Placental nutrient transport shows how complex traits evolve. This project aims to use amino acid transport in the vertebrate placenta as a model to demonstrate how genes are recruited and modified to produce a major organ. Using an innovative combination of a new technology, selected reaction monitoring, and transcriptomic and molecular approaches, plus carefully selected Australian species pairs, this project will study the evolution of a complex trait (placental amino acid transport). The pr ....Placental nutrient transport shows how complex traits evolve. This project aims to use amino acid transport in the vertebrate placenta as a model to demonstrate how genes are recruited and modified to produce a major organ. Using an innovative combination of a new technology, selected reaction monitoring, and transcriptomic and molecular approaches, plus carefully selected Australian species pairs, this project will study the evolution of a complex trait (placental amino acid transport). The project will provide fundamental advances in our knowledge of the nutrient transport during pregnancy that is required to produce a healthy baby.Read moreRead less
A new source of bivalent molecules from nature. This project aims to describe a new class of naturally occurring multivalent molecules termed secreted cysteine-rich repeat proteins (SCREPs). Multivalency is a key feature of molecular interaction in biology, underlying the high specificity and potency found in many proteins. Focusing on bivalent peptides, the project will generate a database of bioactive SCREPs with similarity to known bioactive peptides, and develop new recombinant methods for t ....A new source of bivalent molecules from nature. This project aims to describe a new class of naturally occurring multivalent molecules termed secreted cysteine-rich repeat proteins (SCREPs). Multivalency is a key feature of molecular interaction in biology, underlying the high specificity and potency found in many proteins. Focusing on bivalent peptides, the project will generate a database of bioactive SCREPs with similarity to known bioactive peptides, and develop new recombinant methods for their production. The project will use advanced nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterise members of this new class, providing new insights into the design of bivalent and multivalent peptides and establishing a new source of molecules with applications in the rapidly growing biotechnology sector.Read moreRead less
Harnessing the potential of metals in biocatalysis. The project aims to use an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to study the properties of a group of related but functionally diverse enzymes; binuclear metallohydrolases (BMHs). These enzymes are of great relevance to protein engineers aiming to produce potent agents for bioremediation and pharmacologists interested in developing drugs. Elucidating and modulating the mode of action of BMHs is thus our main objective and should provide esse ....Harnessing the potential of metals in biocatalysis. The project aims to use an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to study the properties of a group of related but functionally diverse enzymes; binuclear metallohydrolases (BMHs). These enzymes are of great relevance to protein engineers aiming to produce potent agents for bioremediation and pharmacologists interested in developing drugs. Elucidating and modulating the mode of action of BMHs is thus our main objective and should provide essential information to fully exploit the potential of these enzymes for practical applications. In particular, understanding how metal ions interact with BMHs and how this contributes to their reactivity is crucial to optimally understand their biotechnological potential.Read moreRead less
Promoting resilience of ecosystems through connectivity. The resilience of ecosystems in the face of major environmental disturbances is emerging as a major concern for modern ecology. Connectivity of ecosystem components is a critically important element of ecosystem function and should, theoretically, be central to system resilience. The relationship between connectivity and resilience, however, remains poorly substantiated by empirical data. By manipulating connectivity in laboratory experime ....Promoting resilience of ecosystems through connectivity. The resilience of ecosystems in the face of major environmental disturbances is emerging as a major concern for modern ecology. Connectivity of ecosystem components is a critically important element of ecosystem function and should, theoretically, be central to system resilience. The relationship between connectivity and resilience, however, remains poorly substantiated by empirical data. By manipulating connectivity in laboratory experiments using a well-understood model marine system, the project aims to determine how connectivity affects resilience. It could provide a crucial step towards integrating connectivity into management and conservation of natural resources.Read moreRead less
Predicting the consequences of drought-induced mortality for tree species in a changing climate. Tree mortality will be a dramatic manifestation of climate change as drought intensifies. A pre-existing record of mortality after recent drought in Eucalyptus woodland defines the moisture sensitivity of tree species and will be related to their functional traits, population dynamics and geography. This analysis will search for generalised characters that define the species that will be most suscept ....Predicting the consequences of drought-induced mortality for tree species in a changing climate. Tree mortality will be a dramatic manifestation of climate change as drought intensifies. A pre-existing record of mortality after recent drought in Eucalyptus woodland defines the moisture sensitivity of tree species and will be related to their functional traits, population dynamics and geography. This analysis will search for generalised characters that define the species that will be most susceptible to drought and will identify how future exaggerated drought will reorganise forest communities. The findings will contribute to understanding the vulnerability and resilience of our natural ecosystems with a changing climate.Read moreRead less
Novel conotoxins that target ion channels and receptors. This project will discover peptides from cone snail venom that are potential drug candidates. The project will expand our knowledge of these biological active peptides and their mode of action. It will also protect key molecules through patent applications, providing a competitive edge for Australian biotechnology.
