Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis - Fungal Determinants Of Invasion Of The CNS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,634.00
Summary
Meningitis and brain infection (meningoencephalitis) due to the fungus Cryptococcus, affect over 1 million patients with AIDS annually, especially in developing countries; with more than 600,000 deaths. It is not known how Cryptococci cross from the blood stream into the brain; this must be elucidated in order to prevent and/or control this devastating infection. This project will determine how cryptococci influence host blood cells to act as “Trojan horses” and/or release products that initiate ....Meningitis and brain infection (meningoencephalitis) due to the fungus Cryptococcus, affect over 1 million patients with AIDS annually, especially in developing countries; with more than 600,000 deaths. It is not known how Cryptococci cross from the blood stream into the brain; this must be elucidated in order to prevent and/or control this devastating infection. This project will determine how cryptococci influence host blood cells to act as “Trojan horses” and/or release products that initiate invasion of brain tissue and meningitis.Read moreRead less
Signalling Pathways And Fungal Virulence – The Inositol Polyphosphate Kinase Pathway In Cryptococcus Neoformans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$545,189.00
Summary
Bloodstream fungal infections kill millions of people per year world-wide and are costly to treat. A potentially fruitful strategy for developing new, urgently-needed drugs to fight these infections, is to target signalling pathways, which in fungi, are essential for establishing infection. This proposal investigates how one such pathway, the inositolpolyphosphate kinase pathway, allows fungi to establish infection and will determine which components are suitable targets for drug development.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668382
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,000,000.00
Summary
e-Research Infrastructure for the Molecular and Materials Structure Sciences. Understanding molecular and materials structure in atomic detail is vital to a knowledge-based economy and a healthy society. The development of smart materials, nanotechnological devices, hydrogen storage materials, molecular switches, magnets and sensors, for example, depends on knowledge of three-dimensional atomic structure. Cures for illnesses such as SARS, AIDS and Alzheimer's disease and understanding the aging ....e-Research Infrastructure for the Molecular and Materials Structure Sciences. Understanding molecular and materials structure in atomic detail is vital to a knowledge-based economy and a healthy society. The development of smart materials, nanotechnological devices, hydrogen storage materials, molecular switches, magnets and sensors, for example, depends on knowledge of three-dimensional atomic structure. Cures for illnesses such as SARS, AIDS and Alzheimer's disease and understanding the aging process depends on knowledge of biomolecular structure. The deployment and development of automation-enhanced remote access to structural instruments through the web will greatly enhance Australian structure-based research, and make this science accessible to the public. Read moreRead less
The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) Of Healthy Brain Ageing And Age-related Neurocognitive Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,960.00
Summary
Ageing is associated with cognitive decline and dementia. It is still not completely understood what relative contributions genes and environment play in these. This project is an extension of the Older Australian Twins Study to examine genetic and environmental factors associated with late life brain changes and dementia, and will establish an internationally significant cohort for novel discovery.
Surface Chemistry meets Cell Biology: Molecular Level Control of Surface Architecture for Cell Adhesion and Migration. Biotechnological applications such as tissue engineering, bone supports, implantable materials, cell assays and biosensors all require detailed knowledge of how cells interact with their environment. The proposed research aims to provide this knowledge by developing unique modified surfaces to investigate white blood cell migration and adhesion. Additional expected outcome will ....Surface Chemistry meets Cell Biology: Molecular Level Control of Surface Architecture for Cell Adhesion and Migration. Biotechnological applications such as tissue engineering, bone supports, implantable materials, cell assays and biosensors all require detailed knowledge of how cells interact with their environment. The proposed research aims to provide this knowledge by developing unique modified surfaces to investigate white blood cell migration and adhesion. Additional expected outcome will contribute to our understanding of the many fundamental cellular processes such as cell growth, differentiation and cell death as well as the molecular basis of diseases such as inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and wound healing. This research program will establish Australia as a leading force in this new research field.Read moreRead less
The development of tuneable materials to allow the three-dimensional printing of cells. New low cost three-dimensional (3D) printers and reagents will be developed during this project to allow cancer biologists to print cells and polymers as more realistic 3D tissue models for biological assays. Such technology will be important for performing basic research into cancers as well as for providing better tools for drug testing.
