Enhancement of plant proteinase inhibitors for the protection of crop plants against insect attack. The aim of this project is to characterise the interactions between various known plant proteinase inhibitors and the major digestive enzymes of insects by structural and dynamic studies and to utilise mutational studies to design new inhibitors that more effectively bind to target proteinases. The outcomes will be the knowledge to design specific inhibitors to give optimal inhibition of specific ....Enhancement of plant proteinase inhibitors for the protection of crop plants against insect attack. The aim of this project is to characterise the interactions between various known plant proteinase inhibitors and the major digestive enzymes of insects by structural and dynamic studies and to utilise mutational studies to design new inhibitors that more effectively bind to target proteinases. The outcomes will be the knowledge to design specific inhibitors to give optimal inhibition of specific insect proteinases. This knowledge will lead to novel approaches to protect economically important crops, such as cotton, from insect pests in Australia - potentially saving tens of millions of dollars per annum in chemical pesticide use and enhancing crop production in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Disruption of Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis: A Novel Control Method for Pestiferous Fruit Flies by. Fruit flies from the genus Bactrocera are economically important worldwide. B. tryoni, (Queensland fruit fly) is the most damaging horticultural pest in Australia and B. oleae (olive fly) is a major European pest. These flies use chemicals of similar but distinct structure for communication and particularly for finding mates. This research will examine the pathways and enzymes these flies use to sy ....Disruption of Sex Pheromone Biosynthesis: A Novel Control Method for Pestiferous Fruit Flies by. Fruit flies from the genus Bactrocera are economically important worldwide. B. tryoni, (Queensland fruit fly) is the most damaging horticultural pest in Australia and B. oleae (olive fly) is a major European pest. These flies use chemicals of similar but distinct structure for communication and particularly for finding mates. This research will examine the pathways and enzymes these flies use to synthesise sex pheromones. We propose that understanding the chemical and biochemical steps employed by the flies will allow us to design inhibitors to prevent pheromone production and thus provide a novel, species specific method for controlling fruit flies.Read moreRead less
Development of new herbicides targeting enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids. Modern agriculture is heavily reliant on the use of herbicides. An inevitable consequence of herbicide usage is that resistant weeds will develop. Therefore, there is a continuing need to develop new herbicides to kill these resistant species. Herbicides interact with vulnerable molecular targets in plants, such as photosynthesis or the biosynthesis of certain amino acids. This project wil ....Development of new herbicides targeting enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids. Modern agriculture is heavily reliant on the use of herbicides. An inevitable consequence of herbicide usage is that resistant weeds will develop. Therefore, there is a continuing need to develop new herbicides to kill these resistant species. Herbicides interact with vulnerable molecular targets in plants, such as photosynthesis or the biosynthesis of certain amino acids. This project will attempt to develop new herbicides that act upon two molecular targets that are not exploited by herbicides that are used currently. We will design, synthesize and test a variety of new compounds as potential environmentally-benign herbicides.Read moreRead less
Design and evaluation of new environmentally-benign herbicides that inhibit branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. Herbicides interfere with processes that occur in plants, such as photosynthesis or the biosynthesis of certain amino acids. In this project we will focus on branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, designing and evaluating inhibitors of the first two enzymes in this process. Based on their three dimensional structures we will develop an understanding of the molecular features that ....Design and evaluation of new environmentally-benign herbicides that inhibit branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. Herbicides interfere with processes that occur in plants, such as photosynthesis or the biosynthesis of certain amino acids. In this project we will focus on branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis, designing and evaluating inhibitors of the first two enzymes in this process. Based on their three dimensional structures we will develop an understanding of the molecular features that contribute to a potent inhibitor and those that are required for it to be effective upon plants. Using this information we will design and synthesis new compounds as potential environmentally-benign herbicides.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanisms of peptide cyclisation. This project aims to identify, study, engineer and apply a new class of biocatalysts (called asparaginyl endopeptidase enzymes) as versatile tools for manufacturing of advanced therapeutics and bio-insecticides. The expected outcomes include fundamental new knowledge on the mechanism of action of these catalysts, an expanded toolbox for precision engineering of biomolecules and new strategies for production of high-value pharmaceuticals and cr ....Understanding the mechanisms of peptide cyclisation. This project aims to identify, study, engineer and apply a new class of biocatalysts (called asparaginyl endopeptidase enzymes) as versatile tools for manufacturing of advanced therapeutics and bio-insecticides. The expected outcomes include fundamental new knowledge on the mechanism of action of these catalysts, an expanded toolbox for precision engineering of biomolecules and new strategies for production of high-value pharmaceuticals and crop protecting agents. The project is significant because it will contribute to high value biotechnology and agricultural industries in Australia, with the potential for economic, environmental, training and societal benefits.Read moreRead less