Formation, structure and chemistry of non-covalent complexes of biomolecules via mass spectrometry. The studies proposed address fundamental issues which are essential to developments in biotechnology and related industries and of implication for human health and disease, with special attention to mechanisms of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, for example through Ultraviolet (UV) A and B. This has a special resonance for our sunburnt nation. The work, using world class Australian Research Cou ....Formation, structure and chemistry of non-covalent complexes of biomolecules via mass spectrometry. The studies proposed address fundamental issues which are essential to developments in biotechnology and related industries and of implication for human health and disease, with special attention to mechanisms of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage, for example through Ultraviolet (UV) A and B. This has a special resonance for our sunburnt nation. The work, using world class Australian Research Council funded instrumentation, will carry out breakthrough science, exploiting and enhancing existing national strength in biological science with a strong interdisciplinary element. This project will also maintain and enhance Australia's international research profile through its novelty and new overseas collaborations. The project will equip talented young scientists with a spectrum of skills.Read moreRead less
Gas phase studies of the interactions of electrons with peptide ions: structure assignment and fundamentals. Electron-induced reactions are fundamental to a wide range of processes that underlie many areas of science and technology, ranging from planetary atmospheres, industrial plasmas to living tissues. Since ionizing radiation is believed to be a major cause of damage to living cells, understanding electron interactions with biological molecules is essential to predict the consequences of ex ....Gas phase studies of the interactions of electrons with peptide ions: structure assignment and fundamentals. Electron-induced reactions are fundamental to a wide range of processes that underlie many areas of science and technology, ranging from planetary atmospheres, industrial plasmas to living tissues. Since ionizing radiation is believed to be a major cause of damage to living cells, understanding electron interactions with biological molecules is essential to predict the consequences of exposure. Structure determination of biomolecules is at the heart of identifying, diagnosing and potentially developing treatments for diseases, and thus another important reason for studying these interactions is the potential to develop new mass spectrometry based analytical methods.Read moreRead less
Gas Phase Reactivity of Charged Peptide and DNA Radicals: Fundamentals and Applications. Radicals derived from the "molecules of life", proteins and DNA, play both beneficial (e.g. enzyme catalysis) and deleterious roles (e.g. protein and DNA damage associated with disease). Two electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry approaches have been discovered to generate charged radicals of related models systems (e.g. peptides and nucleobases). The gas phase chemistry of these species is a largely unch ....Gas Phase Reactivity of Charged Peptide and DNA Radicals: Fundamentals and Applications. Radicals derived from the "molecules of life", proteins and DNA, play both beneficial (e.g. enzyme catalysis) and deleterious roles (e.g. protein and DNA damage associated with disease). Two electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry approaches have been discovered to generate charged radicals of related models systems (e.g. peptides and nucleobases). The gas phase chemistry of these species is a largely unchartered area! We will examine the fundamental chemistry (unimolecular and bimolecular reactions) of these systems and build upon some exciting preliminary results which suggest potential applications (e.g. as a proteomics tool to sequence and distinguish between leucine and isoleucine residues in peptides).Read moreRead less
Gas Phase Studies to Catalyze a Better Understanding of Metal Reactivity. The proposed research will increase knowledge of fundamental questions related to the mechanisms of catalysis and metal ion reactivity. The insights gained will be an important addition to the knowledge base of our culture, both nationally and in the wider international context. We note that research into the behaviour and design of catalysts is a burgeoning field which reflects the great importance of this area in the int ....Gas Phase Studies to Catalyze a Better Understanding of Metal Reactivity. The proposed research will increase knowledge of fundamental questions related to the mechanisms of catalysis and metal ion reactivity. The insights gained will be an important addition to the knowledge base of our culture, both nationally and in the wider international context. We note that research into the behaviour and design of catalysts is a burgeoning field which reflects the great importance of this area in the international scientific community. Our proposal will add to fundamental knowledge and may also result in practical applications. More importantly, we will train and equip talented young people with a spectrum of skills which will make them well placed to meet the demand for highly skilled professional scientists.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100049
