Gene regulation by retroelement encoded natural antisense transcripts. Genetic information underpins all life on earth and is processed to make proteins, which determine the characteristics of an organism. However, only about 2% of our whole genome is made up of genes that encode proteins; the other 98% is non-coding and its function remains poorly understood. Aims and Significance: This proposal aims to utilise cutting edge genomic technologies to generate new knowledge about how the non-coding ....Gene regulation by retroelement encoded natural antisense transcripts. Genetic information underpins all life on earth and is processed to make proteins, which determine the characteristics of an organism. However, only about 2% of our whole genome is made up of genes that encode proteins; the other 98% is non-coding and its function remains poorly understood. Aims and Significance: This proposal aims to utilise cutting edge genomic technologies to generate new knowledge about how the non-coding genome regulates the expression of protein coding genes. Expected Outcomes and Benefits: This proposal will provide novel targets and methodology for gene modulation with broad applications from biology to environmental sciences.Read moreRead less
How neurons maintain their fate. This project aims to investigate how neurons maintain their identity, without reverting back to less specialised cells. Stable fate maintenance is essential because when it fails, cells lose their ability to perform their ascribed function, which impedes organism fitness. This project aims to define how two proteins work in partnership to maintain the identity of brain neurons. We intend our discoveries to stimulate new research, for example to test whether the h ....How neurons maintain their fate. This project aims to investigate how neurons maintain their identity, without reverting back to less specialised cells. Stable fate maintenance is essential because when it fails, cells lose their ability to perform their ascribed function, which impedes organism fitness. This project aims to define how two proteins work in partnership to maintain the identity of brain neurons. We intend our discoveries to stimulate new research, for example to test whether the human counterparts of the Drosophila proteins studied here, function similarly. Benefits will be provided in the form of job creation, and new knowledge in fundamental aspects of life, including brain development and cell fate maintenance.Read moreRead less
Decoding miRNA regulated genetic circuits. This project will aim to develop a much better understanding of how the process of making proteins from genes is regulated, and will develop scientific software capable of predicting how a cell will respond to changes in this regulation. The results will have widespread use, including assistance in deciding the best treatments for genetic diseases.
Programmed cell death signalling in innate immunity. This proposal aims to address the under-explored potential for programmed cell death to promote innate immune cell signalling, which is a critical and fundamental biological process. It aims to generate new knowledge in the areas of cell death and innate signalling using innovative interdisciplinary approaches and discover new molecules that impact innate inflammatory responses. The expected outcomes of this project are to enhance our basic un ....Programmed cell death signalling in innate immunity. This proposal aims to address the under-explored potential for programmed cell death to promote innate immune cell signalling, which is a critical and fundamental biological process. It aims to generate new knowledge in the areas of cell death and innate signalling using innovative interdisciplinary approaches and discover new molecules that impact innate inflammatory responses. The expected outcomes of this project are to enhance our basic understanding of cell death, and build interdisciplinary collaborations. This work should provide significant benefit to the economy and health of Australians, as it is expected to identify molecules that will be of interest to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Regulation of histone methylation by polycomb-like proteins. This project aims to investigate how polycomb-like proteins regulate polycomb group (PcG) proteins and recruit them to their target genes. During the development of all multicellular organisms, PcG proteins are essential for keeping thousands of genes in a repressed state. PcG proteins are recruited to their target genes with the aid of their Polycomb-like protein cofactors, in a process that is poorly understood mechanistically. This ....Regulation of histone methylation by polycomb-like proteins. This project aims to investigate how polycomb-like proteins regulate polycomb group (PcG) proteins and recruit them to their target genes. During the development of all multicellular organisms, PcG proteins are essential for keeping thousands of genes in a repressed state. PcG proteins are recruited to their target genes with the aid of their Polycomb-like protein cofactors, in a process that is poorly understood mechanistically. This project will determine the mechanism that underpins the recruitment and regulation of PcG proteins by polycomb-like proteins. Outcomes will have relevance for most development processes of multicellular organisms.Read moreRead less
Engineering a chromatin looping factor for artificial gene regulation. This project aims to define mechanisms of chromatin looping and gene activation by a widely expressed mammalian protein. The project will establish if the functions of this protein are modulated by the binding of small molecules, whether it can act in conjunction with closely related proteins, and if post-translational modifications regulate looping and gene activation. Using protein engineering the project will develop synth ....Engineering a chromatin looping factor for artificial gene regulation. This project aims to define mechanisms of chromatin looping and gene activation by a widely expressed mammalian protein. The project will establish if the functions of this protein are modulated by the binding of small molecules, whether it can act in conjunction with closely related proteins, and if post-translational modifications regulate looping and gene activation. Using protein engineering the project will develop synthetic looping factors that can switch on a wide array of target genes. The project aims to answer fundamental questions about how proteins can establish and maintain physical loops in DNA to modulate gene expression. The project will also develop research tools that might ultimately correct diseases caused by the faulty expression of genes.Read moreRead less
Developing bioinformatics methods for single cell transcriptomics. This project aims to develop novel bioinformatics methods for single cell transcriptomic data that seek to model variability in cell populations. The project expects to generate new approaches using Bayesian statistics that will act as high-end enablers of discovery in transcriptional regulatory processes. Through an interdisciplinary combination of experimental and computational research, insights into fundamental biological pro ....Developing bioinformatics methods for single cell transcriptomics. This project aims to develop novel bioinformatics methods for single cell transcriptomic data that seek to model variability in cell populations. The project expects to generate new approaches using Bayesian statistics that will act as high-end enablers of discovery in transcriptional regulatory processes. Through an interdisciplinary combination of experimental and computational research, insights into fundamental biological processes will be elucidated, specifically the robustness of cellular systems. Expected outcomes include a suite of novel tools that will push the boundaries of current bioinformatics solutions with potential to deliver significant benefits to every domain of biological science, particularly tissue engineering and synthetic biology.Read moreRead less