The molecular biology and biochemistry of bacterial manganese oxidation. This project will further the understanding of bacterial manganese (Mn2+) oxidation. A multi-disciplinary approach will be used to further investigate the genetics and biochemistry of the Mn2+-oxidising systems of Pseudomonas putida, Leptothrix sp. and Pedomicrobium sp. This work will focus in particular on comparing the Mn2+-oxidising systems from unrelated bacteria. A combination of molecular biology, protein biochemis ....The molecular biology and biochemistry of bacterial manganese oxidation. This project will further the understanding of bacterial manganese (Mn2+) oxidation. A multi-disciplinary approach will be used to further investigate the genetics and biochemistry of the Mn2+-oxidising systems of Pseudomonas putida, Leptothrix sp. and Pedomicrobium sp. This work will focus in particular on comparing the Mn2+-oxidising systems from unrelated bacteria. A combination of molecular biology, protein biochemistry and spectroscopy will be used. This will be the first time that the enzymes of bacterial Mn2+-oxidation will have been characterised in such detail and will lead to a greater understanding of the process of bacterial manganese oxidation.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560722
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,744.00
Summary
High-speed Ultracentrifuge Facility with Sensitive Scanning Optics for the Analysis of Interacting Biomolecules. This request is for a high-speed analytical ultracentrifuge equipped with sensitive absorbance, fluorescence, and interference scanning optics. The equipment, the first of its kind in Australia, would establish a world-class facility for analysing the size, shape, and stability of macromolecular complexes and their interactions in solution. This new facility will enable high through ....High-speed Ultracentrifuge Facility with Sensitive Scanning Optics for the Analysis of Interacting Biomolecules. This request is for a high-speed analytical ultracentrifuge equipped with sensitive absorbance, fluorescence, and interference scanning optics. The equipment, the first of its kind in Australia, would establish a world-class facility for analysing the size, shape, and stability of macromolecular complexes and their interactions in solution. This new facility will enable high through-put screening of small molecules with potential as new drugs. This core platform technology will cover the range of needs from basic research through to commercialization of discovery. The equipment will support existing high quality research projects in biotechnology and provide new opportunities for post-graduate training and international collaboration.Read moreRead less
Enhanced biocatalysis in organic solvents for pharmaceutical biotransformation. Enzymes such as hydrolases play an important role in biotechnology because of their extreme versatility with respect to substrate specificity and stereoselectivity. The use of lipases as catalysts for optical isomer-specific organic reactions is often limited by unacceptably low enantioselectivities. We will investigate recombinant enzymes cloned from thermophilic lipolytic bacteria for synthetic reactions in orga ....Enhanced biocatalysis in organic solvents for pharmaceutical biotransformation. Enzymes such as hydrolases play an important role in biotechnology because of their extreme versatility with respect to substrate specificity and stereoselectivity. The use of lipases as catalysts for optical isomer-specific organic reactions is often limited by unacceptably low enantioselectivities. We will investigate recombinant enzymes cloned from thermophilic lipolytic bacteria for synthetic reactions in organic solvents, especially chiral resolution of mixtures in the production of pharmaceutical intermediates. Genetic improvement of lipase enantiospecificity and regioselectivity will be achieved using in vitro evolution by recombination and screening. The outcome will be cost-effective production superior biocatalysts with specifically enhanced regiospecific, enantioselective and hydrolytic characteristics.
