Artificial Self-Replication of Peptide Nanocapsules. Replication is key to the operation of biology, but how molecular replicators arose spontaneously on early Earth remains an open question. The ability of molecules to self-replicate must have come before the development of the highly evolved enzymes that biology currently employs. The aim of this Future Fellowship is to develop a peptide nanocapsule capable of replicating itself nonenzymatically by self-templated ligation, thus offering a plat ....Artificial Self-Replication of Peptide Nanocapsules. Replication is key to the operation of biology, but how molecular replicators arose spontaneously on early Earth remains an open question. The ability of molecules to self-replicate must have come before the development of the highly evolved enzymes that biology currently employs. The aim of this Future Fellowship is to develop a peptide nanocapsule capable of replicating itself nonenzymatically by self-templated ligation, thus offering a platform that possesses the traits needed for Darwinian evolution to emerge. By obtaining a better understanding of the design and function of self-replicating systems, this project is expected to transform our understanding of some of the key chemical principles needed for life's emergence.Read moreRead less
Discovery and directed evolution of small molecule biosensors. This project aims to address the need for novel small molecule biosensing capability in diverse fields including food and wine production, environmental monitoring, biocatalysis, and diagnostics using a synthetic biology approach. The significance of this work is the development of new biosensors by a strong interdisciplinary team contributing bioinformatics to identify new biosensors, innovative protein engineering approaches, and c ....Discovery and directed evolution of small molecule biosensors. This project aims to address the need for novel small molecule biosensing capability in diverse fields including food and wine production, environmental monitoring, biocatalysis, and diagnostics using a synthetic biology approach. The significance of this work is the development of new biosensors by a strong interdisciplinary team contributing bioinformatics to identify new biosensors, innovative protein engineering approaches, and cutting-edge directed evolution methodologies. Intended outcomes include enhanced institutional capacity for interdisciplinary collaboration; discovery of fundamentally important bacterial sensors; and development of synthetic regulatory circuits enabling outgrowth of non-biological biocatalysis industries.Read moreRead less
Site-specific protein functionalisation at diselenides via photocatalysis . This project aims to develop a new photocatalytic reaction for the on demand functionalisation of proteins. The synthetic methodology will solve a major technological gap in the field by enabling efficient access to proteins with defined modifications at specific locations. Functionalised proteins generated in the project will underpin a detailed understanding of how specific modifications influence the structure and fun ....Site-specific protein functionalisation at diselenides via photocatalysis . This project aims to develop a new photocatalytic reaction for the on demand functionalisation of proteins. The synthetic methodology will solve a major technological gap in the field by enabling efficient access to proteins with defined modifications at specific locations. Functionalised proteins generated in the project will underpin a detailed understanding of how specific modifications influence the structure and function of several important proteins. The project will generate significant new knowledge in the fields of chemistry and biology and will foster interdisciplinary collaboration, nationally and internationally. The breakthrough technology also has the potential to benefit Australia’s biotechnology sector.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101236
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$444,154.00
Summary
Chimeric molecules for precision protein modification. This project aims to address fundamental questions on how natural modifications of proteins cause functional changes inside cells. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of organic chemistry and chemical biology through the development of a synthetic platform for the discovery of a novel class of chimeric molecules that can trigger precise modifications of proteins. Expected outcomes include a detailed understanding of ho ....Chimeric molecules for precision protein modification. This project aims to address fundamental questions on how natural modifications of proteins cause functional changes inside cells. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of organic chemistry and chemical biology through the development of a synthetic platform for the discovery of a novel class of chimeric molecules that can trigger precise modifications of proteins. Expected outcomes include a detailed understanding of how specific modifications modulate protein and cellular function. Significant benefits of this interdisciplinary project include access to a new class of molecules for basic research that may also find use for cell engineering applications within the growing biotechnology sector in Australia.Read moreRead less
