Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453832
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,910.00
Summary
New directions in biomolecular mass spectrometry. The combined UoW/ANU mass spectrometry facility supports a range of research projects in high priority areas including proteomics, mechanisms of aging, anticancer drugs and pathogenicity. The facility has several key deficiencies: 1) the ability to study very high molecular weight biomolecular complexes, 2) the ability to study ion-molecule interactions that have implications in mechanisms of chemistry in nature, and 3) researchers at ANU lack es ....New directions in biomolecular mass spectrometry. The combined UoW/ANU mass spectrometry facility supports a range of research projects in high priority areas including proteomics, mechanisms of aging, anticancer drugs and pathogenicity. The facility has several key deficiencies: 1) the ability to study very high molecular weight biomolecular complexes, 2) the ability to study ion-molecule interactions that have implications in mechanisms of chemistry in nature, and 3) researchers at ANU lack essential walk-up access to high sensitivity protein sequence analysis (MS/MS). The placement of resources that address these deficiencies in one geographical region and collaboration between these institutions will produce a research interaction unique in Australia.Read moreRead less
Characterising post-translational modifications in bacterial proteins. This project represents the first global attempt to characterize post-translational modifications in bacterial proteins using the tools of proteomics. Modifications to proteins are key elements in altering their function. In bacteria, modifications are important in cell-cell adhesion, signalling and triggering of the immune response. Characterisation of modified proteins and their sites of modification represents an opportuni ....Characterising post-translational modifications in bacterial proteins. This project represents the first global attempt to characterize post-translational modifications in bacterial proteins using the tools of proteomics. Modifications to proteins are key elements in altering their function. In bacteria, modifications are important in cell-cell adhesion, signalling and triggering of the immune response. Characterisation of modified proteins and their sites of modification represents an opportunity to understand how bacterial cell populations communicate in the environment, as well as aid in understanding pathogenesis in medical, veterinary and food-borne pathogens. Therefore, improved vaccine targets and therapeutics, as well as method-based products, may be generated by this project.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of new heterocyclic analogues of isoflavones. Intake of high dietary isoflavonoid phytoestrogens has been linked to low prevalence of hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, and heart disease. The isoflavones resemble endogenous estradiol in structure, and have been shown to display weak estrogenic activity. Novogen Limited is pioneering the development of novel drug candidates based on isoflavones. This collaborative research project deals with the development o ....Synthesis of new heterocyclic analogues of isoflavones. Intake of high dietary isoflavonoid phytoestrogens has been linked to low prevalence of hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, and heart disease. The isoflavones resemble endogenous estradiol in structure, and have been shown to display weak estrogenic activity. Novogen Limited is pioneering the development of novel drug candidates based on isoflavones. This collaborative research project deals with the development of synthetic methodologies for the preparation of new analogues of isoflavone metabolites as potential drug candidates. The target compounds will be evaluated for possible therapeutic use by the industry partner.Read moreRead less
Synthesis of pyrroloquinoline analogues of isoflavone metabolites. Cancer and heart disease are the two main diseases that affect our society indiscriminately and put enormous drains on healthcare resources. The intake of high dietary isoflavonoid phytoestrogens has been linked to low prevalence of cancers and heart disease. Novogen Limited is pioneering the development of novel drug candidates based on phytoestrogen metabolites. This collaborative research project deals with the development ....Synthesis of pyrroloquinoline analogues of isoflavone metabolites. Cancer and heart disease are the two main diseases that affect our society indiscriminately and put enormous drains on healthcare resources. The intake of high dietary isoflavonoid phytoestrogens has been linked to low prevalence of cancers and heart disease. Novogen Limited is pioneering the development of novel drug candidates based on phytoestrogen metabolites. This collaborative research project deals with the development of synthetic methodologies for the preparation of new analogues of phytoestrogen metabolites as potential drug candidates. The target compounds will be evaluated for possible therapeutic use by the industry partner.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0237729
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$735,000.00
Summary
A proteomics facility for Queensland researchers. The successful completion of sequencing of the genomes of many organisms, including man, has thrown emphasis back on the identification of proteins involved in the complex events that sustain cellular life. Our aim is to set up a world-class facility for proteomics research which will allow a large cohort of scientists at several institutions to identify individual proteins in vanishingly small samples of very complex mixtures. This facility wi ....A proteomics facility for Queensland researchers. The successful completion of sequencing of the genomes of many organisms, including man, has thrown emphasis back on the identification of proteins involved in the complex events that sustain cellular life. Our aim is to set up a world-class facility for proteomics research which will allow a large cohort of scientists at several institutions to identify individual proteins in vanishingly small samples of very complex mixtures. This facility will enable investigation of the control of gene expression, the intricate organisation of proteins within cells, and proteins which are potential drug targets. This equipment is an essential resource for Queensland research groups.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882913
