Post-genomic investigation of the relict plastid and mitochondrion of malaria parasites. Malaria is a major global health problem. The malaria parasite has two substructures, a relict chloroplast and a mitochondrion, that are excellent targets for new and existing drugs. However, we do not know the key functions of these two compartments. The entire genetic blueprint (genome) is now available for the malaria parasite and I propose to determine exactly which parts of the genome service the rel ....Post-genomic investigation of the relict plastid and mitochondrion of malaria parasites. Malaria is a major global health problem. The malaria parasite has two substructures, a relict chloroplast and a mitochondrion, that are excellent targets for new and existing drugs. However, we do not know the key functions of these two compartments. The entire genetic blueprint (genome) is now available for the malaria parasite and I propose to determine exactly which parts of the genome service the relict chloroplast and mitochondria. This will sketch out a picture of their inner workings. Armed with this information we can take a rational approach to seeking an Achilles? Heel of malaria against which parasite-specific drugs can be developed.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the sub-nuclear complexity of the brain. Understanding the function of the brain is a major frontier of scientific research. The ability to increase knowledge of brain function is reliant upon the development of novel methods. This application will develop a novel approach for understanding the function of particular nerve cells. One outcome will be demonstration of the applicability of a novel method of benefit to all brain researchers. Another outcome will be increased understandin ....Unravelling the sub-nuclear complexity of the brain. Understanding the function of the brain is a major frontier of scientific research. The ability to increase knowledge of brain function is reliant upon the development of novel methods. This application will develop a novel approach for understanding the function of particular nerve cells. One outcome will be demonstration of the applicability of a novel method of benefit to all brain researchers. Another outcome will be increased understanding of one brain region that is known to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. It is expected that increased knowledge of brain function will lead to novel theories of brain disease and therapeutic strategies.Read moreRead less
A knockout approach to identifying genes involved in epidermal development and homeostasis. These studies will identify new genes which play a role in the development or maintenance of the skin, some of which may subsequently be shown to play a role in disease. The project capitalises on an investment of tens of millions of dollars by the Wellcome Trust in generating a significant cohort of knockout mice. Our involvement in this international initiative will ensure Australia's participation in ....A knockout approach to identifying genes involved in epidermal development and homeostasis. These studies will identify new genes which play a role in the development or maintenance of the skin, some of which may subsequently be shown to play a role in disease. The project capitalises on an investment of tens of millions of dollars by the Wellcome Trust in generating a significant cohort of knockout mice. Our involvement in this international initiative will ensure Australia's participation in a project at the forefront of mouse genetics, using cutting edge infrastructure and technologies to provide insights into the complement of genes involved in skin biology. Models of interest will be repatriated to Australia for further study capitalising on existing infrastructure provided through the NCRIS funding program. Read moreRead less
Blocking immune responses: a critical factor in herpesvirus virulence? The horse and poultry industries are two large, primarily rural based livestock production industries that are major contributors to the national economy. The research proposed in this project will improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of two important viral pathogens that are each a significant cost to their respective industry, and thus will ultimately reduce the cost of these two viruses to industry. In addition, ....Blocking immune responses: a critical factor in herpesvirus virulence? The horse and poultry industries are two large, primarily rural based livestock production industries that are major contributors to the national economy. The research proposed in this project will improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of two important viral pathogens that are each a significant cost to their respective industry, and thus will ultimately reduce the cost of these two viruses to industry. In addition, the technology developed during this project would have a global market and may be transferable to other viral pathogens of other domestic species.Read moreRead less
Creation of a non-venomous honey bee. On average, two Australians die from bee stings each year. Our goal is produce honey bees that do not have a dangerous sting.
