Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989539
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,000.00
Summary
Purchase of a state-of-the-art high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. This new state-of-the-art mass spectrometer with enhanced capability will allow Tasmanian researchers to accurately determine the elemental composition of their samples of interest. The instrument will be extremely sensitive and will be able to detect elements to very low concentrations. It will be used to support a diverse range of local research projects of international significance, for example the ....Purchase of a state-of-the-art high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. This new state-of-the-art mass spectrometer with enhanced capability will allow Tasmanian researchers to accurately determine the elemental composition of their samples of interest. The instrument will be extremely sensitive and will be able to detect elements to very low concentrations. It will be used to support a diverse range of local research projects of international significance, for example the environmental assessment of clean and contaminated sites, chemical synthesis on a miniature scale using micro-chips, and the monitoring of selected elements of key importance for human health.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560940
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$229,326.00
Summary
Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility. This application for a Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Facility provides a focus for research collaboration and training in northern Australia. The Facility will enhance strong collaboration between organisations committed to increasing understanding of unique northern environments, and will include the Arafura Timor Research Facility, a Major National Research Facility. The Facility will contribute to studies of conservation biology, nat ....Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry Facility. This application for a Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Facility provides a focus for research collaboration and training in northern Australia. The Facility will enhance strong collaboration between organisations committed to increasing understanding of unique northern environments, and will include the Arafura Timor Research Facility, a Major National Research Facility. The Facility will contribute to studies of conservation biology, natural resource management, environmental and marine science and resource development in the tropical north. It will help develop knowledge bases, innovative approaches to environmental management and sustainable development and high levels of research and research training for regional development.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,047,000.00
Summary
Membrane Protein Structure and Interaction Facility. While it is estimated that a third of the human genome encodes for membrane proteins, the structures of only relatively few membrane proteins are currently known. It will be some time before membrane protein structure determination becomes routine, yet over 50% of the drugs on the market today rely on the activity of membrane proteins for their efficacy. This application seeks to establish a Membrane Protein Structure and Interaction Facility ....Membrane Protein Structure and Interaction Facility. While it is estimated that a third of the human genome encodes for membrane proteins, the structures of only relatively few membrane proteins are currently known. It will be some time before membrane protein structure determination becomes routine, yet over 50% of the drugs on the market today rely on the activity of membrane proteins for their efficacy. This application seeks to establish a Membrane Protein Structure and Interaction Facility for the development and application of novel techniques and approaches to study the structure and interactions of membrane proteins. Research progress will be greatly enhanced by the establishment of this dedicated facility with cutting-edge technologies for the study of membrane proteins.Read moreRead less
Roaming around the Transition State: A New Mechanism of Chemical Reactions. Gas-phase reaction mechanisms are at the core of some of the most important problems facing Australia at present: atmospheric models for CO2 are central to climate change; models of isotope exchange are essential to learn about past climates from Antarctic ice cores; and models of combustion are used to optimise energy efficiency. The mechanisms used in these models rely on accurate chemistry. A newly discovered chemica ....Roaming around the Transition State: A New Mechanism of Chemical Reactions. Gas-phase reaction mechanisms are at the core of some of the most important problems facing Australia at present: atmospheric models for CO2 are central to climate change; models of isotope exchange are essential to learn about past climates from Antarctic ice cores; and models of combustion are used to optimise energy efficiency. The mechanisms used in these models rely on accurate chemistry. A newly discovered chemical mechanism has the potential to change many of the reactions that we currently use in these chemical models. This project will determine how important this new mechanism is, and what its impact is on gas-phase reaction models.Read moreRead less
Molecules as probes of the interstellar medium. It is one of the greatest challenges in Nature is to remotely identify what is in space. Interstellar molecules are identified by their spectra, but many features in these spectra are unknown, implying that there are many more molecules in space than we know about. With a stronger understanding of space chemistry, we could predict what should be there and verify it in the lab. Conversely, identification of these features will provide the tools to u ....Molecules as probes of the interstellar medium. It is one of the greatest challenges in Nature is to remotely identify what is in space. Interstellar molecules are identified by their spectra, but many features in these spectra are unknown, implying that there are many more molecules in space than we know about. With a stronger understanding of space chemistry, we could predict what should be there and verify it in the lab. Conversely, identification of these features will provide the tools to understand interstellar chemistry. In this project we combine skills in spectroscopy and astronomy to make these molecules in the laboratory, measure their spectra and thereby identify unknown molecules in space.Read moreRead less
