Passive mechanical properties of human muscles. Australia has a strong record in the discipline of biomechanics. The proposed studies will help maintain Australia's standing in the discipline. They will provide fundamental new data on the properties of human muscles and basic insights into muscle growth and adaptation. The data will be used to develop more refined biomechanical models than is currently possible. The studies will also provide training in world-leading research methods for two PhD ....Passive mechanical properties of human muscles. Australia has a strong record in the discipline of biomechanics. The proposed studies will help maintain Australia's standing in the discipline. They will provide fundamental new data on the properties of human muscles and basic insights into muscle growth and adaptation. The data will be used to develop more refined biomechanical models than is currently possible. The studies will also provide training in world-leading research methods for two PhD students and a research associate.Read moreRead less
Immobilised Lipid Chromatography for Membrane Protein Isolation and Analysis. Current techniques for membrane protein are inadequate for the emerging proteomic challenge, in which approximately 40% of proteins are predicted to be membrane associated. The aim of this proposal is to develop a new approach to purify membrane proteins using our recently-developed immobilised membrane chromatography materials. The present proposal will provide a new high-resolution separation technique that allows is ....Immobilised Lipid Chromatography for Membrane Protein Isolation and Analysis. Current techniques for membrane protein are inadequate for the emerging proteomic challenge, in which approximately 40% of proteins are predicted to be membrane associated. The aim of this proposal is to develop a new approach to purify membrane proteins using our recently-developed immobilised membrane chromatography materials. The present proposal will provide a new high-resolution separation technique that allows isolation and on-line mass analysis of complex mixtures of membrane proteins for subsequent proteomic analysis, high-throughput screening or structural studies and could form the basis for further development of new commercial tools for membrane protein analysis.Read moreRead less
Biological Role of Contraction-Induced Heat Shock Protein Expression. It is well known that mammalian skeletal muscle increases its expression of a group of highly conserved proteins, the heat shock proteins (HSP) in response to repeated contraction. However, the biological role of this expression is unclear. The aim of this project is to determine the biological role of contraction-induced HSP expression. We expect to show that HSP synthesis in response to exercise has three major roles; 1) to ....Biological Role of Contraction-Induced Heat Shock Protein Expression. It is well known that mammalian skeletal muscle increases its expression of a group of highly conserved proteins, the heat shock proteins (HSP) in response to repeated contraction. However, the biological role of this expression is unclear. The aim of this project is to determine the biological role of contraction-induced HSP expression. We expect to show that HSP synthesis in response to exercise has three major roles; 1) to act to repair damaged proteins in recovery from muscle injury 2) to act as a "molecular motor" to translocate proteins from one region of a muscle cell to another and 3) to be released into the circulation in order to act as a central signal to activate immune cells. Such a project will be significant because it will allow for a fundamental understanding as to why these proteins are produced in response to exercise. We expect to enhance our understanding of fundamental cell biology.Read moreRead less
Theoretical and experimental studies on magnetoelectroelastic bone remodelling process. The project combines biotechnology and material science which will have national economic, social and environment impact. It can benefit industry by providing knowledge that help scientists understand remodeling under coupled fields and is used to develop bone replacement. By better understanding remodeling due to multi-field loading, we can assist scientists in aeronautical industry in developing countermeas ....Theoretical and experimental studies on magnetoelectroelastic bone remodelling process. The project combines biotechnology and material science which will have national economic, social and environment impact. It can benefit industry by providing knowledge that help scientists understand remodeling under coupled fields and is used to develop bone replacement. By better understanding remodeling due to multi-field loading, we can assist scientists in aeronautical industry in developing countermeasures that reduce or eliminate bone loss resulting from long-duration space flight. It can provide knowledge that can be used to explore underlying mechanisms controlling bone remodeling and self-repair in gaining insight into debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis, to develop high-performance prosthetics for medical injury healing.Read moreRead less
