Metals in biocatalysis. Metals and enzymes are essential for the chemistry of life. This project will aim to garner the potential of metal-dependent enzymes to develop new drugs against osteoporosis, combat the spread of antibiotics resistance and optimise some of these enzymes to detoxify pesticide-polluted environments, thus contributing to global health and food security.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102673
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
F420-Reductases from mycobacteria: new opportunities for health care and environmental protection. A new class of enzymes, derived from the bacteria responsible for drug resistant forms of tuberculosis and leprosy, will be studied at a molecular level. New antibiotics will be designed, based on the molecular structures of these proteins. The proteins themselves will be engineered to break down harmful environmental toxins.
Development of small molecule primary sulfonamides as new drugs for malaria. Malaria is a major global health threat, causing approximately 800,000 deaths annually. Lives can be saved if patients are treated. The use of current antimalarial drugs is limited by drug resistance, low activity and poor safety. This project investigates the effectiveness of a new class of molecule as a safe drug treatment option to kill malaria parasites.
Dissecting catalysis and inhibition of a unique endo-acting mannose-processing glycosidase. Defects in the attachment of carbohydrates to proteins are a hallmark of diseases such as cancer and viral infection. This project will dissect the molecular details of the bond-making and breaking steps that occur during the synthesis of glycoproteins assisting in the development of innovative new drugs.
Novel antimicrobial surface coatings for Cochlear implants. The objective of this project is to develop new antimicrobial coatings for materials used to manufacture biomedical devices. Infection associated with the use of biomaterials such as biomedical implants, catheters and orthopaedic prostheses is a major barrier to the use of these devices. The coatings that the project plans to develop are based on novel antimicrobials which have been shown to prevent adhesion and colonisation of biomater ....Novel antimicrobial surface coatings for Cochlear implants. The objective of this project is to develop new antimicrobial coatings for materials used to manufacture biomedical devices. Infection associated with the use of biomaterials such as biomedical implants, catheters and orthopaedic prostheses is a major barrier to the use of these devices. The coatings that the project plans to develop are based on novel antimicrobials which have been shown to prevent adhesion and colonisation of biomaterials by bacteria in vivo. This strategy has the potential to prevent device-related infections and revolutionise the biomaterials industry.Read moreRead less
Multifunctional biodegradable nanoparticles for enhanced DNA vaccine delivery. DNA vaccine, which shows better immunological and economic merits than conventional vaccines, suffers clinical failure due to the difficulty of delivering intact DNA molecules to relevant cells. This project seeks to develop smart polymer nanospheres to protect the DNA molecules from premature degradation in order to improve its efficacy.
Fragment based screening to deliver drugs targeting tuberculosis and the gametocyte and liver stages of Plasmodium. This project will identify natural products that bind to critical proteins in malaria and tuberculosis to discover new ways to treat these diseases.
Novel antimicrobial surface coatings for biomedical applications. There are currently no effective biomaterial coatings to reduce device related infections. Such materials are needed to address the high rates of infection that can occur. The melimine technology proposed here has the potential to significantly reduce rates of infection, reduce health care costs and advantage the Australian biomaterials industry.
Novel peptide mimics for the disruption of chemical communication in bacteria. It is now well established that bacteria communicate with each other via small diffusible signalling molecules and coordinate their activities such as biofilm formation, swarming and expression of virulence factors in a coordinated manner. This project will investigate the synthesis of novel organic molecules that have the capacity to disrupt chemical communication in bacteria. This could allow control of the unwante ....Novel peptide mimics for the disruption of chemical communication in bacteria. It is now well established that bacteria communicate with each other via small diffusible signalling molecules and coordinate their activities such as biofilm formation, swarming and expression of virulence factors in a coordinated manner. This project will investigate the synthesis of novel organic molecules that have the capacity to disrupt chemical communication in bacteria. This could allow control of the unwanted microbial activity without the use of growth inhibitory agents such as antibiotics, preservatives and disinfectants that select for the resistant organisms. This elegant approach to eradicating the virulence behaviour of microbes represents a novel strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance.Read moreRead less
New scaffolds for antimicrobial discovery. This project aims to investigate the synthesis of novel glyoxylamide antimicrobial peptide mimics that have the capacity to disrupt bacterial membranes. The innovative interdisciplinary approach expects to generate new, small molecular antimicrobial mimics that possess a low propensity for developing resistance. This could allow control of the unwanted microbial activity without the use of antibiotics that select for the resistant organisms. It will pro ....New scaffolds for antimicrobial discovery. This project aims to investigate the synthesis of novel glyoxylamide antimicrobial peptide mimics that have the capacity to disrupt bacterial membranes. The innovative interdisciplinary approach expects to generate new, small molecular antimicrobial mimics that possess a low propensity for developing resistance. This could allow control of the unwanted microbial activity without the use of antibiotics that select for the resistant organisms. It will provide excellent training for young researchers and lead to high quality research publications in international journals.Read moreRead less