New targets for antiviral therapies. The ability of dangerous viruses to cause lethal disease depends on their capacity to evade the immune system of infected hosts. This project will uncover at the molecular level the strategies used by viruses to disable immune responses; this will identify new ways to treat incurable diseases, by disabling the virus' defences against the immune system.
Environmental contamination and pig disease: an Australian microbe evolves. The Australian pig industry produces pork commodities from over 4.75 million pigs per year. Infectious diseases in industrial-scale piggeries can have a devastating effect on pork production, particularly on feed conversion efficiency and growth rates, and can pose downstream environmental contamination and food safety risks. This project aims to assess a current infectious disease problem in pigs by studying a microbe t ....Environmental contamination and pig disease: an Australian microbe evolves. The Australian pig industry produces pork commodities from over 4.75 million pigs per year. Infectious diseases in industrial-scale piggeries can have a devastating effect on pork production, particularly on feed conversion efficiency and growth rates, and can pose downstream environmental contamination and food safety risks. This project aims to assess a current infectious disease problem in pigs by studying a microbe that appears to have uniquely evolved in Australia. These results could inform the rational design of monitoring, prevention and treatment strategies to minimise infection outbreaks in Australian pigs and may result in production benefits to the pork industry, reduced environmental microbial contamination and safer food.Read moreRead less
Mosquito-borne viruses - how they cause disease and novel approaches to prevention. In Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) is the most common insect borne virus that affects human health. There were more than 60,000 confirmed cases of RRV between 1993 and 2008. While not fatal, the disease is responsible for significant morbidity that has both social and economic costs for the individual, their family and the community. This project has several national benefits. It will elucidate whether there is ....Mosquito-borne viruses - how they cause disease and novel approaches to prevention. In Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) is the most common insect borne virus that affects human health. There were more than 60,000 confirmed cases of RRV between 1993 and 2008. While not fatal, the disease is responsible for significant morbidity that has both social and economic costs for the individual, their family and the community. This project has several national benefits. It will elucidate whether there is an association between RRV strain and the severity of disease and if there are human factors that affect the seriousness of symptoms. Knowledge of both of these could provide new avenues for the design of prevention and treatment strategies.Read moreRead less
Nucleolus targeting by negative strand RNA viruses. Negative strand viruses (NSVs) include diverse animal pathogens that represent significant threats to Australian livestock industries and access to export markets. The project aims to investigate the interface formed by NSVs with cellular nucleoli in order to determine roles in viral manipulation of cell biology during infection. This project hopes to address a major gap in knowledge in virology regarding the fundamental biology of NSVs, and is ....Nucleolus targeting by negative strand RNA viruses. Negative strand viruses (NSVs) include diverse animal pathogens that represent significant threats to Australian livestock industries and access to export markets. The project aims to investigate the interface formed by NSVs with cellular nucleoli in order to determine roles in viral manipulation of cell biology during infection. This project hopes to address a major gap in knowledge in virology regarding the fundamental biology of NSVs, and is expected to redefine our understanding of the virus-host interactions formed by these important pathogens. By determining the mechanisms of NSV-nucleolus interaction, the project plans to also provide important information for the development of new vaccines/therapeutics for livestock to combat NSVs that target nucleoli.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354888
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Australian Research Council Research Network for Parasitology. Parasites are a major cause of death and suffering in humans and animals throughout the world. The ARC Research Network for Parasitology aims to bring together Australia's finest researchers and establish a world class environment and web of facilities that attracts and retains the most talented young investigators and places Australia in a strong position to deal with current and future parasitological threats. The Network will focu ....Australian Research Council Research Network for Parasitology. Parasites are a major cause of death and suffering in humans and animals throughout the world. The ARC Research Network for Parasitology aims to bring together Australia's finest researchers and establish a world class environment and web of facilities that attracts and retains the most talented young investigators and places Australia in a strong position to deal with current and future parasitological threats. The Network will focus and enhance Australia's fundamental, strategic and applied parasitology research capabilities to :
(1) develop new approaches to vaccination;
(2) identify novel drug targets; and
(3) ensure the sustainability of wildlife and ecosystem health.
