The fate of single virus particles during infection. This project applies innovative imaging techniques to elucidate the logistics of cellular function. Establishing a cutting-edge technology platform will spawn discovery and research creativity in fundamental science, as well as applications in biomedical and biotechnology research disciplines. We will foster a highly skilled workforce, an essential asset for maintaining and enhancing Australia's reputation and capability as a leader in researc ....The fate of single virus particles during infection. This project applies innovative imaging techniques to elucidate the logistics of cellular function. Establishing a cutting-edge technology platform will spawn discovery and research creativity in fundamental science, as well as applications in biomedical and biotechnology research disciplines. We will foster a highly skilled workforce, an essential asset for maintaining and enhancing Australia's reputation and capability as a leader in research excellence.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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100157
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Confocal and single molecule microscopes for systems microscopy. This project aims to establish Australia’s first system microscopy facility with dedicated live-cell confocal and single-molecule fluorescence microscopes. In systems microscopy, the imaging workflow is automated so that large and unbiased data sets of the spatiotemporal organisation of molecules and cells can be generated. Combined with statistical and bioinformatics analyses, image-derived data provides system-wide information th ....Confocal and single molecule microscopes for systems microscopy. This project aims to establish Australia’s first system microscopy facility with dedicated live-cell confocal and single-molecule fluorescence microscopes. In systems microscopy, the imaging workflow is automated so that large and unbiased data sets of the spatiotemporal organisation of molecules and cells can be generated. Combined with statistical and bioinformatics analyses, image-derived data provides system-wide information that is not easily obtainable with other approaches. The project will enable Australian researchers to image and analyse the full complexity of biological systems, potentially transforming cell biology, drug development and understanding the molecular basis of disease. It will also demonstrate how the capacity of microscopy facilities can be enhanced and bias in imaging data reduced by automating data acquisition and mining of image-based data.Read moreRead less
Exploring the gene regulation networks governing mitochondrial biogenesis in Arabidopsis. Mitochondria, subcellular organelles that perform many functions indispensable to plant growth and productivity, are dynamic compartments whose protein complement changes dramatically during plant development and under stress. Yet, the cellular processes that regulate the production of these organelles are virtually unknown. By combining conventional approaches with an extremely powerful holistic method for ....Exploring the gene regulation networks governing mitochondrial biogenesis in Arabidopsis. Mitochondria, subcellular organelles that perform many functions indispensable to plant growth and productivity, are dynamic compartments whose protein complement changes dramatically during plant development and under stress. Yet, the cellular processes that regulate the production of these organelles are virtually unknown. By combining conventional approaches with an extremely powerful holistic method for simultaneously examining the expression patterns of every gene in the model plant Arabidopsis, this project will identify proteins that regulate mitochondrial biosynthesis and uncover the gene networks that these proteins control. The project outcomes will provide new opportunities for the rational manipulation of plant growth and productivity.Read moreRead less
Engineering plants via modified microtubule dynamics. The plant microtubule cytoskeleton is involved in many economically important functions such as controlling growth and development, cellulose deposition, and responses to pathogens and salinity. This project will increase our understanding of how the regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton affects these processes and move us nearer to achieving economically important goals, such as the development of crop plants with improved traits. Thi ....Engineering plants via modified microtubule dynamics. The plant microtubule cytoskeleton is involved in many economically important functions such as controlling growth and development, cellulose deposition, and responses to pathogens and salinity. This project will increase our understanding of how the regulation of the microtubule cytoskeleton affects these processes and move us nearer to achieving economically important goals, such as the development of crop plants with improved traits. This project will also help maintain Australia's position at the forefront of plant cell and molecular biology.Read moreRead less
Novel mechanisms of early growth response-1 activation through the epidermal growth factor receptor. This project will expand our knowledge of how cytokines and growth factors switch on signalling pathways from the cell surface to the nucleus. Unique antibodies will characterise regulatory routes, state-of-the-art microscopy will define dynamic patterns of receptor co-assembly, and in vivo studies will show receptor crosstalk in animal models.
