Fungal Ribosomally Synthesised and Post-translationally Modified Peptides. Fungi produce an array of molecules called secondary metabolites (SMs) that impact on everyday life (e.g. penicillin). This project aims to investigate a new class of fungal peptide SMs called RiPPs which are structurally unique from existing molecules and offer the exciting prospect of harbouring new and novel biological activities. This project expects to discover the mechanisms of RiPP synthesis and their biological ro ....Fungal Ribosomally Synthesised and Post-translationally Modified Peptides. Fungi produce an array of molecules called secondary metabolites (SMs) that impact on everyday life (e.g. penicillin). This project aims to investigate a new class of fungal peptide SMs called RiPPs which are structurally unique from existing molecules and offer the exciting prospect of harbouring new and novel biological activities. This project expects to discover the mechanisms of RiPP synthesis and their biological roles in plant pathogenic fungi, and uncover and engineer novel RiPPs with desired bioactivities. The expected outcome from this project will be a seminal advance in fungal SM biology which should provide significant benefits through the generation of exciting new lead molecules for the agricultural and medical industries.Read moreRead less
Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data. This project aims to assess the utility of near-real-time data from the currently operating space gravity satellite mission to quantify and track flood waters in Australia. Through analysis of the satellite data and fusion of observed signals with rainfall, river flows and conventional hydrological modelling, it expects to create new knowledge of soil moisture and movement of flood waters. Expected outcomes include a capability to im ....Tracking flood waters over Australia using space gravity data. This project aims to assess the utility of near-real-time data from the currently operating space gravity satellite mission to quantify and track flood waters in Australia. Through analysis of the satellite data and fusion of observed signals with rainfall, river flows and conventional hydrological modelling, it expects to create new knowledge of soil moisture and movement of flood waters. Expected outcomes include a capability to improve hydrological models by including the information of water signals obtained from the near-real-time observations. This should provide significant benefits such as more accurate land saturation maps and better predictions of runoff and flood risk.Read moreRead less
Restoring amphibian populations in chytrid-impacted landscapes. This project aims to address an outstanding problem in wildlife disease ecology: how can we enable susceptible amphibians to persist in the face of the chytrid pathogen, which has devastated amphibian biodiversity? This project expects to generate new knowledge by experimentally trialling two highly promising interventions: immunising animals and creating disease refugia through simple habitat manipulations. Outcomes of this project ....Restoring amphibian populations in chytrid-impacted landscapes. This project aims to address an outstanding problem in wildlife disease ecology: how can we enable susceptible amphibians to persist in the face of the chytrid pathogen, which has devastated amphibian biodiversity? This project expects to generate new knowledge by experimentally trialling two highly promising interventions: immunising animals and creating disease refugia through simple habitat manipulations. Outcomes of this project include a framework for predicting how interventions might enable host-pathogen coexistence. This project should provide significant benefits including enhanced understanding of wildlife disease dynamics that will pave the way for interventions to restore amphibian biodiversity in chytrid-impacted landscapes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100148
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,350,000.00
Summary
Advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Southeast Queensland. This project aims to establish an advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance capability and capacity at two of Queenslands' leading research intensive universities. The project expects to enhance the scope and productivity of hundreds of research projects spanning natural products, synthetic, medicinal, materials and environmental science. Expected outcomes include smarter science, more productive collaborations and superior res ....Advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technologies for Southeast Queensland. This project aims to establish an advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance capability and capacity at two of Queenslands' leading research intensive universities. The project expects to enhance the scope and productivity of hundreds of research projects spanning natural products, synthetic, medicinal, materials and environmental science. Expected outcomes include smarter science, more productive collaborations and superior research training, leading to innovative solutions to challenging problems that confront science and society. This investment should provide significant benefits in the form of new knowledge across multiple disciplines, informing the design of future medicines, agrochemicals, materials and other products.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,645.00
