Long Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Heart Health in Humans. The primary aims of the project is to assess the effect of DHA rich tuna oil on cholesterol carrying lipoproteins and to determine a quicker method in assessing someone's omega-3 status. The expected outcomes include the determination of: 1) the most appropriate blood sample and a rapid test and for evaluating the omega-3 status; 2) the minimum dose of tuna oil required which will not only improve a person's omega-3 statu ....Long Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Heart Health in Humans. The primary aims of the project is to assess the effect of DHA rich tuna oil on cholesterol carrying lipoproteins and to determine a quicker method in assessing someone's omega-3 status. The expected outcomes include the determination of: 1) the most appropriate blood sample and a rapid test and for evaluating the omega-3 status; 2) the minimum dose of tuna oil required which will not only improve a person's omega-3 status but also improve their plasma lipid profile and hence reduce their overall risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD); and 3) the use of the Omega-3 Index by medical practitioners. The significance is the increased knowledge of the health benefits of DHA rich tuna oil and that a new CVD risk marker will be generally accepted.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882295
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$225,000.00
Summary
X-ray crystallography resource for membrane proteins and large macromolecular complexes. Structural biology is the underpinning of biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals and rational therapeutic design. The most successful technique for determining the structures of proteins and large macromolecular complexes is x-ray crystallography. This proposal will set up a network of state of the art resources in the Sydney region to capitalise on expertise in these areas. The facilities will foster basic re ....X-ray crystallography resource for membrane proteins and large macromolecular complexes. Structural biology is the underpinning of biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals and rational therapeutic design. The most successful technique for determining the structures of proteins and large macromolecular complexes is x-ray crystallography. This proposal will set up a network of state of the art resources in the Sydney region to capitalise on expertise in these areas. The facilities will foster basic research and collaborations with industry, which will enhance Australia's profile and commercialisation of research. The facility will enhance the usage of the Australian synchrotron, producing flagship projects on the edge of technical possibilities.Read moreRead less
In situ measurements of the electrostatic properties inside photosynthetic reaction centres: correlation with the energy conversion function of the protein. The photochemical reaction centre is a key protein complex involved in energy conversion. It converts solar energy into chemical energy as a transmembrane charge separation. Coupling of electron and proton transfer is catalysed at the level of a ubiquinone cofactor. In order to understand how the redox properties of this cofactor are fine tu ....In situ measurements of the electrostatic properties inside photosynthetic reaction centres: correlation with the energy conversion function of the protein. The photochemical reaction centre is a key protein complex involved in energy conversion. It converts solar energy into chemical energy as a transmembrane charge separation. Coupling of electron and proton transfer is catalysed at the level of a ubiquinone cofactor. In order to understand how the redox properties of this cofactor are fine tuned by the protein environment, we plan to probe the ubiquinone site using a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye. This exciting multidisciplinary project will contribute to the understanding of how protein matrices influence and govern the midpoint redox potential of their cofactors and the environments of theirRead moreRead less
Genome wide screening for gene products that regulate the celluar dynamics of lipid droplets. Obesity is a pandemic that if not stopped, will lead to huge social and economic problems in Australia. In essence, the hallmark of human obesity is the accumulation of cellular lipid droplets. This research will benefit Australia by providing a fundamental understanding of how lipid droplets are formed. This will have immediate international impact at the scientific level and will also provide novel ta ....Genome wide screening for gene products that regulate the celluar dynamics of lipid droplets. Obesity is a pandemic that if not stopped, will lead to huge social and economic problems in Australia. In essence, the hallmark of human obesity is the accumulation of cellular lipid droplets. This research will benefit Australia by providing a fundamental understanding of how lipid droplets are formed. This will have immediate international impact at the scientific level and will also provide novel targets and strategies for treating obesity. The proposed study will also benefit Australian agriculture by providing strategies to improve oil production from plant seeds. Read moreRead less
New methods to complete the lipidomics puzzle: revealing the structural diversity of lipids by mass spectrometry. Lipid-related disorders such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease are reaching epidemic proportions in the western world. The integration of innovative techniques will provide Australia with unique capabilities to investigate these diseases and place Australia at the forefront of lipid research internationally.
