The comparative physiology of oxygen delivery to the kidney. The kidney is in danger of hyperoxia because the kidney receives so much blood relative to its mass. It is proposed that shunting oxygen between arteries and veins substantially mitigates the risk of hyperoxia, but under certain circumstances shunting substantially increases the risk of kidney hypoxia. Using a combination of synchrotron and histological imaging, This project will carefully define the three-dimensional vasculature of th ....The comparative physiology of oxygen delivery to the kidney. The kidney is in danger of hyperoxia because the kidney receives so much blood relative to its mass. It is proposed that shunting oxygen between arteries and veins substantially mitigates the risk of hyperoxia, but under certain circumstances shunting substantially increases the risk of kidney hypoxia. Using a combination of synchrotron and histological imaging, This project will carefully define the three-dimensional vasculature of the renal cortex in several different species and interpret its functional significance using computational modeling. The outcome of this project will be a new understanding in the comparative physiology of oxygen transport and shunting in the kidney.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of bone and bone marrow resident tissue macrophages. This project aims to elucidate the identities of tissue macrophages involved in bone and blood system (bone marrow) homeostasis and function, and the molecular signatures underpinning their functional specialisation. It will then investigate whether decline in the function of these specialised macrophages occurs during skeletal and blood system ageing. Both skeletal and blood system decline contribute to age-associated loss of ....Characterisation of bone and bone marrow resident tissue macrophages. This project aims to elucidate the identities of tissue macrophages involved in bone and blood system (bone marrow) homeostasis and function, and the molecular signatures underpinning their functional specialisation. It will then investigate whether decline in the function of these specialised macrophages occurs during skeletal and blood system ageing. Both skeletal and blood system decline contribute to age-associated loss of productivity, and paralleled decline in the resident macrophages in these organs may be a common ageing mechanism. Demonstration that altered macrophage biology unpins decline in blood and bone may prolong peak health and increase productivity in the ageing population.Read moreRead less
Sarcoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial functional interactions in muscle. Muscle in the body of animals and human has the ability to adapt to stress placed on it, to improve performance. This allows new physical tasks that have been unfamiliar to become easier. One form of stress on the muscle is the demand to work longer without fatigue. This can be important for animal survival or athletes training for sport. A single session of intense muscle contractions can lead to the muscle increasing its c ....Sarcoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial functional interactions in muscle. Muscle in the body of animals and human has the ability to adapt to stress placed on it, to improve performance. This allows new physical tasks that have been unfamiliar to become easier. One form of stress on the muscle is the demand to work longer without fatigue. This can be important for animal survival or athletes training for sport. A single session of intense muscle contractions can lead to the muscle increasing its capacity for endurance within 24 hrs. This project aims to examine this phenomenon in animals and human to decipher the mechanism involved in the beneficial muscle changes experienced in such a brief time. It will provide benefits such as the potential to manipulate human muscle condition and animal muscle (meat) quality.Read moreRead less
Physiological activation and targets of calcium signaling in muscle. The skeletal muscle fibre is a highly specialised cell for the rapid delivery of calcium to elicit contraction, required for posture, movement and thus one's independence. Calcium is also a signal for other purposes, such as triggering other processes within the muscle for its own maintenance. These calcium signals are poorly understood. This project aims to determine when the calcium signals are turned on during normal muscle ....Physiological activation and targets of calcium signaling in muscle. The skeletal muscle fibre is a highly specialised cell for the rapid delivery of calcium to elicit contraction, required for posture, movement and thus one's independence. Calcium is also a signal for other purposes, such as triggering other processes within the muscle for its own maintenance. These calcium signals are poorly understood. This project aims to determine when the calcium signals are turned on during normal muscle activity and what the end result of the signals is for the muscle.Read moreRead less
