Suppression Of NADPH Oxidase-derived Oxidative Stress By Anti-sense Probes And HDL In Human Vascular Endothelium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,250.00
Summary
In Australia, coronary heart disease (CHD) causing heart attacks remains the largest cause of death, claiming a staggering 28,000 lives a year. Oxidative stress, resulting from increased production of oxygen free radicals in arteries, is an important cause of CHD, heart attacks and strokes. We seek to understand how such oxyradicals are produced in the key cells that form the lining of all arteries, known as the vascular endothelium. By using novel DNA-type molecules (known as anti-sense) develo ....In Australia, coronary heart disease (CHD) causing heart attacks remains the largest cause of death, claiming a staggering 28,000 lives a year. Oxidative stress, resulting from increased production of oxygen free radicals in arteries, is an important cause of CHD, heart attacks and strokes. We seek to understand how such oxyradicals are produced in the key cells that form the lining of all arteries, known as the vascular endothelium. By using novel DNA-type molecules (known as anti-sense) developed in our laboratory, which block a particular gene causing oxidative stress, we will determine whether this gene is responsible for the formation of oxyradicals in human and mouse cells grown in culture. In addition, we will explore whether this gene is turned on by factors known to be involved in CHD. Finally, we will also investigate whether the good cholesterol known as HDL can act to prevent oxidative stress in human cells, as we discovered it appears to do in living arteries in vivo. If we find it has the same protective effect in endothelium, we will determine how it does this, and which component proteins of the HDL particle are important. This might suggest new treatments to prevent acute events leading to heart attack and stroke, and possibly new applications where damage appears to result from acute oxidative stress, such as in the brain soon after a stroke has occurred. We also have a plan to develop antisense drugs that will target the important gene specifically in the affected endothelium. In addition, we have other specific new drugs that will block this system in arteries. Simultaneously we will be testing the role of this gene in mouse and rabbit models of artery disease, for both our types of drugs might provide valuable new therapeutic agents to target the underlying cause of CHD and not just its symptoms as current drugs do.Read moreRead less
Complex Interfaces and Solid-State Precipitation in Advanced Materials. Solid-state precipitates are key features of the microstructures of many natural and artificial materials and govern their properties. Yet understanding, let alone designing, the microstructures of materials remains a formidable challenge. The recent discovery of a new class of embedded interfaces in aluminium alloys offers the prospect of determining the atomic-scale mechanisms of precipitation. This project aims to apply t ....Complex Interfaces and Solid-State Precipitation in Advanced Materials. Solid-state precipitates are key features of the microstructures of many natural and artificial materials and govern their properties. Yet understanding, let alone designing, the microstructures of materials remains a formidable challenge. The recent discovery of a new class of embedded interfaces in aluminium alloys offers the prospect of determining the atomic-scale mechanisms of precipitation. This project aims to apply the latest microscopy and computational techniques synergistically to characterise such interfaces and develop atomic-scale mechanisms of nucleation and growth in model alloy systems. It is expected that this work will constitute a major step towards practical control of solid-state precipitation in technologically important materials.Read moreRead less
Designing and Building Novel 2D Hybrid Materials. The aim of this project is to use computational and experimental techniques to discover and fabricate new hybrid materials. Single-layer (2-D) materials like graphene have gained prominence and new ones are constantly being reported. Hybrid materials built from combinations of 2-D layers are appearing but progress is slow. This project is designed to increase the rate of discovery and fabrication of hybrids. The outcome would be an extensive data ....Designing and Building Novel 2D Hybrid Materials. The aim of this project is to use computational and experimental techniques to discover and fabricate new hybrid materials. Single-layer (2-D) materials like graphene have gained prominence and new ones are constantly being reported. Hybrid materials built from combinations of 2-D layers are appearing but progress is slow. This project is designed to increase the rate of discovery and fabrication of hybrids. The outcome would be an extensive database of materials properties, clear direction on how to control material properties, and manufacturing protocols to build a wide range of new materials.Read moreRead less
Understanding and optimising the microstructure of Germanium-Arsenic-Selenium glasses for superior device performance. The project will seek to use a combined theoretical and experimental approach to develop 'state of the art' optical glass materials for use in integrated nonlinear optical components. Such materials could be used as optical waveguides in broadband communication systems and offer the possibility of significant improvement in telecommunication performance.
