Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100778
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,000.00
Summary
Mapping the neural circuits that underlie emotional learning. This project aims to understand the precise neural circuits that mediate the formation of emotional memories. Recent findings have identified a novel complexity in these circuits and the goal of this proposal is to resolve the underlying mechanism that drives emotional memories. In detail, this project will combine state of the art dual- optical stimulation techniques combined with behaviour-dependent tagging of neurons to investigate ....Mapping the neural circuits that underlie emotional learning. This project aims to understand the precise neural circuits that mediate the formation of emotional memories. Recent findings have identified a novel complexity in these circuits and the goal of this proposal is to resolve the underlying mechanism that drives emotional memories. In detail, this project will combine state of the art dual- optical stimulation techniques combined with behaviour-dependent tagging of neurons to investigate the precise brain circuits linked to emotional learning, an approach that also allows knowledge transfer to other research fields. Expected outcomes and benefits of the project is a significant shift in our understanding of the neural mechanisms that underlie emotional learning.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101300
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,711.00
Summary
Lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage extracellular traps in host defence. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading microbes. Macrophages are key innate immune cells that deploy antimicrobial responses to clear infection and restore health. There are many critical unanswered questions on the molecular mechanisms that drive macrophage inflammatory and antimicrobial pathways. This project aims to elucidate a novel inflammatory mechanism that immobilises and kills inva ....Lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage extracellular traps in host defence. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against invading microbes. Macrophages are key innate immune cells that deploy antimicrobial responses to clear infection and restore health. There are many critical unanswered questions on the molecular mechanisms that drive macrophage inflammatory and antimicrobial pathways. This project aims to elucidate a novel inflammatory mechanism that immobilises and kills invading bacteria via newly discovered structures made by dying macrophages called extracellular traps. Insight we gain by interrogating this immune cell signalling pathway, called the non-canonical inflammasome, will add valuable knowledge to our fundamental understanding of mammalian inflammation and anti-microbial responses
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An active ion transport pathway exploited by coronaviruses. Cells have active transport “pumps” that are regulators of a variety of cellular processes. This project aims to understand how a specific ion pump is exploited by coronaviruses when they infect animal cells. These studies will provide new mechanistic insights into how coronaviruses alter calcium signalling in cells and how a specific ion pump regulates a variety of key processes during coronavirus infection. This work will greatly enha ....An active ion transport pathway exploited by coronaviruses. Cells have active transport “pumps” that are regulators of a variety of cellular processes. This project aims to understand how a specific ion pump is exploited by coronaviruses when they infect animal cells. These studies will provide new mechanistic insights into how coronaviruses alter calcium signalling in cells and how a specific ion pump regulates a variety of key processes during coronavirus infection. This work will greatly enhance our understanding of the intersection between ion pumps and viruses.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100823
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$442,482.00
Summary
Elucidating ATPase function during NLRP3 inflammasome assembly. Humans and animals are constantly exposed to microbes, which inhabit their external environment as well as body surfaces such as the skin and gut. We are, however, able to co-exist with these microbes, because our immune system protects us from these everyday encounters. This proposal will reveal how an important immune protein called NLRP3 senses microbes and other physiological processes. When NLRP3 senses such factors and is acti ....Elucidating ATPase function during NLRP3 inflammasome assembly. Humans and animals are constantly exposed to microbes, which inhabit their external environment as well as body surfaces such as the skin and gut. We are, however, able to co-exist with these microbes, because our immune system protects us from these everyday encounters. This proposal will reveal how an important immune protein called NLRP3 senses microbes and other physiological processes. When NLRP3 senses such factors and is activated, it induces the release of messenger substances to alert other immune cells. This research will deliver fundamental knowledge of how animals normally co-exist with microbes.Read moreRead less
The molecular basis for efficacy at G protein coupled receptors. This project aims to investigate the molecular steps underlying the relationship between sensing by signal-transmitting proteins on the cell surface called G protein-coupled receptors and cellular response. The project aims to build on studies that have sought to understand the primary, molecular basis for this cellular volume control. This project seeks to use these novel approaches to fill this knowledge gap, providing a deeper u ....The molecular basis for efficacy at G protein coupled receptors. This project aims to investigate the molecular steps underlying the relationship between sensing by signal-transmitting proteins on the cell surface called G protein-coupled receptors and cellular response. The project aims to build on studies that have sought to understand the primary, molecular basis for this cellular volume control. This project seeks to use these novel approaches to fill this knowledge gap, providing a deeper understanding of how physiology and medicines work. The project expects to expand fundamental understanding of signal transmission at this receptor class. This project will deliver benefits including expanded basic knowledge and a contribution to future improvements in drug development.Read moreRead less