Greening the production of peptides and proteins . This project aims to develop a green and sustainable synthetic platform for the production of peptide and protein molecules. The synthetic methodology that will be developed has the potential to solve a major technological gap in the field by providing an efficient and cost-effective method for manufacturing peptides and proteins with a substantial reduction in reagent and solvent waste over currently employed methods. Expected outcomes include ....Greening the production of peptides and proteins . This project aims to develop a green and sustainable synthetic platform for the production of peptide and protein molecules. The synthetic methodology that will be developed has the potential to solve a major technological gap in the field by providing an efficient and cost-effective method for manufacturing peptides and proteins with a substantial reduction in reagent and solvent waste over currently employed methods. Expected outcomes include the delivery of a breakthrough green technology for accessing high value peptide and protein targets in academia and industry, and the training of industry-ready early career researchers, both of which will benefit Australia’s growing biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing sectors.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100134
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$796,206.00
Summary
Super-resolution platform to accelerate biological and molecular research. This application aims to establish a new molecular analysis platform integrating a microfluid capillary electrophoresis interface directly to a mass spectrometer with advanced data scanning technology. This enables label-free detection, quantitation and characterisation of intact proteins, lipids and metabolites with unprecedented sensitivity, resolution and throughput. It will enhance ARC projects spanning natural produc ....Super-resolution platform to accelerate biological and molecular research. This application aims to establish a new molecular analysis platform integrating a microfluid capillary electrophoresis interface directly to a mass spectrometer with advanced data scanning technology. This enables label-free detection, quantitation and characterisation of intact proteins, lipids and metabolites with unprecedented sensitivity, resolution and throughput. It will enhance ARC projects spanning natural product discovery, biotechnology, agriculture, and animal, plant and marine biology, as well as single-cell proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics. It will ensure Australia remains at the forefront of molecular and biological research and create new training and collaborative opportunities both nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100634
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,140.00
Summary
Phos-Ligation: A powerful new tool for chemoselective protein modification. The project aims to develop a powerful new method for the generation of pure modified proteins. Tools for modification of proteins are integral to the study of protein structure and function as well as the commercial production of biopharmaceuticals. The extremely cost effective and operationally simple chemistry that will be developed in this project will overcome a number of pitfalls of currently available methods for ....Phos-Ligation: A powerful new tool for chemoselective protein modification. The project aims to develop a powerful new method for the generation of pure modified proteins. Tools for modification of proteins are integral to the study of protein structure and function as well as the commercial production of biopharmaceuticals. The extremely cost effective and operationally simple chemistry that will be developed in this project will overcome a number of pitfalls of currently available methods for protein modification, and will therefore deliver substantial technological innovation to both academia and industry. Through domestic and international collaboration, this new technology will be applied to study proteins involved in the defence of wheat against fungal rust disease and in inflammatory signalling in humans.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100133
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$657,987.00
Summary
An Open Access Native Mass Spectrometry Facility. This project aims to create a world-class Native Mass Spectrometry Facility to allow measurement of proteins, protein complexes and other biomolecules, in a way such that key structural information is maintained. This instrumentation will be the first of its type in Australia allowing measurement of very high mass ions with high precision and accuracy. A better understanding of protein structure will enable new discoveries in chemistry, biotechn ....An Open Access Native Mass Spectrometry Facility. This project aims to create a world-class Native Mass Spectrometry Facility to allow measurement of proteins, protein complexes and other biomolecules, in a way such that key structural information is maintained. This instrumentation will be the first of its type in Australia allowing measurement of very high mass ions with high precision and accuracy. A better understanding of protein structure will enable new discoveries in chemistry, biotechnology and medicinal research. Read moreRead less
A peptide platform to fight pests threatening global food security. This project aims to develop a platform technology for the efficient design of new crop protection agents based on peptides to protect Australia’s food security. It will be first applied against the highly destructive fall armyworm, currently spreading alarmingly in Australia. The project is significant because insect pests cause huge economic and environmental impacts. Peptides are a new generation of crop protection agents tha ....A peptide platform to fight pests threatening global food security. This project aims to develop a platform technology for the efficient design of new crop protection agents based on peptides to protect Australia’s food security. It will be first applied against the highly destructive fall armyworm, currently spreading alarmingly in Australia. The project is significant because insect pests cause huge economic and environmental impacts. Peptides are a new generation of crop protection agents that are potentially more effective and sustainable than chemical pesticides. Expected outcomes are a new rapid response technology and associated lead molecules to protect against current and emerging pests. Major benefits are increased food security, improved crop yields and a more sustainable agriculture industry. Read moreRead less