Breaking through the Gram-negative cell barrier. This project aims to develop fundamental knowledge of the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria, which functions as a permeability barrier to small molecules. Combining innovative functional genomics with biochemistry, this project will determine how small molecules can pass across the cell envelope, and the chemical properties that they need to do so. Some Gram-negative bacteria are human pathogens and cause serious infections, whereas others a ....Breaking through the Gram-negative cell barrier. This project aims to develop fundamental knowledge of the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria, which functions as a permeability barrier to small molecules. Combining innovative functional genomics with biochemistry, this project will determine how small molecules can pass across the cell envelope, and the chemical properties that they need to do so. Some Gram-negative bacteria are human pathogens and cause serious infections, whereas others are used in biotechnology for biosynthetic chemical production or bioremediation. This project expects to help the future development of new antibiotics and assist in the design of strains to be used in biotechnological applications.Read moreRead less
Novel carbon dioxide tolerant ceramic membranes for oxygen separation to improve the viability of clean energy technology. Conventional cryogenic air separation is a major economic impediment to the deployment of these low emission technologies like Callide oxyfuel combustion. This project will lead to the discovery of a new class of oxygen selective membranes for air separation with significantly reduced cost to improve the viability of these clean energy technologies.
Sensing biomechanical forces in the heart. Mechanosensitive ion channels are key molecules that define how each heart cell interacts with their physical environment. Yet how they enable cells to decode biomechanical cues remains poorly understood. At the heart of this problem is a lack of tools to quantify the force required for activation. This project aims to develop novel technologies to record the activity of these essential channels in a critical cell type within the heart, and use this inf ....Sensing biomechanical forces in the heart. Mechanosensitive ion channels are key molecules that define how each heart cell interacts with their physical environment. Yet how they enable cells to decode biomechanical cues remains poorly understood. At the heart of this problem is a lack of tools to quantify the force required for activation. This project aims to develop novel technologies to record the activity of these essential channels in a critical cell type within the heart, and use this information in addition to micro-engineering approaches to fully understand the role of these channels in force sensing and generation, at both the single cell and micro-tissue levels. This knowledge and technology has broad utility that extends far beyond cardiac biology into multiple fields.Read moreRead less
The molecular basis for efficacy at G protein coupled receptors. This project aims to investigate the molecular steps underlying the relationship between sensing by signal-transmitting proteins on the cell surface called G protein-coupled receptors and cellular response. The project aims to build on studies that have sought to understand the primary, molecular basis for this cellular volume control. This project seeks to use these novel approaches to fill this knowledge gap, providing a deeper u ....The molecular basis for efficacy at G protein coupled receptors. This project aims to investigate the molecular steps underlying the relationship between sensing by signal-transmitting proteins on the cell surface called G protein-coupled receptors and cellular response. The project aims to build on studies that have sought to understand the primary, molecular basis for this cellular volume control. This project seeks to use these novel approaches to fill this knowledge gap, providing a deeper understanding of how physiology and medicines work. The project expects to expand fundamental understanding of signal transmission at this receptor class. This project will deliver benefits including expanded basic knowledge and a contribution to future improvements in drug development.Read moreRead less
New Frontiers in Innate Immunity. This program aims to define how the immune system senses and responds to environmental cues. By combining interdisciplinary approaches with cutting-edge imaging and spatial biology technologies, this program expects to reveal how immune sensor proteins are regulated at the molecular, cellular and tissue level. Outcomes of this program include unparalleled insights into molecular mechanisms that underpin effective functioning of the immune system, training of fut ....New Frontiers in Innate Immunity. This program aims to define how the immune system senses and responds to environmental cues. By combining interdisciplinary approaches with cutting-edge imaging and spatial biology technologies, this program expects to reveal how immune sensor proteins are regulated at the molecular, cellular and tissue level. Outcomes of this program include unparalleled insights into molecular mechanisms that underpin effective functioning of the immune system, training of future scientists, and strengthening international collaborations across academia and industry. This will contribute to a high-quality workforce for research and innovation, and secure Australia’s position at the forefront of immunology research driven by cutting-edge technologies. Read moreRead less
Determining the role of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in the development of addictive behaviours. The economic and health burden of substance abuse in Australia exceeds $31.5 billion and there are currently few treatment options. Nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) are a common target for the interaction of alcohol and nicotine in the brain. This project aims to determine the role of nAChRs in the development of addiction to alcohol and nicotine.