Summary
Unravelling how ecosystems function through time and space. This project aims to build a whole-of-ecosystem model to trace the biological capture of energy and cycling of matter as it moves through entire river catchments. It is expected to generate new knowledge about ecological responses to environmental streamflow through the novel integration of all major food-web compartments – from dissolved molecules to predatory fish – in a single framework. The expected outcome of this project is an enh ....Unravelling how ecosystems function through time and space. This project aims to build a whole-of-ecosystem model to trace the biological capture of energy and cycling of matter as it moves through entire river catchments. It is expected to generate new knowledge about ecological responses to environmental streamflow through the novel integration of all major food-web compartments – from dissolved molecules to predatory fish – in a single framework. The expected outcome of this project is an enhanced capacity to predict the ecological consequences of future water management scenarios, facilitating more precise management of river systems. This should provide considerable benefits to the health of Australia’s rivers and the contributions these ecosystems make to society, environment, and agriculture.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
Advances in Peptide Synthesis: Exploiting Underutilised Functional Groups. The translation of therapeutically-relevant classes of peptides to the clinic is often limited by chemists' ability to synthesise these complex biomolecules efficiently and sustainably. This project aims to develop new tools for the preparation of designer peptides that are broadly inspired by an underutilised reactive group found in naturally-occurring peptide sequences. Expected outcomes encompass health and economic be ....Advances in Peptide Synthesis: Exploiting Underutilised Functional Groups. The translation of therapeutically-relevant classes of peptides to the clinic is often limited by chemists' ability to synthesise these complex biomolecules efficiently and sustainably. This project aims to develop new tools for the preparation of designer peptides that are broadly inspired by an underutilised reactive group found in naturally-occurring peptide sequences. Expected outcomes encompass health and economic benefits for the Australian community, including: the first approach to a class of promising antibiotic peptide natural product analogues, the development of a mild electrochemical approach to peptide modification, and the production of a library of novel amino acids for incorporation into potential antibiotic leads.Read moreRead less
Time to shine for constrained peptides as next-generation pharmaceuticals. Current methods for the screening and generation of peptide and protein drugs are laborious, expensive and often incompatible with the biological systems used in pharmaceutical industries. Leveraging recent advancements in chemistry and molecular biology, this project aims to improve the design, synthesis and screening of peptide-based pharmaceuticals. Key research outcomes are innovative biocompatible chemical transforma ....Time to shine for constrained peptides as next-generation pharmaceuticals. Current methods for the screening and generation of peptide and protein drugs are laborious, expensive and often incompatible with the biological systems used in pharmaceutical industries. Leveraging recent advancements in chemistry and molecular biology, this project aims to improve the design, synthesis and screening of peptide-based pharmaceuticals. Key research outcomes are innovative biocompatible chemical transformations for the screening of large peptide libraries, to unleash the revolutionary potential of constrained peptides in drug development. Expected benefits are reliable and cost-effective technologies for the rapid production of biologically active molecules for future targeted use in human and agricultural pharmaceuticals.Read moreRead less
Barriers and pathways to development of Indigenous traditional medicines. This project aims to explore how Australian regulatory systems can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Knowledge (TK) holders to commercialise their traditional medicines. Focusing on the mudjala plant and working with the Kimberley’s Nyikina people, the project should generate new anthropological methods for documenting TK related to traditional medicine, new models for regulating traditional ....Barriers and pathways to development of Indigenous traditional medicines. This project aims to explore how Australian regulatory systems can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Knowledge (TK) holders to commercialise their traditional medicines. Focusing on the mudjala plant and working with the Kimberley’s Nyikina people, the project should generate new anthropological methods for documenting TK related to traditional medicine, new models for regulating traditional medicinal products, and pharmacological insights into traditional methods of activating the plant. Additional expected outcomes include unlocking the significant, untapped potential for Indigenous Australians to benefit from the development of traditional medicine products regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.Read moreRead less