Structural Studies On The Immune Effector Perforin: Developing Mechanism-based Inhibitors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,116,594.00
Summary
Perforin is an essential weapon deployed by the human immune cells in order to destroy virally infected or cancerous cells. Despite this key role, unwanted or excessive perforin function can result in disease and can severely impact on successful treatment of leukaemia through bone marrow transplantation. This application aims to understand the molecular details of perforin function, and to apply this knowledge to develop perforin inhibitors.
A Structural Investigation Into The T-cell Response To Epstein Barr Virus Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$549,000.00
Summary
X-ray crystallography is an essential tool for solving the three-dimensional structure of proteins. Proteins control the biological processes within the cell and it is the precise shape of proteins that determines how they function. Depending on the particular sequence of the amino acids, the so-called building unit of the proteins, the protein molecule bends and forms a distinct, complex shape. This specific three-dimensional shape allows the protein to undertake its specific function, such as ....X-ray crystallography is an essential tool for solving the three-dimensional structure of proteins. Proteins control the biological processes within the cell and it is the precise shape of proteins that determines how they function. Depending on the particular sequence of the amino acids, the so-called building unit of the proteins, the protein molecule bends and forms a distinct, complex shape. This specific three-dimensional shape allows the protein to undertake its specific function, such as binding to other proteins, acting as an enzyme or interacting with nucleic acids. To determine how a protein acts, it is vital to know the precise three-dimensional shape at the atomic level. This proposal is concerned with understanding the precise shape of proteins that control the immune response to Epstein Barr Virus. Epstein Barr Virus is an ubiquitous human pathogen that has being linked to a number of cancers. This work will further our understanding of the immune response to Epstein Barr Virus.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Non-classical MHC Class I Molecules In Adaptive Immunity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$443,834.00
Summary
Specialised proteins called MHC class Ia molecules (MHC-Ia) stimulate killer T cells to lyse virus infected cells. In contrast, the function of the closely related MHC-Ib is uncertain. Recent findings have demonstrated that MHC-Ib can also be recognised by T cells and this interaction is important in the control of viral infections. However, despite the similarity to MHC-Ia, it is unclear how this interaction occurs. This project aims to investigate how killer T cells recognise MHC-Ib molecules.
Novel Statistical Methods For Genetic Epidemiology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$481,505.00
Summary
We are in the midst of a genomics revolution that is transforming epidemiology, medicine and drug discovery. However, the scarcity of sophisticated statistical techniques to deal with the complicated problems inherent in genetic investigations of complex diseases is currently the critical factor limiting the success of human gene discovery programs. Statistical genetic methodology is currently one of the fastest developing areas of epidemiology. In information-intensive' areas such as genetic ep ....We are in the midst of a genomics revolution that is transforming epidemiology, medicine and drug discovery. However, the scarcity of sophisticated statistical techniques to deal with the complicated problems inherent in genetic investigations of complex diseases is currently the critical factor limiting the success of human gene discovery programs. Statistical genetic methodology is currently one of the fastest developing areas of epidemiology. In information-intensive' areas such as genetic epidemiology, genomics, and proteomics, there is a high demand for data analysis and statistical skills. WA has some world class expertise in statistical science, both in academia and in industry. However, this expertise has not yet been applied in a system way to genetic data analysis. We propose to undertake advanced methodological research in statistical genetics and bioinformatics, to produce easy-to-use and accessible software tools and resources that allow methodological advances to be accessed by the Australian research community, and to apply our new methods and tools both to specific disease research and to the developing human genome epidemiology (HuGE) enterprise in WA. These new initiatives in methodological research will draw together a number of currently separate research strands and will provide new tools and resources that will allow applied Australian programs to improve the efficiency of their research into the causes of important. Methodological development in both bioinformatics and statistical genetics are recognized international areas of need.Read moreRead less