Nanotherapeutics: nanoparticles with high specificity for the delivery and controlled release of drugs. This technology will deliver therapeutic drugs and/or MRI contrast agents to individual diseased cells with very high specificity and selectivity. The cells can be interogated to determine when they are "loaded" and the site of the "loaded" cells precisely determined. Drugs can be released photochemically. The administered dosage can be decreased with no loss of efficacy, and side effects re ....Nanotherapeutics: nanoparticles with high specificity for the delivery and controlled release of drugs. This technology will deliver therapeutic drugs and/or MRI contrast agents to individual diseased cells with very high specificity and selectivity. The cells can be interogated to determine when they are "loaded" and the site of the "loaded" cells precisely determined. Drugs can be released photochemically. The administered dosage can be decreased with no loss of efficacy, and side effects reduced. Read moreRead less
Biomagnification of the biotoxin BMAA in the environment. Using unique models and technics, the project aims to demonstrate that long-term exposure to the blue green algae toxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) leads to uptake, accumulation and toxicity within the central nervous system. The risks for heath, mechanisms of contamination and toxicity of BMAA are very poorly understood. Algal blooms cost the Australian community more than $250 million each year and represent a major health issue fo ....Biomagnification of the biotoxin BMAA in the environment. Using unique models and technics, the project aims to demonstrate that long-term exposure to the blue green algae toxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) leads to uptake, accumulation and toxicity within the central nervous system. The risks for heath, mechanisms of contamination and toxicity of BMAA are very poorly understood. Algal blooms cost the Australian community more than $250 million each year and represent a major health issue for human and fauna. This project aims to be the first to fully characterise BMAA mechanisms of contamination and neurotoxicity and to highlight the major environmental risk of exposure of human to BMAA. It also aims to develop new and unique detection and quantification tools for BMAA.Read moreRead less
Role Of IGF Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) And IGFBP-5 As Modulators Of Nuclear Hormone Signalling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$465,750.00
Summary
The insulin-like growth factors are small proteins involved in the growth of most tissues. Their actions are regulated by binding to larger proteins (known as IGFBPs) in the bloodstream and outside the cell. However, some IGFBPs are also found inside cells, where they seem to carry out other functions. We believe that two of these binding proteins, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, change the way cells respond to vitamin A and vitamin D. These two vitamins are important in cell growth and in the way certain ....The insulin-like growth factors are small proteins involved in the growth of most tissues. Their actions are regulated by binding to larger proteins (known as IGFBPs) in the bloodstream and outside the cell. However, some IGFBPs are also found inside cells, where they seem to carry out other functions. We believe that two of these binding proteins, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, change the way cells respond to vitamin A and vitamin D. These two vitamins are important in cell growth and in the way certain cells perform specialised functions. In test-tube experiments, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 interact directly with the receptors that regulate the effects of these hormones. If the same thing happens inside the cell, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 could change the way these receptors respond to signals from outside the cell. We will investigate what effect these IGFBPs have in living cells and in whole animals and how this may relate to human disease. If we are able to understand how IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 affect the way cells respond to vitamin A and D, then we may be able to develop new ways to treat certain human diseases.Read moreRead less
A novel platform for the biosynthesis of commercially valuable saxitoxins. Saxitoxins are potent microbial toxins, which pose a significant threat to food and water quality. Highly pure saxitoxins are required for environmental monitoring and studies of cell physiology. Certain analogues have also shown promise as long-lasting and non-addictive pain blockers. However, the procurement of these compounds from natural sources is convoluted and unsustainable. This project aims to use the latest synt ....A novel platform for the biosynthesis of commercially valuable saxitoxins. Saxitoxins are potent microbial toxins, which pose a significant threat to food and water quality. Highly pure saxitoxins are required for environmental monitoring and studies of cell physiology. Certain analogues have also shown promise as long-lasting and non-addictive pain blockers. However, the procurement of these compounds from natural sources is convoluted and unsustainable. This project aims to use the latest synthetic biology techniques to characterise, modify and express saxitoxin biosynthesis pathways, thereby providing a sustainable source of toxin analogues of value to industry and research. This novel 'green technology' will benefit the environment, human health and the Australian economy.Read moreRead less