Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346515
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$507,000.00
Summary
Fluorescence Detector for the Australian National Beamline Facility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an extremely important synchrotron radiation tool for determining the local structure around an X-ray absorbing atom. This has many applications in the study of materials, minerals, metal complexes, and metalloproteins and can often be used to obtain information that is not available by other techniques, because structural information can be obtained in the solid or solution state and in ....Fluorescence Detector for the Australian National Beamline Facility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an extremely important synchrotron radiation tool for determining the local structure around an X-ray absorbing atom. This has many applications in the study of materials, minerals, metal complexes, and metalloproteins and can often be used to obtain information that is not available by other techniques, because structural information can be obtained in the solid or solution state and in mixtures. The current proposal is aimed at introducing new technology into the Australian National Beamline Facility that will greatly improve the quality and quantity of experiments that can be performed and extend studies into dilute solutions and protein samples.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100170
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
A tuneable femtosecond light source for materials and biological sciences. Researchers at The Australian National University, Monash University and The University of Technology, Sydney are involved in a range of projects where new molecules are synthesised or discovered in nature. Molecules like these have applications in new photonics or energy technologies. This integrated facility will afford intense light of varying pulse durations to investigate the behaviour and performance of such molecul ....A tuneable femtosecond light source for materials and biological sciences. Researchers at The Australian National University, Monash University and The University of Technology, Sydney are involved in a range of projects where new molecules are synthesised or discovered in nature. Molecules like these have applications in new photonics or energy technologies. This integrated facility will afford intense light of varying pulse durations to investigate the behaviour and performance of such molecules.Read moreRead less
Molecular Probes for Bio-Metals. The nutrient trace metals are essential to life. Problems with the metabolism of iron, copper and zinc are associated with neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). This proposal will develop molecular probes for detection of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel within biological cells. The work will allow examination of the molecular roles of these bio-metals in unprecedented detail and lead to a bette ....Molecular Probes for Bio-Metals. The nutrient trace metals are essential to life. Problems with the metabolism of iron, copper and zinc are associated with neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). This proposal will develop molecular probes for detection of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel within biological cells. The work will allow examination of the molecular roles of these bio-metals in unprecedented detail and lead to a better understanding of their roles in normal metabolism and in disease.Read moreRead less
Catalytic currency: the role of size-reactivity relationships of simple and mixed 'coinage' metal clusters in C-C bond forming reactions. Chemicals have a profound influence on our daily lives. For instance, the petrol we use in our cars, the plastics used for our shopping bags or the margarine we eat. A common theme of all these products is the use of catalysts in their industrial manufacture. Thus, this Australian Research Council funded project aims to shed light on the role of some catalysts ....Catalytic currency: the role of size-reactivity relationships of simple and mixed 'coinage' metal clusters in C-C bond forming reactions. Chemicals have a profound influence on our daily lives. For instance, the petrol we use in our cars, the plastics used for our shopping bags or the margarine we eat. A common theme of all these products is the use of catalysts in their industrial manufacture. Thus, this Australian Research Council funded project aims to shed light on the role of some catalysts in breaking and forming chemical bonds and attempts to set rules to develop new and improved ones. Improved catalysts will not only reduce the cost of goods manufacturing, but will also reduce waste products and energy consumption. This research will also train new scientists and contribute to the enhancement of Australia's research profile.Read moreRead less
Nanosized peptide nucleic acid - metal complex hybrids as catalysts for the cleavage of phosphate ester bonds in biological molecules. The information from Human Genome Project is being used to generate molecules with a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The capability to design, synthesise and manipulate functional molecules that mimic biological processes will underpin many emerging applications. In this project, macrocyclic metal complexes that catalyse the cleavage of phosph ....Nanosized peptide nucleic acid - metal complex hybrids as catalysts for the cleavage of phosphate ester bonds in biological molecules. The information from Human Genome Project is being used to generate molecules with a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The capability to design, synthesise and manipulate functional molecules that mimic biological processes will underpin many emerging applications. In this project, macrocyclic metal complexes that catalyse the cleavage of phosphate ester bonds in biological molecules will be developed. Active complexes will be incorporated into nanosized peptide nucleic acid (PNA) - metal complex hybrids and applied as artificial enzymes in the sequence specific cleavage of RNA and DNA. Novel applications of these ?artificial enzymes? in biotechnology are anticipated.Read moreRead less
Redox sulphur chemistry in copper nutrition. Problems with metabolism of the nutrient metal copper are associated with many diseases including tuberculosis, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. The project will examine the role of copper in unprecedented molecular detail to better understand its influence on normal metabolism and hence its impact on the diseases.
How does redox cycling drive the metabolism of the essential metals iron and copper? Iron and copper are essential metal nutrients but mishandling leads to cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological disease. Intriguingly, some enzymes handle both iron and copper and this project will develop new methods for their study. The work will lead ultimately to enlightened prevention and effective management of the multiple diseases.
Polynuclear Metal Complexes as Molecular Nanomagnets. Computer hard drives and other devices use tiny particles of magnetic materials to store digital information. Technological advances require an increase in the density of information storage and therefore even smaller magnetic particles. This project has the potential to synthesise materials where a single molecule could act as the smallest possible unit of magnetic memory. The future application of these materials may provide an increase ....Polynuclear Metal Complexes as Molecular Nanomagnets. Computer hard drives and other devices use tiny particles of magnetic materials to store digital information. Technological advances require an increase in the density of information storage and therefore even smaller magnetic particles. This project has the potential to synthesise materials where a single molecule could act as the smallest possible unit of magnetic memory. The future application of these materials may provide an increase of three orders of magnitude in information storage density. In addition, they may find employment in quantum computers, which can perform calculations exponentially faster than conventional computers.Read moreRead less
New Frontiers in Molybdenum Chemistry: Electronic Structure and Molybdoenzyme Function. Molybdenum enzymes play key roles in biology and environmental, biogeochemical and meteorological processes. This international, multidisciplinary project will employ advanced synthetic, instrumental and theoretical techniques to establish the link between electronic structures and molybdenum enzyme behaviour and function. The insights gained will inform the continuing development of agricultural, veterinary ....New Frontiers in Molybdenum Chemistry: Electronic Structure and Molybdoenzyme Function. Molybdenum enzymes play key roles in biology and environmental, biogeochemical and meteorological processes. This international, multidisciplinary project will employ advanced synthetic, instrumental and theoretical techniques to establish the link between electronic structures and molybdenum enzyme behaviour and function. The insights gained will inform the continuing development of agricultural, veterinary and medical treatments for diseases associated with enzyme dysfunction; these outcomes would be of enormous economic and societal benefit to Australia. The training of skilled scientists, access to advanced overseas facilities, and international recognition of Australian research, are important immediate benefits of the project.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