The effect of methylation and phosphorylation on ribosome function. This project aims to discover how cells regulate ribosome function and selectivity, by modifying their ribosomal proteins. This affects protein synthesis, a process which is central to the growth of all living things. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of protein synthesis, improved techniques for the study of this process and an enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artifi ....The effect of methylation and phosphorylation on ribosome function. This project aims to discover how cells regulate ribosome function and selectivity, by modifying their ribosomal proteins. This affects protein synthesis, a process which is central to the growth of all living things. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the regulation of protein synthesis, improved techniques for the study of this process and an enhanced capacity for international collaboration. New avenues for the artificial regulation of the ribosome may also emerge, relevant to synthetic biology and the engineering of industrial yeasts. The project should provide significant new findings for the research community, generate research citations and contribute to a highly skilled workforce by the training of staff and students.Read moreRead less
How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misf ....How do protein quality control mechanisms maintain neuronal ageing? This project aims to interrogate how mechanisms of protein quality control act in the brain - an organ that is particularly vulnerable to a high load of misfolded protein - to maintain normal physiology during ageing. This project expects to make advances in cellular biochemistry and neuroscience, using an innovative proximity labelling approach to identify quality control regulators in neurons that specifically engage with misfolded proteins during ageing, within the nervous system of a living animal. Expected outcomes of this project will generate new knowledge of brain physiology and ageing relevant to all animals. This should provide significant benefits, such as a greater understanding of long-term brain functions including memory.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101173
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,318.00
Summary
Inhibiting adenylate-forming enzymes via a new reaction-hijacking mechanism. This project aims to identify and validate the adenylate-forming enzymes that are susceptible to reaction-hijacking inhibition in malaria parasites. This class of enzymes can be induced to synthesise their own nucleoside sulfamate inhibitor conjugates via a novel mechanism. This project expects to provide new knowledge about the molecular basis of this novel inhibition mechanism and susceptible target enzymes in the par ....Inhibiting adenylate-forming enzymes via a new reaction-hijacking mechanism. This project aims to identify and validate the adenylate-forming enzymes that are susceptible to reaction-hijacking inhibition in malaria parasites. This class of enzymes can be induced to synthesise their own nucleoside sulfamate inhibitor conjugates via a novel mechanism. This project expects to provide new knowledge about the molecular basis of this novel inhibition mechanism and susceptible target enzymes in the parasites. Adenylate-forming enzymes play critical roles in a diverse range of biochemical pathways, such as protein translation and fatty acid metabolism. The project seeks to deliver a new paradigm for the design of future antiparasitic agents.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innov ....Mechanisms of memory function involving site-specific tau phosphorylation. This project aims to understand the molecular principles that facilitate encoding, maintenance and retrieval of memories in the brain. To store memories in brain circuits, electrical and chemical signals are crucial. Brain cells can integrate signals into biochemical modifications of intracellular proteins. The nature of the protein modifications that represent memory within brain cells is unknown. This project uses innovative genome editing, mathematical modelling and proteomic approaches, to study how biochemical modifications of a key protein called tau help encode and retrieve memories. These molecular insights will make a significant advance in the current understanding of a brain function that is essential to all human activities.Read moreRead less
Molecular control of memory traces. This project aims to understand how particular molecules help encode memories in the brain for future retrieval. Individual memories are encoded in brain cells through an unknown physical process. This project uses innovative approaches to manipulate memory-containing cells and will provide a new detailed explanation of memory. Outcomes of this work will significantly advance the current understanding of how memories are physically generated and maintained, wh ....Molecular control of memory traces. This project aims to understand how particular molecules help encode memories in the brain for future retrieval. Individual memories are encoded in brain cells through an unknown physical process. This project uses innovative approaches to manipulate memory-containing cells and will provide a new detailed explanation of memory. Outcomes of this work will significantly advance the current understanding of how memories are physically generated and maintained, which is an essential component of human and animal life. This research provides significant benefits in understanding the biology behind memory and in maintaining memory capacity in ageing.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100894
