Effector Export In P. Falciparum Infected Human Erythrocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,066,920.00
Summary
We will investigate malaria, a parasitic disease that kills over 450,000 people a year. We will explore how the parasite identifies, invades and remodels the host cells in which it lives, scavenging nutrients and hiding from the immune system. We will characterize the proteins involved in these critical events, as they are potential targets for drugs. We will study how parasites cause disease and how the host responds to infection.
Spatial And Temporal Dimensions Of Mu-opioid Receptor Signalling: Implications For The Development Of Tolerance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$799,316.00
Summary
The use of morphine as an analgesic is still limited by undesirable side effects such as tolerance. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms behind the development of tolerance are poorly understood. The ? opioid receptor is a protein expressed at the surface of the cells that is the target of morphine. This project will investigate the signalling events triggered by opioids with unprecedented resolution and will aim to elucidate why morphine elicits more tolerance than other opioid drugs.
Function And Inhibition Of Plasmepsin V In Targeting Malaria Virulence Proteins Into Human Erythrocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$407,845.00
Summary
Malaria parasites dramatically renovate infected erythrocytes to survive and evade the host immune system by delivering hundreds of exported parasite proteins into the cell. The parasite protease Plasmepsin V is essential for protein export. We aim to develop potent inhibitors of this protease in the hope of blocking its function and killing the parasite. We also aim to discover the components of the trafficking pathway after cleavage by Plasmepsin V that sorts virulence proteins to the host cel ....Malaria parasites dramatically renovate infected erythrocytes to survive and evade the host immune system by delivering hundreds of exported parasite proteins into the cell. The parasite protease Plasmepsin V is essential for protein export. We aim to develop potent inhibitors of this protease in the hope of blocking its function and killing the parasite. We also aim to discover the components of the trafficking pathway after cleavage by Plasmepsin V that sorts virulence proteins to the host cell.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102263
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Export of effector proteins by P. falciparum to the infected red blood cell. Infection by the malaria parasite has lethal consequences for humans. The parasite exports hundreds of proteins via a translocon to commandeer the red blood cell. This project aims to determine the function of one of the major translocon components and determine if it is a viable target for anti-malarial drug development.
Identification Of The Plasmodium Falciparum Translocon That Exports Parasite Proteins Into Their Erythocytic Hosts.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,027.00
Summary
Up to 10% of the world's population will suffer from malaria in any given year and for over a million this disease will be fatal. This devastating disease is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum that infects and destroys our red blood cells. Infected red cells are greatly modified by the parasites so they can feed and avoid elimination by the human immune system. We wish to investigate the red blood cell modification process and assess it as a potential target for anti-malarial drugs.
This program will investigate the strategies used by pathogenic bacteria to cause human diseases. The research will focus on how bacteria initiate infections, how they invade, cause cell and tissue damage and respond to their human host. It will also examine how the host’s innate immune system interacts with these bacteria. The results will provide new insights into host-pathogen interactions and reveal new targets for the development of novel antibacterial drugs and vaccines.
The ins and outs of HIV biology. This project aims to delineate the fundamental mechanisms that regulate the production of HIV and the ability of HIV to cause AIDS in infected patients. It will utilise state-of-the-art technologies to unearth new clues that govern the biology of HIV, with the ultimate goal to develop novel vaccine and treatment strategies against HIV.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100157
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Confocal and single molecule microscopes for systems microscopy. This project aims to establish Australia’s first system microscopy facility with dedicated live-cell confocal and single-molecule fluorescence microscopes. In systems microscopy, the imaging workflow is automated so that large and unbiased data sets of the spatiotemporal organisation of molecules and cells can be generated. Combined with statistical and bioinformatics analyses, image-derived data provides system-wide information th ....Confocal and single molecule microscopes for systems microscopy. This project aims to establish Australia’s first system microscopy facility with dedicated live-cell confocal and single-molecule fluorescence microscopes. In systems microscopy, the imaging workflow is automated so that large and unbiased data sets of the spatiotemporal organisation of molecules and cells can be generated. Combined with statistical and bioinformatics analyses, image-derived data provides system-wide information that is not easily obtainable with other approaches. The project will enable Australian researchers to image and analyse the full complexity of biological systems, potentially transforming cell biology, drug development and understanding the molecular basis of disease. It will also demonstrate how the capacity of microscopy facilities can be enhanced and bias in imaging data reduced by automating data acquisition and mining of image-based data.Read moreRead less
The role of phosphoinositides in endosomal maturation dynamics. This project aims to investigate the regulation of an intracellular compartment within a cell called endosomes, which plays critical roles in cellular homeostasis, signalling and pathogen entry. New knowledge is expected to be generated in understanding endosome maturation and the signalling events that drive this process using a unique, multidisciplinary approach combining state of the art imaging techniques and high throughput pro ....The role of phosphoinositides in endosomal maturation dynamics. This project aims to investigate the regulation of an intracellular compartment within a cell called endosomes, which plays critical roles in cellular homeostasis, signalling and pathogen entry. New knowledge is expected to be generated in understanding endosome maturation and the signalling events that drive this process using a unique, multidisciplinary approach combining state of the art imaging techniques and high throughput protein analysis. The anticipated outcomes will be to define the molecular steps that govern the membrane-bound machinery on endosomes that directs endosomal maturation. This should provide significant benefits in delineating a process that is linked to almost all aspects of cell life.Read moreRead less