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Smart bio-mimetic self-assembled gels for biomedical applications. Advanced materials that can be used to deliver drugs, repair scars and damaged tissue are the holy grail of regenerative medicine. Recently, a class of materials called self-assembled gels have shown enormous potential in this regard. Self-assembled gels have already demonstrated their use in drug delivery and are showing great promise in the treatment of spinal injuries. This project will create an even smarter version of these ....Smart bio-mimetic self-assembled gels for biomedical applications. Advanced materials that can be used to deliver drugs, repair scars and damaged tissue are the holy grail of regenerative medicine. Recently, a class of materials called self-assembled gels have shown enormous potential in this regard. Self-assembled gels have already demonstrated their use in drug delivery and are showing great promise in the treatment of spinal injuries. This project will create an even smarter version of these gels with biological activity, especially targeting cancer and suppressing tumour growth after surgery. Our approach will help to ensure that Australians can take a leading role in this highly exciting new area of biomedical research.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0214135
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$492,000.00
Summary
High performance protein crystallography. This proposal will provide state of the art high performance facilities for protein crystallography, bringing together the major structural biology groups in NSW and the ACT. A renewed focus on protein crystal structures will stimulate new interpretation and utilization of the vast amount of data that has come from genomics, especially the sequencing of the human genome. The proposed facility will generate new research collaborations between the partn ....High performance protein crystallography. This proposal will provide state of the art high performance facilities for protein crystallography, bringing together the major structural biology groups in NSW and the ACT. A renewed focus on protein crystal structures will stimulate new interpretation and utilization of the vast amount of data that has come from genomics, especially the sequencing of the human genome. The proposed facility will generate new research collaborations between the partner institutions which will result in advances in basic life sciences, biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals. The facility will complement regional initiatives in functional genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics and high-field NMR spectroscopy.Read moreRead less
Probing the Tasmanian Devil Serum Proteome for Preclinical Diagnosis of Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial endemic to the island state of Tasmania, and is found all over the state. Over the past decade, a dramatic decline has occurred in the Devil population in association with the emergence of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). This project aims to develop a preclinical diagnostic test for DFTD that will provide vital information ....Probing the Tasmanian Devil Serum Proteome for Preclinical Diagnosis of Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial endemic to the island state of Tasmania, and is found all over the state. Over the past decade, a dramatic decline has occurred in the Devil population in association with the emergence of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). This project aims to develop a preclinical diagnostic test for DFTD that will provide vital information for use in developing management strategies to ensure the ongoing survival of the Tasmanian Devil. The benefit to Australia in performing this research rests in the new technology that will be developed and the application of this technology to key areas of national and international significance.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and consequences of oxidation of glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans by myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation r ....Mechanisms and consequences of oxidation of glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans by myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in weakening the structure of lesions and making them prone to rupture. Little is known about the fundamental chemistry of such damage; this will be addressed in the proposed program. The data obtained will underpin the development of new preventative and protective strategies to minimise lesion rupture and deaths from this major disease.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and consequences of myeloperoxidase-mediated damage to glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in we ....Mechanisms and consequences of myeloperoxidase-mediated damage to glycosaminoglycans, proteins and proteoglycans. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is responsible for the death of 40% of the population of developed, and developing, countries including Australia. Rupture of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is responsible for most sudden deaths from heart disease and stokes, but is a poorly understood process. Evidence has been presented for a role for oxidation reactions in weakening the structure of lesions and making them prone to rupture. Little is known about the fundamental chemistry of such damage; this will be addressed in the proposed program. The data obtained will underpin the development of new preventative and protective strategies to minimise lesion rupture and deaths from this major disease.Read moreRead less
Evolution, structure and function of key components in a molecular machine. The project will provide the basis for training of students and personnel in the previously recognized priority "Genomes-Phenomes", still the central theme of modern biology. In particular,
collaborations established with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will transfer to Australia expertise in the cutting edge discipline of small angle scattering for analysis of biologically important molecules. Such tr ....Evolution, structure and function of key components in a molecular machine. The project will provide the basis for training of students and personnel in the previously recognized priority "Genomes-Phenomes", still the central theme of modern biology. In particular,
collaborations established with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico will transfer to Australia expertise in the cutting edge discipline of small angle scattering for analysis of biologically important molecules. Such training is essential for developing a future pool of skilled Australian scientists to staff and utilise the major national infrastructure developments represented by the Replacement Research Reactor and Australian Synchrotron, as outlined in the National Research Priority "Frontier Technologies".Read moreRead less
Investigating the subunit interactions of a molecular protein import machine. The project will provide fundamental knowledge of how sophisticated natural molecular machines interact with their substrates in plants and animals. It will also provide the basis for training of students and personnel in a range of structural biology technologies including several that are not commonly used by biologists, but make use of two major facilities that have been invested in by our government, namely the Aus ....Investigating the subunit interactions of a molecular protein import machine. The project will provide fundamental knowledge of how sophisticated natural molecular machines interact with their substrates in plants and animals. It will also provide the basis for training of students and personnel in a range of structural biology technologies including several that are not commonly used by biologists, but make use of two major facilities that have been invested in by our government, namely the Australian Synchrotron and the OPAL Research Reactor.Read moreRead less