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
Next generation hybrid nanomaterials: bispecific antibody-targeted polymers. This project aims to develop and optimise a novel platform technology that will assist in the development of hybrid materials consisting of nanomaterials and biomolecules, which form the basis of many commercial diagnostic devices. A novel antibody, MIL38, will provide the test bed for the technology, which will aim to deliver a platform that is stable under physiological conditions and that enables facile conjugation o ....Next generation hybrid nanomaterials: bispecific antibody-targeted polymers. This project aims to develop and optimise a novel platform technology that will assist in the development of hybrid materials consisting of nanomaterials and biomolecules, which form the basis of many commercial diagnostic devices. A novel antibody, MIL38, will provide the test bed for the technology, which will aim to deliver a platform that is stable under physiological conditions and that enables facile conjugation of nanomaterials with antibodies. This project has the potential to rapidly improve the ligation process between synthetic nanomaterials and biologics, leading to more efficient synthesis of targeted diagnostics. This would provide a significant commercial advantage for any nanomaterials developed for the field, and specifically for this project, expedite translation of MIL38.Read moreRead less
Impact of Biological Coatings on Nanoparticle–Immune Cell Interactions. Nanomaterials exposed to biological environments such as blood or lymph fluids rapidly adsorb a layer of biomolecules on their surface, forming a biomolecular corona, and profoundly altering their properties. This project aims to resolve the influence of biomolecular coronas on nanoparticle–immune cell interactions by combining particle engineering, immunology, proteomics and bioinformatic analysis. The project expected outc ....Impact of Biological Coatings on Nanoparticle–Immune Cell Interactions. Nanomaterials exposed to biological environments such as blood or lymph fluids rapidly adsorb a layer of biomolecules on their surface, forming a biomolecular corona, and profoundly altering their properties. This project aims to resolve the influence of biomolecular coronas on nanoparticle–immune cell interactions by combining particle engineering, immunology, proteomics and bioinformatic analysis. The project expected outcomes are to generate new knowledge in nanomaterial–immune cell behaviour and design principles for nanoparticles with prospective applications in the agricultural, veterinary and biomedical sectors.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
Development of dense gas technology platforms for the formulation of oral vaccines. This project will aim to develop a technology platform that enables the formulation of vaccines that can be delivered orally and this research has the potential to radically change existing vaccination regimens. The availability of needle-free vaccination also has potential for considerable societal and economic impact in developing countries.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics. The CNBP brings together physicists, chemists and biologists focused on a grand challenge controlling nanoscale interactions between light and matter to probe the complex and dynamic nanoenvironments within living organisms. The emerging convergence of nanoscience and photonics offers the opportunity of using light to interrogate nanoscale domains, providing unprecedentedly localised measurements. This will allow biological scientists to unde ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics. The CNBP brings together physicists, chemists and biologists focused on a grand challenge controlling nanoscale interactions between light and matter to probe the complex and dynamic nanoenvironments within living organisms. The emerging convergence of nanoscience and photonics offers the opportunity of using light to interrogate nanoscale domains, providing unprecedentedly localised measurements. This will allow biological scientists to understand how single cells react to and communicate with their surroundings. This science will underpin a new generation of devices capable of probing the response of cells within individuals to environmental conditions or treatment, creating innovative and powerful new sensing platforms.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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100068
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,000.00
Summary
Bioinspired liposome-based smart sensors. This project aims to develop a liposome-based biosensor technology that mimics cell sensory systems. Selective detection of compounds is increasingly important for food, health and environmental monitoring. Biosensor development faces long-standing challenges such as response time, sensitivity, specificity, and multiplexing. On the other hand, cells can sense and discriminate multiple biomolecules in seconds with high sensitivity and specificity. This pr ....Bioinspired liposome-based smart sensors. This project aims to develop a liposome-based biosensor technology that mimics cell sensory systems. Selective detection of compounds is increasingly important for food, health and environmental monitoring. Biosensor development faces long-standing challenges such as response time, sensitivity, specificity, and multiplexing. On the other hand, cells can sense and discriminate multiple biomolecules in seconds with high sensitivity and specificity. This project aims to harness cells’ exquisite biological properties to improve current detection techniques. It will integrate liposome-based sensors with microfluidics to perform analytical tasks ranging from food safety to diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,210.00
Summary
Nanoscale laser cooling in physiological environment. By developing fluorescence pattern-based 3D motion-detection technology in optical tweezers, this project aims to reveal how to achieve nanoscale laser cooling in physiological media. It plans to discover new mechanisms of cooling associated with surface phonons and energy looping in optically trapped lanthanide-doped nanoparticles. Key expected outcomes are technology and a toolset to create interaction between cooled nanoscale objects and b ....Nanoscale laser cooling in physiological environment. By developing fluorescence pattern-based 3D motion-detection technology in optical tweezers, this project aims to reveal how to achieve nanoscale laser cooling in physiological media. It plans to discover new mechanisms of cooling associated with surface phonons and energy looping in optically trapped lanthanide-doped nanoparticles. Key expected outcomes are technology and a toolset to create interaction between cooled nanoscale objects and biological samples. These are expected to create a research area of biological laser refrigeration, enabling intracellular organelles cooling, nanoscale membrane disruption and high sensitivity force-sensing for integrin study for use in single-molecule biophysics and multimodality subcellular sensing.Read moreRead less
Integrated Nanoplatform for Multiomics Analysis of Cell-to-Cell Interaction. This project aims to develop an integrated nanoplatform for analysis of exosomes produced by host-pathogen interaction at the single cell level. This will be accomplished by engineering an innovative device involving plasmonic nanoparticles to probe exosomes molecular profiles over time. The intended outcome is a generic and robust platform for detailed molecular analysis of the consequences of cell-to-cell interactions ....Integrated Nanoplatform for Multiomics Analysis of Cell-to-Cell Interaction. This project aims to develop an integrated nanoplatform for analysis of exosomes produced by host-pathogen interaction at the single cell level. This will be accomplished by engineering an innovative device involving plasmonic nanoparticles to probe exosomes molecular profiles over time. The intended outcome is a generic and robust platform for detailed molecular analysis of the consequences of cell-to-cell interactions. Single cell scale will greatly improve detection accuracy for heterogeneous cell populations. Benefits will include new knowledge of cell-to-cell communication and intellectual property in manufacturing, which will foster collaborations across institutions and Australian industry by providing new technological solutions.Read moreRead less