Energetics and dynamics of solvated biologically relevant molecules using liquid microjet and ion imaging technologies. The shape of many biomolecules in solution plays a critical role in determining their biological activity and function. It is known that the bonds that form between the biomolecules and the water solvent control this shape. However, very little is known about the strength and structure of these bonds at different sites around the biomolecule. Many experiments have informed u ....Energetics and dynamics of solvated biologically relevant molecules using liquid microjet and ion imaging technologies. The shape of many biomolecules in solution plays a critical role in determining their biological activity and function. It is known that the bonds that form between the biomolecules and the water solvent control this shape. However, very little is known about the strength and structure of these bonds at different sites around the biomolecule. Many experiments have informed us about the strength of the bonds, others have told us where the bonds occur. This project will provide both pieces of information for the first time, allowing us to better understand, and therefore control, biological function. This work will assist in the development of new biotechnology processes, especially in the emerging area of proteomics.Read moreRead less
Laser Spectroscopic Studies of Non-Covalent Solute-Solvent Interactions Involving Non-Volatile Biomolecules in the Gas Phase. Solute-solvent interactions play a critical role in determining whether or not many biomolecules display biological activity in solution. Making use of our novel liquid microjet injection technology, we will generate micro-solvated gas phase biomolecules by rapid laser desorption from the surface of a liquid jet (here, micro-solvation describes up to ~10 solvent molecule ....Laser Spectroscopic Studies of Non-Covalent Solute-Solvent Interactions Involving Non-Volatile Biomolecules in the Gas Phase. Solute-solvent interactions play a critical role in determining whether or not many biomolecules display biological activity in solution. Making use of our novel liquid microjet injection technology, we will generate micro-solvated gas phase biomolecules by rapid laser desorption from the surface of a liquid jet (here, micro-solvation describes up to ~10 solvent molecules attached to a solute). Following desorption, laser spectroscopy will be used to directly characterise the non-volatile biomolecular solute-solvent topography. This project will create a new application of laser science to study biophysical and biochemical processes that remain difficult, if not impossible, to explore using traditional techniques.Read moreRead less
Synthetic Molybdenum Enzymes. This project aims to produce synthetic molybdenum (Mo) enzymes, small molecules that share structural and functional attributes with the crucially important molybdopterin?Mo enzymes. These ubiquitous enzymes are essential for plant and animal health, natural cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and global climate control and atmospheric albedo (reflectance); consequently, they impact heavily on commerce, the environment and society. The study will provid ....Synthetic Molybdenum Enzymes. This project aims to produce synthetic molybdenum (Mo) enzymes, small molecules that share structural and functional attributes with the crucially important molybdopterin?Mo enzymes. These ubiquitous enzymes are essential for plant and animal health, natural cycles involving carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and global climate control and atmospheric albedo (reflectance); consequently, they impact heavily on commerce, the environment and society. The study will provide urgently needed insights into the fundamental Mo?sulfur chemistry of the enzyme active sites and inform efforts to reduce the negative impacts of enzyme dysfunction and the design of new commercial catalysts.Read moreRead less
Bioinorganic Chemistry of Molybdenum. Enzymes containing the trace element molybdenum play crucial roles in plant, animal and human health, drug metabolism, environmental processes and climate. This international, multidisciplinary project will advance our understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes at the atomic level and inform strategies to reduce the impact of crop, livestock and human diseases and adverse environmental (e.g. algal blooms, leaching of toxic arsenic) and clim ....Bioinorganic Chemistry of Molybdenum. Enzymes containing the trace element molybdenum play crucial roles in plant, animal and human health, drug metabolism, environmental processes and climate. This international, multidisciplinary project will advance our understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes at the atomic level and inform strategies to reduce the impact of crop, livestock and human diseases and adverse environmental (e.g. algal blooms, leaching of toxic arsenic) and climatic events. Effective strategies would be of enormous social and economic benefit to Australia. The training of skilled scientists and access to major overseas facilities are additional benefits of the project.Read moreRead less
Investigation and Prediction of the Novel Properties of Dendrimers. Dendrimers are a new class of highly branched polymers, which have, until now, been difficult to characterise by conventional means. This project will develop and apply molecular simulation techniques to reveal the chemical and physical properties of dendrimers and their interactions with other molecules. These novel molecules potentially have beneficial applications to areas such as drug delivery and electronic materials. Th ....Investigation and Prediction of the Novel Properties of Dendrimers. Dendrimers are a new class of highly branched polymers, which have, until now, been difficult to characterise by conventional means. This project will develop and apply molecular simulation techniques to reveal the chemical and physical properties of dendrimers and their interactions with other molecules. These novel molecules potentially have beneficial applications to areas such as drug delivery and electronic materials. The outcome of this work will assist in the exploitation of this beneficial application and will provide the basis for efficient processing.Read moreRead less