The Role of Metals in the Biology of the Ageing Brain. Aims
1.To advance basic understanding of the interactions between cellular proteins and biologically important metals
2. To learn how these interactions change as the organism ages
3. To study the pathological results of aberrant metal biology using animal and cellular models of major age-dependent neurodegenerative disease.
In a rapidly ageing society, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases will presen ....The Role of Metals in the Biology of the Ageing Brain. Aims
1.To advance basic understanding of the interactions between cellular proteins and biologically important metals
2. To learn how these interactions change as the organism ages
3. To study the pathological results of aberrant metal biology using animal and cellular models of major age-dependent neurodegenerative disease.
In a rapidly ageing society, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases will present a medical and economic challenge demanding novel and powerful science. This research will lead both to deeper understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying such disorders and to tools for designing new and effective treatments.
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Molecular control of apoptosis and protein homeostasis. A million cells are produced every second by cell division. At the same time a million cells commit suicide by a process called apoptosis. When cells fail to die when they should they can develop into cancers. In heart attacks, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, many cells appear to activate their self destruct mechanism to die unnecessarily. Drugs that can cause cancer cells to kill themselves, or drugs that prevent cells dying when th ....Molecular control of apoptosis and protein homeostasis. A million cells are produced every second by cell division. At the same time a million cells commit suicide by a process called apoptosis. When cells fail to die when they should they can develop into cancers. In heart attacks, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, many cells appear to activate their self destruct mechanism to die unnecessarily. Drugs that can cause cancer cells to kill themselves, or drugs that prevent cells dying when they shouldn't, would make a major impact on many important diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell death is the first step towards developing these drugs.Read moreRead less
An investigation into Infection, Immunity & Rational Drug Design. The human population is constantly under threat of microbial attack. The survival of our species reflects a delicate balance between infection and immunity. Whether an individual mounts an effective immune response or succumbs to microbial infection is critically dependent on host proteins interacting effectively with microbial antigens, versus microbes developing sophisticated strategies of invasion and immune evasion. This pr ....An investigation into Infection, Immunity & Rational Drug Design. The human population is constantly under threat of microbial attack. The survival of our species reflects a delicate balance between infection and immunity. Whether an individual mounts an effective immune response or succumbs to microbial infection is critically dependent on host proteins interacting effectively with microbial antigens, versus microbes developing sophisticated strategies of invasion and immune evasion. This proposal will provide fundamental advancement of knowledge in the areas of infection and immunity. The information gleaned from this research will lead to the rational development of therapeutics. Consequently, the research will potentially have an enormous global impact in the area of biomedical health.Read moreRead less
Adaptive and Integrated Resource Allocation. By leveraging progress in communication technologies, adaptive and integrated optimization systems will open innovative application areas critical to Australia, yet outside the scope of existing optimization technology. For instance, they will dispatch and reallocate ambulances in real time, help contain pandemics, allocate resources dynamically to extinguish bushfires, and assist in failure recovery of energy infrastrutures. These systems will also s ....Adaptive and Integrated Resource Allocation. By leveraging progress in communication technologies, adaptive and integrated optimization systems will open innovative application areas critical to Australia, yet outside the scope of existing optimization technology. For instance, they will dispatch and reallocate ambulances in real time, help contain pandemics, allocate resources dynamically to extinguish bushfires, and assist in failure recovery of energy infrastrutures. These systems will also solve existing logistics and manufacturing applications better, making these industries more effective and reactive. The project also aims at establishing a center of excellence in optimization in Melbourne with an international reputation in research, teaching, and industrial collaboration.Read moreRead less
In vivo imaging of the immune system in self tolerance and infectious disease. This proposal will introduce sophisticated imaging technology into our cutting-edge research program. Our approach will permit high resolution imaging of the immune response within an intact animal; currently not possible in Australia at the present time. The unique combination of technology and biological resources will significantly advance knowledge in key areas of basic immunology research. It will provide local ....In vivo imaging of the immune system in self tolerance and infectious disease. This proposal will introduce sophisticated imaging technology into our cutting-edge research program. Our approach will permit high resolution imaging of the immune response within an intact animal; currently not possible in Australia at the present time. The unique combination of technology and biological resources will significantly advance knowledge in key areas of basic immunology research. It will provide local researchers insights into how the body responds to infectious disease and immune-related disorders and be directly applicable to vaccine design. The facility and related research program will undoubtedly attract a team of top-level national and international scientists and students keen to work with this advanced technology.Read moreRead less