How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misf ....How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misfolded proteins during ageing, within the nervous system of a living animal. Expected outcomes of this project will generate new knowledge of brain physiology and ageing relevant to all animals. This should provide significant benefits, such as a greater understanding of long-term brain functions including memory.Read moreRead less
Imaging The Hepatitis C Virus Life Cycle In Real-time
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,504.00
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious viral pathogen that causes significant liver disease. This proposal plans to examine how two proteins from the HCV, core and NS5A, interact with host proteins and pathways to facilitate viral replication and release of HCV; two processes that are poorly understood. Specifically we will tag viral proteins to allow us to investigate the HCV life cycle in living cells and determine the role of core and NS5A in facilitating HCV replication. This proposal may unco ....Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious viral pathogen that causes significant liver disease. This proposal plans to examine how two proteins from the HCV, core and NS5A, interact with host proteins and pathways to facilitate viral replication and release of HCV; two processes that are poorly understood. Specifically we will tag viral proteins to allow us to investigate the HCV life cycle in living cells and determine the role of core and NS5A in facilitating HCV replication. This proposal may uncover novel therapeutic strategies to combat HCV.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innov ....Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innovative genome editing, mathematical modelling and proteomic approaches, to study how biochemical modifications of a key protein called tau help encode and retrieve memories. These molecular insights will make a significant advance in the current understanding of a brain function that is essential to all human activities.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100163
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,000.00
Summary
Single molecule imaging laboratory. Single molecule imaging laboratory: The goal of the project is to establish a single molecule imaging laboratory to close the gap between structural imaging and cellular imaging. Utilising the expertise of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, the aim of the project is to design, build and apply three microscopes that go beyond the current commercial solutions for single molecule localisation microscopy such as Photo-Activation Localisati ....Single molecule imaging laboratory. Single molecule imaging laboratory: The goal of the project is to establish a single molecule imaging laboratory to close the gap between structural imaging and cellular imaging. Utilising the expertise of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, the aim of the project is to design, build and apply three microscopes that go beyond the current commercial solutions for single molecule localisation microscopy such as Photo-Activation Localisation Microscopy (PALM) and Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) and perform single molecule imaging: deep inside cells and tissue.The facility will have a fast acquisition rate to monitor highly dynamic molecular events, and improved precision to image molecules and complexes in intact cells with less than or equal to one nanometre resolution. There is currently no comparable imaging facility in the world.Read moreRead less
Target Of Rapamycin control of nutrient uptake. This project aims to study nutrient uptake in eukaryotes. It is expected to generate new knowledge of critical and conserved features of environmental and Target Of Rapamycin (TOR)-mediated control of nutrient uptake, specifically endocytosis, building on novel preliminary data that identifies novel TOR control points. The expected outcomes include new insights into mechanisms controlling nutrient uptake and fostering institutional collaboration. T ....Target Of Rapamycin control of nutrient uptake. This project aims to study nutrient uptake in eukaryotes. It is expected to generate new knowledge of critical and conserved features of environmental and Target Of Rapamycin (TOR)-mediated control of nutrient uptake, specifically endocytosis, building on novel preliminary data that identifies novel TOR control points. The expected outcomes include new insights into mechanisms controlling nutrient uptake and fostering institutional collaboration. This knowledge is highly relevant to any industry or research project utilising living organisms, as nutrient availability supports survival, cell growth and proliferation.Read moreRead less
How do cells survive nutrient stress? Insight into mechanisms. This project studies cell survival under nutrient stress in eukaryotes. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel TOR (Target of Rapamycin) Complex 2 (TORC2) control points it expects to generate new knowledge of critical and conserved features of stress control of macroautophagy that ensures cell survival. It uses interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to validate and characterize nutrient-stress dependent si ....How do cells survive nutrient stress? Insight into mechanisms. This project studies cell survival under nutrient stress in eukaryotes. Building on extensive preliminary data that identifies novel TOR (Target of Rapamycin) Complex 2 (TORC2) control points it expects to generate new knowledge of critical and conserved features of stress control of macroautophagy that ensures cell survival. It uses interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to validate and characterize nutrient-stress dependent signaling. Expected outcomes include novel insights into environmental control of cell proliferation and forging cross institutional collaborations. This knowledge benefits basic and applied biology and is relevant to industries/projects utilizing living cells as nutrient supports cell survival and proliferation.Read moreRead less
An In Depth Analysis Of Clinical And Virological Outcomes Of 2 Strategies For The Antiretroviral Salvage Of First-line Regimen Virological Failure For HIV-1 Infection Tested In An Australian-led Randomised, International, Multi-centre Clinical Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,747.00
Summary
The recently completed Australian-led SECOND-LINE trial is the first high quality study to provide reliable evidence for policy recommendations for the composition of anti-HIV drug cocktails after standard initial treatment has failed. This award will support the researcher in further refining our understanding of how to manage second-line therapy including proposals to test the use of low-cost technologies for application in resource-limited settings where the majority of people with HIV live.
