Electrical activity in early enteric neuron development. Intestinal movements and secretion are critical to the good health and nutrition of both humans and animals. These functions are regulated by a large nervous system contained within the intestinal wall, the enteric nervous system. This project will identify how enteric nerve cells develop and how their behaviour influences the development of other enteric nerve cells. This is will provide an important base for more applied research aime ....Electrical activity in early enteric neuron development. Intestinal movements and secretion are critical to the good health and nutrition of both humans and animals. These functions are regulated by a large nervous system contained within the intestinal wall, the enteric nervous system. This project will identify how enteric nerve cells develop and how their behaviour influences the development of other enteric nerve cells. This is will provide an important base for more applied research aimed at developing treatments for diseases like chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It will also contribute to the growing knowledge about how epigenetic factors can modify genetically programmed development within the nervous system.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668266
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$264,000.00
Summary
High Resolution Cellular and Molecular Imaging System. Understanding where molecules are within cells, and how they interact with each other, is fundamental to significant advances being made in biology. Our research will use advanced imaging techniques to localize proteins within a variety of cells including neurons and germ cells. We will be able to determine how the different molecules within a single cell interact with each other. This information is relevant to many biological mechanisms ....High Resolution Cellular and Molecular Imaging System. Understanding where molecules are within cells, and how they interact with each other, is fundamental to significant advances being made in biology. Our research will use advanced imaging techniques to localize proteins within a variety of cells including neurons and germ cells. We will be able to determine how the different molecules within a single cell interact with each other. This information is relevant to many biological mechanisms and to many human diseases. Furthermore, our research will help maintain Australia's strong international reputation in the fields of neuroscience, protein trafficking and stem cells. Read moreRead less
Cell cycle and enteric neuron and glial differentiation. Enteric neurons arise from a very small starting population of precursor (neural crest) cells, most of which emigrate from the hindbrain, and colonise the developing gut. Over a protracted period of time the precursors proliferate and differentiate into glia and many different types of neurons. Cell cycle exit is a critical event in the development of many neuron types, largely because the time at which cells exit from the cell cycle lim ....Cell cycle and enteric neuron and glial differentiation. Enteric neurons arise from a very small starting population of precursor (neural crest) cells, most of which emigrate from the hindbrain, and colonise the developing gut. Over a protracted period of time the precursors proliferate and differentiate into glia and many different types of neurons. Cell cycle exit is a critical event in the development of many neuron types, largely because the time at which cells exit from the cell cycle limits the number of neurons that will be generated. We will determine whether exit from the cell cycle contributes to the differentiation and specification of enteric neurons and glia.Read moreRead less
Assessing gene function in the developing brain using zebrafish as a model system. As the average life expectancy in western countries rises there is an increasing incidence of mental health problems. Therapeutic approaches to both Alzhemier's and Parkinson's disease, as well as to brain injury following stroke, rely on a thorough understanding of how the brain develops. This is consistent with the everyday principle that if you want to fix something that is broken, then you need to understand h ....Assessing gene function in the developing brain using zebrafish as a model system. As the average life expectancy in western countries rises there is an increasing incidence of mental health problems. Therapeutic approaches to both Alzhemier's and Parkinson's disease, as well as to brain injury following stroke, rely on a thorough understanding of how the brain develops. This is consistent with the everyday principle that if you want to fix something that is broken, then you need to understand how it is put together in the first place. This project seeks to understand how the normal brain is wired together in the embryo and, in doing so it will expose novel targets for therapy in the aged.Read moreRead less
Understanding how the multiple roles of olfactory ensheathing cells guide the growth and regeneration of olfactory axons. The outcomes of this project will increase the understanding of how nerve cells develop and regenerate after injury. The research outcomes and the development of new innovative methodologies as part of the project will be of high significance for the neuroscience research community both within Australia and overseas. The findings will also pave the way for the development of ....Understanding how the multiple roles of olfactory ensheathing cells guide the growth and regeneration of olfactory axons. The outcomes of this project will increase the understanding of how nerve cells develop and regenerate after injury. The research outcomes and the development of new innovative methodologies as part of the project will be of high significance for the neuroscience research community both within Australia and overseas. The findings will also pave the way for the development of novel therapies that promote neuronal regeneration relevant for disorders such as spinal cord injury and Alzheimer's disease, which constitute a large socio-economic burden in Australia. Currently, 400 people contract spinal cord injury every year, corresponding to an annual cost of $1 billion, and more than 500 000 aging people suffer from Alzheimer's disease.Read moreRead less
