Interactions of Insulin-like Growth Factors and their Binding Proteins with Vitronectin: a structural basis for antagonist design and development. Tissue Therapies Ltd has shown that a patented combination of three biosynthetic molecules, VitroGroR, can promote tissue repair effectively. This project will use biophysical and biochemical techniques to investigate precisely how these molecules interact, and hence provide a rational basis for future developments and improvements of this exciting n ....Interactions of Insulin-like Growth Factors and their Binding Proteins with Vitronectin: a structural basis for antagonist design and development. Tissue Therapies Ltd has shown that a patented combination of three biosynthetic molecules, VitroGroR, can promote tissue repair effectively. This project will use biophysical and biochemical techniques to investigate precisely how these molecules interact, and hence provide a rational basis for future developments and improvements of this exciting new therapeutic strategy.
Conversely, this information would also facilitate the development of antagonists to VitroGroR complexes would provide novel opportunities to treat diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis that involve excessive production of its component molecules.Read moreRead less
The mechanisms and roles of receptor clustering in cell activation and wound healing by growth factors. Growth factors regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentation by interaction with receptors. Such receptors are usually localized at the cell surface, and require intracellular transduction systems to transmit the signal to the cell interior. We have recently shown the hormone-induced clustering of heterologous hormone receptors in cells, and that this occurs with the co-clustering ....The mechanisms and roles of receptor clustering in cell activation and wound healing by growth factors. Growth factors regulate cell proliferation, migration and differentation by interaction with receptors. Such receptors are usually localized at the cell surface, and require intracellular transduction systems to transmit the signal to the cell interior. We have recently shown the hormone-induced clustering of heterologous hormone receptors in cells, and that this occurs with the co-clustering of downstream signalling molecules at sites of engagement with the extracellular matrix. In addition, we have found that cells presented with an extracellular matrix respond better to subsequent growth factor stimulation. The project aims to determine the cellular mechanisms underlying receptor clustering and the basis of the receptor-extracellular matrix interaction. This will enhance our understanding of growth factor function in a number of conditions, including wound healing. We will extend our in vitro results to the animal model to define parameters for enhanced wound repair.Read moreRead less
Relationship between melanosome distribution and skin colour. This work seeks to examine how the colour of our skin is related to the distribution of melanosomes. This work may allow us to better understand how to develop novel therapies that may alter skin colour and provide protection from the sun (frontier technologies) but may also, in the longer term, lead to healthier approaches to skin management - especially for ageing skin.
Differentiation of Cord Blood Stem cells into Thymus (T) cells with regulatory phenotype and function. This project will develop technologies for a stem cell therapy platform based on cord blood stem cells, to enable treatment of autoimmune diseases or transplants. Building on the University of Adelaide's frontier demonstration of differentiation of regulatory Thymus (T) cells from cord blood stem cells, the project will develop techniques to expand the numbers of T cells generated. This has the ....Differentiation of Cord Blood Stem cells into Thymus (T) cells with regulatory phenotype and function. This project will develop technologies for a stem cell therapy platform based on cord blood stem cells, to enable treatment of autoimmune diseases or transplants. Building on the University of Adelaide's frontier demonstration of differentiation of regulatory Thymus (T) cells from cord blood stem cells, the project will develop techniques to expand the numbers of T cells generated. This has the potential to maintain Australia's lead in differentiation of cord blood stem cells and to provide a significant breakthrough in potential treatments of autoimmune diseases (e.g. type 1 diabetes) or transplantation. These diseases affect both a healthy start to life and healthy ageing, and an Australian invention to treat or cure them would have global impact.Read moreRead less
Architecture and healthy ageing: an investigation into the relationship between aged care facility design, management and the well being of residents. Residential care for the future will need to meet expanding demands for aged care in a manner which responds to more discerning older people including those from non-English speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with expected increases in the number of services required. To do so design processes must incorporate the need ....Architecture and healthy ageing: an investigation into the relationship between aged care facility design, management and the well being of residents. Residential care for the future will need to meet expanding demands for aged care in a manner which responds to more discerning older people including those from non-English speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with expected increases in the number of services required. To do so design processes must incorporate the needs of those involved in residential care yet meet the requirements of statutory authorities standards for health care provision. This research will provide a comprehensive picture of the issues that impact on the design process and the effect on residential care facilities ability to provide residents and workers with the highest possible quality of life. It will inform accreditation and certification standards.Read moreRead less
Australian art exhibitions 1968-2009: a generation of cultural transformation. The years 1968 to 2009 witnessed a transformation in the way Australians saw the art of their country. This project investigates the impact of increased funding (government and private) and new scholarship on the curating of art exhibitions, and traces the reconfiguration of Australia’s art history that took place in exhibitions during this period.
ISim - a realistic intubation simulator using Virtual Reality technology. Simulation training has been adopted widely in aerospace, nuclear power and the military, but simulation in medicine has a relatively short history. This research will drive Australia to the forefront of the medical simulation industry. Effective management and treatment of patients is a priority in health care. Medical resources are required to ensure that staff are trained efficiently and effectively on critical medical ....ISim - a realistic intubation simulator using Virtual Reality technology. Simulation training has been adopted widely in aerospace, nuclear power and the military, but simulation in medicine has a relatively short history. This research will drive Australia to the forefront of the medical simulation industry. Effective management and treatment of patients is a priority in health care. Medical resources are required to ensure that staff are trained efficiently and effectively on critical medical procedures. The high growth of claims for medical accidents and the accompanying rise in medical insurance adds to the impetus for major hospitals to demonstrate they are using advanced methods for training. The community will benefit from better-trained medical staff, and a better standard of healthcare. Read moreRead less
A single vaccine for influenza and pneumonia. Influenza and bacterial pneumonia collaborate to kill millions of people each year. This project aims to develop a single vaccine that will provide long-lasting protection against both influenza and pneumonia.
Sediment transport in upwelling currents and its relevance to an active petroleum system in the Morum Sub-basin, South Australia. Australia had a trade deficit of $3.5 billion in petroleum products in 2005 and this is forecast to increase dramatically in the future. Giant oil fields may exist in the Morum Sub-basin and their exploitation could significantly reduce Australia's trade deficit in petroleum products. It would also reduce Australia's reliance on oil form politically unstable parts of ....Sediment transport in upwelling currents and its relevance to an active petroleum system in the Morum Sub-basin, South Australia. Australia had a trade deficit of $3.5 billion in petroleum products in 2005 and this is forecast to increase dramatically in the future. Giant oil fields may exist in the Morum Sub-basin and their exploitation could significantly reduce Australia's trade deficit in petroleum products. It would also reduce Australia's reliance on oil form politically unstable parts of the globe. Any exploration activity and subsequent exploration success would have a significant effect on the rural economy based around Portland, the main port in the area, through which most of the logistics would flow.Read moreRead less
Real-time special effects in live video. Allowing a user to model objects in the real world in real time greatly improves the efficiency of the large-scale modelling process. A user might thus generate a model of a city block by navigating it it, construct a 3D model of a factory by traversing it, generate a simulation of an industrial process by carrying it out, or design a new building directly upon the space it will occupy. The augmentation of reality will be a critical component of the fut ....Real-time special effects in live video. Allowing a user to model objects in the real world in real time greatly improves the efficiency of the large-scale modelling process. A user might thus generate a model of a city block by navigating it it, construct a 3D model of a factory by traversing it, generate a simulation of an industrial process by carrying it out, or design a new building directly upon the space it will occupy. The augmentation of reality will be a critical component of the future of video cameras, computers and phones. The business opportunities associated with developing technologies in these areas offer significant prospects for Australian ICT industries.Read moreRead less