Shaping a signal: studies on non-contiguous residues in an intracellular serpin that constitute a novel nuclear protein import signal. Eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound organelles like the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and use specific mechanisms to direct proteins from their site of synthesis to their target organelle. In nuclear proteins, sequence motifs termed nuclear localization signals (NLSs) direct engagement with the nuclear pore complex and translocation from cy ....Shaping a signal: studies on non-contiguous residues in an intracellular serpin that constitute a novel nuclear protein import signal. Eukaryotic cells contain membrane-bound organelles like the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and use specific mechanisms to direct proteins from their site of synthesis to their target organelle. In nuclear proteins, sequence motifs termed nuclear localization signals (NLSs) direct engagement with the nuclear pore complex and translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus. All NLSs described so far consist of 5-7 contiguous basic residues. We propose to study a novel NLS that we recently discovered on an intracellular serpin. This comprises non-contiguous residues that together form a basic "patch" on the mature protein, and is the first example of a conformational NLS.Read moreRead less
Immigration and parenting among Cambodian and Iraqi women in Australia. Immigration will continue to contribute to Australia's social, cultural and economic fabric. By provide immigrant women with the opportunity to articulate their lived experiences as immigrants and mothers, this study will contribute to our understanding of ways to enhance their social inclusion and resilience. By identifying ways to support newly settled women and their families, the study will contribute to policies and pro ....Immigration and parenting among Cambodian and Iraqi women in Australia. Immigration will continue to contribute to Australia's social, cultural and economic fabric. By provide immigrant women with the opportunity to articulate their lived experiences as immigrants and mothers, this study will contribute to our understanding of ways to enhance their social inclusion and resilience. By identifying ways to support newly settled women and their families, the study will contribute to policies and programs, ensuring a healthy start to life for their children and promoting and maintaining their health, with economic and social benefits to Australia as a whole.Read moreRead less
The Awakening of Faith and New Confucian Philosophy. This project aims to provide a new understanding of how New Confucian philosophy was constructed in modern China. It proposes to debunk the prevailing myth that modern Chinese philosophy owes its identity as a continuation of Confucianism, to the exclusion of the fundamentally ‘foreign’ influence of Buddhism. It is anticipated that this project will substantially advance the knowledge base of Chinese philosophy both in Australia and internatio ....The Awakening of Faith and New Confucian Philosophy. This project aims to provide a new understanding of how New Confucian philosophy was constructed in modern China. It proposes to debunk the prevailing myth that modern Chinese philosophy owes its identity as a continuation of Confucianism, to the exclusion of the fundamentally ‘foreign’ influence of Buddhism. It is anticipated that this project will substantially advance the knowledge base of Chinese philosophy both in Australia and internationally, and will also contribute to a more informed understanding of the philosophical and religious traditions our neighbours use to define national and cultural identity.Read moreRead less
Racial Classifications in Transnational Context: Aborigines and Islanders in Australia, Native Americans, African Americans and Afro-Brazilians. This ongoing project seeks to develop a new and more powerful scholarly paradigm for understanding race through a comparative historical study designed to identify features which are common to concepts of race as they have emerged and shifted in the different societies studied, and to distinguish these from features which are specific to particular soc ....Racial Classifications in Transnational Context: Aborigines and Islanders in Australia, Native Americans, African Americans and Afro-Brazilians. This ongoing project seeks to develop a new and more powerful scholarly paradigm for understanding race through a comparative historical study designed to identify features which are common to concepts of race as they have emerged and shifted in the different societies studied, and to distinguish these from features which are specific to particular societies and/or eras. In addition to developing and demonstrating the approach, the project will reanalyse the racialisation of the four colonised groups, each of which have figured centrally in studies of race. One monograph and at least three major journal articles will result.Read moreRead less
The Molecular Basis of Copper Metabolism in Sheep. The unusual copper metabolism of sheep represents a significant agricultural problem. They are very susceptible to copper deficiency, but readily accumulate copper to toxic levels in the liver leading to fatal liver failure. We propose to elucidate the reason for the copper accumulation phenotype of sheep. We are focussing on WND, a copper transporter responsible for copper excretion into bile. We discovered a novel form of sheep WND designated ....The Molecular Basis of Copper Metabolism in Sheep. The unusual copper metabolism of sheep represents a significant agricultural problem. They are very susceptible to copper deficiency, but readily accumulate copper to toxic levels in the liver leading to fatal liver failure. We propose to elucidate the reason for the copper accumulation phenotype of sheep. We are focussing on WND, a copper transporter responsible for copper excretion into bile. We discovered a novel form of sheep WND designated WNDb to distinguish it from the normal form, WNDa. The experiments outlined are designed to understand the function of both proteins in the sheep and their role in copper sequestration.Read moreRead less