Regulation Of Receptors That Control Platelet Function Under Shear Stress
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$507,273.00
Summary
Specialized human blood cells that control blood loss and clotting (platelets) are currently difficult to test in the clinical laboratory, meaning patients are at risk of excessive bleeding or serious clot formation during disease or treatment. The aim of this proposal is to use our new reagents and assays to develop more reliable methods for evaluating relative bleeding or clotting risk in individuals.
The rapid interactions of circulating human blood platelets is critical to prevent bleeding, but can cause thrombotic diseases (heart attack, stroke). These highly regulated interactions involve specific adhesive proteins. Our studies will define factors regulating platelet interactions. Imaging the thrombotic process will quantify platelet function at an unprecedented resolution and we have a panel of new candidate reagents that will be assessed for antithrombotic potential.
Tailoring cellulose properties by manipulating cellulose synthase. Cellulose, a highly abundant polymer produced by plants, has many existing uses in Australian fibre and polymer industries and potential uses as, for example, an abundant feedstuff for biomass conversion into ethanol and other high value products. The optimal properties for different applications vary so that, for example, high crystallinity cellulose gives strong fibres whereas low crystallinity cellulose dissolves in gentler so ....Tailoring cellulose properties by manipulating cellulose synthase. Cellulose, a highly abundant polymer produced by plants, has many existing uses in Australian fibre and polymer industries and potential uses as, for example, an abundant feedstuff for biomass conversion into ethanol and other high value products. The optimal properties for different applications vary so that, for example, high crystallinity cellulose gives strong fibres whereas low crystallinity cellulose dissolves in gentler solvents on the way to producing cellulose-based polymers. By exploring ways to adjust the properties of celluloses for use in different applications, we can deliver potential benefits to primary producers, industries and the environment.
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Discovery and characterisation of novel spider-venom peptides targeting the human sodium ion channel Nav1.7. Drugs that selectively block the human sodium ion channel Nav1.7 are likely to be powerful analgesics for treating a wide variety of pain conditions. However, it has proved difficult to obtain selective blockers of this channel. The aim of this project is to determine whether spider-venoms might provide a source of highly selective Nav1.7 blockers.
Discovery of new genes for plant cellulose biosynthesis and improved fibre production. Cellulose, the world's most abundant biopolymer, is important to the cotton and forest industries and for human and animal nutrition. Before biotechnology can manipulate cellulose, we must identify the enzymes of the synthesis pathway and understand how their properties determine the properties of the cellulose they produce. Not all enzymes are known and any relationships to cellulose properties remain unexplo ....Discovery of new genes for plant cellulose biosynthesis and improved fibre production. Cellulose, the world's most abundant biopolymer, is important to the cotton and forest industries and for human and animal nutrition. Before biotechnology can manipulate cellulose, we must identify the enzymes of the synthesis pathway and understand how their properties determine the properties of the cellulose they produce. Not all enzymes are known and any relationships to cellulose properties remain unexplored. This study extends our successful mutational analysis of cellulose synthesis in Arabidopsis and initiates the molecular analysis of organisms making cellulose with distinctive properties. It will significantly advance knowledge of cellulose biosynthesis and identify novel genes for fibre improvement.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453295
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,697.00
Summary
NMR cryosystem for structural and functional biology. State-of-the-art hardware is requested for the 600-MHz NMR spectrometers situated at University of Sydney and UNSW. A cryosystem installed at USyd. will provide a massive boost in productivity and will allow projects previously inaccessible due to excessive turn-around times, or sensitivity or solubility problems to become tractable. This system will provide new opportunities to researchers from USyd., UNSW and ANU, but will restrict the ver ....NMR cryosystem for structural and functional biology. State-of-the-art hardware is requested for the 600-MHz NMR spectrometers situated at University of Sydney and UNSW. A cryosystem installed at USyd. will provide a massive boost in productivity and will allow projects previously inaccessible due to excessive turn-around times, or sensitivity or solubility problems to become tractable. This system will provide new opportunities to researchers from USyd., UNSW and ANU, but will restrict the versatility of the USyd. instrument. The installation of a TBI probe at UNSW will counter this, and provide a REAL network of NMR instruments across NSW and the ACT.Read moreRead less
Probing the four photosynthetic membrane protein complexes at work in situ in leaves. This proposal aims at sustainable improvements in plant productivity and photosynthetic adaptation in drastic Australian climates. In photosynthesis, membranes with the four multiprotein complexes use sunlight to make compounds that drive carbon assimilation. Instead of the usual dissection of photosynthetic membranes, this project will develop and refine the applicant's rapid, reliable, non-intrusive technique ....Probing the four photosynthetic membrane protein complexes at work in situ in leaves. This proposal aims at sustainable improvements in plant productivity and photosynthetic adaptation in drastic Australian climates. In photosynthesis, membranes with the four multiprotein complexes use sunlight to make compounds that drive carbon assimilation. Instead of the usual dissection of photosynthetic membranes, this project will develop and refine the applicant's rapid, reliable, non-intrusive techniques to probe the four membrane complexes at work in their native state in leaves. Two portable commercial instruments will potentially emerge from the techniques. This novel non-reductionist approach will identify key limitations to photosynthetic performance under stress, and insights into improvements for primary plant productivity.Read moreRead less
The cellulose synthase complex of the Arabidopsis primary cell wall. The polysaccharide cellulose is the basis for the wood and cotton fibre industries of Australia and much of our research on the mechanism of synthesis has been supported by those industries over the past decade. The present project focuses on the proteins making cellulose and how they organised into functional complexes that are able to make cellulose. The knowledge it provides, together with that from other projects, will move ....The cellulose synthase complex of the Arabidopsis primary cell wall. The polysaccharide cellulose is the basis for the wood and cotton fibre industries of Australia and much of our research on the mechanism of synthesis has been supported by those industries over the past decade. The present project focuses on the proteins making cellulose and how they organised into functional complexes that are able to make cellulose. The knowledge it provides, together with that from other projects, will move us towards the situation where we can manipulate the rate at which cellulose is produced and change its detailed properties. This opens the way to industry producing fibres with more desirable properties and producing novel cellulose-based materials tailored to specific applications.Read moreRead less