Development Of Small Molecule Modulators Of Apoptosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$621,558.00
Summary
Cancers rely on the deregulation of key cellular pathways. Along with biological and genetic tools, small molecules are powerful probes to understand these mechanisms. During the course of this research program, we will develop new and drug-like molecules that reinstate the cell death process to combat malignancies. This research will bring important advances for potential chemotherapies and create probes to better understand the biology of programmed cell death processes.
Dissecting catalysis and inhibition of a unique endo-acting mannose-processing glycosidase. Defects in the attachment of carbohydrates to proteins are a hallmark of diseases such as cancer and viral infection. This project will dissect the molecular details of the bond-making and breaking steps that occur during the synthesis of glycoproteins assisting in the development of innovative new drugs.
Total Synthesis of Myxobacteria Metabolites and Analogues. This project will investigate the total chemical synthesis of complex myxobacteria metabolites. In addition, the synthesis of new analogues of some of these natural products will also be investigated. The project endeavours to develop new methods for chemical synthesis and also to produce new therapeutic products which may possess greater efficacy and superior biological activities than the natural compounds. Most significantly, this pro ....Total Synthesis of Myxobacteria Metabolites and Analogues. This project will investigate the total chemical synthesis of complex myxobacteria metabolites. In addition, the synthesis of new analogues of some of these natural products will also be investigated. The project endeavours to develop new methods for chemical synthesis and also to produce new therapeutic products which may possess greater efficacy and superior biological activities than the natural compounds. Most significantly, this project will deliver natural and new compounds for analysis of anti-cancer activity. The rewards of the development of new synthetic methods are enormous for the community and in the education of our scientists.Read moreRead less
Breaking it down: Dissecting the mechanism and exploring new inhibition strategies for polysaccharide cleaving enzymes. Mannose, a common carbohydrate building block, is present in a wide variety of complex polysaccharides including energy storage polymers and glycans attached to proteins. The enzymes that degrade these mannose-rich polymers, termed mannosidases, are important in biofuel production and human health and disease. This project will study a range of mannosidases to chemically and st ....Breaking it down: Dissecting the mechanism and exploring new inhibition strategies for polysaccharide cleaving enzymes. Mannose, a common carbohydrate building block, is present in a wide variety of complex polysaccharides including energy storage polymers and glycans attached to proteins. The enzymes that degrade these mannose-rich polymers, termed mannosidases, are important in biofuel production and human health and disease. This project will study a range of mannosidases to chemically and structurally define their mechanisms and establish strategies to allow intervention in mannosidase-specific disease processes. This work will inform strategies to engineer new enzymes for future biotechnology and industrial applications including sustainable chemical manufacturing, and underpin the development of innovative drugs for treating fungal infections and cancer.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101673
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Access to biomimetic carbohydrate receptors using dynamic combinatorial chemistry. This project aims to utilise novel synthetic technology for the development of cyclic peptide libraries as novel drug leads for the treatment of Dengue virus, HIV and cancer.
Multifunctional biodegradable nanoparticles for enhanced DNA vaccine delivery. DNA vaccine, which shows better immunological and economic merits than conventional vaccines, suffers clinical failure due to the difficulty of delivering intact DNA molecules to relevant cells. This project seeks to develop smart polymer nanospheres to protect the DNA molecules from premature degradation in order to improve its efficacy.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100226
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$424,000.00
Summary
Advanced molecular discovery and characterisation facility. Natural product drug discovery in Australia requires access to high throughput functional assays to guide the separation and of novel bioactives with therapeutic potential. By establishing the advanced molecular discovery and characterisation facility in an academic environment across two institutions, research programs in early drug lead discovery and characterisation will be accelerated. It will provide unique capabilities not curren ....Advanced molecular discovery and characterisation facility. Natural product drug discovery in Australia requires access to high throughput functional assays to guide the separation and of novel bioactives with therapeutic potential. By establishing the advanced molecular discovery and characterisation facility in an academic environment across two institutions, research programs in early drug lead discovery and characterisation will be accelerated. It will provide unique capabilities not currently available in Australia, and help Australian researchers remain internationally competitive in breakthrough science and frontier technologies. The research enabled by this facility will lead to development of new drug candidates by the emerging Australian biotechnology industry.Read moreRead less