Dhenia: A study of regionalism, population and society in Bronze Age Cyprus. The cemetery complex at Dhenia in Cyprus was in use for 2500 years, from the beginning of the Bronze Age (2,400 BCE) to the end of the Iron Age. This project is designed to sample this extensive site to assess its changing size and structure during periods of major social transformation. Comparative studies of contemporary sites will provide the basis for monitoring and explaining local, regional and island-wide relatio ....Dhenia: A study of regionalism, population and society in Bronze Age Cyprus. The cemetery complex at Dhenia in Cyprus was in use for 2500 years, from the beginning of the Bronze Age (2,400 BCE) to the end of the Iron Age. This project is designed to sample this extensive site to assess its changing size and structure during periods of major social transformation. Comparative studies of contemporary sites will provide the basis for monitoring and explaining local, regional and island-wide relationships, viewed in a context of expanding population and increasing interaction with the wider Mediterranean world. New data and approaches will contribute significantly to Cypriot archaeology and to broader archaeological theory.Read moreRead less
A study of the archaeology of Caucasian Iberia with implications for grazing management in Australia. This multi-disciplinary project will promote a younger generation of talented postgraduate and undergraduate students in a wide variety of fields, including archaeology, geomatic engineering, conservation of material culture, environmental and other natural sciences. The highlands of the Caucasus, located in a bioclimatic zone with a long history of alpine grazing, can also provide answers to qu ....A study of the archaeology of Caucasian Iberia with implications for grazing management in Australia. This multi-disciplinary project will promote a younger generation of talented postgraduate and undergraduate students in a wide variety of fields, including archaeology, geomatic engineering, conservation of material culture, environmental and other natural sciences. The highlands of the Caucasus, located in a bioclimatic zone with a long history of alpine grazing, can also provide answers to questions such as the effect of grazing on biodiversity and the rehabilitation of fragile ecosystems, which may inform management and conservation activities in analogous highland country in Australia. The project will also ensure that exhibitions illustrating the rich heritage of Caucasus will reach Australian shores.Read moreRead less
The Unique Nature Of Gamma Delta T Cell Recognition Resolved Through Interaction With H2-Q10
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$699,031.00
Summary
The liver is important for both digestion and immunity. Given these opposing functions, the liver must exert control points that prevent the immune system from recognising food products. We have now identified a new molecular target that controls the development of immune cells in the liver.
The canonical stratification of jet spaces. Singularities occur everywhere in nature, from the formation and collapse of stars to the morphology of living embryos. They appear whenever the geometry of surfaces or spaces undergoes a process of twisting, folding, or collapsing on itself. Singularity Theory is the study of such phenomena, an important branch of modern mathematics which has close connections with many other branches of mathematics and applied sciences. Singularity Theory lies at the ....The canonical stratification of jet spaces. Singularities occur everywhere in nature, from the formation and collapse of stars to the morphology of living embryos. They appear whenever the geometry of surfaces or spaces undergoes a process of twisting, folding, or collapsing on itself. Singularity Theory is the study of such phenomena, an important branch of modern mathematics which has close connections with many other branches of mathematics and applied sciences. Singularity Theory lies at the crossroads of the paths connecting the most important areas of applications of mathematics with its most abstract parts. Analytic Singularity Theory is a central part of Singularity Theory. This project would lead to substantially new advancements in Analytic Singularity Theory.Read moreRead less
In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. This project brings Australian research into the current scholarly debates on Philistine identity, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, current research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population. In addition, Au ....In the Wake of the Sea Peoples, In the Footsteps of Goliath: Excavating the Philistine Site of Tell es-Safi/Gath. This project brings Australian research into the current scholarly debates on Philistine identity, a quickly growing sub-discipline in Mediterranean archaeology. Marginalized in the Bible as decadent, current research sees the Philistines as a cosmopolitan culture resulting from migration from Cyprus and the Aegean, and interaction with the local Canaanite population. In addition, Australian collaboration and interaction with Israeli colleagues and students will contribute to a more positive perception of the Jewish community in Australia, which has been the recent target of anti-Semitic activities as a result of the Israeli government's invasion of Gaza.Read moreRead less