A humanised sensory neuron high-throughput screening platform . Sensory neurons are responsible for converting external stimuli such as touch or temperature into graded electrical signals that allow us to interact with the world around us. However, unlike other cell types, sensory neurons cannot proliferate and thus must be removed from human cadavers, or animals, in order to study their pharmacology and function. This limits our ability to understand neuronal signalling pathways. This project a ....A humanised sensory neuron high-throughput screening platform . Sensory neurons are responsible for converting external stimuli such as touch or temperature into graded electrical signals that allow us to interact with the world around us. However, unlike other cell types, sensory neurons cannot proliferate and thus must be removed from human cadavers, or animals, in order to study their pharmacology and function. This limits our ability to understand neuronal signalling pathways. This project aims to use sensory neurons derived from human stem cells to develop and optimise assays that can be used to study the pharmacology and function of human sensory neurons in vitro. This enhances access to critical model systems and technology platforms and removes the need for isolation of cells from cadavers. Read moreRead less
Nuclear alarmins escalate tissue immune responses. Humans and other animals are constantly exposed to potential threats, including microbes on and near the body. Animals can live with such dangers because these everyday encounters are made harmless by the immune system. It is unclear how cells distinguish low-danger threats from high-danger threats. This proposal seeks to reveal how immune cells identify increasing levels of threat and appropriately escalate their responses. Expected outcomes in ....Nuclear alarmins escalate tissue immune responses. Humans and other animals are constantly exposed to potential threats, including microbes on and near the body. Animals can live with such dangers because these everyday encounters are made harmless by the immune system. It is unclear how cells distinguish low-danger threats from high-danger threats. This proposal seeks to reveal how immune cells identify increasing levels of threat and appropriately escalate their responses. Expected outcomes include new insights into how immune cells and tissues respond according to the posing threat. Project benefits include understanding how to manipulate danger responses for future basic research and commercial applications, and fundamental understanding of how animals flourish in a dangerous world.Read moreRead less
Metabolite regulation of mitochondrial fission. This project aims to understand how the function and health of mitochondria – the energy producing structures in cells - are controlled by fat molecules. The project expects to integrate cutting edge techniques and instrumentation to generate new knowledge of how fat molecules interact with, and influence, enzymes that control how cells maintain their mitochondria in response to nutrient state. An anticipated goal is to define a fingerprint for enz ....Metabolite regulation of mitochondrial fission. This project aims to understand how the function and health of mitochondria – the energy producing structures in cells - are controlled by fat molecules. The project expects to integrate cutting edge techniques and instrumentation to generate new knowledge of how fat molecules interact with, and influence, enzymes that control how cells maintain their mitochondria in response to nutrient state. An anticipated goal is to define a fingerprint for enzymes regulated by fat molecules that will be of great interest to researchers across many branches of life sciences. Expected outcomes and benefits will be deeper understanding of fat molecules as nutrient signalling metabolites, and how they influence cell metabolism, growth and development.Read moreRead less
Unravelling a novel stress-signalling system in bacteria. This project aims to investigate the cyclic-di-AMP signalling system in industrially important bacteria. The recently discovered cyclic-di-AMP is essential for normal bacterial growth and plays key roles in heat and antibiotic resistance, metabolism and virulence. This project will develop new biological assays to shed light on how bacteria sense and respond to environmental stress. Expected outcomes include a much deeper understanding of ....Unravelling a novel stress-signalling system in bacteria. This project aims to investigate the cyclic-di-AMP signalling system in industrially important bacteria. The recently discovered cyclic-di-AMP is essential for normal bacterial growth and plays key roles in heat and antibiotic resistance, metabolism and virulence. This project will develop new biological assays to shed light on how bacteria sense and respond to environmental stress. Expected outcomes include a much deeper understanding of signalling inputs and outputs. This should lead to benefits such as guiding the improvement of bacterial strains used in food and biochemical biotechnological applications, and may provide the foundation for the development of novel antibiotics.Read moreRead less
Uncovering New Mechanisms of Metabolite-Sensing and Signaling. This project aims to understand how cells sense changes in metabolic activity, to ensure energy demands are matched with nutrient supply. Our proposal will fill critical gaps in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic sensing. This will generate new knowledge with far reaching potential for Australian industries that rely on the propagation and utilization of living organisms, including agriculture, biotech ....Uncovering New Mechanisms of Metabolite-Sensing and Signaling. This project aims to understand how cells sense changes in metabolic activity, to ensure energy demands are matched with nutrient supply. Our proposal will fill critical gaps in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic sensing. This will generate new knowledge with far reaching potential for Australian industries that rely on the propagation and utilization of living organisms, including agriculture, biotechnology and brewing, as well as knowledge relevant to sporting performance and the metabolic dimensions of ageing. This project will support advanced training of early career researchers and PhD students, which will expand Australian research capabilities and contribute to a producing a highly skilled workforce.Read moreRead less