Novel Synthesis and Bio-applications of Functional Macroporous Ordered Siliceous Foams. This project will lead to advances in materials science and nanotechnology, providing high efficiency separation and purification for viruses or plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which are important in modern gene engineering for the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases. Application benefits also include developing a new protocol in the detection of trace amount proteins, which will afford a signific ....Novel Synthesis and Bio-applications of Functional Macroporous Ordered Siliceous Foams. This project will lead to advances in materials science and nanotechnology, providing high efficiency separation and purification for viruses or plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which are important in modern gene engineering for the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases. Application benefits also include developing a new protocol in the detection of trace amount proteins, which will afford a significant improvement in diverse fields such as health care. Through this project, novel macroporous materials will be fabricated using an economically and environmentally sustainable approach. These new materials will have unique structures and properties compared to conventional macroporous materials, advancing Australia's intellectual position in this discipline.Read moreRead less
Novel CO2-stable oxygen transporting membranes for oxyfuel-based CO2 capture and utilization. Industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emission is considered the main contribution to global warming. This project aims to develop a new class of oxygen transporting membrane (OTM) for CO2 capture and utilisation. To achieve this objective, the formation process and the unique characteristic of the membrane, as well as the oxygen transportation mechanism through the membrane will be investigated, experimental ....Novel CO2-stable oxygen transporting membranes for oxyfuel-based CO2 capture and utilization. Industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emission is considered the main contribution to global warming. This project aims to develop a new class of oxygen transporting membrane (OTM) for CO2 capture and utilisation. To achieve this objective, the formation process and the unique characteristic of the membrane, as well as the oxygen transportation mechanism through the membrane will be investigated, experimentally and theoretically. This will advance the membrane technology in economically viable and efficient, clean energy applications.Read moreRead less
Epitaxial Stacking of Nanoporous Nanosheets for Next-generation Membranes. The project aims to develop high-precision selective membranes which are urgently needed in Australian key industries for solute-solute separation by constructing vertically-aligned and chemically-tailorable nanochannels using two-dimensional porous nanosheets as building blocks. The project expects to generate advanced knowledge in the areas of nanosheet synthesis and functionalisation, membrane design and fabrication, s ....Epitaxial Stacking of Nanoporous Nanosheets for Next-generation Membranes. The project aims to develop high-precision selective membranes which are urgently needed in Australian key industries for solute-solute separation by constructing vertically-aligned and chemically-tailorable nanochannels using two-dimensional porous nanosheets as building blocks. The project expects to generate advanced knowledge in the areas of nanosheet synthesis and functionalisation, membrane design and fabrication, selective transport of solutes and applications. The membranes developed in the project should make existing separation processes more effective and sustainable and advance emerging applications in pharmaceutical, dairy and mining industries, providing significant economic and environmental benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of dual function transporter/channels. This project aims to understand how a membrane protein that transports chemical messengers in the brain functions and how it is influenced by the membrane in which it is embedded. Cells from all life forms have a lipid membrane that separates them from their external environment. These membranes contain proteins that control the movements of molecules into and out of cells and are vital for a plethora of physiological pr ....Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of dual function transporter/channels. This project aims to understand how a membrane protein that transports chemical messengers in the brain functions and how it is influenced by the membrane in which it is embedded. Cells from all life forms have a lipid membrane that separates them from their external environment. These membranes contain proteins that control the movements of molecules into and out of cells and are vital for a plethora of physiological processes including cell-to-cell communication. The outcomes of this study will include new knowledge of this process and chemical modifiers of this transport protein. This project will benefit structural biology and biophysics training and may lead to the development of novel compounds that can be used to explore function. Read moreRead less