Light-driven biocatalytic cell factories. This project aims to develop single-cell algae optimised for high-efficiency green hydrogen production from cheap, sustainable resources - sunlight and water. The success of this project would be a game changer for industry by dramatically improving light to fuel conversion efficiencies. The expected high-efficiency cells would be a valuable resource for a wide range of other light-driven advanced bio-manufacture applications from high-value biopharmaceu ....Light-driven biocatalytic cell factories. This project aims to develop single-cell algae optimised for high-efficiency green hydrogen production from cheap, sustainable resources - sunlight and water. The success of this project would be a game changer for industry by dramatically improving light to fuel conversion efficiencies. The expected high-efficiency cells would be a valuable resource for a wide range of other light-driven advanced bio-manufacture applications from high-value biopharmaceuticals (e.g. <10 Hectare scale) through to renewable fuels (e.g. 10-1000 Hectare regional scale). The benefits would include advanced green chemical and biochemical manufacturing, diversified sources for green H2 production, regional development, industry growth, job security and exports.Read moreRead less
The “New” Biochemistry of Polyamines: When Metabolic Pathways Collide. Basic biochemistry and the metabolic regulation of proliferation remain as the fundamental building blocks of knowledge in cell biology that have enabled breakthrough advances in biology and medicine. Polyamines are unique and ubiquitous low-Mr amines that play vital roles in many biological processes, including proliferation, DNA/RNA synthesis, etc. This proposal will mechanistically dissect the "new" biochemistry of polyami ....The “New” Biochemistry of Polyamines: When Metabolic Pathways Collide. Basic biochemistry and the metabolic regulation of proliferation remain as the fundamental building blocks of knowledge in cell biology that have enabled breakthrough advances in biology and medicine. Polyamines are unique and ubiquitous low-Mr amines that play vital roles in many biological processes, including proliferation, DNA/RNA synthesis, etc. This proposal will mechanistically dissect the "new" biochemistry of polyamines, as we have discovered that polyamines are regulated by iron at 2-major levels, involving >10-key polyamine pathway proteins. This proposal represents first-in-field studies specifically designed to dissect mechanisms involved in this relationship. Our Central Hypothesis is that iron regulates polyamine metabolism.Read moreRead less
Structure-guided optimisation of light-driven microalgae cell factories. Every two hours Earth receives more solar energy than is required to power our entire global economy for a year. This project aims to engineer advanced single cell green algae for high-efficiency solar light capture, to power next-generation light-driven bio-manufacture. The significance is to advance industry-scale production of sustainable products using microalgae. This is economically, socially and environmentally benef ....Structure-guided optimisation of light-driven microalgae cell factories. Every two hours Earth receives more solar energy than is required to power our entire global economy for a year. This project aims to engineer advanced single cell green algae for high-efficiency solar light capture, to power next-generation light-driven bio-manufacture. The significance is to advance industry-scale production of sustainable products using microalgae. This is economically, socially and environmentally beneficial. Project outcomes are designed to advance the technology from high-value bio-manufacture in microalgae, such as pharmaceuticals (e.g. biologicals), to mid-value products (e.g. fine chemicals) through to low-cost products, such as renewable fuels to help deliver key UN Sustainable Development Goals.Read moreRead less
Safer gene editing tools for Australian livestock and biotech industries. Editing the genome of an organism in an efficient and safe fashion is critical for the livestock and biotechnology industries. While CRISPR-Cas9 has become the method of choice for genome editing, it is known to introduce unwanted "on-target" and "off-target" mutations, limiting its utility. To address this the CI team created a novel genome editing platform technology termed Crackling-CAST that is almost 100% accurate, w ....Safer gene editing tools for Australian livestock and biotech industries. Editing the genome of an organism in an efficient and safe fashion is critical for the livestock and biotechnology industries. While CRISPR-Cas9 has become the method of choice for genome editing, it is known to introduce unwanted "on-target" and "off-target" mutations, limiting its utility. To address this the CI team created a novel genome editing platform technology termed Crackling-CAST that is almost 100% accurate, while retaining the efficiency of the classical Cas9 system. This project will exemplify the capabilities of the novel gene targeting platform in cell types used by the biotechnology and livestock sectors, ensuring its global uptake by these industries and delivering significant economic benefits for Australia. Read moreRead less