Nuclear and chromatin architecture in the replication stress response. DNA replication is an essential biological activity required for the transmittance of genomic material across cell divisions. If errors occur during DNA replication, this results in dangerous outcomes including mutation, genome instability, and cell death. Cells cope with challenges to DNA replication through a process called the replication stress response. This fellowship explores a newly discovered pathway in the replicati ....Nuclear and chromatin architecture in the replication stress response. DNA replication is an essential biological activity required for the transmittance of genomic material across cell divisions. If errors occur during DNA replication, this results in dangerous outcomes including mutation, genome instability, and cell death. Cells cope with challenges to DNA replication through a process called the replication stress response. This fellowship explores a newly discovered pathway in the replication stress response where changes to the architecture of a cell nucleus, and movement of the genomic material inside, promotes repair of genomic damage that occurs during replication. The result of this project will be an understanding of fundamental biological processes that protect human genomes.Read moreRead less
Investigation of novel mechanisms for the regulation of sperm-oocyte interactions. Through work with national and international collaborators, this project aims to provide unprecedented insights into how spermatozoa recognise and bind to an oocyte. The approach is based on strong preliminary data indicating that molecular chaperones play a key role in the functional remodelling of the spermatozoon by promoting the assembly of multimeric oocyte receptor complexes. Through the use of state-of-the ....Investigation of novel mechanisms for the regulation of sperm-oocyte interactions. Through work with national and international collaborators, this project aims to provide unprecedented insights into how spermatozoa recognise and bind to an oocyte. The approach is based on strong preliminary data indicating that molecular chaperones play a key role in the functional remodelling of the spermatozoon by promoting the assembly of multimeric oocyte receptor complexes. Through the use of state-of-the-art cell biology and proteomic technologies, the project aims to investigate how molecular chaperones orchestrate these changes and in doing so, improve understanding of the fertilisation cascade and open up new contraceptive strategies.Read moreRead less
Investigation of the mechanisms underlying successful placentation. The overall aim of this project is to provide novel insights into the basic cellular processes that underpin placental development and to improve our ability to manipulate mammalian reproduction, both human and animal. The placenta is critical for intrauterine development because it determines the level of nutrition, oxygenation and maternal tolerance to the developing foetus. The project intends to explore the role of prorenin ....Investigation of the mechanisms underlying successful placentation. The overall aim of this project is to provide novel insights into the basic cellular processes that underpin placental development and to improve our ability to manipulate mammalian reproduction, both human and animal. The placenta is critical for intrauterine development because it determines the level of nutrition, oxygenation and maternal tolerance to the developing foetus. The project intends to explore the role of prorenin and its receptor as a novel mechanism driving placentation. Applications for expected project outcomes may include improved breeding of threatened animal species and economically valuable domestic animals as well as improved health care and fertility control for domesticated pets and feral animals. Read moreRead less
Dissecting key steps of the miRNA-mediated gene regulation and its implication in immune response and cancer. This project will characterise in detail one of the most important ways that genes are turned off in humans. This process is involved in many diseases including cancer and infections. The result will provide potential novel drug targets to prevent and treat such diseases.
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of dual function transporter/channels. This project aims to understand how a membrane protein that transports chemical messengers in the brain functions and how it is influenced by the membrane in which it is embedded. Cells from all life forms have a lipid membrane that separates them from their external environment. These membranes contain proteins that control the movements of molecules into and out of cells and are vital for a plethora of physiological pr ....Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of dual function transporter/channels. This project aims to understand how a membrane protein that transports chemical messengers in the brain functions and how it is influenced by the membrane in which it is embedded. Cells from all life forms have a lipid membrane that separates them from their external environment. These membranes contain proteins that control the movements of molecules into and out of cells and are vital for a plethora of physiological processes including cell-to-cell communication. The outcomes of this study will include new knowledge of this process and chemical modifiers of this transport protein. This project will benefit structural biology and biophysics training and may lead to the development of novel compounds that can be used to explore function. Read moreRead less
Targeting chloroplasts to enhance crop salt tolerance. Yield losses in crop plants due to increasingly saline soils are linked to the effects of salt on chloroplasts. By comparing chloroplast water- and salt-transport mechanisms of closely related salt-loving and salt-sensitive plants, this Fellowships aims to discover how chloroplasts maintain function in saline conditions. Novel biophysics and molecular techniques will be used to characterise transporters in model plants, and proof-of-concept ....Targeting chloroplasts to enhance crop salt tolerance. Yield losses in crop plants due to increasingly saline soils are linked to the effects of salt on chloroplasts. By comparing chloroplast water- and salt-transport mechanisms of closely related salt-loving and salt-sensitive plants, this Fellowships aims to discover how chloroplasts maintain function in saline conditions. Novel biophysics and molecular techniques will be used to characterise transporters in model plants, and proof-of-concept complementation experiments aim to confer salt tolerance on sensitive plants. These fundamental insights are likely to lead to rapid, step-change improvements in salt tolerance, especially in agriculturally relevant crops, to benefit Australia’s agri-industry and ensure food security in the future.Read moreRead less
Structural and functional chacterisation of Acot7 in macrophages and its role in inflammation. This project will develop better understanding of the cellular pathways that mediate inflammation and will provide detailed information on a specific enzyme that produces arachidonic acid, the precursor to many inflammatory molecules, and characterisation of novel inhibitory binding sites.
Fragment Based Screening for new Antibiotics by Protein X-Ray Crystallography. Due in part to rising levels of antibiotic resistance, the death toll from pathogenic bacteria is expected to skyrocket over the next 15 years. There is therefore a pressing need for new antibiotics to treat bacterial infection. This project will use a relatively new discovery tool called fragment based screening to discover a new generation of antibacterial agents. This tool will allow for the rapid economical discov ....Fragment Based Screening for new Antibiotics by Protein X-Ray Crystallography. Due in part to rising levels of antibiotic resistance, the death toll from pathogenic bacteria is expected to skyrocket over the next 15 years. There is therefore a pressing need for new antibiotics to treat bacterial infection. This project will use a relatively new discovery tool called fragment based screening to discover a new generation of antibacterial agents. This tool will allow for the rapid economical discovery of new drugs, and will complement other investments in Australian biotechnology infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of a powerful molecular motor, the FtsK DNA translocase. The FtsK protein is a fast and powerful molecular motor, a pump that can, and does, move an entire bacterial chromosome. This project will uncover the detail of the mechanism used by this motor to convert the cell's chemical energy source Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) into movement of DNA; revealing the molecular detail of a fast and powerful motor.
Carbon flux and its regulation in metabolic networks. Allocation of photo-assimilates throughout metabolic networks are central to a plants ability to cope with changes in its environment. This project will combine the use of quantitative molecular, chemical and imaging techniques to characterise the flux of resources and its regulation through metabolic networks of Australian native and crop plants.