ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (CIPPS) strives to build a critical understanding of peptides and proteins in order to unleash the potential of these biomolecules for human benefit. We will discover nature’s untapped reservoir of peptides and proteins, decode their structures and functions, and
develop enhanced synthetic technologies to address biology’s next grand challenge—the d ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (CIPPS) strives to build a critical understanding of peptides and proteins in order to unleash the potential of these biomolecules for human benefit. We will discover nature’s untapped reservoir of peptides and proteins, decode their structures and functions, and
develop enhanced synthetic technologies to address biology’s next grand challenge—the design of peptides and proteins for targeted scientific, agricultural, biotechnology, animal health and pharmaceutical applications. CIPPS will assemble leading researchers from diverse disciplines to create a sustainable national entity that will drive new Australian industries and train next generation researchers.Read moreRead less
Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and ....Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and proteins will also be developed. The outcomes of this research will lead to breakthroughs in synthetic methodologies for the assembly and functionalisation of peptides and proteins, thereby enabling access to a range of homogeneous, post translationally modified proteins though total chemical synthesis. These research outcomes will expand Australia's research capability and global competitiveness in the field of biotechnology, delivering significant benefits to the third largest manufacturing sector in Australia.Read moreRead less
Development and application of new peptide ligation methods for the synthesis and structure-function studies of glycoproteins. Novel synthetic technologies will be developed in this project to facilitate the preparation of glycoproteins, which are of widespread biological and therapeutic interest. These methods will enable the preparation of pure glycoproteins for detailed biochemical and functional studies eventually leading to therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
New peptide ligation technology for the rapid assembly of modified proteins. The project aims to develop novel technologies to enable the synthesis of modified proteins that are of widespread biological and therapeutic interest. More than 70 per cent of all human proteins are modified with a range of functionalities after translation from the ribosome. Although these modifications are of crucial importance for biological activity, characterising the effect of a given modification on function is ....New peptide ligation technology for the rapid assembly of modified proteins. The project aims to develop novel technologies to enable the synthesis of modified proteins that are of widespread biological and therapeutic interest. More than 70 per cent of all human proteins are modified with a range of functionalities after translation from the ribosome. Although these modifications are of crucial importance for biological activity, characterising the effect of a given modification on function is difficult due to problems in obtaining the protein in pure form. The goal of this project is to develop a peptide ligation methodology to access pure modified proteins in a rapid manner through the exploitation of a new reaction recently discovered in our laboratory. The project plans to explore the scope and mechanism of the new reaction as well as its application in the total chemical synthesis and structure-function studies of important modified proteins.Read moreRead less
In vivo molecular imaging using engineered affinity reagents and fluorescent laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy. The goal of this project is to develop laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy as a tool for basic scientific discovery and rapid detection of disease biomarkers. The cutting-edge instrument and associated technologies will provide scientists with unprecedented access to dynamic biological processes as they occur in real-time. In addition, it will enable the development of virtual ....In vivo molecular imaging using engineered affinity reagents and fluorescent laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy. The goal of this project is to develop laser scanning confocal endomicroscopy as a tool for basic scientific discovery and rapid detection of disease biomarkers. The cutting-edge instrument and associated technologies will provide scientists with unprecedented access to dynamic biological processes as they occur in real-time. In addition, it will enable the development of virtual biopsies and instant diagnosis without the need for costly and time-consuming histopathological reports. Thus, it will not only drive transformative research but also transform health care delivery. It will also be a major boost to the Australian biotechnology industry with potential for enormous economic benefits.Read moreRead less
New methods for the chemical synthesis of a library of glycopeptide-based tri-component cancer vaccines. A novel method for the synthesis of tumour-associated glycopeptides will be developed in this research as well as the preparation of a library of glycopeptide-based cancer vaccines. These vaccines will be tested in immunological studies with a view to elucidating new immune-based therapies for the treatment of cancer.
Fine-tuning the conformations of cyclic peptides: a paradigm for optimising synthetic efficiency and biological activity. This proposal develops a strategy for optimising the synthesis and properties of an important class of drug molecules known as cyclic peptides. Such molecules show great promise as therapeutic agents, but they can be very difficult to synthesise and their three-dimensional shapes can be difficult to control. This project simultaneously addresses both of these problems, by exp ....Fine-tuning the conformations of cyclic peptides: a paradigm for optimising synthetic efficiency and biological activity. This proposal develops a strategy for optimising the synthesis and properties of an important class of drug molecules known as cyclic peptides. Such molecules show great promise as therapeutic agents, but they can be very difficult to synthesise and their three-dimensional shapes can be difficult to control. This project simultaneously addresses both of these problems, by exploiting a series of unusual amino acid building blocks that have a variety of shapes and different levels of conformational flexibility. This strategy will enable the development of a wide variety of therapeutically-relevant cyclic peptides, and to exemplify this concept a panel of cyclic peptides will be created that are specifically targeted for activity against solid tumours.Read moreRead less
Harnessing molecular strain for drug discovery and bioconjugation. Peptides and proteins are increasingly important therapies for the treatment of disease. Nevertheless, the synthesis and optimisation of these high-value compounds still relies primarily on technologies developed decades ago. There is a desperate need for modern strategies to unlock the full potential of peptides and proteins for diverse applications in drug discovery. This interdisciplinary research aims to develop new tools for ....Harnessing molecular strain for drug discovery and bioconjugation. Peptides and proteins are increasingly important therapies for the treatment of disease. Nevertheless, the synthesis and optimisation of these high-value compounds still relies primarily on technologies developed decades ago. There is a desperate need for modern strategies to unlock the full potential of peptides and proteins for diverse applications in drug discovery. This interdisciplinary research aims to develop new tools for the construction and modification of peptides and proteins by harnessing the energy in a unique class of strained molecules. A focus on peptide-based inhibitors of the proteasome, a critical target for modern cancer treatments, should provide future health and economic benefits for the Australian community.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101632
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Development of Innovative Chemical Tools for Studying Glycosyltransferases . This project aims to develop chemical probes capable of selectively binding and inhibiting two classes of carbohydrate processing enzymes known as O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine transferase and sialyltransferases. These enzymes are overexpressed in various cancers and play critical roles in cancer progression. Probes will be developed to analyse the activities of these enzymes in cancer cells.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101329
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$435,000.00
Summary
Advanced Chemical Protein Synthesis and Applications. This project aims to develop enhanced methods for the chemical assembly of peptides, oligonucleotides and proteins. This will lead to the creation of new knowledge in chemistry and structural biology, and underpin advances in the drug discovery process, pharmaceutical manufacture and biocatalysis. Once complete, it is expected that lower cost, greener processes for manufacturing drugs such as Enfuvirtide (for HIV) will ensue. A new generatio ....Advanced Chemical Protein Synthesis and Applications. This project aims to develop enhanced methods for the chemical assembly of peptides, oligonucleotides and proteins. This will lead to the creation of new knowledge in chemistry and structural biology, and underpin advances in the drug discovery process, pharmaceutical manufacture and biocatalysis. Once complete, it is expected that lower cost, greener processes for manufacturing drugs such as Enfuvirtide (for HIV) will ensue. A new generation of hyper-stable, environmentally friendly catalysts will also be developed. This could enable domestic production of fine chemicals and essential medicines, and thus create high-tech jobs in a more diversified, resilient economy. Ultimately, it could lead to improved outcomes in human health.Read moreRead less