Coevolution of sundew bugs and sundews. This project aims to conduct a study of insect-plant interactions to determine if insects and plants coevolve or if they diversify by other evolutionary processes. Insect-plant coevolution is a hotly contested field in evolutionary biology. In Australia, a remarkable interaction exists between carnivorous plants and a group of bugs that steal the plant’s prey. This system offers a great opportunity to test competing coevolutionary theories through a combin ....Coevolution of sundew bugs and sundews. This project aims to conduct a study of insect-plant interactions to determine if insects and plants coevolve or if they diversify by other evolutionary processes. Insect-plant coevolution is a hotly contested field in evolutionary biology. In Australia, a remarkable interaction exists between carnivorous plants and a group of bugs that steal the plant’s prey. This system offers a great opportunity to test competing coevolutionary theories through a combination of historical and ecological approaches. The project expects to showcase the evolution and uniqueness of Australia’s native biota.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0452977
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$329,504.00
Summary
Upgrade and expansion of Newcastle Plant Growth Facility. The project will upgrade and expand the Newcastle Plant Growth Facility. The upgrades will improve glasshouse environments for the production of high quality plant material. This outcome will be achieved through increasing solar transmittance and more effective temperature control. Expansion will address unmet demand for standard and PC2 plant growth space. Together the infrastructure additions will enhance productivity and excellence ....Upgrade and expansion of Newcastle Plant Growth Facility. The project will upgrade and expand the Newcastle Plant Growth Facility. The upgrades will improve glasshouse environments for the production of high quality plant material. This outcome will be achieved through increasing solar transmittance and more effective temperature control. Expansion will address unmet demand for standard and PC2 plant growth space. Together the infrastructure additions will enhance productivity and excellence of core areas of plant biology research at Newcastle in nutrient transport, cell development as well as environment management and rehabilitation . In addition, they will underpin new collaborative initiatives at the interfaces between plant biology with transgenic delivery of reproductive vaccines and phytoremediation.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347607
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,000.00
Summary
FishWorks - collaborative infrastructure for zebrafish research. Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful and cost-effective animal model for studying development, biology, and disease. FishWorks represents a large-scale co-operative initiative to develop state-of-the-art zebrafish housing, manipulation, genomics and screening infrastructure in Australia. This will both support and further enhance a core group of high quality researchers to engage in cutting-edge research in areas of acknowledged ex ....FishWorks - collaborative infrastructure for zebrafish research. Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful and cost-effective animal model for studying development, biology, and disease. FishWorks represents a large-scale co-operative initiative to develop state-of-the-art zebrafish housing, manipulation, genomics and screening infrastructure in Australia. This will both support and further enhance a core group of high quality researchers to engage in cutting-edge research in areas of acknowledged expertise as well as priority within their respective institutions. In addition, it will facilitate wide-ranging collaborative arrangements to further develop and exploit this research area.Read moreRead less