The ApoE Interactome in Human Plasma. In this, the post-genome era, the emphasis has switched from the delineation of genome structure to the tremendous task of characterizing the gene products. One of the important aspects evolving in this new era is the design of strategies that enable identification of global protein-protein interactions, defined by the Human Proteome Organisation as the interactome. This, the apoE interactome in human plasma project, will identify novel interactions between ....The ApoE Interactome in Human Plasma. In this, the post-genome era, the emphasis has switched from the delineation of genome structure to the tremendous task of characterizing the gene products. One of the important aspects evolving in this new era is the design of strategies that enable identification of global protein-protein interactions, defined by the Human Proteome Organisation as the interactome. This, the apoE interactome in human plasma project, will identify novel interactions between plasma proteins and apoE, which is a lipid-binding protein genetically linked to age-related diseases affecting more than 500,000 Australians. This project will therefore provide scope for novel treatments and early detection of disease, namely cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease.Read moreRead less
Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC is ....Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC isoforms with desirable properties. Ultimately, the project aims to identify isoforms that improve plant fitness under stress conditions. Optimising PEPC activity will provide next generation solutions to improve water balance and carbon assimilation to keep C4 crops productive under future climates.Read moreRead less
A Tough Resilin Based Hydrogel Platform for Repair and Regeneration. This project seeks to develop novel hydrogels that mimic the properties of the body. In the field of repair and regeneration, our challenge is to make hydrogels that retain the fatigue and resilience properties of the natural body part, but are comprised of nontoxic material. Resilin is a remarkable material exhibiting a broad range of stimuli-responsive behaviour and outstanding elasticity. The project aim is to create a tough ....A Tough Resilin Based Hydrogel Platform for Repair and Regeneration. This project seeks to develop novel hydrogels that mimic the properties of the body. In the field of repair and regeneration, our challenge is to make hydrogels that retain the fatigue and resilience properties of the natural body part, but are comprised of nontoxic material. Resilin is a remarkable material exhibiting a broad range of stimuli-responsive behaviour and outstanding elasticity. The project aim is to create a tough and responsive hydrogel platform from this disordered protein family through greater understanding of structure and mechanical function and incorporating adequate stiffness, strength and biocompatibility. Such tough hydrogels would be applicable to a range of biotechnological applications (eg intervertebral disc repair or artificial skin tissue engineering).Read moreRead less
Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration and its components. This project aims to demonstrate how temperate evergreen forests could buffer against climate change. Soil respiration returns around half the carbon taken up by forests to the atmosphere. This project will characterise and quantify how microbes and roots in soils depend on temperature and substrate supply, and so predict how rising temperatures and drought will affect forests as natural carbon sequestration sinks. This project will ....Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration and its components. This project aims to demonstrate how temperate evergreen forests could buffer against climate change. Soil respiration returns around half the carbon taken up by forests to the atmosphere. This project will characterise and quantify how microbes and roots in soils depend on temperature and substrate supply, and so predict how rising temperatures and drought will affect forests as natural carbon sequestration sinks. This project will resolve the roles of environmental drivers of soil respiration across forests; integrate mechanistic understanding of differing plant and microbial responses to temperature within a common modelling framework; and evaluate the implications of this knowledge in predictions of climatic impacts on terrestrial carbon cycling.Read moreRead less
Tree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Recent evidence suggests that tree-mediated fluxes may be a significant, but overlooked source of methane to the atmosphere. This project aims to quantify the magnitude and drivers of tree-mediated methane fluxes from Australia’s dominant forest types. Innovatively, we will be using a novel combination of empirical field based measurements, gas tracer experiments, microbial ana ....Tree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Recent evidence suggests that tree-mediated fluxes may be a significant, but overlooked source of methane to the atmosphere. This project aims to quantify the magnitude and drivers of tree-mediated methane fluxes from Australia’s dominant forest types. Innovatively, we will be using a novel combination of empirical field based measurements, gas tracer experiments, microbial analysis and modelling methods. Expected outcomes are a mechanistic understanding of tree-mediated methane fluxes, helping to constrain regional, national and global methane budgets. The results of this study will help inform publicly funded greenhouse gas abatement strategies, ensuring a maximal return on investment.Read moreRead less
