Artificially building the bacterial flagellar motor. This project will allow us to learn how nature’s most sophisticated rotary motor works and how to build these artificially, establishing a new field of research into man-made biological machines. This has potential applications for the emerging field of nanotechnology to make nanometre-scale devices that are powered by efficient biological machines.
Engineering an artificial protein molecular motor. This project aims to use non-motor protein building blocks to construct an artificial protein motor. Nature already uses nanotechnology as the basis for all its machinery, and uses proteins to construct machines. Each protein component in the motor will have a well-understood function; this artificial protein will elucidate how it converts chemical energy to motion. This process is not understood as molecular motors do not obey the same principl ....Engineering an artificial protein molecular motor. This project aims to use non-motor protein building blocks to construct an artificial protein motor. Nature already uses nanotechnology as the basis for all its machinery, and uses proteins to construct machines. Each protein component in the motor will have a well-understood function; this artificial protein will elucidate how it converts chemical energy to motion. This process is not understood as molecular motors do not obey the same principles as macroscopic machines. Comparing the artificial motor with biological motors will provide insight into the workings of natural motors. This project should lead to molecular motors for nanobiotechnology.Read moreRead less
Organically-Capped Copper Nanowires for Soft Electronic Skin Sensors. Soft skin-like electronics can enable applications that are impossible to achieve with today's rigid circuit board technologies. However, it is difficult to realise such future soft electronics with traditional materials and conventional manufacturing methodologies. This project aims to synthesise novel organically-capped copper nanowires as electronic inks (e-inks) for developing cost-effective, soft, stretchable conductor (e ....Organically-Capped Copper Nanowires for Soft Electronic Skin Sensors. Soft skin-like electronics can enable applications that are impossible to achieve with today's rigid circuit board technologies. However, it is difficult to realise such future soft electronics with traditional materials and conventional manufacturing methodologies. This project aims to synthesise novel organically-capped copper nanowires as electronic inks (e-inks) for developing cost-effective, soft, stretchable conductor (e-skin) sensors, which are wearable for monitoring blood pulses, body motions and hand gestures in real-time and in situ. This is expected to advance our knowledge in nanotechnology and generate patentable technologies in soft e-skin sensors, and to bring significant scientific and economic gains to Australia.Read moreRead less
Multifunctional biodegradable nanoparticles for enhanced DNA vaccine delivery. DNA vaccine, which shows better immunological and economic merits than conventional vaccines, suffers clinical failure due to the difficulty of delivering intact DNA molecules to relevant cells. This project seeks to develop smart polymer nanospheres to protect the DNA molecules from premature degradation in order to improve its efficacy.
Autotransporter folding: insights advancing recombinant protein production. Imagine a world in which any protein could be produced using a single production platform. This project aims to make this a reality by reengineering autotransporters, a large family of bacterial virulence factors with a modular structure that makes them amenable to rational design. The project plans to examine the structures and folding behaviour of autotransporters and reengineered derivatives fused to target heterologo ....Autotransporter folding: insights advancing recombinant protein production. Imagine a world in which any protein could be produced using a single production platform. This project aims to make this a reality by reengineering autotransporters, a large family of bacterial virulence factors with a modular structure that makes them amenable to rational design. The project plans to examine the structures and folding behaviour of autotransporters and reengineered derivatives fused to target heterologous proteins using biochemical, biophysical, and structural methods. It is expected that this project will provide fundamental insights into factors that dictate autotransporter folding and stability, which may enhance recombinant protein production and drive discovery of strategies to prevent autotransporter-mediated infection.Read moreRead less
