Electrochemically, photochemically and magnetically tuneable organic semi-conducting electrodes for probing biologically important redox chemistry and catalysis. Newly developed tuneable, semi-conductor electrode materials will facilitate substantial advances in electrochemistry. The almost unprecedented levels of flexibility with respect to metal and organic constituents will facilitate insights into biologically important electron transfer and coupled catalytic processes and promote commercia ....Electrochemically, photochemically and magnetically tuneable organic semi-conducting electrodes for probing biologically important redox chemistry and catalysis. Newly developed tuneable, semi-conductor electrode materials will facilitate substantial advances in electrochemistry. The almost unprecedented levels of flexibility with respect to metal and organic constituents will facilitate insights into biologically important electron transfer and coupled catalytic processes and promote commercial opportunities for sensor development. Electrochemistry represents an enabling discipline in science. The project offers the opportunity for high quality multi-disciplinary doctoral training, integration of skills of scientists from different backgrounds and opportunities to work in world-class national and international infrastructure in the areas of chemistry, biological chemistry and materials science.Read moreRead less
Novel Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy applications in molecular, supramolecular electrochemistry and biological systems. Improved understanding of chemical reactivity in natural and artificial molecular systems and acquisition of a wider perspective of electron transfer processes are two important challenges in chemistry and biology. Through this well defined research project, the CI, jointly with the host facility, has the skills to achieve valuable new insights. This project will expand Au ....Novel Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy applications in molecular, supramolecular electrochemistry and biological systems. Improved understanding of chemical reactivity in natural and artificial molecular systems and acquisition of a wider perspective of electron transfer processes are two important challenges in chemistry and biology. Through this well defined research project, the CI, jointly with the host facility, has the skills to achieve valuable new insights. This project will expand Australia's knowledge base and research capability and open new scenarios for frontier technologies and advanced materials. This project will introduce the SECM methods into Australia. The foreseen benefits include technology exchange and contribution to fundamental and applied science.Read moreRead less
New Strategies for Monitoring DNA-Anticancer Drug Interactions. The highly successful cisplatin works by binding to DNA and partially unwinding or bending the DNA. As a consequence of the success if cisplatin, alternative anticancer drugs are being developed with reduced side effects for patients. One of the bottom necks in the development of alternative drugs is rapid screening of the efficacy on new leads. The proposed research will develop new technologies for monitoring DNA-drug binding, ....New Strategies for Monitoring DNA-Anticancer Drug Interactions. The highly successful cisplatin works by binding to DNA and partially unwinding or bending the DNA. As a consequence of the success if cisplatin, alternative anticancer drugs are being developed with reduced side effects for patients. One of the bottom necks in the development of alternative drugs is rapid screening of the efficacy on new leads. The proposed research will develop new technologies for monitoring DNA-drug binding, DNA damage and DNA repair using novel DNA biosensors. the novelty of the biosensor technology will be to use the modulation of charge transfer through DNA as a method for determining the structural changes that occur in DNA due to these events occurring.Read moreRead less
Nanosized peptide nucleic acid - metal complex hybrids as catalysts for the cleavage of phosphate ester bonds in biological molecules. The information from Human Genome Project is being used to generate molecules with a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The capability to design, synthesise and manipulate functional molecules that mimic biological processes will underpin many emerging applications. In this project, macrocyclic metal complexes that catalyse the cleavage of phosph ....Nanosized peptide nucleic acid - metal complex hybrids as catalysts for the cleavage of phosphate ester bonds in biological molecules. The information from Human Genome Project is being used to generate molecules with a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The capability to design, synthesise and manipulate functional molecules that mimic biological processes will underpin many emerging applications. In this project, macrocyclic metal complexes that catalyse the cleavage of phosphate ester bonds in biological molecules will be developed. Active complexes will be incorporated into nanosized peptide nucleic acid (PNA) - metal complex hybrids and applied as artificial enzymes in the sequence specific cleavage of RNA and DNA. Novel applications of these ?artificial enzymes? in biotechnology are anticipated.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775590
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