A Universal Power Law for Growth and Diversity of Dinosaur and Bird Beaks. Universal rules that govern how animals grow have tremendous power to explain the highly complex processes of growth and development. The project investigators have recently discovered a new rule of growth that controls how teeth, horns, claws and beaks are generated in animals. This project aims to use this new rule to examine the evolution and diversity of beaks in birds and dinosaurs. By combining 3D modelling, biomech ....A Universal Power Law for Growth and Diversity of Dinosaur and Bird Beaks. Universal rules that govern how animals grow have tremendous power to explain the highly complex processes of growth and development. The project investigators have recently discovered a new rule of growth that controls how teeth, horns, claws and beaks are generated in animals. This project aims to use this new rule to examine the evolution and diversity of beaks in birds and dinosaurs. By combining 3D modelling, biomechanics and genetic analysis of bird beak development with the study of dinosaur fossils, this project expects to reveal the underlying processes controlling the growth and evolution of beaks. The anticipated goal of this project is to show the power of new theoretical models to explain the diversity of life.Read moreRead less
Protein-protein interactions in amyloid deposits. The aggregation of specific proteins to form insoluble amyloid fibrils is characteristic of several age-related diseases such as type-II diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In vivo amyloid deposits also contain three prominent non-fibrillar protein components, namely serum amyloid P component, apolipoprotein E and alpha1-antichymotrypsin. These non-fibrillar amyloid components bind to a wide variety of amyloid fibrils, irresp ....Protein-protein interactions in amyloid deposits. The aggregation of specific proteins to form insoluble amyloid fibrils is characteristic of several age-related diseases such as type-II diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In vivo amyloid deposits also contain three prominent non-fibrillar protein components, namely serum amyloid P component, apolipoprotein E and alpha1-antichymotrypsin. These non-fibrillar amyloid components bind to a wide variety of amyloid fibrils, irrespective of the nature of the protein constituent. This proposal is to identify the structural basis for this recognition process, the capacity of non-fibrillar components to cross-link amyloid fibrils to form networks and the influence of these interactions on amyloid fibril cytotoxicity.Read moreRead less
Biosynthetic LEGO: enzymatic redesign to produce new vancomycin analogues. This project aims to uncover the reengineering potential of the biosynthetic machinery that produces glycopeptide antibiotics by advancing our understanding of how the core peptide production line functions. Natural product biosynthesis often produces complex peptide structures, with one important example being the glycopeptide antibiotics. This project expects to generate new knowledge about enzymatic peptide biosynthesi ....Biosynthetic LEGO: enzymatic redesign to produce new vancomycin analogues. This project aims to uncover the reengineering potential of the biosynthetic machinery that produces glycopeptide antibiotics by advancing our understanding of how the core peptide production line functions. Natural product biosynthesis often produces complex peptide structures, with one important example being the glycopeptide antibiotics. This project expects to generate new knowledge about enzymatic peptide biosynthesis using a highly interdisciplinary approach and previously developed tools. The anticipated outcomes of this project will be an enhanced understanding of how such complex peptide biosynthesis is performed, which is knowledge vital for future efforts to reengineer such biosynthetic peptide assembly lines as a series of modular LEGO blocks to produce new bioactive peptides.Read moreRead less
Structure and activity determination of membrane-active peptides. Membrane-active peptides, such as antimicrobial and amyloid (Ab) peptides, play an important role in disease. With the growth of antibiotic resistance and increase in Alzheimer’s disease, which is epitomised by plaques of Ab, new drugs are required. Although Ab is toxic in neuronal cell cultures and disrupts cell membranes, the mechanism is unknown. Antimicrobial peptides that target bacterial membranes have evolved as a defence m ....Structure and activity determination of membrane-active peptides. Membrane-active peptides, such as antimicrobial and amyloid (Ab) peptides, play an important role in disease. With the growth of antibiotic resistance and increase in Alzheimer’s disease, which is epitomised by plaques of Ab, new drugs are required. Although Ab is toxic in neuronal cell cultures and disrupts cell membranes, the mechanism is unknown. Antimicrobial peptides that target bacterial membranes have evolved as a defence mechanism against infection and, since membranes show little genetic adaptation, could be drug candidates. Model membranes will be developed to elucidate the mechanism of action and key molecular features that determine affinity for membrane lipids of an antimicrobial peptide and full length Ab peptides.Read moreRead less
Peptide-based Star Polymers for Improved Biointeraction and Targeted Anticancer Therapies. The aim of this project is to develop peptide-based star polymer nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery to cancer stem cells which integrate aptamer targeting technology and biointeraction studies with blood plasma fluid. The significance of this research is it pioneers the development of a drug delivery system that minimises plasma opsonization through understanding polymer-plasma interactions, which in ....Peptide-based Star Polymers for Improved Biointeraction and Targeted Anticancer Therapies. The aim of this project is to develop peptide-based star polymer nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery to cancer stem cells which integrate aptamer targeting technology and biointeraction studies with blood plasma fluid. The significance of this research is it pioneers the development of a drug delivery system that minimises plasma opsonization through understanding polymer-plasma interactions, which in turn increases tumour specificity and cell internalisation through incorporation of targeting aptamers and triggered drug release. This project will use rational design, advanced macromolecular engineering and an interdisciplinary collaboration to generate next-generation polymer therapeutics for drug delivery.Read moreRead less