EFR3: Novel gatekeeper of cell proliferation. This interdisciplinary, cross-institutional project uses leading-edge mass spectrometry and the yeast genetic model to enhance knowledge of fundamental signalling mechanisms common to cell proliferation of eukaryotic cells. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel energy-stress control points, this research will generate insights into critical and conserved features of nutrient stress control of cell proliferation that ensures cel ....EFR3: Novel gatekeeper of cell proliferation. This interdisciplinary, cross-institutional project uses leading-edge mass spectrometry and the yeast genetic model to enhance knowledge of fundamental signalling mechanisms common to cell proliferation of eukaryotic cells. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel energy-stress control points, this research will generate insights into critical and conserved features of nutrient stress control of cell proliferation that ensures cell survival. This project advances basic and applied biology. Its outcomes will be relevant to several research areas and industries, specifically to the propagation of cell cultures that nowadays contributes to the production of a myriad of biotechnical and pharmaceutical commodities.
Read moreRead less
Countdown to death: defining new signalling events preceding cell death . This proposal aims to understand how programmed cell death molecular machineries promote innate immune responses and proliferation by identifying new molecules that regulate these fundamental biological processes. This project expects to enhance our basic understanding of cell death, cell proliferation and innate immunity using innovative approaches and to build interdisciplinary collaborations. The new generated knowledge ....Countdown to death: defining new signalling events preceding cell death . This proposal aims to understand how programmed cell death molecular machineries promote innate immune responses and proliferation by identifying new molecules that regulate these fundamental biological processes. This project expects to enhance our basic understanding of cell death, cell proliferation and innate immunity using innovative approaches and to build interdisciplinary collaborations. The new generated knowledge in these critical processes will be fertile ground to develop innovative applications in biomedical industries. This this will have a positive impact on the health and economy of Australian society.Read moreRead less
Defining how signalling pathways cooperate to regulate organ size. Control of organ size is essential for organ function and organism viability, and varies greatly across the animal kingdom. This project aims to understand how three important signalling pathways co-ordinately regulate organ size during development and also limit aberrant growth. By applying genomics, genetics and bioinformatics techniques, this project aims to discover a core set of growth genes that are regulated by different s ....Defining how signalling pathways cooperate to regulate organ size. Control of organ size is essential for organ function and organism viability, and varies greatly across the animal kingdom. This project aims to understand how three important signalling pathways co-ordinately regulate organ size during development and also limit aberrant growth. By applying genomics, genetics and bioinformatics techniques, this project aims to discover a core set of growth genes that are regulated by different signalling pathways and the mechanism by which transcription of these genes is repressed in order to eliminate faulty cells. Intended benefits are creation of jobs, new knowledge on fundamental principles of life and the stimulation of new research into organ size control.Read moreRead less
The Role of Lck/CD8 Association in Negatively Regulating T cell Activation. This proposal aims to advance our fundamental understanding of how T cell recognition of antigens translates into a T cell activating signal. The proposal will establish whether the major T cell coreceptor also acts as a negative regulator of T cell activation in vivo when antigen recognition is unorthodox. It will also determine whether certain subsets of T cells naturally lack coreceptors in order to facilitate unortho ....The Role of Lck/CD8 Association in Negatively Regulating T cell Activation. This proposal aims to advance our fundamental understanding of how T cell recognition of antigens translates into a T cell activating signal. The proposal will establish whether the major T cell coreceptor also acts as a negative regulator of T cell activation in vivo when antigen recognition is unorthodox. It will also determine whether certain subsets of T cells naturally lack coreceptors in order to facilitate unorthodox antigen recognition. Thus, the proposal will significantly advance our understanding of, and establish new paradigms around, the regulation of T cell activation. Expected long term benefits outside the scope of this proposal include improved immunotherapies and vaccines designed to elicit or suppress T cell responses.Read moreRead less
How do cytokine receptors transmit signals? This project aims to determine the mechanisms of signal transmission by cytokine receptors using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques. Cytokines are small proteins that act as messengers between cells and play fundamental roles in biology. Cytokines bind to receptors on the surface of cells, producing a response within the cells. Yet, how the message is transmitted across the cell membrane is not well understood. Expected outcomes of this project inc ....How do cytokine receptors transmit signals? This project aims to determine the mechanisms of signal transmission by cytokine receptors using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques. Cytokines are small proteins that act as messengers between cells and play fundamental roles in biology. Cytokines bind to receptors on the surface of cells, producing a response within the cells. Yet, how the message is transmitted across the cell membrane is not well understood. Expected outcomes of this project include discovery of mechanisms general to cytokine signalling and new approaches to investigate cytokine biology. This new knowledge will benefit efforts to understand and modulate cytokine signalling in animals and humans, with future impacts in the agriculture, veterinary, and health sectors.Read moreRead less
Characterising a novel stress-sensing signalling factor. Aim: To understand how phosphorylation regulates signalling pathways to allow metabolic adaptations in response to energetic stress. Significance: A fundamental understanding of the activation of signalling pathways via phosphorylation is vital for our knowledge of homeostasis and the mechanisms controlling cell survival. Expected outcomes: To generate new systems biology and physiology data to understand how the stress response is regulat ....Characterising a novel stress-sensing signalling factor. Aim: To understand how phosphorylation regulates signalling pathways to allow metabolic adaptations in response to energetic stress. Significance: A fundamental understanding of the activation of signalling pathways via phosphorylation is vital for our knowledge of homeostasis and the mechanisms controlling cell survival. Expected outcomes: To generate new systems biology and physiology data to understand how the stress response is regulated and characterise new stress-sensing pathways. Benefits: A greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling metabolism in response to stress has extremely broad applications to improve metabolic efficiency in fields ranging from exercise- and life-sciences to agriculture.Read moreRead less
How lipid binding proteins shape the activity of nuclear hormone receptors. This project aims to explore how a family of lipid binding proteins control organ specific activation of nuclear receptors – receptors that play a key role in generating energy and are critical for life. The project will employ chemical, molecular, cell biology approaches to generate new knowledge about lipid binding protein-receptor interactions and how these complexes dictate receptor activation. The outcomes could pro ....How lipid binding proteins shape the activity of nuclear hormone receptors. This project aims to explore how a family of lipid binding proteins control organ specific activation of nuclear receptors – receptors that play a key role in generating energy and are critical for life. The project will employ chemical, molecular, cell biology approaches to generate new knowledge about lipid binding protein-receptor interactions and how these complexes dictate receptor activation. The outcomes could provide a roadmap to design drugs that interact with the right protein in the right tissue and in doing so dramatically enhance drug specificity. This will benefit the success of drug treatments which require stimulation of a therapeutic response at a target site, and avoidance of potentially toxic activity at other locations.Read moreRead less