Identifying Target Molecules Regulated By Nuclear Retention In Cancer And Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$267,173.00
Summary
Human DNA contains approximately 30000 genes; only twice as many as worms and flies, ten times as many as bacteria, and fewer than rice. Humans, however have considerably more complexity than these lower organisms. What are the factors responsible for the additional complexity? In the simplest scenario, one gene is transcribed to produce one message (mRNA), which is the blueprint for producing one protein. We now know that there are numerous mechanisms that potentially allow many different prote ....Human DNA contains approximately 30000 genes; only twice as many as worms and flies, ten times as many as bacteria, and fewer than rice. Humans, however have considerably more complexity than these lower organisms. What are the factors responsible for the additional complexity? In the simplest scenario, one gene is transcribed to produce one message (mRNA), which is the blueprint for producing one protein. We now know that there are numerous mechanisms that potentially allow many different proteins to be made from one gene. Also, it is the decisions about which gene will be made ( expressed ) into protein where and when in development, that is critical for our complexity. The control of gene expression is thus fundamental to all cellular processes and many diseases such as cancer and metabolic disorders are associated with some aspect of aberrant gene expression. The production of mRNA from DNA occurs in the human cell nucleus. The nucleus is not simply a bag of DNA, in fact, many important nuclear factors are organised into sub-nuclear bodies . Recently we discovered a novel sub-nuclear body, the paraspeckle and have been identifying its components and their function. Paraspeckles are involved in a previously undiscovered mechanism of the control of gene expression. Here, certain mRNA molecules are trapped in the nucleus until a signal is received from elsewhere in the cell, which causes the mRNA to be released and protein to be made. This Rapid Release Nuclear Retention mechanism effectively allows the quick production of specific proteins to be made on demand. In this project we propose to use cutting edge molecular and cell biology techniques to identify the special mRNA molecules that are trapped in paraspeckles in cancer cells. This will increase our understanding about the molecular details of this process, ultimately leading to potential uses in gene therapy, and should result in the discovery of important targets for cancer treatment.Read moreRead less
A Structural And Functional Basis For The Regulation Of Gene Expression By Nuclear Retention Of RNA
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$504,097.00
Summary
The nuclear retention mechanism is a novel way used by cells to control which genes are made into proteins - a fundamental process for all diseases, particularly cancers. This project will employ cutting edge structural and proteomic techniques to determine the molecular details underpinning nuclear retention. These insights will be important for the development of new tissue-restricted gene therapy applications and drugs targeting the cancers that rely on this mechanism.
Managing age in organisational context: a comparative study of the meaning of age among managers. Australians are currently being encouraged to work longer to maximise their contribution to the economy but they often report there are organisational barriers to doing so. This study offers a new approach to understanding age focusing on managers and offers a framework of effective strategies for employers in managing age.
Low carbon transition in the Australian energy sector. This project aims to investigate the Australian energy sector’s responses to low emission pressures, comparing the role of different actors in the transition, and developing a model explaining the political dynamics of the transition. The project will provide policy-makers and industry leaders with the means to develop innovative policies and support best practice to assist Australia’s transition towards energy competitiveness. This project ....Low carbon transition in the Australian energy sector. This project aims to investigate the Australian energy sector’s responses to low emission pressures, comparing the role of different actors in the transition, and developing a model explaining the political dynamics of the transition. The project will provide policy-makers and industry leaders with the means to develop innovative policies and support best practice to assist Australia’s transition towards energy competitiveness. This project expects to provide significant benefits such as new insights into the potential for a low emissions future for Australia.Read moreRead less
Risk and Change In Institutional Fields: The Case Of Industrial Chemicals. This project aims to explore how to manage risk through sustainable organisational strategies and institutional transformations. Chemical risks arise as by-products of economic and technological progress and can cause untold harm to human health and the environment. Using a discursive approach to compare how organisations in Australia and Canada manage chemical risks, this project aims to show how organisations can act as ....Risk and Change In Institutional Fields: The Case Of Industrial Chemicals. This project aims to explore how to manage risk through sustainable organisational strategies and institutional transformations. Chemical risks arise as by-products of economic and technological progress and can cause untold harm to human health and the environment. Using a discursive approach to compare how organisations in Australia and Canada manage chemical risks, this project aims to show how organisations can act as institutional entrepreneurs and introduce sustainable field-level solutions to risk, instead of relying on government regulation to deal with dangerous chemicals. The intended outcomes include the development of a model that identifies the challenges associated with three different risk scenarios – managing established risks, managing emerging risks and eliminating risks – as well as identifying and evaluating strategies to address these challenges.Read moreRead less
An organizational perspective on risk assessment: comparing chemicals management in Australia and Canada. The project compares the managerial and organisational implications of chemical risk assessment in Australia and Canada. It will identify how governments can effectively manage the relationships among different stakeholder organisations involved in risk assessment; and explore how different cultural contexts influence risk assessment.
Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer s ....Price Transparency, Search, and Collusion in Markets. Online search platforms and 'open data' policies are emerging to empower consumers with price information for decision-making in markets, yet also can enable collusive pricing. This project aims to study the competitive impact of search platforms by combining large, real-time datasets on firm pricing and consumer search with natural and field experiments. The project expects to facilitate the development of new models of collusion, consumer search, and platform adoption. This should yield substantial benefit by modernizing competition policy for the digital age through novel data-driven screens for collusion, and policies to encourage platform adoption and enable consumers’ use of data in decision-making to increase competition in markets.Read moreRead less
Uncertainty and the success of innovation. This proposal outlines an empirically-oriented project, with strong conceptual foundations, that will add significantly to our understanding of the barriers to successful commercial exploitation of innovations in Australia. There is currently no other applied work in this area in Australia of this scope and empirical content. Our approach adopts a rigorous approach to the measurement of innovation and performance, and looks at the effect of uncertainty ....Uncertainty and the success of innovation. This proposal outlines an empirically-oriented project, with strong conceptual foundations, that will add significantly to our understanding of the barriers to successful commercial exploitation of innovations in Australia. There is currently no other applied work in this area in Australia of this scope and empirical content. Our approach adopts a rigorous approach to the measurement of innovation and performance, and looks at the effect of uncertainty on the relationship between the two. The results of this exercise will translate into both government and corporate policy.Read moreRead less