Engineer enzyme nanoparticles as antibiotic alternatives for agriculture. Antibiotic usage in agriculture contributes to spread of resistant bacteria. Existing antibiotic alternatives to minimize such usage are focused on growth promotion of animals and infection prevention, but lack efficient treatment. This project aims to engineer enzyme nanoparticles, with synergy from multiple enzymes, to confer better antibacterial abilities against livestock pathogens. It will combine protein engineering, ....Engineer enzyme nanoparticles as antibiotic alternatives for agriculture. Antibiotic usage in agriculture contributes to spread of resistant bacteria. Existing antibiotic alternatives to minimize such usage are focused on growth promotion of animals and infection prevention, but lack efficient treatment. This project aims to engineer enzyme nanoparticles, with synergy from multiple enzymes, to confer better antibacterial abilities against livestock pathogens. It will combine protein engineering, nanotechnology and biophysics to develop new enzyme nanoparticles that can be manufactured at low-cost through self-assembly process. The intended outcome is knowledge on molecular engineering of enzyme nanoparticles and innovative agriculture biotechnology for treatment of bacterial infectious diseases in livestock.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101666
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,588.00
Summary
Engineering nanoparticles with enhanced adhesion at the nano-bio interfaces. This project aims to develop a next-generation adhesive nanoparticle platform through in-depth understandings of nanoparticle interactions with bio-interfaces. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the multidisciplinary research field at nano-bio-interfaces by using a recently developed nano-colloidal probe technology, instructing the rational design of nanoparticles with enhanced interface adhesive properti ....Engineering nanoparticles with enhanced adhesion at the nano-bio interfaces. This project aims to develop a next-generation adhesive nanoparticle platform through in-depth understandings of nanoparticle interactions with bio-interfaces. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the multidisciplinary research field at nano-bio-interfaces by using a recently developed nano-colloidal probe technology, instructing the rational design of nanoparticles with enhanced interface adhesive properties. Expected outcomes include a family of adhesive nanoparticles designed for nanopesticide and animal feed applications, with the potential to deliver valuable intellectual property of commercial interest and economic benefit through technology advancement.Read moreRead less
Enabling aerosol delivery of phages to defeat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This project aims to explore the use of bacteriophages towards producing a safe, natural, and highly effective alternative to traditional antibiotics. Respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major health problem worldwide, and cost Australia over $150 million annually. Some 5,000 Australians die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The project aims to produce efficac ....Enabling aerosol delivery of phages to defeat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This project aims to explore the use of bacteriophages towards producing a safe, natural, and highly effective alternative to traditional antibiotics. Respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major health problem worldwide, and cost Australia over $150 million annually. Some 5,000 Australians die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The project aims to produce efficacious and stable formulations of bacteriophages for easy delivery by inhalation as aerosols with a long shelf-life, making them a commercially viable product. The expected research outcome can lead to an economic and efficient technology to produce phage powders for novel treatment strategies of infections by inhalation.Read moreRead less
Developing an integrated device for on-farm detection of sugarcane diseases. Pathogenic organisms cause yield losses of more than $150M pa to the Australian sugarcane industry and many millions more worldwide. Partnering with Sugar Research Australia, this project aims to develop a novel on-farm diagnostic device, comprising new nanotechnology and magnetism-induced microfluidics with naked eye observation and electrochemical detection. This device is expected to enable improved disease managemen ....Developing an integrated device for on-farm detection of sugarcane diseases. Pathogenic organisms cause yield losses of more than $150M pa to the Australian sugarcane industry and many millions more worldwide. Partnering with Sugar Research Australia, this project aims to develop a novel on-farm diagnostic device, comprising new nanotechnology and magnetism-induced microfluidics with naked eye observation and electrochemical detection. This device is expected to enable improved disease management strategies through the prediction of potential risks and rapid and effective actions to mitigate impending yield loss. In turn productivity and sustainability of Australia’s sugar industry will be enhanced. The new platform device has great potential for improved disease management in other crops in Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
Probing Anaesthetic Effects with New Functional Imaging Paradigms. This project seeks new insights into the effects of anaesthetics on brain function and repair. Anaesthesia is used in small-animal imaging to immobilise the animal, but in many cases the anaesthesia itself affects the neurophysiological parameters under study. It has also been shown that many anaesthetics enhance recovery after brain injury in small animals. This project plans to exploit a novel functional brain-imaging technique ....Probing Anaesthetic Effects with New Functional Imaging Paradigms. This project seeks new insights into the effects of anaesthetics on brain function and repair. Anaesthesia is used in small-animal imaging to immobilise the animal, but in many cases the anaesthesia itself affects the neurophysiological parameters under study. It has also been shown that many anaesthetics enhance recovery after brain injury in small animals. This project plans to exploit a novel functional brain-imaging technique for conscious animals to gain new insights into the effects of anaesthetics on brain function and recovery from injury. The knowledge gained is expected to improve knowledge of anaesthetic action, guide future anaesthetic use in small animal imaging to improve the accuracy of image-derived research data, and help to clarify how anaesthetics confer neuroprotective effects in brain injury.Read moreRead less