The role of neutral amino acid transport in normal physiology. Future benefits of these studies include the Promotion and Maintenance of Good Health achieved by providing: (1) a better understanding of brain and balance disorders; (2) insights into the damaging effects of the sun and; (3) existing neonatal screening programmes for Hartnup disorder with greater scientific foundation regarding the implications of inheriting this condition, including dietary advce. We will be able to provide Austr ....The role of neutral amino acid transport in normal physiology. Future benefits of these studies include the Promotion and Maintenance of Good Health achieved by providing: (1) a better understanding of brain and balance disorders; (2) insights into the damaging effects of the sun and; (3) existing neonatal screening programmes for Hartnup disorder with greater scientific foundation regarding the implications of inheriting this condition, including dietary advce. We will be able to provide Australians who inherit Hartnup disorder with a better understanding of this disease by enabling individuals and families to make choices that lead to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.Read moreRead less
Cholesterol-dependent control of plasma membrane lipid rafts. Lipid rafts are recently discovered micro-domains in the plasma membrane that are highly enriched in cholesterol, giving these domains a unique lipid structure. Because of their distinct structure specific proteins partition into these domains so that lipid rafts act as message transduction centres in a variety of cell functions. It is hypothesised that cholesterol is the link between the distinct biophysical parameters of lipid rafts ....Cholesterol-dependent control of plasma membrane lipid rafts. Lipid rafts are recently discovered micro-domains in the plasma membrane that are highly enriched in cholesterol, giving these domains a unique lipid structure. Because of their distinct structure specific proteins partition into these domains so that lipid rafts act as message transduction centres in a variety of cell functions. It is hypothesised that cholesterol is the link between the distinct biophysical parameters of lipid rafts and their function. The aim of this proposal is to understand how cellular cholesterol levels contribute to raft structure and function, thus elevating cholesterol to a regulatory element for lipid raft and their function.Read moreRead less
Molecular microscopy: protein and membrane dynamics in resting and activated T cells. The aim of this research, to understand the molecular organization and dynamics of the plasma membrane that underlie the signal transduction events, is at the very heart of understanding cell communication. T cell recognition and activation initiates an adaptive immune response to invading pathogens and structurally altered proteins that can be found in cancers. By providing functional insights into the molecul ....Molecular microscopy: protein and membrane dynamics in resting and activated T cells. The aim of this research, to understand the molecular organization and dynamics of the plasma membrane that underlie the signal transduction events, is at the very heart of understanding cell communication. T cell recognition and activation initiates an adaptive immune response to invading pathogens and structurally altered proteins that can be found in cancers. By providing functional insights into the molecular mechanism of T cell activation, we will not only provide fundamental knowledge of receptor signalling but also specific details of T cell receptort triggering that may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies to control T cell activation.Read moreRead less
How does clusterin protect cells from stresses? We recently discovered that clusterin: (i) is the only known secreted (ie extracellular) mammalian chaperone and (ii) can protect proteins and cells from stresses.These breakthrough advances provide the first unifying biological function for this protein - in whole organisms, clusterine is likely to protect tissues and organs form biologyical stresses. The work proposed will provide quantum advances in our understanding of the molecular basis by wh ....How does clusterin protect cells from stresses? We recently discovered that clusterin: (i) is the only known secreted (ie extracellular) mammalian chaperone and (ii) can protect proteins and cells from stresses.These breakthrough advances provide the first unifying biological function for this protein - in whole organisms, clusterine is likely to protect tissues and organs form biologyical stresses. The work proposed will provide quantum advances in our understanding of the molecular basis by which clusterin effects its protective actions. We expect to demonstrate that clusterin protects cells form stresses by exerting its chaperone action at or near the cell surface and to identify specific regions and structural features of the clusterine molecule important in its chaperone action.Read moreRead less
Symbiosomes and symbiosome membranes of corals and other cnidaria. Reef building corals and many other marine animals depend on symbiotic algae. Very little is known about the ways in which these organisms achieve effective communication with their endosymbionts, yet this is vital for understanding coral bleaching, a major present-day problem. In corals and their relatives, algae are housed in membrane-bounded vesicles, symbiosomes, which mediate the signal regulation that maintains an ongoin ....Symbiosomes and symbiosome membranes of corals and other cnidaria. Reef building corals and many other marine animals depend on symbiotic algae. Very little is known about the ways in which these organisms achieve effective communication with their endosymbionts, yet this is vital for understanding coral bleaching, a major present-day problem. In corals and their relatives, algae are housed in membrane-bounded vesicles, symbiosomes, which mediate the signal regulation that maintains an ongoing and healthy association at the cellular level. Unlike some terrestrial symbioses, little is known about the structure and function of the coral symbiosome. This study sets out to investigate this membrane at the cellular and molecular level.Read moreRead less