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Mass spectrometry facility for the quantitation and analysis of post-translationally modified peptides. This proposal will address a gap in our mass spectrometry capabilities and aid in our understanding of the cellular immune response and investigate the chemical diversity of the targets of immunity. This proposal has broad implications in the basic immunology of antigen presentation, in biomarker discovery as well as in the design of new vaccines in infectious disease and cancer and the develo ....Mass spectrometry facility for the quantitation and analysis of post-translationally modified peptides. This proposal will address a gap in our mass spectrometry capabilities and aid in our understanding of the cellular immune response and investigate the chemical diversity of the targets of immunity. This proposal has broad implications in the basic immunology of antigen presentation, in biomarker discovery as well as in the design of new vaccines in infectious disease and cancer and the development of therapies for autoimmune diseases. In addition to these key scientific outcomes this project will also facilitate the training of several new personnel in a skill area for which there is a critical shortage (mass spectrometry) and promote cross-disciplinary skills (immunology, biochemistry, proteomics).Read moreRead less
Amino Acid and Peptide Radicals in Biochemistry and Synthesis. The aim of this research is to develop a better fundamental understanding of biochemical free radical reactions of peptides and proteins, particularly those involving superoxide radical anion and thiols, and peptide radicals in enzyme-catalysed reactions. Knowledge gained through this work will be used in the synthesis of physiologically active amino acids and peptides, as well as to establish ways to regulate biochemical free radic ....Amino Acid and Peptide Radicals in Biochemistry and Synthesis. The aim of this research is to develop a better fundamental understanding of biochemical free radical reactions of peptides and proteins, particularly those involving superoxide radical anion and thiols, and peptide radicals in enzyme-catalysed reactions. Knowledge gained through this work will be used in the synthesis of physiologically active amino acids and peptides, as well as to establish ways to regulate biochemical free radical processes. The ultimate goal of the research is to develop methods and pharmaceutical compounds to prevent and treat human disorders associated with these reactions, and to underpin commercial exploitation of peptide and protein biomaterials.Read moreRead less
Understanding dendrimer pharmaceuticals: The application of parallel computing to the investigation of dendrimer structure and activity. Dendrimers or starburst polymers are an important new class of synthetic material with physical and chemical properties that lie between those of small organic molecules and traditional linear polymers. One exciting area of application is the development of new dendrimer-based pharmaceuticals. This project aims to use computer-aided molecular modelling method ....Understanding dendrimer pharmaceuticals: The application of parallel computing to the investigation of dendrimer structure and activity. Dendrimers or starburst polymers are an important new class of synthetic material with physical and chemical properties that lie between those of small organic molecules and traditional linear polymers. One exciting area of application is the development of new dendrimer-based pharmaceuticals. This project aims to use computer-aided molecular modelling methods to investigate the three dimensional structure and dynamic behaviour of dendrimers. This will assist in the design of new compounds to target diseases such as secondary cancers, asthma and viral respiratory diseases.Read moreRead less
Interfacial Studies of Nanoparticulate Dendrimers for Improved BioPharmaceutical Application. Dendrimers are a novel class of nanoparticles with exciting potential as pharmaceuticals for the prevention of major disease states, e.g. viral and cancer. A colloid and interfacial chemistry approach will be employed to develop an understanding of the mechanisms for the solution to cell transport processes and for optimisation of formulation strategies for delivery vehicles. Significant advances in t ....Interfacial Studies of Nanoparticulate Dendrimers for Improved BioPharmaceutical Application. Dendrimers are a novel class of nanoparticles with exciting potential as pharmaceuticals for the prevention of major disease states, e.g. viral and cancer. A colloid and interfacial chemistry approach will be employed to develop an understanding of the mechanisms for the solution to cell transport processes and for optimisation of formulation strategies for delivery vehicles. Significant advances in the development of novel pharmaceutical products will result, with significant social and economic benefits nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Theoretical studies of molecular mechanisms of abnormal protein aggregation. Many proteins undergo conformational change and association as part of their physiological behavior. However, some proteins share a tendency to abnormal aggregation and form amyloid fibrils leading to disorders such as Alzheimer's and variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob diseases. Insulin, one such protein, has a high propensity to aggregate and form fibrils creating difficulties in preparation, storage and application. Using adva ....Theoretical studies of molecular mechanisms of abnormal protein aggregation. Many proteins undergo conformational change and association as part of their physiological behavior. However, some proteins share a tendency to abnormal aggregation and form amyloid fibrils leading to disorders such as Alzheimer's and variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob diseases. Insulin, one such protein, has a high propensity to aggregate and form fibrils creating difficulties in preparation, storage and application. Using advanced theoretical modelling techniques we will gain insight into the molecular mechanism of fibrillation by investigating the formation of insulin aggregates. An improved understanding of the essential mechanism of protein aggregation will allow the rational design of new drugs.Read moreRead less