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ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology. The ARC Network for Parasitology will focus and coordinate Australia's world class fundamental, strategic and applied parasitology research. This targeted approach will raise Australia's standing in the field, assist in the community's understanding of parasitology and biosecurity and maintain and improve Australia's capacity for keeping its stock, crops, wildlife and people disease-free. On an international scale, the Network will work with other cou ....ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology. The ARC Network for Parasitology will focus and coordinate Australia's world class fundamental, strategic and applied parasitology research. This targeted approach will raise Australia's standing in the field, assist in the community's understanding of parasitology and biosecurity and maintain and improve Australia's capacity for keeping its stock, crops, wildlife and people disease-free. On an international scale, the Network will work with other countries to develop new technologies for the detection and eradication of parasites. This emphasis will not only protect Australia's borders but will assist our near neighbours and lead to the development of technologies with an economic benefit to Australia.
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ARC Centre of Excellence - Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics. The research falls under the National Research Priority Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, with the priority goal of frontier technologies. The research has commercial applications, such as the development of novel antimicrobials and vaccines, with potentially enormous impact in the biotechnology area of biomedical health and the primary industries. In addition, the project will use ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics. The research falls under the National Research Priority Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, with the priority goal of frontier technologies. The research has commercial applications, such as the development of novel antimicrobials and vaccines, with potentially enormous impact in the biotechnology area of biomedical health and the primary industries. In addition, the project will use state-of-the-art technology, including use of synchrotron radiation at the Monash-based Australian Synchrotron facility from 2007.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre for Structural & Functional Microbial Genomics. Australian Primary Industry will benefit from a team of experts in microbial genetics, bioinformatics and protein structure and function undertaking integrated studies on microbial genomics and phenomics that are focused on fundamental biological processes and host/pathogen interactions. Whole genome expression and protein profiling will be used to characterise genes whose expression is altered in the infected host and to analyse genes i ....ARC Centre for Structural & Functional Microbial Genomics. Australian Primary Industry will benefit from a team of experts in microbial genetics, bioinformatics and protein structure and function undertaking integrated studies on microbial genomics and phenomics that are focused on fundamental biological processes and host/pathogen interactions. Whole genome expression and protein profiling will be used to characterise genes whose expression is altered in the infected host and to analyse genes involved in the control of key cellular processes. The Centre will also determine the shapes of key molecules and their interactions. Practical outcomes will include new veterinary vaccines and the identification of novel antimicrobial targets.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC170100008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,459,672.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production. The ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production aims to tackle challenges to wine production through innovative, multi-disciplinary research. Australia’s grape and wine industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, yet in some areas profitability is low. Reasons include extreme weather events, soil salinity and diseases, inefficient practices, a low level of technological innovation and high input costs. New technologies and process effic ....ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production. The ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production aims to tackle challenges to wine production through innovative, multi-disciplinary research. Australia’s grape and wine industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, yet in some areas profitability is low. Reasons include extreme weather events, soil salinity and diseases, inefficient practices, a low level of technological innovation and high input costs. New technologies and process efficiencies developed as part of this project will reduce environmental impact, drive production costs down and profits and employment up. The project will mount a suite of industry-led projects to deliver outcomes to boost Australia’s competitiveness as a supplier of sustainably-produced premium branded wine to the world.Read moreRead less
Engineered plant receptors as orthogonal neuronal switches. This project aims to develop synthetic biology methods to study brain function by utilising engineered plant receptors. This project will expand our ability to manipulate nerve cell function with high specificity and without side effects in freely behaving animals. Plant receptors will be developed into molecular tools in an iterative process that improves key properties using rational protein design. Expected outcomes include innovativ ....Engineered plant receptors as orthogonal neuronal switches. This project aims to develop synthetic biology methods to study brain function by utilising engineered plant receptors. This project will expand our ability to manipulate nerve cell function with high specificity and without side effects in freely behaving animals. Plant receptors will be developed into molecular tools in an iterative process that improves key properties using rational protein design. Expected outcomes include innovative and broadly-applicable neuroscience methods and an understanding of receptors involved in plant growth and defense. Benefits of this project include an enhanced capacity to generate knowledge, multidisciplinary training opportunities and patentable synthetic biology technologies.Read moreRead less