A Structural Understanding Of Class B G Protein-coupled Receptor Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,289,570.00
Summary
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface proteins that enable communication from external signals to the inside of cells of the body. Class B GPCRs are a therapeutically important subclass of these receptors and they play crucial roles in bone and energy homeostasis, cardiovascular control and immune response. This grant will uncover fundamental knowledge on how these receptors work, and will enhance future development of therapeutics.
Signaling Pathways To Enhance Potency Of AMPK-targeting Drugs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$661,966.00
Summary
Sedentary lifestyles and consumption of high energy foods has led to epidemics of obesity-related metabolic diseases that place enormous financial and medical burden on the Australian economy. An attractive drug target to treat these diseases is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) which functions as both a cellular fuel gauge and co-ordinator of whole-body metabolism. Our goal is to improve AMPK drug potency by identifying novel processes that sensitize AMPK to drugs.
Antibiotic resistance is a looming public health crisis. New antibiotics with new mechanisms of action are desperately needed. The long-term goal of this research is to develop new drugs that disarm bacteria to overcome the problem of antibiotic resistance.
Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international effo ....Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international efforts in this area, via the development of statistical methods for segmenting genomes, classification of those segments, and study of the resulting classes. In the long term, enhanced understanding of eukaryotic cells will lead to breakthroughs in biology, and to medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural and scientific advances.Read moreRead less
Enhancing wellbeing over the family life course. This project aims to investigate the impact of family life transitions, such as relationship formation and dissolution or births, on wellbeing over the life course. It will do this by analysing data following people over time and will provide information about the negative and positive effects of family transitions for wellbeing, track changes in wellbeing before, during and after transitions, and highlight the intersections of the family life cou ....Enhancing wellbeing over the family life course. This project aims to investigate the impact of family life transitions, such as relationship formation and dissolution or births, on wellbeing over the life course. It will do this by analysing data following people over time and will provide information about the negative and positive effects of family transitions for wellbeing, track changes in wellbeing before, during and after transitions, and highlight the intersections of the family life course with gender, age and socioeconomic status. This will considerably enhance understandings of wellbeing over the family life course, providing insights for targeted policies and interventions to improve health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Dynamics and correlations of many-body systems. The proposed program will greatly enhance Australian science through linking innovative
theoretical techniques with the successful ongoing Australian experimental program in atom
lasers, atom chip interferometry and ultra-cold fermions. Pioneering theoretical methods in
quantum phase-space are internationally recognized, and will be extended into new areas relevant
to Australia. These have fundamental significance to fields ranging from nanotec ....Dynamics and correlations of many-body systems. The proposed program will greatly enhance Australian science through linking innovative
theoretical techniques with the successful ongoing Australian experimental program in atom
lasers, atom chip interferometry and ultra-cold fermions. Pioneering theoretical methods in
quantum phase-space are internationally recognized, and will be extended into new areas relevant
to Australia. These have fundamental significance to fields ranging from nanotechnology to
astrophysics, as well as providing a route to improved atomic clocks and other instruments.
Combining these theoretical and computational methods from the physical sciences with biology
and genetics will provide future cross-disciplinary benefits to Australian biomedical science.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882531
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,000.00
Summary
Quantum Limited Single Atom Detectors. The technology that has shaped our society, solid state diodes, transistors and computer chips is based on our ability to manipulate the average quantum properties of materials such as semiconductors. This physics has been well understood for decades. Many technologies that will shape our societies in this century will be based on our ability to manipulate quantum systems precisely, an area that is the focus of quantum atom optics. The detectors requested i ....Quantum Limited Single Atom Detectors. The technology that has shaped our society, solid state diodes, transistors and computer chips is based on our ability to manipulate the average quantum properties of materials such as semiconductors. This physics has been well understood for decades. Many technologies that will shape our societies in this century will be based on our ability to manipulate quantum systems precisely, an area that is the focus of quantum atom optics. The detectors requested in this proposal will ensure that Australia remains competitive in the technologies that will emerge from the new field of quantum atom optics.Read moreRead less
Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in the strongly interacting regime: A new frontier of quantum many-body physics. Ultra-cold atoms are one of the most rapidly developing areas in twenty-first century physics. The scientific importance of studying strongly interacting Fermi gases is indicated by the fact that five Nobel prizes in physics have been awarded in fields relevant to ultra-cold atoms in the last decade. Australia is now developing a reputation for world-class research in this new area, with ....Ultracold atomic Fermi gases in the strongly interacting regime: A new frontier of quantum many-body physics. Ultra-cold atoms are one of the most rapidly developing areas in twenty-first century physics. The scientific importance of studying strongly interacting Fermi gases is indicated by the fact that five Nobel prizes in physics have been awarded in fields relevant to ultra-cold atoms in the last decade. Australia is now developing a reputation for world-class research in this new area, with new cold-fermion experiments now underway in Melbourne. This project will build national and international cooperation in this field, provide world-class research training opportunities and advance Australia's leadership position. As well as improving scientific understanding, it has the potential to lead to new energy-saving technologies in future.Read moreRead less
Discovery And Development Of Better Pain Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$9,613,850.00
Summary
Many forms of pain remain poorly treated, leading to significant quality of life and economic losses. This Program grant will discover and characterise new peptides from cone snails and spiders that modulate specific channels in nerves that are critical to the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Using advanced chemical and structural approaches, promising leads will be optimised for potency and stability and evaluated in disease and pathway-specific models of pain to establish their clini ....Many forms of pain remain poorly treated, leading to significant quality of life and economic losses. This Program grant will discover and characterise new peptides from cone snails and spiders that modulate specific channels in nerves that are critical to the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Using advanced chemical and structural approaches, promising leads will be optimised for potency and stability and evaluated in disease and pathway-specific models of pain to establish their clinical potential.Read moreRead less
High Penetrance Deleterious Mutations In Blinding Glaucoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,345,055.00
Summary
This project aims to identify the genes most commonly mutated in individuals with advanced glaucoma. Identification of such genes will lead to improved understanding of glaucoma pathogenesis, a better ability to predict risk, and the identification of drug targets for novel therapies.