Understanding the neuronal mechanisms underlying inherited epilepsies. Epilepsy is a serious disease that impacts severely on individuals and the community as a whole. Conservative estimates suggest a financial cost of more than $2 billion per annum. Drug treatment for this disease is often not adequate. Recent advances have allowed scientists to determine mutation in human genes that cause epilepsy. New models of epilepsy based on this knowledge will allow us to better understand what causes e ....Understanding the neuronal mechanisms underlying inherited epilepsies. Epilepsy is a serious disease that impacts severely on individuals and the community as a whole. Conservative estimates suggest a financial cost of more than $2 billion per annum. Drug treatment for this disease is often not adequate. Recent advances have allowed scientists to determine mutation in human genes that cause epilepsy. New models of epilepsy based on this knowledge will allow us to better understand what causes epilepsy enabling us to devise new and potent therapeutic strategies to treat the disease.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,000.00
Summary
Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genet ....Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genetic and acquired disorders across the life-span. Remote viewing and analysis capabilities will help overcome the 'tyranny of distance', increasing national access to the facility. Repositories of digitised images will increase the availability of valuable research material to other Australian and international researchers.Read moreRead less
Cellular and Neurochemical Basis of Drug Addiction. Addiction to the major drugs of abuse, including heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol damage the lives and cause premature death of more than 20% of Australians. Addiction produces long-term disruption of brain processes that lead to loss of control over urges to consume drugs and persistent cycles of relapse to drug taking. This research will apply new neurochemical approaches to discover mechanisms of disrupted brain function t ....Cellular and Neurochemical Basis of Drug Addiction. Addiction to the major drugs of abuse, including heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol damage the lives and cause premature death of more than 20% of Australians. Addiction produces long-term disruption of brain processes that lead to loss of control over urges to consume drugs and persistent cycles of relapse to drug taking. This research will apply new neurochemical approaches to discover mechanisms of disrupted brain function that occur during development of addiction and relapse that are critical for development of better strategies to treat the disorder. Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL0992409
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,996,243.00
Summary
The neural bases of decision-making. This research focuses on the neural bases of decision making, a general capacity affected by normal ageing, disorders associated with neurodegeneration including dementia, major psychiatric conditions and drug addiction. Changes in the neural systems that result in the cognitive and emotional dissociation reflected in these disorders constitute the highest health, economic and social capital attrition burden to Australia of any disease group, a burden that is ....The neural bases of decision-making. This research focuses on the neural bases of decision making, a general capacity affected by normal ageing, disorders associated with neurodegeneration including dementia, major psychiatric conditions and drug addiction. Changes in the neural systems that result in the cognitive and emotional dissociation reflected in these disorders constitute the highest health, economic and social capital attrition burden to Australia of any disease group, a burden that is only predicted to increase as the population ages. Understanding these changes in neural systems and their specific behavioural effects is, therefore, of critical importance and will ultimately provide new targets for treatment and rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Assessing the physiological roles of ubiquitination in regulating neuronal ion channels, receptors and transporters. Significant alterations in the activity neuronal transporters and receptors occur during tissue injury and regeneration as well as in many neurodegenerative disease states. Modulation of the pathways that control these transporters is an emerging therapeutic target, however, the molecular basis of these control mechanisms remain poorly understood. The outcome of this project will ....Assessing the physiological roles of ubiquitination in regulating neuronal ion channels, receptors and transporters. Significant alterations in the activity neuronal transporters and receptors occur during tissue injury and regeneration as well as in many neurodegenerative disease states. Modulation of the pathways that control these transporters is an emerging therapeutic target, however, the molecular basis of these control mechanisms remain poorly understood. The outcome of this project will be a thorough characterisation of a novel regulatory paradigm in neurons that is likely to be crucial for neuronal development and regeneration, and will potentially provide novel therapeutic targets for various neuronal diseases.Read moreRead less