the technical strengths of zebrafish, an mode ....Recently a new form of gene regulation has been discovered involving small RNA molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs). Although vertebrates (like man, mouse and fish) contain many hundreds of miRNAs, the function and true gene targets of each individual miRNA are largely unknown. A better understanding the normal function and targets of miRNAs is needed so that their role in normal biology and disease development can be understood. These studies exploit the technical strengths of zebrafish, an model of increasing importance in biomedical research, to study the function of a particular miRNA, miR144, and to identify its physiological target genes. Zebrafish have several advantages for studying miRNA function - several simple methods for experimentally altering miRNA levels are standard in zebrafish but not easy in other models like mice. miR144 has been chosen because it has an expression pattern that strongly suggests a role in blood development. Blood development and zebrafish technologies are central themes of the Lieschke laboratory. Preliminary experiments in zebrafish have shown that miR144 expression can be detected in blood cells, that it is functionally active when overexpressed, that its effect can be intercepted, and that there are blood-system effects of its misexpression, particularly in mutant zebrafish with abnormalities of blood development that provide a sensitized background for such studies. These studies will describe the expression of miR144 in detail in normal and abnormal zebrafish blood development. The effects of miR144 overexpression and knock-down of expression will be studied in detail. To identify the targets of mir144, a multifaceted microarray analysis will be performed, and the validity of candidate targets suggested by this will then be systematically tested. When finished, these studies will have characterised the physiology of this new blood regulator and identified the way it exerts its effect.Read moreRead less
Apoptosis And Autophagy In Developmentally Programmed Cell Death
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$502,437.00
Summary
Cell death is essential for sculpting tissues and organs in developing foetus and deregulated cell death results in many diseases. To treat disorders that result from aberrant cell death, we need to understand the control of cell death during development. We will use a vinegar fly model to study cell death modalities in development. By doing this we hope to uncover new knowledge important for human biology and identify new molecules that may be important for understanding and treating disease.
Cell death by a specialised process known apoptosis is a way of deleting unwanted and harmful cells from the body. As such, aberrant apoptosis is associated with a wide array of diseases including cancer. For example, abnormal levels of proteins that suppress apoptosis or enhance cell survival can result in cancer and often produce resistance to chemotherapy. To understand and treat cancers that result from aberrant apoptosis we need to know at a molecular level how apoptosis is regulated. Centr ....Cell death by a specialised process known apoptosis is a way of deleting unwanted and harmful cells from the body. As such, aberrant apoptosis is associated with a wide array of diseases including cancer. For example, abnormal levels of proteins that suppress apoptosis or enhance cell survival can result in cancer and often produce resistance to chemotherapy. To understand and treat cancers that result from aberrant apoptosis we need to know at a molecular level how apoptosis is regulated. Central to the apoptosis execution are a group of enzymes called caspases that target many cellular proteins for specific cleavage. In this proposal, we will investigate the function of one of the caspases (called caspase-2), in order to better understand its potential role in the apoptosis of cancer cells. A number of recent reports suggest that caspase-2 levels are reduced in many cancer cells. The human caspase-2 gene localizes to a chromosomal region frequently affected- deleted in leukaemia, and caspase-2 levels have been proposed to be predictors of remission and survival in patients with some types of leukaemia. We will study if loss of caspase-2 in cancer cells makes them resistant to killing by drugs and if mice lacking caspase-2 have an increased potential to develop cancer. Understanding caspase-2 function and its regulation is likely to provide new therapeutic opportunities and potential targets for cancer therapy.Read moreRead less
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NOVEL LEUKEMIA-INDUCING GENE MLF1
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,750.00
Summary
All of the circulating blood cells (including red cells and white cells) arise from haemopoietic stem cells found in the adult bone marrow. Stem cells gradually develop into one cell type. Once they have started down a particular pathway, they no longer generate cells of another pathway (e.g. once a stem cell begins to develop into red blood cells, they do not change into white cells). However, there are a few examples of mature cells that have changed pathways. We generated a red blood cell lin ....All of the circulating blood cells (including red cells and white cells) arise from haemopoietic stem cells found in the adult bone marrow. Stem cells gradually develop into one cell type. Once they have started down a particular pathway, they no longer generate cells of another pathway (e.g. once a stem cell begins to develop into red blood cells, they do not change into white cells). However, there are a few examples of mature cells that have changed pathways. We generated a red blood cell line, which has on occasions changed into macrophages (white blood cells) when grown under stressful conditions. Using these cells, we identified a gene, HLS7, which was involved in the change to macrophages. An American group has independently shown this gene can cause leukemia (blood cancer). We have shown HLS7 has dramatic effects on normal blood development and, together with its effect on leukemias, demonstrates its importance to the blood system. Through our studies on how HLS7 works, we have identified another gene, Madm, which may be an important regulator of HLS7. We plan to investigate the normal function of HLS7, how it interacts with Madm and how it causes leukemias. Analysis of these genes will further our knowledge in this field of blood cell development and cancer formation.Read moreRead less