Identification of Biological pathways regulated by circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a, recently discovered molecule. circRNAs are highly abundant and expressed in a tissue and disease specific manner. Yet, currently the understanding of how circRNAs regulate biological processes is very poor. This project aims to use pooled shRNA libraries to screen a large panel of cell lines and systematically identify cellular activities that are regulated by circRNAs. The expected outcome of this ....Identification of Biological pathways regulated by circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a, recently discovered molecule. circRNAs are highly abundant and expressed in a tissue and disease specific manner. Yet, currently the understanding of how circRNAs regulate biological processes is very poor. This project aims to use pooled shRNA libraries to screen a large panel of cell lines and systematically identify cellular activities that are regulated by circRNAs. The expected outcome of this study will be a catalogue of functionally active circRNAs. Over the past decades, the wealth of knowledge on the function of linear mRNAs has had a significant impact on medicine and agriculture. Similarly understanding how circRNAs regulate cellular activities may have an analogous impact on humans.Read moreRead less
How the red blood cell loses its nucleus. This project aims to provide insights into erythroid enucleation, the process by which red blood cells extrude their nucleus so that they can circulate through the microvasculature. Although the enucleated character of mammalian red blood cells has been known for more than 150 years, the mechanism underlying this process is virtually unknown. This project will use a live imaging approach to characterise in vivo the cellular interactions and molecular pat ....How the red blood cell loses its nucleus. This project aims to provide insights into erythroid enucleation, the process by which red blood cells extrude their nucleus so that they can circulate through the microvasculature. Although the enucleated character of mammalian red blood cells has been known for more than 150 years, the mechanism underlying this process is virtually unknown. This project will use a live imaging approach to characterise in vivo the cellular interactions and molecular pathways required for enucleation. The project will provide a molecular and cellular road map of enucleation that may be utilised to enhance the bulk therapeutic in vitro production of red blood cells for veterinary and human purposes.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100103
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$459,674.00
Summary
Fortifying animal and plant germ cells against proteotoxic stress. Cellular stress is responsible for widespread inefficiencies in plant and animal reproduction. Using high resolution proteomics and cryo-electron microscopy, this project aims to investigate how plant and animal germ cells respond to environmental stresses that are known to disrupt fertility, and assess two novel strategies to decrease the sensitivity of cells to stress. This project is expected to generate new global knowledge i ....Fortifying animal and plant germ cells against proteotoxic stress. Cellular stress is responsible for widespread inefficiencies in plant and animal reproduction. Using high resolution proteomics and cryo-electron microscopy, this project aims to investigate how plant and animal germ cells respond to environmental stresses that are known to disrupt fertility, and assess two novel strategies to decrease the sensitivity of cells to stress. This project is expected to generate new global knowledge in the area of fertility regulation with the potential to improve the tolerance of crop species to heat stress, prevent economic losses and help to secure future food production. Further, this project has the intended benefit of improving the fertility of animal species that suffer from stress-induced infertility.
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Microtubule structure in nervous system repair. This Project aims to investigate the role of structural and functional cellular components known as microtubules in nervous system regeneration. This Project aims to use innovative approaches in confocal and electron microscopy, genetics, and cell biology, with the expectation of generating new knowledge into nervous system repair. Expected outcomes of this Project include a comprehensive description of how microtubules are rearranged following ner ....Microtubule structure in nervous system repair. This Project aims to investigate the role of structural and functional cellular components known as microtubules in nervous system regeneration. This Project aims to use innovative approaches in confocal and electron microscopy, genetics, and cell biology, with the expectation of generating new knowledge into nervous system repair. Expected outcomes of this Project include a comprehensive description of how microtubules are rearranged following nervous system injury and the importance of microtubule modifying proteins in promoting regeneration. This should provide significant benefits in our understanding of the cellular mechanisms behind nervous system repair, and offer new approaches for promoting regeneration after injury.Read moreRead less
