Regulation Of Ca2+/calmodulin Dependent Protein Kinase Kinase-2 By Phosphorylation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,334.00
Summary
This project will study the regulation of an enzyme called CaMKK2, which plays a pivotal role in controlling a number of important biological functions including brain development, regulation of appetite, energy metabolism and blood pressure. Understanding how this enzyme is regulated may open new avenues for treating Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Development of an active noise control system for sleeper seats on large commercial aircraft. Possible avenues will be investigated to actively reduce aircraft cabin noise experienced by passengers in sleeper seats, using localised active noise control (ANC). Previous work has focused on headsets and upright seat headrests which represent a different problem to the partially enclosed sleeper seats considered here. Efficiency and robustness problems that affect existing ANC systems will be addres ....Development of an active noise control system for sleeper seats on large commercial aircraft. Possible avenues will be investigated to actively reduce aircraft cabin noise experienced by passengers in sleeper seats, using localised active noise control (ANC). Previous work has focused on headsets and upright seat headrests which represent a different problem to the partially enclosed sleeper seats considered here. Efficiency and robustness problems that affect existing ANC systems will be addressed. A prototype system will be produced for a business class sleeper seat in a wide body aircraft. A second outcome is the establishment of a robust integrated system design procedure that can be used to quickly develop ANC systems for future designs.Read moreRead less
Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not ....Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not very effective. We have recently identified a novel pathway that regulates the activity of the muscle cells that form the uterus. This project seeks to understand the biochemical processes that change a muscle cell so that it begins to contract actively at the end of pregnancy. Specifically the project will examine two proteins called HSP20 and HSP27. These proteins have recently been reported to play a critical role in the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle cells in the heart and blood vessels. We have identified for the first time that these proteins are also present in the muscle of the human uterus. It is likely that they play a critical role in regulating the contractions of the uterus. By understanding this process better we may be able to design better treatments to prevent premature birth.Read moreRead less
Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not ....Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not very effective. Our work has shown that a hormone called corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) made in the placenta plays a critical role in determining the length of a pregnancy. We have measured the levels of this hormone in the blood of pregnant women and shown that it increases more rapidly than normal in women who deliver prematurely and more slowly than normal in women who deliver late. It acts as a kind of clock to determine the length of pregnancy. What is not known is how this hormone acts to bring on labour. What is particularly puzzling is that some of the actions of the CRH seem likely to cause the uterus to relax rather than to contract. We wish to test the idea that the rapidly rising levels of this hormone in late pregnancy cause changes in the uterus that stop the pathways to relaxation and lead to contraction. To perform these studies we will use small pieces of uterus donated with informed consent from women undergoing caesarean section. The results of these studies may allow us to design better ways of preventing premature birth and prevent many cases of cerebral palsy and intellectual handicap.Read moreRead less
Raising the Internet's Quality of Service through improved congestion management. This project aims to develop methods for improving the service quality of the internet by better management of congestion. Improved service quality will be evident to internet users in the form of reduced delay and data loss. The proposed research is significant because as well as improving service quality, it will facilitate delivery of internet services over poor quality communications infrastructure such as is p ....Raising the Internet's Quality of Service through improved congestion management. This project aims to develop methods for improving the service quality of the internet by better management of congestion. Improved service quality will be evident to internet users in the form of reduced delay and data loss. The proposed research is significant because as well as improving service quality, it will facilitate delivery of internet services over poor quality communications infrastructure such as is present in many remote and regional areas of Australia. It also will result in more efficient utilisation of telecommunications infrastructure. The project will deliver implementations in the form of software which is easily installed in any computer.Read moreRead less
Single-cell Optical Window Imaging In CDK1-FRET Biosensor Mice To Assess Tissue Stiffness And Optimise Delivery And Therapeutic Response To Gemcitabine/Abraxane In Pancreatic Cancer.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$676,979.00
Summary
Inefficient drug response in solid tumour tissue is commonly a limiting factor in the clinical effectiveness of cancer therapies. Using cutting-edge imaging technology and 3D models that mimic the disease, we have mapped areas of poor drug response within distinct regions of tumours. Here, we pinpoint and specifically target key factors limiting efficient drug targeting in order to improve the encouraging anti-cancer profile of the new drug combination Gemcitabine/Abraxane in pancreatic cancer.
A fundamental study of the role of signal transduction pathways in the regulation of Chlamydia's complex developmental cycle. Chlamydia are unique organisms in the microbial world. They are among the smallest bacteria and yet have a complex two-stage developmental cycle. In addition they are major causes of disease in animals and humans with no vaccines available. We have used the recent flood of full genome sequence data to identify over 30 new cell signalling proteins. By understanding how the ....A fundamental study of the role of signal transduction pathways in the regulation of Chlamydia's complex developmental cycle. Chlamydia are unique organisms in the microbial world. They are among the smallest bacteria and yet have a complex two-stage developmental cycle. In addition they are major causes of disease in animals and humans with no vaccines available. We have used the recent flood of full genome sequence data to identify over 30 new cell signalling proteins. By understanding how these cell signaling proteins are organized into pathways and how this microorganism controls its complex growth and developmental cycle, we will be able to develop novel methods of control. We are at the fore front of international research and therefore uniquely placed to conduct this project.Read moreRead less
Data Fusion Techniques for Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems. The main focus of this project is to develop data fusion techniques for clamp force estimation and optimum utilisation of redundant information in a brake-by-wire system. Efficient integration of redundant information in an EMB system is expected to significantly improve the reliability and fault tolerance of such systems. The need for costly and complicated clamp force measurement sensors in electric callipers will also be eliminate ....Data Fusion Techniques for Electro-Mechanical Braking Systems. The main focus of this project is to develop data fusion techniques for clamp force estimation and optimum utilisation of redundant information in a brake-by-wire system. Efficient integration of redundant information in an EMB system is expected to significantly improve the reliability and fault tolerance of such systems. The need for costly and complicated clamp force measurement sensors in electric callipers will also be eliminated by accurate estimation of the clamp force signal, through fusion of more readily available measurements. Development of the proposed data fusion techniques influences the design of future EMBs and enhances the functionality of existing brake-by-wire systems.Read moreRead less
Resource-aware Signal Processing and Control Algorithms for Networked Sensor Systems. Networked sensing and control is an important technology for Australia's future. Applications range from monitoring wildlife habitats to safety management of large civil structures. This project will lead to sustainable engineering solutions for these applications and provide key fundamental performance limits. Beyond the creation of new theory and algorithms, the national and community benefits will include: ....Resource-aware Signal Processing and Control Algorithms for Networked Sensor Systems. Networked sensing and control is an important technology for Australia's future. Applications range from monitoring wildlife habitats to safety management of large civil structures. This project will lead to sustainable engineering solutions for these applications and provide key fundamental performance limits. Beyond the creation of new theory and algorithms, the national and community benefits will include: (i) enhancement of Australia's reputation for innovative Engineering research through quality publications and international collaborations; and (ii) improvement of the research and development capability in the ICT sector through rigorous training of postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows.Read moreRead less