A single crystal X-ray diffractometer with CCD detector for structural analysis of small molecules. In recent years their have been major advances in the capacity of instrumentation to determine the crystal and molecular structure of chemical compounds and materials which in turn has resulted in a rapidly growing understanding of the relationship between the structure of molecules and their function in the design of new materials and as drugs for the treatment of disease and pain. This infrastr ....A single crystal X-ray diffractometer with CCD detector for structural analysis of small molecules. In recent years their have been major advances in the capacity of instrumentation to determine the crystal and molecular structure of chemical compounds and materials which in turn has resulted in a rapidly growing understanding of the relationship between the structure of molecules and their function in the design of new materials and as drugs for the treatment of disease and pain. This infrastructure also provides training of an international standard for undergraduate and post graduate students, thus building the skills capabilities of Australian scientists in the workforce.Read moreRead less
Chemistry of the Transport of Nutrient Copper in Biological Cells. Nutrient trace metals such as copper are needed for enzymes by living organisms but are toxic in excess. Defects in copper metabolism cause Menkes and Wilson diseases in humans and there are direct connections to neurodegenerative diseases (eg, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, motor neuron diseases). It is crucial to understand how healthy cells control toxic but essential copper so that enlightened intervention is possib ....Chemistry of the Transport of Nutrient Copper in Biological Cells. Nutrient trace metals such as copper are needed for enzymes by living organisms but are toxic in excess. Defects in copper metabolism cause Menkes and Wilson diseases in humans and there are direct connections to neurodegenerative diseases (eg, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, motor neuron diseases). It is crucial to understand how healthy cells control toxic but essential copper so that enlightened intervention is possible when disturbances of copper metabolism become pathological. The chemistry of key molecules will be studied to reveal their essential properties and thereby to understand the molecular basis of the copper-linked diseases.Read moreRead less
Molecular Characterisation of Metal Transport Proteins. The trace metals are essential to life. The secrets of their catalytic and structural roles are under intensive scrutiny. The molecular mechanisms which regulate concentrations of nutrient metals in biological cells remain poorly understood. Errors in metal metabolism cause disease. For example, defects in copper metabolism cause Menkes and Wilson diseases in humans and there are connections of copper and zinc to neuro-degenerative disea ....Molecular Characterisation of Metal Transport Proteins. The trace metals are essential to life. The secrets of their catalytic and structural roles are under intensive scrutiny. The molecular mechanisms which regulate concentrations of nutrient metals in biological cells remain poorly understood. Errors in metal metabolism cause disease. For example, defects in copper metabolism cause Menkes and Wilson diseases in humans and there are connections of copper and zinc to neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Creutzfeldt-Jakob (mad cow). This project will study the chemistry of metabolic pathways responsible for import of nutrient copper and other metals into biological cells.Read moreRead less
Molecular Probes for Bio-Metals. The nutrient trace metals are essential to life. Problems with the metabolism of iron, copper and zinc are associated with neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). This proposal will develop molecular probes for detection of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel within biological cells. The work will allow examination of the molecular roles of these bio-metals in unprecedented detail and lead to a bette ....Molecular Probes for Bio-Metals. The nutrient trace metals are essential to life. Problems with the metabolism of iron, copper and zinc are associated with neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). This proposal will develop molecular probes for detection of iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel within biological cells. The work will allow examination of the molecular roles of these bio-metals in unprecedented detail and lead to a better understanding of their roles in normal metabolism and in disease.Read moreRead less
Nanoprobe and Microprobe Structural and Spectroscopic Studies in Biomedical Research. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables multi-layered information on changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments a ....Nanoprobe and Microprobe Structural and Spectroscopic Studies in Biomedical Research. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables multi-layered information on changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments and disease processes. This will provide unprecedented information as to where drugs go and how they are transformed inside cells that, in turn, may revolutionalise the way in which new drugs are designed that have higher specificity and lower side effects.Read moreRead less
Electrochemically Driven Molybdoenzyme Catalysis. Enzymes that catalyse oxidation and reduction reactions need to exchange electrons with their substrate and this supply of electrons needs to be sustained. Artificially reconstituted systems can be developed where the enzyme is coupled with an electrode and the current (electrons) exchanged during the reaction are measured directly. In this project we will reveal whether some unusual and unexplained electrochemical phenomena seen before are relat ....Electrochemically Driven Molybdoenzyme Catalysis. Enzymes that catalyse oxidation and reduction reactions need to exchange electrons with their substrate and this supply of electrons needs to be sustained. Artificially reconstituted systems can be developed where the enzyme is coupled with an electrode and the current (electrons) exchanged during the reaction are measured directly. In this project we will reveal whether some unusual and unexplained electrochemical phenomena seen before are related to the properties of the enzymes themselves or the ways in which their experiments have been conducted.Read moreRead less