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Molecular mechanisms of equine fertility and early recognition of pregnancy. This project aims to identify biomarkers of stallion fertility and early pregnancy in thoroughbred and Standardbred horses using biochemistry, proteomics and ribonucleic acid analyses. Responding to industry calls for improved methods of detecting and managing infertility in both stallions and mares, this project will connect Australian horse breeders and international clinical experts with the world renowned reproducti ....Molecular mechanisms of equine fertility and early recognition of pregnancy. This project aims to identify biomarkers of stallion fertility and early pregnancy in thoroughbred and Standardbred horses using biochemistry, proteomics and ribonucleic acid analyses. Responding to industry calls for improved methods of detecting and managing infertility in both stallions and mares, this project will connect Australian horse breeders and international clinical experts with the world renowned reproductive Priority Research Centre with the intended outcome of novel reproductive technologies and diagnostic tests. This should both secure international competitiveness and significantly enhance profitability and employment in this culturally significant industry.Read moreRead less
Characterising a novel stress-sensing signalling factor. Aim: To understand how phosphorylation regulates signalling pathways to allow metabolic adaptations in response to energetic stress. Significance: A fundamental understanding of the activation of signalling pathways via phosphorylation is vital for our knowledge of homeostasis and the mechanisms controlling cell survival. Expected outcomes: To generate new systems biology and physiology data to understand how the stress response is regulat ....Characterising a novel stress-sensing signalling factor. Aim: To understand how phosphorylation regulates signalling pathways to allow metabolic adaptations in response to energetic stress. Significance: A fundamental understanding of the activation of signalling pathways via phosphorylation is vital for our knowledge of homeostasis and the mechanisms controlling cell survival. Expected outcomes: To generate new systems biology and physiology data to understand how the stress response is regulated and characterise new stress-sensing pathways. Benefits: A greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling metabolism in response to stress has extremely broad applications to improve metabolic efficiency in fields ranging from exercise- and life-sciences to agriculture.Read moreRead less
"Painting" the 3D proteome: folding, conformation and interactions. The project aims to develop a "residue painting approach", employing novel chemical biology reagents and advanced quantitative proteomics, to monitor changes in protein folding, conformations and interactions in cells, in response to stimuli. Proteins direct almost all functions required to sustain life. The project expects to map the dynamic 3D-structures of thousands of proteins that inform the networks they are in, and of the ...."Painting" the 3D proteome: folding, conformation and interactions. The project aims to develop a "residue painting approach", employing novel chemical biology reagents and advanced quantitative proteomics, to monitor changes in protein folding, conformations and interactions in cells, in response to stimuli. Proteins direct almost all functions required to sustain life. The project expects to map the dynamic 3D-structures of thousands of proteins that inform the networks they are in, and of the conformations they adopt. Expected outcomes include the development of novel biotechnology tools for protein structure and function analysis, the illumination of important cell biology pathways underpinning molecular responses to stimuli and stress, and the training of our next generation of scientists.Read moreRead less
Illuminating the dark neutrophil glycoproteome. This project aims to shed light on the highly complex and dynamic sugar-coated surfaces of neutrophil white blood cells critical for the cell communication and function of our innate immune system. The project expects to generate molecular-level insights into neutrophil biology by detailing the structure, formation, regulation, interactions and functions of these cell-surface sugars across the varied neutrophil life stages using systems glycobiolog ....Illuminating the dark neutrophil glycoproteome. This project aims to shed light on the highly complex and dynamic sugar-coated surfaces of neutrophil white blood cells critical for the cell communication and function of our innate immune system. The project expects to generate molecular-level insights into neutrophil biology by detailing the structure, formation, regulation, interactions and functions of these cell-surface sugars across the varied neutrophil life stages using systems glycobiology approaches. The project will map the extensive sugar remodelling on and in the neutrophil and reveal new sugar-mediated mechanisms governing key immune processes. This project will benefit the community by expanding our knowledge of fundamental processes underpinning our innate immune system.Read moreRead less
Deciphering new regulators of lipid metabolism: a focus on lipid droplets . Lipid droplets store lipids in cells and the mitochondria break down this lipid to generate energy. Both organelles are critical for energy metabolism and cell survival. This project aims to determine the proteins that regulate the interaction between mitochondria and lipid droplets, and how these proteins regulate metabolism. It is anticipated that this project will identify the essential components of lipid droplet-mit ....Deciphering new regulators of lipid metabolism: a focus on lipid droplets . Lipid droplets store lipids in cells and the mitochondria break down this lipid to generate energy. Both organelles are critical for energy metabolism and cell survival. This project aims to determine the proteins that regulate the interaction between mitochondria and lipid droplets, and how these proteins regulate metabolism. It is anticipated that this project will identify the essential components of lipid droplet-mitochondria interactions and their impact on regulating cellular lipid metabolism. The intended outcome of this project is to provide fundamental new knowledge in understanding how organelles interact and how lipid metabolism is regulated. This knowledge has applications for the primary industries and biotechnology sector.Read moreRead less