Development of potent and specific modulators of the human sodium channel Nav1.7. There are few effective drugs available for the treatment of chronic pain. This team recently discovered that spider venoms are a rich source of inhibitors of Nav1.7, a new target for anti-pain drugs. The goal of this project is to develop potent blockers of Nav1.7 that can be used to critically assess the role of this ion channel in mediating pain.
Aquatic chemo-modulators: a novel source for potent molecular probes. This project aims to investigate peptides that modulate prey behaviour. Chemical signalling constitutes much of the language of life underwater. Certain cone snails evolved a hunting strategy, where they release potent peptides to modulate fish behaviour through yet unknown mechanisms. The snail then expands its mouth and eats the fish without resistance. This project will investigate the mechanisms at play using transcriptomi ....Aquatic chemo-modulators: a novel source for potent molecular probes. This project aims to investigate peptides that modulate prey behaviour. Chemical signalling constitutes much of the language of life underwater. Certain cone snails evolved a hunting strategy, where they release potent peptides to modulate fish behaviour through yet unknown mechanisms. The snail then expands its mouth and eats the fish without resistance. This project will investigate the mechanisms at play using transcriptomics, proteomics, peptide synthesis, behavioural pharmacology and nuclear magnetic resonance. This will advance the knowledge of aquatic chemo-modulators on a functional, structural and evolutionary level, and provide a source of molecular probes with unique pharmacology and applications in human physiology, developmental biology and aquacultures.Read moreRead less
Novel cysteine-rich conotoxin frameworks from Australian cone snails. This project aims to discover conotoxins that are potential drug leads or useful pharmacological tools. It aims to increase both the discovery of novel conotoxin cysteine-rich frameworks through integrated transcriptomics and proteomics (venomics), conotoxin synthesis and 3-D structure determination, and to generate conotoxin disulfide bond mimetics and conotoxin dendrimers to increase stability, potency and selectivity. The w ....Novel cysteine-rich conotoxin frameworks from Australian cone snails. This project aims to discover conotoxins that are potential drug leads or useful pharmacological tools. It aims to increase both the discovery of novel conotoxin cysteine-rich frameworks through integrated transcriptomics and proteomics (venomics), conotoxin synthesis and 3-D structure determination, and to generate conotoxin disulfide bond mimetics and conotoxin dendrimers to increase stability, potency and selectivity. The work is designed to be based on a venomics platforms to accelerate conotoxin framework discovery while using novel mimetics and dendrimeric constructs to improve their biophysical properties. The expected outcomes include an expansion of novel conotoxin sequences and novel frameworks to generate lead molecules for potential development.Read moreRead less
Linking phytoplankton to fisheries using zooplankton size spectra. This project aims to develop innovative numerical methods to understand the dynamics, carbon export, and trophic structure of zooplankton. The trophic links between phytoplankton, zooplankton and fisheries are unknown. The size- frequency distribution of zooplankton (size spectrum) is an innovative method for estimating their growth, predation and production as food for fish. Analysis of a global synthesis of zooplankton size dis ....Linking phytoplankton to fisheries using zooplankton size spectra. This project aims to develop innovative numerical methods to understand the dynamics, carbon export, and trophic structure of zooplankton. The trophic links between phytoplankton, zooplankton and fisheries are unknown. The size- frequency distribution of zooplankton (size spectrum) is an innovative method for estimating their growth, predation and production as food for fish. Analysis of a global synthesis of zooplankton size distributions from tropical to polar environments are expected to reveal these vital rates of pelagic ecosystems. The zooplankton rates will reveal, for the first time, the link between phytoplankton and fisheries, and will significantly improve ecosystem models and global assessments of environmental change.Read moreRead less