Understanding bacteriophage deactivation and stabilisation in formulations. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that kill pathogenic bacteria without causing harms to the eco-balance. They can provide a safe and highly effective antimicrobial measure for biocontrol when formulated properly. This project aims to develop a mechanistic understanding of the physicochemical factors responsible for stabilising and deactivating phages in a wide range of formulations. It will create new knowledge on ke ....Understanding bacteriophage deactivation and stabilisation in formulations. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that kill pathogenic bacteria without causing harms to the eco-balance. They can provide a safe and highly effective antimicrobial measure for biocontrol when formulated properly. This project aims to develop a mechanistic understanding of the physicochemical factors responsible for stabilising and deactivating phages in a wide range of formulations. It will create new knowledge on key relationships between phage chemistry, phage-excipient interactions and phage stability. The research outcomes would significantly benefit Australia by enabling commercial development in the high value-adding area of environmentally friendly antimicrobial products.Read moreRead less
Production of nano-composite particles for inhalational delivery of combination drugs. The project seeks to create a new particle engineering process for pharmaceuticals. The successful outcome will i) enhance substantially the competitiveness of Australia’s research in functional nanomaterials and advanced biomaterials, and ii) benefit the Australian pharmaceutical industry in developing proprietary pharmaceutical formulations.
Novel nano-composite particles for controlled-release drugs via inhalation. This project will explore a novel nano-medicine technology using nanocrystals in liposomes to design new composite particles to enable optimal release of antibiotics delivered by inhalation. Respiratory infection caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria is a major health problem worldwide. Controlled-release products using liposomes simplify dose regimen and enhance bacterial killing. Currently, aerosolised liposomes are l ....Novel nano-composite particles for controlled-release drugs via inhalation. This project will explore a novel nano-medicine technology using nanocrystals in liposomes to design new composite particles to enable optimal release of antibiotics delivered by inhalation. Respiratory infection caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria is a major health problem worldwide. Controlled-release products using liposomes simplify dose regimen and enhance bacterial killing. Currently, aerosolised liposomes are limited to liquid forms with limited control over release and stability. The project will provide new technology on manufacturing composite powders of antibiotics that may ultimately lead to the development of effective new treatments against drug-resistant bacteria.Read moreRead less
Molecular probe development for high specificity and spatiotemporal control. This project aims at developing next-generation molecular probes with enhanced specificity and spatiotemporal control for the study of proteins and neuropeptide signalling. It addresses recognised knowledge gaps and technical bottlenecks in neuropeptide and memory research. Expected outcomes include a deeper molecular understanding of long-term memory formation and the role of neuropeptides in this process, as well as i ....Molecular probe development for high specificity and spatiotemporal control. This project aims at developing next-generation molecular probes with enhanced specificity and spatiotemporal control for the study of proteins and neuropeptide signalling. It addresses recognised knowledge gaps and technical bottlenecks in neuropeptide and memory research. Expected outcomes include a deeper molecular understanding of long-term memory formation and the role of neuropeptides in this process, as well as innovative chemistry strategies and novel molecular probes to advance fundamental research across the chemical and biological sciences. Anticipated benefits include technological innovations of relevance to Australia’s biotechnology sector and enhanced capacity for cross-disciplinary collaboration.Read moreRead less
Clay nanoparticle-facilitated RNAi for non-transgenic modification of crops. This project aims to define the most effective spray formulations, consisting of clay nanoparticles and induced RNA interference (RNAi) to manipulate gene expression in plants. Topical application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for RNAi represents an attractive alternative to genetically engineered crops. However, naked dsRNA is unstable and is not efficiently taken up by plants. For these reasons, topical application o ....Clay nanoparticle-facilitated RNAi for non-transgenic modification of crops. This project aims to define the most effective spray formulations, consisting of clay nanoparticles and induced RNA interference (RNAi) to manipulate gene expression in plants. Topical application of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for RNAi represents an attractive alternative to genetically engineered crops. However, naked dsRNA is unstable and is not efficiently taken up by plants. For these reasons, topical application of dsRNA has thus far produced only modest induction of RNAi in plants. Nanoparticle-facilitated manipulation of gene expression in plants will enable sustainable clean green strategies for protecting crops from diseases. This project will result in improved crop protection and productivity and boost the export potential of Australian crops.Read moreRead less