Broad spectrum nanomedicine for Meningitis treatment. Brain inflammatory diseases are among the top ten infectious causes of death. The project aims to provide Australian doctors with a superior alternative of treating infections that do not respond to conventional antibiotics. The nanomedicine developed will reduce the burden of hospital and boost Australia economy in the biomedical sector.
New data-driven mathematical models of collective cell motion. Cancer and chronic wounds are a national, and indeed, international health problem set to worsen as our population ages. Predictive and interpretive tools are required to improve our understanding of collective cell migration in relation to cancer and chronic wounds. This project will produce new validated mathematical tools for predicting collective cell migration in a general framework that can deal with application-specific detail ....New data-driven mathematical models of collective cell motion. Cancer and chronic wounds are a national, and indeed, international health problem set to worsen as our population ages. Predictive and interpretive tools are required to improve our understanding of collective cell migration in relation to cancer and chronic wounds. This project will produce new validated mathematical tools for predicting collective cell migration in a general framework that can deal with application-specific details, such as the role of cell shape and cell size. Although cell shape and size are known to affect collective cell migration, standard mathematical models ignore these details. This project will produce new predictive mathematical modelling tools that are validated by new experimental data. Read moreRead less
Modelling cell invasion incorporating the epithelial to mesenchymal transition: Exploring therapies to control wound healing and cancer progression. Cancer and wounds are closely related, commonly lethal, diseases. Both require cell growth and invasion. This project will apply experimental measurements to create new mathematical models of cancer and wounds; models that will inform new targets and strategies for the treatment of these deadly diseases.
Human skin equivalent constructs: enhanced culturing and application of laboratory-grown skin through mathematical modelling and in silico experimentation. Laboratory-grown human skin equivalent constructs, given social and legislative imperatives, will be critical for advances in novel treatment protocol definitions for wound repair, dermatogical screening of pharmacueticals and fundamental studies of skin diseases.
In silico studies undertaken in this project will make a significant contrib ....Human skin equivalent constructs: enhanced culturing and application of laboratory-grown skin through mathematical modelling and in silico experimentation. Laboratory-grown human skin equivalent constructs, given social and legislative imperatives, will be critical for advances in novel treatment protocol definitions for wound repair, dermatogical screening of pharmacueticals and fundamental studies of skin diseases.
In silico studies undertaken in this project will make a significant contribution to the effectiveness of the application of human skin constructs, by delivering new and deeper insights into the interplay between dependent processes that regulate the behaviour of skin, in vivo or ex vivo. The models and the researchers associated with this project will drive innovative studies in medical science over the next decade.Read moreRead less
Biomaterials with multifaceted tunability and bio-specificity. Polyurethanes, a family of polymers with independently tunable mechanical and biodegradation properties, will be developed as a versatile platform material for biomedical implants. Novel energetic ion treatments that allow the coupling of bioactive agents to surfaces will eliminate adverse reactions and enable integration with surrounding tissue.
MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO OVERCOME SCABIES AND ASSOCIATED DISEASE. Scabies causes childhood pyoderma predisposing to severe disease in later life. It is a major increasing health burden in Indigenous people of Northern Australia. Drug resistance is developing in mites and bacteria. The lack of clinical material has hampered molecular research and this work will use comparative genomics of parasitic and free living mites and microbiome analysis to understand fundamental aspects of mite biology and ....MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO OVERCOME SCABIES AND ASSOCIATED DISEASE. Scabies causes childhood pyoderma predisposing to severe disease in later life. It is a major increasing health burden in Indigenous people of Northern Australia. Drug resistance is developing in mites and bacteria. The lack of clinical material has hampered molecular research and this work will use comparative genomics of parasitic and free living mites and microbiome analysis to understand fundamental aspects of mite biology and pathogenesis. The understanding of proteins that are essential for mite survival and interfere with host defences will allow the informed design of peptide inhibitors as a new strategy to develop alternative treatment options.Read moreRead less
Inflammatory skin disorders, such as psoriasis and dermatitis, are responsible for a large burden of human disease and affect people across alldemographics. Knockout (KO) of TNF signalling members in mice is known to induce skin inflammation. This project proposes to use these genetic mouse models to investigate how and why disruption of particular TNF superfamily members leads to disease and potentially identify new targets for treatment.
Using mouse genetics to understand skin development and cell biology. During embryonic development the skin forms a protective barrier which permits life outside the womb and provides a window into the biology of cells. This project aims to use the skin to identify and characterise genes necessary for embryonic development and maintenance, the development of diseases and to explore their broader roles in other organs.
Biochemistry of tropoelastin and elastin. Elastin is the main protein responsible for the elasticity of vertebrate tissues. The Weiss Lab makes large quantities of full-length tropoelastin, which is crosslinked to make elastin. We want to examine the biochemistry of tropoelastin, learn how its domains participate in elastin structure and assembly, and explore cellular responses to our synthetic elastin biomaterial. Remarkably little is known of this biochemistry because elastin is a highly cross ....Biochemistry of tropoelastin and elastin. Elastin is the main protein responsible for the elasticity of vertebrate tissues. The Weiss Lab makes large quantities of full-length tropoelastin, which is crosslinked to make elastin. We want to examine the biochemistry of tropoelastin, learn how its domains participate in elastin structure and assembly, and explore cellular responses to our synthetic elastin biomaterial. Remarkably little is known of this biochemistry because elastin is a highly cross-linked and substantially insoluble macroscopic network of tropoelastin multimers. Our availability of tropoelastin and synthetic elastin now makes these studies possible.Read moreRead less
Biomedical Applications of Self-Mixing Sensors based on Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Arrays. The Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is a new optical device of choice for high speed optical data networks. We propose that this communications technology can be used as a platform to develop a completely new family of sensors ideally suited to medical monitoring. Specifically, we will develop VCSEL based technology for measurement of heart activity and sensing of blood flow in ....Biomedical Applications of Self-Mixing Sensors based on Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Arrays. The Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is a new optical device of choice for high speed optical data networks. We propose that this communications technology can be used as a platform to develop a completely new family of sensors ideally suited to medical monitoring. Specifically, we will develop VCSEL based technology for measurement of heart activity and sensing of blood flow in skin and tissues. This will provide novel sensors for heart monitoring and imaging, and management of skin disorders (burns and cancer).Read moreRead less