Trapping and Watching Biomolecular Complexes near Nanopores. This project aims to develop a technology to trap and interrogate nanosized molecular complexes in their natural state. Nanosized complexes in water provide the core machinery of biological systems and require detailed understanding to help unravel fundamental biological mechanisms. A prototype of a methodology has been developed to trap and interrogate nanoscaled objects as small as 190 nanometres within a nanopore device. By performi ....Trapping and Watching Biomolecular Complexes near Nanopores. This project aims to develop a technology to trap and interrogate nanosized molecular complexes in their natural state. Nanosized complexes in water provide the core machinery of biological systems and require detailed understanding to help unravel fundamental biological mechanisms. A prototype of a methodology has been developed to trap and interrogate nanoscaled objects as small as 190 nanometres within a nanopore device. By performing research to fully understand, miniaturise and develop this method further, this project aims to enable the quantitative observation of nanoscaled biological machinery involved in cell-to-cell communication and DNA unfolding. Such a technology platform may have applications in areas such as biology, biotechnology and advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Magnetofection In An Oscillating Magnetic Field. The success of genetic engineering is largely dependent on the ability of transfection agents to deliver genes. Low transfection efficiency is now widely recognised as a critical bottleneck to successful gene delivery. The recent emphasis on the development of nanoscale delivery agents has led to new physics and chemistry-based techniques, which take advantage of charge interactions and energetic processes. This multidisciplinary project aims to a ....Magnetofection In An Oscillating Magnetic Field. The success of genetic engineering is largely dependent on the ability of transfection agents to deliver genes. Low transfection efficiency is now widely recognised as a critical bottleneck to successful gene delivery. The recent emphasis on the development of nanoscale delivery agents has led to new physics and chemistry-based techniques, which take advantage of charge interactions and energetic processes. This multidisciplinary project aims to address this highly significant problem by developing a novel methodology to manipulate nanoparticles under the influence of an oscillating magnetic field to achieve high transfection efficiencies in a highly relevant model of epigenetic reprogramming.Read moreRead less
Background-free imaging of single membrane-receptors with nanophosphors. This project aims to develop nanophosphor beacons and real-time, ultrahigh-sensitivity functional imaging to provide a picture of the brain. Time-gated detection microscopy will give these nanophosphors a superior optical contrast. The nanophosphors’ antibody-targeting will image single AMPA membrane receptors in their full biological context, crucial to understanding neuronal signalling. Simultaneous imaging of receptor tr ....Background-free imaging of single membrane-receptors with nanophosphors. This project aims to develop nanophosphor beacons and real-time, ultrahigh-sensitivity functional imaging to provide a picture of the brain. Time-gated detection microscopy will give these nanophosphors a superior optical contrast. The nanophosphors’ antibody-targeting will image single AMPA membrane receptors in their full biological context, crucial to understanding neuronal signalling. Simultaneous imaging of receptor trafficking and activity in neurons will help to uncover details of the dynamic activity in the brain. This technology is expected to help understand the inner workings of the brain and provide insights into its functioning.Read moreRead less
Plasmonic nanoparticles for probing and perturbing the spatial organisation of membrane proteins. Receptors on the surface of cells provide vital functions and represent a large fraction of drug targets. It is believed that the spatial organisation of receptors can effect their function. This project will test this hypothesis by combining nanotechnology with biophysics to watch and manipulate the spatial organisation of receptors.
DNA nanotechnology for controlled antigen presentation to T cells. The project aims to present individual antigens to T cells and to image T cell receptor signalling with single molecule microscopy. Combining DNA origami nanotechnology with single molecule imaging should reveal the sensitivity of T cell signalling. A DNA force sensor will determine whether mechanical forces contribute to antigen discrimination. The project will use the nanotechnology strategy to identify antigen-specific T cells ....DNA nanotechnology for controlled antigen presentation to T cells. The project aims to present individual antigens to T cells and to image T cell receptor signalling with single molecule microscopy. Combining DNA origami nanotechnology with single molecule imaging should reveal the sensitivity of T cell signalling. A DNA force sensor will determine whether mechanical forces contribute to antigen discrimination. The project will use the nanotechnology strategy to identify antigen-specific T cells in tissue. The project is expected to advance understanding of T cell biology, and contribute to DNA nanotechnology and super-resolution microscopy whilst providing fundamental insights into antigen recognition by T cells and ultimately derive clinically relevant practical applications.Read moreRead less