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
Oxidative Damage and Cell Ageing. This research will benefit Australia by providing a fundamental understanding of how cells age. This will have immediate international impact at the scientific level and will inform strategies to reduce the rate of ageing and alleviation of age-related disorders. In the longer term the research may provide commercial and social outcomes by identifying antioxidant systems that will provide a genuine benefit in reducing ageing.
Cellular Responses to Oxidative Damage: Cell Aging. The aim of this project is to identify the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and free radical damage cause cell aging. This work will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the aging process in cells by identifying the major reactive oxygen species that contribute to cell aging, which defence systems and antioxidants provide the greatest degree of protection, what damage accumulates as cells age and which genetic systems ar ....Cellular Responses to Oxidative Damage: Cell Aging. The aim of this project is to identify the mechanisms by which oxidative stress and free radical damage cause cell aging. This work will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the aging process in cells by identifying the major reactive oxygen species that contribute to cell aging, which defence systems and antioxidants provide the greatest degree of protection, what damage accumulates as cells age and which genetic systems are activated as during the process.Read moreRead less
Understanding the critical processes that control cell death and using this knowledge to kill cells that have evaded death. Cell death is essential for protecting the body against cancer, and defects in cell death pathways contribute to cancer progression. To design new and better cancer therapies we must understand the critical processes which control cell death, and develop effective ways to either reset, or bypass, defects in cell death pathways that contribute to cancer. The program as outl ....Understanding the critical processes that control cell death and using this knowledge to kill cells that have evaded death. Cell death is essential for protecting the body against cancer, and defects in cell death pathways contribute to cancer progression. To design new and better cancer therapies we must understand the critical processes which control cell death, and develop effective ways to either reset, or bypass, defects in cell death pathways that contribute to cancer. The program as outlined will elucidate the process of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, a critical event in cell death by apoptosis, and determine how to kill cells in which this event is blocked.Read moreRead less
Dynamics and assembly of BRCA1-associated DNA repair complexes. This research project will study how cells respond to breakages in DNA by directing a team of repair proteins to the damaged DNA. BRCA1 is one of several repair proteins, and BRCA1 gene mutations impair its DNA repair function and predispose patients to breast/ovarian cancer. Improved insight into BRCA1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are >13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with mor ....Dynamics and assembly of BRCA1-associated DNA repair complexes. This research project will study how cells respond to breakages in DNA by directing a team of repair proteins to the damaged DNA. BRCA1 is one of several repair proteins, and BRCA1 gene mutations impair its DNA repair function and predispose patients to breast/ovarian cancer. Improved insight into BRCA1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are >13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with more than 3,300 deaths, making it a serious healthcare issue in Australia, and placing this project within Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. If successful this project will yield insights into the role of BRCA1 in fixing DNA aberrations which could help in anti-cancer agent development. Read moreRead less
Mitochondrial targeting of the DNA repair protein BARD1. This is a fundamental research project to address a novel localisation pattern of the nuclear DNA repair protein, BARD1. BARD1 gene mutations occur in a subset of breast/ovarian cancer patients, and improved insight into BARD1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are over 13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with more than 3,300 deaths, making it a serious healthcare issue in Australia, and placi ....Mitochondrial targeting of the DNA repair protein BARD1. This is a fundamental research project to address a novel localisation pattern of the nuclear DNA repair protein, BARD1. BARD1 gene mutations occur in a subset of breast/ovarian cancer patients, and improved insight into BARD1 regulation could enhance our understanding of this disease. There are over 13,000 new cases of breast/ovarian cancer each year with more than 3,300 deaths, making it a serious healthcare issue in Australia, and placing this project within Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. If successful this project will characterise the cellular transport route of BARD1 which could help in anti-cancer agent development. Read moreRead less
Matching Supply And Demand: How Does Metabolism Fine-tune Signal Transduction?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
Insulin controls nutrient traffic and disrupting its actions are linked to many diseases: type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease. Here, I will test a novel hypothesis that our cells’ metabolic rate, defined by the balance between nutrient supply and energy expenditure, controls how cells respond to insulin. These metabolic regulatory nodes would play a major determinant of many essential functions linked to human health, and thus provide novel therapeutic targets for numerous diseases.
Identifying The Critical Components Of Growth Factor-mediated Survival Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,338.00
Summary
The regulation of cell lifespan (cell survival) is controlled by growth factors and lies at the heart of all biological processes. However, little is known of the molecular switches inside cells that either turn survival on or off. We propose to identify and characterize the molecular switches inside cells that control the balance between cell survival and death. Targeting specific components of these switches may provide new approaches for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
Regulation of lipolysis: new players, new paradigms. The way in which fat is broken down is poorly understood. This research will determine how important proteins in fat breakdown are turned on and off. By understanding this relationship, effective pharmaceutical treatments will be developed that will enhance the capacity to burn fat and ultimately reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and ease the associated financial burden on the community and healthcare system. ....Regulation of lipolysis: new players, new paradigms. The way in which fat is broken down is poorly understood. This research will determine how important proteins in fat breakdown are turned on and off. By understanding this relationship, effective pharmaceutical treatments will be developed that will enhance the capacity to burn fat and ultimately reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and ease the associated financial burden on the community and healthcare system. Understanding fat breakdown is also important for developing new processing technologies in the food industry.Read moreRead less
Molecular basis of skeletal muscle lipoapoptosis. High levels of fat in cells are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, medical conditions that have increased dramatically in prevalence in Australia. High fat levels in cells also causes cell death. This research will determine the mechanisms by which excessive fat storage leads to cell death and whether this leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. By understanding this relationship, effective pharmaceutical treatments will be dev ....Molecular basis of skeletal muscle lipoapoptosis. High levels of fat in cells are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, medical conditions that have increased dramatically in prevalence in Australia. High fat levels in cells also causes cell death. This research will determine the mechanisms by which excessive fat storage leads to cell death and whether this leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. By understanding this relationship, effective pharmaceutical treatments will be developed that will ultimately reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes, and ease the associated financial burden on the community and healthcare system.Read moreRead less