Regulated muscle-based thermogenesis for body temperature regulation. Mammals maintain a constant core body temperature by generating heat in resting muscles in response to changes in the environmental temperatures. This project aims to show how the skeletal muscles that are closer to the body core contribute the majority of heat, how the muscles of the limbs have their heat generation curtailed as necessary, and how this is coordinated by the body in response to ambient temperature. Project out ....Regulated muscle-based thermogenesis for body temperature regulation. Mammals maintain a constant core body temperature by generating heat in resting muscles in response to changes in the environmental temperatures. This project aims to show how the skeletal muscles that are closer to the body core contribute the majority of heat, how the muscles of the limbs have their heat generation curtailed as necessary, and how this is coordinated by the body in response to ambient temperature. Project outcomes include defining, for the first time, how heat generation in the muscles of the body is regulated. This should provide critical knowledge of mammalian evolution and ways to manipulate metabolism, which may provide ways to assist the production of meat by managing hypothermia and hyperthermia risk in agriculture.Read moreRead less
Defining how serotonin regulates gut motility. This project aims to deepen knowledge of gastrointestinal physiology, and reveal the mechanisms by which the major gastrointestinal signalling molecule, serotonin, regulates gut peristalsis. Almost all of the serotonin in our body is made in the gastrointestinal tract where it controls many functions, including how our gut wall contracts during peristalsis. Proper control of gut peristalsis and the transit of material through our bowel is important ....Defining how serotonin regulates gut motility. This project aims to deepen knowledge of gastrointestinal physiology, and reveal the mechanisms by which the major gastrointestinal signalling molecule, serotonin, regulates gut peristalsis. Almost all of the serotonin in our body is made in the gastrointestinal tract where it controls many functions, including how our gut wall contracts during peristalsis. Proper control of gut peristalsis and the transit of material through our bowel is important for our health. This project expects to define how serotonin controls peristalsis, where in the bowel this serotonin comes from, how serotonin communicates with the nervous system in our gastrointestinal tract, and how the cells that synthesise gut serotonin respond to contraction to trigger the secretion of serotonin.Read moreRead less
Single vesicle dynamics and the control of secretion. This project investigates secretion and tests a new model for secretory control. Its outcomes will further our knowledge in this important area and may be significant in the longer term for the treatment of secretory diseases.
Physiology of oxygen transport in the mammalian kidney. This project aims to improve understanding of oxygen regulation in renal tissue and knowledge of the physiology of the kidney. The mammalian kidney receives more oxygen than it uses or needs, and yet renal tissue is commonly found to be hypoxic. This project proposes that oxygen transport to the renal tissue is limited by blood vessel surface area. The project expects to generate anatomical data currently missing from the renal physiology c ....Physiology of oxygen transport in the mammalian kidney. This project aims to improve understanding of oxygen regulation in renal tissue and knowledge of the physiology of the kidney. The mammalian kidney receives more oxygen than it uses or needs, and yet renal tissue is commonly found to be hypoxic. This project proposes that oxygen transport to the renal tissue is limited by blood vessel surface area. The project expects to generate anatomical data currently missing from the renal physiology community, and potentially change the accepted story of oxygen homeostasis in the kidney. This will provide significant benefits, such as the provision of the foundational physiological science behind a determinant of kidney health and its flow-on impact to quality of life.Read moreRead less
Saving your skin: physiology of immune regulation in mammalian lymph nodes. The overall aim of this proposal is to understand the mechanisms through which a rare population of regulatory cells maintains skin integrity. Despite their importance, little is known about the regulatory pathways these cells utilise. Previous work from the team has described an innovative technique to enrich these cells for in-depth study and demonstrated their potent regulatory capacity in vivo. This project will enha ....Saving your skin: physiology of immune regulation in mammalian lymph nodes. The overall aim of this proposal is to understand the mechanisms through which a rare population of regulatory cells maintains skin integrity. Despite their importance, little is known about the regulatory pathways these cells utilise. Previous work from the team has described an innovative technique to enrich these cells for in-depth study and demonstrated their potent regulatory capacity in vivo. This project will enhance our understanding of these cells and uncover their mechanisms of action. The outcomes of this work will therefore provide fundamental new knowledge of skin physiology, and lead to novel insights regarding how healthy skin, which is essential for the very survival and function of a living organism, may be maintained.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101357
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Modulation of gap-junction coupling in the mammalian retina. This project aims to examine the alteration in neuronal circuits of the retina over the course of the day and in response to changes in light. Basic knowledge of how the retina functions will be determined, providing invaluable information for strategies aimed at restoring vision to vision-impaired patients by replicating normal retinal function.