Higher cognition and hemispheric specialization in an avian species: referential and intentional communication. We will discover whether alarm calls of Australian magpies, noted for their outstanding range of vocalisations, are referential (signalling predator type and location) and intentional (vocalised in specific contexts). Such complex communication , once thought to be unique to humans, has been found in some mammals and just one avian species, the domestic chick. This project will be the ....Higher cognition and hemispheric specialization in an avian species: referential and intentional communication. We will discover whether alarm calls of Australian magpies, noted for their outstanding range of vocalisations, are referential (signalling predator type and location) and intentional (vocalised in specific contexts). Such complex communication , once thought to be unique to humans, has been found in some mammals and just one avian species, the domestic chick. This project will be the first such investigation of an avian species in its natural habitat. This is important also because bird and mammalian brains are organised differently and birds offer a unique opportunity to discover whether one hemisphere is specialised for this purpose.Read moreRead less
A network perspective for ecosystem responses to plant invasion. Invasive species are key drivers of global change, yet, our understanding of their negative impacts on ecosystems is limited within many contexts. This project will provide the first large-scale test for interactions between plants and microbes, via network analyses, as yardsticks for invasive species impacts on ecosystems. Using innovative approaches that link interactions network properties with ecosystem functioning, the fundame ....A network perspective for ecosystem responses to plant invasion. Invasive species are key drivers of global change, yet, our understanding of their negative impacts on ecosystems is limited within many contexts. This project will provide the first large-scale test for interactions between plants and microbes, via network analyses, as yardsticks for invasive species impacts on ecosystems. Using innovative approaches that link interactions network properties with ecosystem functioning, the fundamental data generated in this study will answer unsolved theoretical questions, providing evidence for the use of networks to predict and mitigate invader impacts. These benefits are not only crucial for biodiversity managers but also for those responsible for sustainable crop development under future climates.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
Molecular dissection of the effects of alpha-actinin-3 deficiency on normal variation in skeletal muscle function. We will study the mechanisms by which a common genetic variant influences muscle bulk, muscle strength and the metabolic efficiency of muscle in the general population. Common genetic variants that influence skeletal muscle function have major potential public health implications as they are likely to influence individuals' response to exercise and diet, and to contribute to suscept ....Molecular dissection of the effects of alpha-actinin-3 deficiency on normal variation in skeletal muscle function. We will study the mechanisms by which a common genetic variant influences muscle bulk, muscle strength and the metabolic efficiency of muscle in the general population. Common genetic variants that influence skeletal muscle function have major potential public health implications as they are likely to influence individuals' response to exercise and diet, and to contribute to susceptibility to common diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and the loss of muscle strength in the elderly. In addition, the identification of genetic factors that influence muscle bulk in vertebrates has implications for breeding programs in sheep and cattle and may provide commercial benefit to the livestock industry.Read moreRead less
The desire for knowledge: Neural mechanisms of information-seeking. This project aims to determine the mechanisms that drive individuals to seek out information, and to characterise the neural processes that underlie how that information is valued. The project tests the idea that information is represented in the brain as a form of reward. The results are expected to contribute significant mechanistic insights at the level of brain and behaviour on the nature of information value. This is likely ....The desire for knowledge: Neural mechanisms of information-seeking. This project aims to determine the mechanisms that drive individuals to seek out information, and to characterise the neural processes that underlie how that information is valued. The project tests the idea that information is represented in the brain as a form of reward. The results are expected to contribute significant mechanistic insights at the level of brain and behaviour on the nature of information value. This is likely to have wide-ranging implications across multiple domains of human endeavour, including education, work-place efficiency, policy development, and consumer behaviour.Read moreRead less
Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotope ....Stable isotopes in marsupials: reconstruction of environmental change in Australia. This project will establish the application of stable isotope analysis of marsupial bones for the reconstruction of past environments, a key area to advance Australian prehistory. On a continental scale, it will establish the relationship between stable isotopes (C, O, N) in bones and environmental factors (e.g., plant distribution, humidity, temperature); on a local scale, the relationship between stable isotopes and aboriginal land management. The project will provide a late Quaternary environmental reconstruction along a transect from the coastal regions in South Australia into the Lake Eyre Basin and explore the methodological limitations at sites with long fossil records.Read moreRead less