Control of actin assembly by cell-cell adhesion: molecular effectors and higher order function. Functional cooperation between the actin cytoskeleton and cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules plays critical roles during development and morphogenesis. This proposal builds on my lab's recent discovery that E-cadherin interacts with and regulates the Arp2/3 actin nucleator complex, a central determinant of actin assembly in cells. We will explore key implications of this finding, concentrating on d ....Control of actin assembly by cell-cell adhesion: molecular effectors and higher order function. Functional cooperation between the actin cytoskeleton and cadherin cell-cell adhesion molecules plays critical roles during development and morphogenesis. This proposal builds on my lab's recent discovery that E-cadherin interacts with and regulates the Arp2/3 actin nucleator complex, a central determinant of actin assembly in cells. We will explore key implications of this finding, concentrating on defining the molecular mechanisms that regulate Arp2/3 and actin assembly in cadherin-based adhesion. Our work combines molecular characterization of regulatory mechanisms and proteomic searches for new regulators, with tests of the higher-order function of this novel process in cell adhesion and recognition.Read moreRead less
Balancing cadherin-actin cooperation: the key regulatory role of Ena/VASP proteins. This project analyses a fundamental mechanism of how cells work together in tissues. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of how cells work will provide important basic scientific information to enrich the scientific expertise in Australia and its part in the international community, generate insights relevant for understanding human disease and physical degeneration, and support the training of young scienti ....Balancing cadherin-actin cooperation: the key regulatory role of Ena/VASP proteins. This project analyses a fundamental mechanism of how cells work together in tissues. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of how cells work will provide important basic scientific information to enrich the scientific expertise in Australia and its part in the international community, generate insights relevant for understanding human disease and physical degeneration, and support the training of young scientists in Australia.Read moreRead less
Sugar transporters in coral symbiosis and origin of parasitism. We aim to identify how symbiotic algae feed sugar to their coral hosts. Corals need this algal sugar to exist, but no one knows how it is transferred, so understanding this crucial mechanism is hugely significant. The first benefit of this research will be a fundamental understanding about how two organisms (algae and coral) cooperate to build habitats like the Great Barrier Reef. We also aim to explore whether coral/algal coopera ....Sugar transporters in coral symbiosis and origin of parasitism. We aim to identify how symbiotic algae feed sugar to their coral hosts. Corals need this algal sugar to exist, but no one knows how it is transferred, so understanding this crucial mechanism is hugely significant. The first benefit of this research will be a fundamental understanding about how two organisms (algae and coral) cooperate to build habitats like the Great Barrier Reef. We also aim to explore whether coral/algal cooperation paved the way for the origin of parasitism. The second key outcome will be to identify the precise molecular mechanism that allowed parasitism to arise. This will benefit us through understanding the origins of important diseases such as human malaria and related infections of livestock and wildlife.
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Symbiotic partnership between algae and animals that powers coral reefs. This project aims to unlock the molecular basis of a partnership between a microscopic plant and an animal that powers coral growth. Most corals depend on microscopic algae living inside their bodies to nourish them. Most corals have to recruit new algae each time they reproduce, but only a particular strain of algae is accepted. This project aims to establish how anemones and corals identify and take in the right alga, how ....Symbiotic partnership between algae and animals that powers coral reefs. This project aims to unlock the molecular basis of a partnership between a microscopic plant and an animal that powers coral growth. Most corals depend on microscopic algae living inside their bodies to nourish them. Most corals have to recruit new algae each time they reproduce, but only a particular strain of algae is accepted. This project aims to establish how anemones and corals identify and take in the right alga, how the alga gives them food, and how the animal hosts regulate growth of their algae to optimise food production but avoid being overrun by algae. Understanding the partnership that drives reef growth and survival may better equip us to protect this threatened resource.Read moreRead less
Sugars in the real world: are cultured cancer cells a good model system for studying protein glycosylation? It is challenging to study errors in metabolism in human beings, so researchers use cells grown in the laboratory to understand disease processes. This project will determine if cultured cells accurately reflect the real changes to cell surface sugars that occur in all cancers, and the effect of these changes on the invasive properties of colon cancer cells.