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$270,000.00
Summary
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility for Northern Australia. Nuclear magnetic resonance facility for Northern Australia: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a fundamentally and critically important technique in the characterisation of organic, inorganic and biological compounds. Research areas that will be supported by this facility include organometallic chemistry and the development of new materials and analytical sensors; organic photochemistry as applied in synthesis and degradation; a ....Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility for Northern Australia. Nuclear magnetic resonance facility for Northern Australia: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a fundamentally and critically important technique in the characterisation of organic, inorganic and biological compounds. Research areas that will be supported by this facility include organometallic chemistry and the development of new materials and analytical sensors; organic photochemistry as applied in synthesis and degradation; and natural products, pharmaceutical, and inorganic chemistry, where multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance is most important and applicable in drug design, development and delivery.Read moreRead less
Structures and Properties of beta-R3M (M = Si, Ge, Sn)- and beta-Chalcogenyl-substituted Carbenium Ions. The benefits of this work are many-fold. The scientific knowledge gained will be invaluable to all scientists working in organic chemistry; mechanistic chemists who will learn from the science, and synthetic organic chemists who can utilise the results when planning strategies for the synthesis of complex drugs. Another major benefit of this research is in the training of young scientists. Th ....Structures and Properties of beta-R3M (M = Si, Ge, Sn)- and beta-Chalcogenyl-substituted Carbenium Ions. The benefits of this work are many-fold. The scientific knowledge gained will be invaluable to all scientists working in organic chemistry; mechanistic chemists who will learn from the science, and synthetic organic chemists who can utilise the results when planning strategies for the synthesis of complex drugs. Another major benefit of this research is in the training of young scientists. The students who work on this proposal gain invaluable experience in many areas of chemistry, ranging from synthetic chemistry to structural chemistry and theoretical chemistry. They will also gain experience in important physical techniques from NMR spectroscopy to X-ray crystallography.Read moreRead less
Nucleophilic carbenes as organocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis. Chemical compounds which come in two chiral mirror images (enantiomers) can have very different biological function. Often one form can have beneficial effects while the other can cause great harm (such as birth defects in the case of thalidomide). It is therefore very important for the drug industry to have asymmetric chemical reactions that lead specifically to only one enantiomer. The asymmetric reactions in this project ha ....Nucleophilic carbenes as organocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis. Chemical compounds which come in two chiral mirror images (enantiomers) can have very different biological function. Often one form can have beneficial effects while the other can cause great harm (such as birth defects in the case of thalidomide). It is therefore very important for the drug industry to have asymmetric chemical reactions that lead specifically to only one enantiomer. The asymmetric reactions in this project have been used previously to synthesise the anti-cancer metabolite roseophilin. The results of this project will ensure that there are many more similar success stories in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Environmental polymer degradation. This project will use the powerful combination of mass spectrometry and computational chemistry to tease out key aspects of polymer degradation mechanisms under environmental conditions. Society increasingly relies on manufactured polymers but polymer lifespan and fossil fuel reserves are limited. Design principles are needed to guide the synthesis of durable polymers for applications from paints to protective coatings in photovoltaic cells. This project will e ....Environmental polymer degradation. This project will use the powerful combination of mass spectrometry and computational chemistry to tease out key aspects of polymer degradation mechanisms under environmental conditions. Society increasingly relies on manufactured polymers but polymer lifespan and fossil fuel reserves are limited. Design principles are needed to guide the synthesis of durable polymers for applications from paints to protective coatings in photovoltaic cells. This project will establish appropriate guidelines and provide the scientific foundation for the synthesis of robust, long-lasting polymers, or polymers that decompose without damaging the environment. This will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits to an industry sector that contributes about 12 per cent of total Australian manufacturing.Read moreRead less