A theoretical hierachy to investigate the electronic behaviour of graphene nanostructures under realistic conditions. One of the most exciting new nano-materials is graphene which promises to be the basis of a new industry producing nano-electronics and nano-devices such as chemical sensors. This project aims to provide sound scientific knowledge on the effects of environmental conditions on the properties of graphene which are vital for its industrial use.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100987
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,186.00
Summary
Designing next generation smart materials for capturing toxic gases. The project aims to use rapid computational and experimental screening tools to speed the design and development of robust metal organic frameworks for detecting and capturing toxic gases. Detecting and capturing toxic gases is vital for numerous industrial processes. Metal organic frameworks are porous materials that hold the world record for specific surface area and storage of gases. Their development and application in prac ....Designing next generation smart materials for capturing toxic gases. The project aims to use rapid computational and experimental screening tools to speed the design and development of robust metal organic frameworks for detecting and capturing toxic gases. Detecting and capturing toxic gases is vital for numerous industrial processes. Metal organic frameworks are porous materials that hold the world record for specific surface area and storage of gases. Their development and application in practical conditions require stability in the operating environment. It is expected that this project will lead to the development of efficient and effective porous materials that detect and capture toxic gases, thus improving Australian industry’s ability to monitor and eliminate emissions, improving air quality and public health.Read moreRead less
Understanding and eliminating dissipation in superconducting devices: the origin of two-level defects. Superconducting quantum circuits constitute the next generation of nano-electronics. They find application in medicine, biology and geophysics; from mapping mineral deposits to imaging heart function, and are a promising candidate for quantum information processing and high speed electronics. A major loss mechanism within a Josephson junction (which forms the basis of a quantum circuit) is caus ....Understanding and eliminating dissipation in superconducting devices: the origin of two-level defects. Superconducting quantum circuits constitute the next generation of nano-electronics. They find application in medicine, biology and geophysics; from mapping mineral deposits to imaging heart function, and are a promising candidate for quantum information processing and high speed electronics. A major loss mechanism within a Josephson junction (which forms the basis of a quantum circuit) is caused by intrinsic two-level defects. What is not known is the true microscopic nature of these defects, although there are many theories. This project aims to unravel this mystery using detailed theoretical and computation analysis based on precision experimental characterisation.Read moreRead less
Controlled atomic chaos: breaking through the disorder roadblock for the next generation low power transistors. Computer chip miniaturisation has reached a critical barrier: performance and power consumption are now seriously hampered by atomic level disorder in the materials. The project aims to understand and resolve the disorder problem and establish Australia's place in the international roadmap with disruptive improvement of device speed and power consumption.
Advanced X-ray investigation of atomic and condensed matter science for Australian industry and scientific research. This project aims to improve the precision and calibration of measurements involving X-rays. This in turn will improve outcomes and instrumentation which utilise X-ray sources to probe structures and properties of advanced materials and biological samples.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100151
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$760,000.00
Summary
Probe and engineer interactions in atomic-scale devices with a LT STM. A low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscope: The project aims to establish a facility to exploit the spectroscopic and spatial resolution of an ultra-low temperature scanning tunnelling microscope in conjunction with atomically controlled dopant engineering. In a variety of experiments the research team will explore ultra-scaled transistors, quantum information science devices, and engineered quantum matter. Improving ou ....Probe and engineer interactions in atomic-scale devices with a LT STM. A low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscope: The project aims to establish a facility to exploit the spectroscopic and spatial resolution of an ultra-low temperature scanning tunnelling microscope in conjunction with atomically controlled dopant engineering. In a variety of experiments the research team will explore ultra-scaled transistors, quantum information science devices, and engineered quantum matter. Improving our ability to investigate semiconductor materials at the atomic scale impacts fields ranging from electronics, telecommunication, quantum information to renewable energy research and puts Australia at the forefront of the field of controlled atomic systems in semiconductors.Read moreRead less