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Reprogramming Human Fibroblasts Into Induced Trophoblast Stem Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$889,064.00
Summary
We have been able to generate artificial human trophectoderm which is the tissue that creates the placenta. This will allow us to do research in how the genes control the fate of these cells without the need of human embryos or placenta. We anticipate that the derivation and characterising these cells will revolutionise placenta research, which in turn will contribute to the establishment of new therapies for placenta disease and infertility.
Crossing A Frontier In Cardiac Fibrosis: A Single-cell Multi-omics Approach To Understanding Fibroblast Agency In Models Of Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,199,254.00
Summary
Cardiovascular disease is the most serious cause of mortality and morbidity in society, with one Australian dying every 13 mins. Our focus is on cardiac fibroblasts - changeable cells that regulate the mechanical integrity of the heart, and which are key therapeutic targets in heart disease. Single cell methods have revolutionised the study of complex tissues. Here we will apply molecular assays to thousands of single heart cells to build a new conceptual framework for fighting heart disease.
Over 2 million Australians have diabetes and up to one in three adults will develop diabetes or pre-diabetes in their lifetime with the associated burden of complications. It is not simply genetics, as the genetic variability cannot explain why some individuals and indeed some families appear to be programmed to have an inordinate burden of complications. Over the last decade we have developed state of the art technologies to characterise epigenetic changes in human clinical cohorts.
Biopsychosocial Risk And Protective Factors Of Trauma Exposure In First Responders: A Longitudinal Investigation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,137,427.00
Summary
Investigating individual differences in response to stress is crucial to improving both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for individuals at high risk for exposure to trauma. This world-first project will investigate pre and post-trauma psychological and biological trajectories associated with health outcomes in first-responders, contributing significantly towards our fundamental understanding of the biology of risk and resilience to trauma exposure, a key health issue.
Antibiotic Conjugates: Joining Together To Fight Antimicrobial Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,675.00
Summary
New strategies are urgently needed to treat the rise of infections from multidrug-resistant bacteria, with standard antibiotic therapies becoming obsolete. This project will develop multiple innovative approaches to overcome antibiotic resistance, based on a core concept of appending additional functionality to existing antibiotic scaffolds. New conjugates will be synthesized, tested for antimicrobial activity, then optimized via a validated antimicrobial development pipeline.
Should You Be Eating That? Food-derived Bacteria And Their Role In Treating Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,405,182.00
Summary
The clinical application of medicines based on the microbes that exist as part of microbiomes is now a reality. Despite these rapid advances understanding how the bacteria are transmitted and recolonise after disruption is essential. Our preliminary data suggests that the average Australian adult consumes over 10 million bacteria per day in their diet. This project seeks to understand these relationships and how they can be exploited to develop the next generations of microbiome based medicine.
Novel Modelling To Improve Decision-making For Neighbourhood Design To Reduce Chronic Disease Risk
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$901,564.00
Summary
Research on urban design that might support liveability and health (the 20-minute neighbourhood concept) has used analytic methods that do not account for the complexity of urban environments. This study innovatively uses a flexible and applicable approach (Bayesian Networks) to show where neighbourhood features operate uniquely or not, which features can be prioritised, which are cost effective, and how much of each feature is needed to achieve improvement in reducing risk of chronic disease.