Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL160100170
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,887,531.00
Summary
Scaling in biology: size control at the cell, organelle and organism level. This project aims to decipher the universal mechanisms that coordinate growth with division and thereby dictate the size of the cell. It would investigate this question from the triangulating perspective of evolution using yeast and animal models. It plans to interrogate the complex sub-networks that govern cell size using novel genome-scale reagent sets for systematic genetics and other approaches. It would integrate th ....Scaling in biology: size control at the cell, organelle and organism level. This project aims to decipher the universal mechanisms that coordinate growth with division and thereby dictate the size of the cell. It would investigate this question from the triangulating perspective of evolution using yeast and animal models. It plans to interrogate the complex sub-networks that govern cell size using novel genome-scale reagent sets for systematic genetics and other approaches. It would integrate this data in predictive mathematical models of size control that illuminate how the cell processes size-related information, and how size mechanisms evolve to impact form and function in biology. This research is expected to have commercial applications in biotechnology processes and bioengineering.Read moreRead less
Understanding the robustness and plasticity of metabolite concentrations. This project aims to further the understanding of how organisms mitigate the effects of changing environment by altering metabolite concentrations, important for food quality, energetics, and health. Through this understanding, the project provides the potential to precisely tailor metabolic intervention strategies, highly beneficial for applied sciences. The expected outcome of the project is a suite of computational appr ....Understanding the robustness and plasticity of metabolite concentrations. This project aims to further the understanding of how organisms mitigate the effects of changing environment by altering metabolite concentrations, important for food quality, energetics, and health. Through this understanding, the project provides the potential to precisely tailor metabolic intervention strategies, highly beneficial for applied sciences. The expected outcome of the project is a suite of computational approaches that allow for integration of large-scale data with networks to predict metabolite concentration ranges. This will provide significant benefit with the aim of maintaining outstanding research in Australia, and has clear potential for improved human health and enhanced food quality via metabolic reprogramming.Read moreRead less
Enabling Methodologies for the Synthesis of Biologically Active Compounds. This project seeks to establish flexible methods of chemical synthesis for creating new molecular scaffolds capable of achieving selective enzyme inhibition. The approach aims to exploit the vast and biologically-programmed structural diversity associated with natural products. Unique, small molecule organic compounds will be obtained that reveal details of the operation of key enzymes in bacterial and mammalian systems. ....Enabling Methodologies for the Synthesis of Biologically Active Compounds. This project seeks to establish flexible methods of chemical synthesis for creating new molecular scaffolds capable of achieving selective enzyme inhibition. The approach aims to exploit the vast and biologically-programmed structural diversity associated with natural products. Unique, small molecule organic compounds will be obtained that reveal details of the operation of key enzymes in bacterial and mammalian systems. Such new knowledge would allow for the design of highly selective therapeutic agents relevant to the treatment of a range of diseases including bacterial infections, diabetes and cancer. The high-end scientific training and privileged forms of matter arising from this work would provide major benefit to the biotech sector.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100793
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$463,180.00
Summary
Unraveling a new cytokine working model in immune cell exhaustion. This project will investigate a novel paradigm of how a key messenger protein can be sensed by fundamental immune cells, preventing their ‘exhaustion’. Immune cell exhaustion is a fundamental mechanism to maintain the internal homeostasis of vertebrates. However, it is often hijacked by pathogens to dampen the defensive capacity of the immune system. And this specific messenger protein is the only known soluble factor that can d ....Unraveling a new cytokine working model in immune cell exhaustion. This project will investigate a novel paradigm of how a key messenger protein can be sensed by fundamental immune cells, preventing their ‘exhaustion’. Immune cell exhaustion is a fundamental mechanism to maintain the internal homeostasis of vertebrates. However, it is often hijacked by pathogens to dampen the defensive capacity of the immune system. And this specific messenger protein is the only known soluble factor that can deliver ‘anti-exhaustion’ signals to immune cells. This study will advance basic knowledge in biochemistry and immunology by combining interdisciplinary and cutting-edge approaches. The expected outcomes include the developing new scientific theories and identifying novel molecular basis of biological processes. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100293
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Cracking the phosphoinositide code. This project seeks to determine how protein interactions with membrane lipids regulate recruitment to cellular organelles, providing new insight into the complex pathways of cellular homeostasis. Controlling the distribution of proteins within cells is critical for cell signalling and membrane trafficking. This is orchestrated by the interaction of specific protein modules with lipids on the surface of different organelles. The phox homology (PX) domain is a l ....Cracking the phosphoinositide code. This project seeks to determine how protein interactions with membrane lipids regulate recruitment to cellular organelles, providing new insight into the complex pathways of cellular homeostasis. Controlling the distribution of proteins within cells is critical for cell signalling and membrane trafficking. This is orchestrated by the interaction of specific protein modules with lipids on the surface of different organelles. The phox homology (PX) domain is a lipid-binding module found in numerous proteins essential for normal cell trafficking and homeostasis, and perturbed in many conditions including immune dysfunction and cancer. This project plans to investigate molecular determinants of PX-lipid association, generating knowledge about protein-membrane interactions required for cellular function. These insights may underpin future drug design.Read moreRead less