Expanding the molecular tool set for structural studies of proteins and their complexes. Many applications in medical science and drug development depend on our ability to determine the 3D structures of proteins, protein assemblies and protein-ligand complexes. This project will develop novel lanthanide-binding tags and crosslinking agents that can be coupled to unnatural amino acids introduced into proteins with advanced protein chemistry techniques. These new tools will facilitate the collecti ....Expanding the molecular tool set for structural studies of proteins and their complexes. Many applications in medical science and drug development depend on our ability to determine the 3D structures of proteins, protein assemblies and protein-ligand complexes. This project will develop novel lanthanide-binding tags and crosslinking agents that can be coupled to unnatural amino acids introduced into proteins with advanced protein chemistry techniques. These new tools will facilitate the collection of structure restraints by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and mass spectrometry, which are needed to generate accurate models of proteins and their complexes with other molecules. Major beneficial outcome will include an increase in the number of protein targets amenable to rational drug design and improved methods for generating new drug leads.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100236
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Facilities for spectroscopy and diffraction at high pressures. The provision of infrastructure for the study of novel materials under high pressures will enhance Australia's capability in creating new materials and in creating new devices that meet needs in communication, environment and medicine applications. The new facility will enable researchers to understand the response of structures to extreme pressures and will exploit the unique capabilities of the synchrotron light.
The Quantum Dot SPASER. Can we replace electrons with photons in future computers? This project provides two steps toward this goal. By combining advanced materials with ultra-small metallic structures, a new nano-sized form of a laser, called the spaser will be realised. Furthermore, a key component of a computer, a nanoscale modulator, will be demonstrated.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100076
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$155,000.00
Summary
The first Australian high pressure Synchrotron facility for geoscience research. In high-pressure mineral physics and chemistry, mineral properties, stress-strain relationships and processes like partial melting are applied to geophysical research about the deep Earth. This project will provide a large volume, high pressure capability at the Australian Synchrotron which will allow these mineral properties to be measured under conditions which simulate the deep earth.
Three-dimensional structure determination of biomolecular assemblies from sparse data of different length scales. New computer algorithms will be combined with sparse experimental structure restraints, obtained with novel protein chemistry technologies, to generate accurate three-dimensional (3D) models of proteins and protein assemblies in solution and in the solid state. The new strategies will greatly increase the number of protein targets amenable to rational drug design.
Tags and algorithms for studies of protein structures and interactions. This project aims to develop a new set of tools to structurally characterise protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions that are difficult or impossible to analyse by other means, facilitate tracking of proteins in biological material and identify interaction partners. The project seeks to focus on the synthesis of new unnatural amino acids and tags for site-specific protein labelling, and a range of techniques for 3D s ....Tags and algorithms for studies of protein structures and interactions. This project aims to develop a new set of tools to structurally characterise protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions that are difficult or impossible to analyse by other means, facilitate tracking of proteins in biological material and identify interaction partners. The project seeks to focus on the synthesis of new unnatural amino acids and tags for site-specific protein labelling, and a range of techniques for 3D structure analysis in solution, in particular NMR spectroscopy. New algorithms are expected to be developed for optimizing NMR spectroscopy and structure calculations from sparse data. The integrated set of tools is expected to deliver better and faster structure analysis and target characterisation to accelerate early stages of drug discovery.Read moreRead less
Selectively targeting cancer and infectious disease with fragment-based drug discovery. Finding better compounds as starting points is one of the major challenges for drug discovery research. Fragments are small, weak binding molecules that can be upsized into drug leads with better properties when compared to starting with larger molecules. This project addresses two weaknesses of current fragment based drug discovery (FBDD) methods: first, the limitations associated with screening fragments; a ....Selectively targeting cancer and infectious disease with fragment-based drug discovery. Finding better compounds as starting points is one of the major challenges for drug discovery research. Fragments are small, weak binding molecules that can be upsized into drug leads with better properties when compared to starting with larger molecules. This project addresses two weaknesses of current fragment based drug discovery (FBDD) methods: first, the limitations associated with screening fragments; and second, the quality of commercial fragment libraries. This project anticipates that the findings will establish a commanding role for both mass spectrometry and three-dimensional fragments in advancing FBDD approaches. It also expects to identify fragments with favourable development prospects towards the next generation of therapeutics.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989747
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
Ultrafast Dynamics Measurement Facility for the Physical, Biochemical, and Materials Sciences. The term "ultrafast revolution" describes the transformations in science due to ultrafast laser technology. Today, ultrafast lasers are used in surgery, nanomaterial fabrication, biomedical imaging, spectroscopic investigations, and new applications are still emerging. This facility will draw together leading chemists, physicists, and engineers to investigate key ultrafast processes and phenomena in th ....Ultrafast Dynamics Measurement Facility for the Physical, Biochemical, and Materials Sciences. The term "ultrafast revolution" describes the transformations in science due to ultrafast laser technology. Today, ultrafast lasers are used in surgery, nanomaterial fabrication, biomedical imaging, spectroscopic investigations, and new applications are still emerging. This facility will draw together leading chemists, physicists, and engineers to investigate key ultrafast processes and phenomena in the physical, biochemical and material sciences. This is of strategic importance to keep Australia at the global forefront for scientific endeavours, supporting new research and commercial opportunities. This facility will also produce highly trained graduates, who will find employment in industry throughout Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346515
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$507,000.00
Summary
Fluorescence Detector for the Australian National Beamline Facility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an extremely important synchrotron radiation tool for determining the local structure around an X-ray absorbing atom. This has many applications in the study of materials, minerals, metal complexes, and metalloproteins and can often be used to obtain information that is not available by other techniques, because structural information can be obtained in the solid or solution state and in ....Fluorescence Detector for the Australian National Beamline Facility. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is an extremely important synchrotron radiation tool for determining the local structure around an X-ray absorbing atom. This has many applications in the study of materials, minerals, metal complexes, and metalloproteins and can often be used to obtain information that is not available by other techniques, because structural information can be obtained in the solid or solution state and in mixtures. The current proposal is aimed at introducing new technology into the Australian National Beamline Facility that will greatly improve the quality and quantity of experiments that can be performed and extend studies into dilute solutions and protein samples.Read moreRead less
Microplastic infiltration of food webs: cells to ecosystem consequences. Using trophic ecological theory as a framework, this project aims to provide the first comprehensive assessment of the fate and effects of microplastics. Plastic pollution is a persistent and increasing problem. Plastics are degraded into small particles, called microplastics, which are ingested by animals. The project aims to develop much-needed techniques to measure microplastics in biological tissue and apply these techn ....Microplastic infiltration of food webs: cells to ecosystem consequences. Using trophic ecological theory as a framework, this project aims to provide the first comprehensive assessment of the fate and effects of microplastics. Plastic pollution is a persistent and increasing problem. Plastics are degraded into small particles, called microplastics, which are ingested by animals. The project aims to develop much-needed techniques to measure microplastics in biological tissue and apply these techniques in food web studies to determine the capacity of microplastics to transfer from the environment into animals, and how microplastics move through a food web to affect biological diversity and animal health. This information will be used to complete the first risk assessment for microplastics in a major coastal habitat.Read moreRead less