Sterile inflammation as a determinant of adaptive immunity. When we injure ourselves, the site of injury becomes inflamed, which may help healing or cause trouble. This project aims to understand how the normal response to injury is controlled and why the process may sometimes go wrong.
Convergence of biomaterials and immunology: a technology platform for delayed burst release of vaccines. A large challenge in vaccination, particularly in wildlife such as for the growing problem of Chlamydia in koalas, is to provide the necessary booster shots. This project will develop implants that will be inserted under the skin at the time of the first shot, and will spontaneously burst later to release the booster shot to provide protection.
SNARE-mediated perforin and cytokine release in natural killer cells. Cytotoxic cells release toxic granules and cytokine messengers to kill pathogen infected and cancerous cells and to mount immune responses. This project will investigate different SNARE molecules that regulate the secretion of perforin from granules and cytokines from other carriers, assisting in the understanding of complex but essential cellular pathways.
Can muscles tune foot stiffness to enhance efficiency of human locomotion? This project aims to understand the key role that muscles might play in supporting the arch of the foot and determine if this improves the efficiency of human walking and running. The human foot is known to act like a spring to store and return energy during walking and running. The project hypothesises that this function is enhanced by muscular contributions within the foot that act to tune the stiffness of the foot and ....Can muscles tune foot stiffness to enhance efficiency of human locomotion? This project aims to understand the key role that muscles might play in supporting the arch of the foot and determine if this improves the efficiency of human walking and running. The human foot is known to act like a spring to store and return energy during walking and running. The project hypothesises that this function is enhanced by muscular contributions within the foot that act to tune the stiffness of the foot and maximise efficiency of force production. Exploration of how foot stiffness is controlled during human movement is expected to improve our understanding of the evolution of human walking and running and contribute to improving the design of modern footwear.Read moreRead less
The molecular basis of macropinocytosis in mammalian cells: the composition of endosome proteins and their function. Individual cells communicate with their immediate environment by the process of macropinocytosis, a process that involves the exchange of materials between the extracellular space and a specialised region of the cell termed endosomes. It is an important process in mammalian cells being essential to the correct functioning of many tissues. This project will advance understanding of ....The molecular basis of macropinocytosis in mammalian cells: the composition of endosome proteins and their function. Individual cells communicate with their immediate environment by the process of macropinocytosis, a process that involves the exchange of materials between the extracellular space and a specialised region of the cell termed endosomes. It is an important process in mammalian cells being essential to the correct functioning of many tissues. This project will advance understanding of macropinocytosis at a molecular level. The project is relevant to understanding the functioning of normal cells and the means by which some pathogens can enter cells and also understanding processes involved in tumour progression and metastasis.Read moreRead less
A Genomic analysis of macrophage differentiation: Epigenetic factors that determine transcriptional choices in a lineage dependant manner. Our genetic information is fundamental to who we are, how we develop, & how we age. This project will build the research capacity of Australia's genome sciences, providing an analytical framework to describe & study the many products expressed from any single gene and to assess the function of genetic variation & test genome regulatory events. An immediate ou ....A Genomic analysis of macrophage differentiation: Epigenetic factors that determine transcriptional choices in a lineage dependant manner. Our genetic information is fundamental to who we are, how we develop, & how we age. This project will build the research capacity of Australia's genome sciences, providing an analytical framework to describe & study the many products expressed from any single gene and to assess the function of genetic variation & test genome regulatory events. An immediate outcome is a better understanding of the regulation of our immune system. This approach will fuel the discovery of new signalling molecules & their effects on a population of cells, & likewise provides a novel approach to study the dysregulation of cell signalling pathways.Read moreRead less
Testing metabolic theories in ecology. There are striking similarities in the way plants and animals take up and use energy (metabolism), despite enormous variation in size and life-style. This project will make the first experimental comparison of the predictions of the two major theories for these broad patterns. The results will significantly progress this controversial and exciting field.
Rhinovirus impairs physiological and immunological lung development and causes exacerbation of allergic airways disease. Rhinovirus (RV) infections account for around 90 per cent of asthma exacerbations, yet the mechanisms behind this are unknown. This project will use mouse models to study the effects of early life RV infection and allergic sensitisation on respiratory and immunological development, with the expectation that early life RV infection disrupts anitgen presenting cell function.
Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles: A Potent Weapon Against Cancer. Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women under the age of 50 worldwide, the 8th most common cancer among women in Australia, and is the leading cause of cancer death in Aboriginal women. While a vaccine is available to prevent HPV-mediated disease, it would not impact upon death rates for at least 25 years. The systemic delivery of RNAi offers to best opportunity to solve this problem. The delivery devices w ....Engineered Polymer Nanoparticles: A Potent Weapon Against Cancer. Cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women under the age of 50 worldwide, the 8th most common cancer among women in Australia, and is the leading cause of cancer death in Aboriginal women. While a vaccine is available to prevent HPV-mediated disease, it would not impact upon death rates for at least 25 years. The systemic delivery of RNAi offers to best opportunity to solve this problem. The delivery devices will be designed with precision and function to meet the delivery needs in vivo. These polymer structures will be suitable for use in drug and gene delivery providing Australian products with advanced features and capabilities, significantly improving product performance.Read moreRead less
Unsaturation of vapour pressure inside leaves: fundamental, but unknown. This project aims to determine when and to what extent the air inside leaves becomes unsaturated with water vapour. All current interpretation and modelling of leaf gas exchange assumes saturation under all circumstances. Compelling evidence has been obtained that suggests this is not true under moderate air vapour pressure deficits. A novel technique will be employed to assess the water vapour concentration of the air insi ....Unsaturation of vapour pressure inside leaves: fundamental, but unknown. This project aims to determine when and to what extent the air inside leaves becomes unsaturated with water vapour. All current interpretation and modelling of leaf gas exchange assumes saturation under all circumstances. Compelling evidence has been obtained that suggests this is not true under moderate air vapour pressure deficits. A novel technique will be employed to assess the water vapour concentration of the air inside leaves based on stable isotope analysis of carbon dioxide and water vapour exchanged between leaves and air. The project is expected to provide fundamental knowledge about how stomata regulate photosynthesis and water use, with significant implications for modelling vegetation function and for improving the performance of crop plants.Read moreRead less