Understanding the life and death of Mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Cell death of naïve T cells in lymphoid organs is well-understood. However, T cells only gain their function upon activation, and how activated T cells regulate their life or death remains unclear. Mucosal-associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are abundant in non-lymphoid tissues as key local players in immunity, and share some features of activated conventional T cells. This project aims to define how MAIT cell survival and ....Understanding the life and death of Mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Cell death of naïve T cells in lymphoid organs is well-understood. However, T cells only gain their function upon activation, and how activated T cells regulate their life or death remains unclear. Mucosal-associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells are abundant in non-lymphoid tissues as key local players in immunity, and share some features of activated conventional T cells. This project aims to define how MAIT cell survival and death are controlled. It combines methods we developed to track MAIT cells in vivo with expertise in cell death analysis. This project is expected to elucidate the complex mechanisms controlling MAIT cell survival/death and increase our fundamental understanding of cell death mechanisms of activated T cells.Read moreRead less
Regulatory roles of the RNA helicase DDX5 in male germline stem cells. This project aims to investigate the role of the RNA helicase DDX5 in regulating gene expression programs of male germline stem cells by utilising novel mouse models, stem cell culture and genome-wide analysis approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of germline maintenance and adult stem cells using innovative in vivo and in vitro experimental systems. Expected outcomes of this project will incl ....Regulatory roles of the RNA helicase DDX5 in male germline stem cells. This project aims to investigate the role of the RNA helicase DDX5 in regulating gene expression programs of male germline stem cells by utilising novel mouse models, stem cell culture and genome-wide analysis approaches. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of germline maintenance and adult stem cells using innovative in vivo and in vitro experimental systems. Expected outcomes of this project will include gain of substantial insight into molecular mechanisms underlying germline stem cell function and gene regulation within the male germline. This should provide significant benefits, including advancement of reproductive science and development of systems applicable for animal germline preservation and manipulation.Read moreRead less
How neurons maintain their fate. This project aims to investigate how neurons maintain their identity, without reverting back to less specialised cells. Stable fate maintenance is essential because when it fails, cells lose their ability to perform their ascribed function, which impedes organism fitness. This project aims to define how two proteins work in partnership to maintain the identity of brain neurons. We intend our discoveries to stimulate new research, for example to test whether the h ....How neurons maintain their fate. This project aims to investigate how neurons maintain their identity, without reverting back to less specialised cells. Stable fate maintenance is essential because when it fails, cells lose their ability to perform their ascribed function, which impedes organism fitness. This project aims to define how two proteins work in partnership to maintain the identity of brain neurons. We intend our discoveries to stimulate new research, for example to test whether the human counterparts of the Drosophila proteins studied here, function similarly. Benefits will be provided in the form of job creation, and new knowledge in fundamental aspects of life, including brain development and cell fate maintenance.Read moreRead less
Awaking quiescent neural stem cells. This project aims to generate new knowledge in the area of the evolutionary size of animals and plants, which is determined by intrinsic cell regulation and is constrained by nutrient availability. Brain size is perhaps the most profound example of this. Brain size regulation is underpinned by control of proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Using Drosophila NSCs, the project will examine how nutrients impact on NSC quiescence versus activation, a key ch ....Awaking quiescent neural stem cells. This project aims to generate new knowledge in the area of the evolutionary size of animals and plants, which is determined by intrinsic cell regulation and is constrained by nutrient availability. Brain size is perhaps the most profound example of this. Brain size regulation is underpinned by control of proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Using Drosophila NSCs, the project will examine how nutrients impact on NSC quiescence versus activation, a key characteristic of stem cell control throughout evolution. This will increase our understanding of how energy metabolism and nutrition influence organ size control in multicellular organisms, by determining how organs communicate with each other to convert nutrient signals to action stem cell proliferation.Read moreRead less
Understanding the diverse biology of CD4+ T cell resident memory. This project aims to examine the biology of CD4 T cell memory in tissues. The previously unappreciated complexity of the CD4 T cell resident memory compartment in the liver will be characterised, focusing on the generation, maintenance and diversity of functions of these cells. Expected outcomes include the generation of fundamental knowledge in the disciplines of cellular biology and immunology, and unique, highly specialised stu ....Understanding the diverse biology of CD4+ T cell resident memory. This project aims to examine the biology of CD4 T cell memory in tissues. The previously unappreciated complexity of the CD4 T cell resident memory compartment in the liver will be characterised, focusing on the generation, maintenance and diversity of functions of these cells. Expected outcomes include the generation of fundamental knowledge in the disciplines of cellular biology and immunology, and unique, highly specialised student and personnel training through the interdisciplinary approach utilised, which spans cellular biology, live-imaging and transcriptomic analyses. Expected benefits include influential publications and the import of a novel, specialised technique to Australia through an international collaboration (Germany)Read moreRead less