Cardiac a1-adrenergic receptors in survival of the fittest. This project aims to determine the role of alpha1A-adrenergic receptor inactivation, a receptor/signalling pathway, in mediating cardiac contraction and survival in response to stressors fight-or-flight response triggers.Higher organisms’ ability to respond to environmental changes is central to the survival of the fittest, and is mediated by the release of catecholamines that stimulate adrenergic receptors. The precise receptor and sig ....Cardiac a1-adrenergic receptors in survival of the fittest. This project aims to determine the role of alpha1A-adrenergic receptor inactivation, a receptor/signalling pathway, in mediating cardiac contraction and survival in response to stressors fight-or-flight response triggers.Higher organisms’ ability to respond to environmental changes is central to the survival of the fittest, and is mediated by the release of catecholamines that stimulate adrenergic receptors. The precise receptor and signalling pathways underlying these adaptive responses remain unclear. This project’s research could improve contractility, reduce cardiomyocyte death and define organismal adaptation to extreme environmental changes.Read moreRead less
Statistical analyses for spatial organisation in T cell signalling networks. This project aims to reveal how nanoscale spatial organisation encodes plasticity in the T cell signalling network, and how T cells exploit this plasticity to regulate sensitivity to antigens. In adoptive immunity, T cells respond appropriately to any given antigen, but how they make decisions is unclear. This project will define how nanoscale spatial organisation of signalling molecules shapes signalling strength and p ....Statistical analyses for spatial organisation in T cell signalling networks. This project aims to reveal how nanoscale spatial organisation encodes plasticity in the T cell signalling network, and how T cells exploit this plasticity to regulate sensitivity to antigens. In adoptive immunity, T cells respond appropriately to any given antigen, but how they make decisions is unclear. This project will define how nanoscale spatial organisation of signalling molecules shapes signalling strength and plasticity in the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) network; and infer rules linking spatial organisation and signalling activities in intact T cells. Contextualising the TCR signalling network is expected to reveal the origin and use of network plasticity for T cell decision-making. Such information could be invaluable for the design of vaccines and immune-modulating drugs.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0883068
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Dako ACIS III Cellular Image Acquisition and Analysis System. The scientific advances that will be possible with the acquisition of this novel, cutting-edge instrument will enhance the research outputs of all investigators using it. The ability to visualize and analyze cells and tissues from many different animal species, to elucidate both normal and abnormal functions, will be enhanced by the use of this technology. This will lead to production of quantitative statistical data that in turn will ....Dako ACIS III Cellular Image Acquisition and Analysis System. The scientific advances that will be possible with the acquisition of this novel, cutting-edge instrument will enhance the research outputs of all investigators using it. The ability to visualize and analyze cells and tissues from many different animal species, to elucidate both normal and abnormal functions, will be enhanced by the use of this technology. This will lead to production of quantitative statistical data that in turn will inform new approaches to improve and maintain the health of humans and other animals.Read moreRead less
Genome Approaches to Investigate Metabolic Coordination in Plant Cells. Metabolism of C and N in legume nodules requires interaction between the symbiotic bacteria and plant organelles, particularly metabolism in plastids and mitochondria. Fixed N is assimilated through the de novo synthesis of purines in both plastids and mitochondria. However, each of the nine pathway enzymes is encoded by a single gene, indicating each protein is targeted to both organelles. Purine metabolism will provide ....Genome Approaches to Investigate Metabolic Coordination in Plant Cells. Metabolism of C and N in legume nodules requires interaction between the symbiotic bacteria and plant organelles, particularly metabolism in plastids and mitochondria. Fixed N is assimilated through the de novo synthesis of purines in both plastids and mitochondria. However, each of the nine pathway enzymes is encoded by a single gene, indicating each protein is targeted to both organelles. Purine metabolism will provide a model to assess the more general occurrence of dual-targeted proteins in plants. The aim is to identify and eventually exploit the signalling mechanism(s) that mediate communication between plastids and mitochondria.Read moreRead less