Tissue tension homeostasis by junctional mechanosensing. This project examines how tissues use mechanical tension to preserve their integrity. This comes from the recent appreciation that cells pull on the connections between each other to generate tension. Further, molecular mechanisms exist for cells to sense changes in this tension and then to enlist the appropriate responses to restore tension. The project aims to test how local changes in tension are detected and corrected, when tissue inte ....Tissue tension homeostasis by junctional mechanosensing. This project examines how tissues use mechanical tension to preserve their integrity. This comes from the recent appreciation that cells pull on the connections between each other to generate tension. Further, molecular mechanisms exist for cells to sense changes in this tension and then to enlist the appropriate responses to restore tension. The project aims to test how local changes in tension are detected and corrected, when tissue integrity is compromised by very different causes. The project endeavours to establish a new conceptual paradigm for understanding tissue homeostasis, based on cell biology and biomechanics, with implications for developmental biology and tissue engineering.Read moreRead less
Versatile elastin based hybrid hydrogels for chondrocyte transplantation and repair. Cartilage repair is often limited after significant trauma, sports injury and disease. This project will generate a new family of hybrid biomaterials constructed by precisely blending natural and synthetic components. These novel biomaterials will establish the foundation for manufactured prefabrication and in situ injection to promote healing.
Probing the four photosynthetic membrane protein complexes at work in situ in leaves. This proposal aims at sustainable improvements in plant productivity and photosynthetic adaptation in drastic Australian climates. In photosynthesis, membranes with the four multiprotein complexes use sunlight to make compounds that drive carbon assimilation. Instead of the usual dissection of photosynthetic membranes, this project will develop and refine the applicant's rapid, reliable, non-intrusive technique ....Probing the four photosynthetic membrane protein complexes at work in situ in leaves. This proposal aims at sustainable improvements in plant productivity and photosynthetic adaptation in drastic Australian climates. In photosynthesis, membranes with the four multiprotein complexes use sunlight to make compounds that drive carbon assimilation. Instead of the usual dissection of photosynthetic membranes, this project will develop and refine the applicant's rapid, reliable, non-intrusive techniques to probe the four membrane complexes at work in their native state in leaves. Two portable commercial instruments will potentially emerge from the techniques. This novel non-reductionist approach will identify key limitations to photosynthetic performance under stress, and insights into improvements for primary plant productivity.Read moreRead less
Does a novel class of small RNA molecules control self-incompatibility in solanaceous plants? Self-incompatibility is a simple and genetically defined cell recognition system that prevents inbreeding in many plant species. Flowers of self-incompatible plants can distinguish self pollen from foreign pollen, and allow only foreign pollen to fertilise their egg cells. This proposal will investigate the possibility that the part of the genetic self-incompatibility locus controlling recognition of ....Does a novel class of small RNA molecules control self-incompatibility in solanaceous plants? Self-incompatibility is a simple and genetically defined cell recognition system that prevents inbreeding in many plant species. Flowers of self-incompatible plants can distinguish self pollen from foreign pollen, and allow only foreign pollen to fertilise their egg cells. This proposal will investigate the possibility that the part of the genetic self-incompatibility locus controlling recognition of pollen is a novel type of gene that encodes a small RNA molecule but no protein. Knowledge gained by studying the self-incompatibility genes will help us to understand how plant cells recognise each other, and may allow us to manipulate seed (and hence crop) production.Read moreRead less
Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal fusion. Neurons are tightly connected individual cells that communicate through chemical and electrical signals, and this project aims to discover the key molecules that allow these cells to remain as individual units without fusing with each other. The nervous system, unlike other tissues, is made of discrete individual cells, connected by chemical and electrical synapses but not by cytoplasmic continuity. However, how this is achieved ....Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal fusion. Neurons are tightly connected individual cells that communicate through chemical and electrical signals, and this project aims to discover the key molecules that allow these cells to remain as individual units without fusing with each other. The nervous system, unlike other tissues, is made of discrete individual cells, connected by chemical and electrical synapses but not by cytoplasmic continuity. However, how this is achieved and how neurons maintain their individuality during development, remodelling and ageing is unknown. The project aims to address this gap using a genetic approach and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental system. The results may provide insights into how the nervous system develops and functions.Read moreRead less