mTOR signalling in serous ovarian cancer. Serous ovarian cancer is the most aggressive and lethal gynaecological cancer in Australian women. Activation of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is frequently observed and associated with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. However, the mechanisms dysregulating mTOR in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer are unknown. In preliminary studies, deletion of genes regulating mTOR signalling in up to 60 per cent of human serous ovarian cancer patien ....mTOR signalling in serous ovarian cancer. Serous ovarian cancer is the most aggressive and lethal gynaecological cancer in Australian women. Activation of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is frequently observed and associated with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. However, the mechanisms dysregulating mTOR in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer are unknown. In preliminary studies, deletion of genes regulating mTOR signalling in up to 60 per cent of human serous ovarian cancer patients was observed. This project will provide mechanistic details of involvement of mTOR signalling in pathogenesis of the serous ovarian carcinoma, and develop a rationale for targeting mTOR pathway in these patients. Read moreRead less
Understanding endocrine tumorigenesis - opportunities for new diagnostics and therapies. This project will generate new knowledge significant for improving cancer diagnosis and designing new therapies for cancer patients as we embrace the personalised medicine era. Specific focus is on endocrine tumours. This research has as its aim improved survival for people diagnosed with cancer.
Identification of novel therapeutic targets for selectively eliminating cancer stem cells in paediatric leukaemia. Leukaemia is the most common form of cancer in children, and while the majority of children can be cured, those who relapse face a dire prognosis. It is widely believed that leukemic stem cells are responsible for relapse and this project will aim to unravel their underlying biology and identify new targets for therapeutic approaches to the disease.
The critical role of the class III histone deacetylase SIRT2 in stabilizing N-Myc oncoprotein. Cancer is the commonest cause of death from disease in children. Neuroblastoma is the commonest solid tumor in early childhood. This project will investigate the critical roles of SIRT2 protein in increasing the expression of N-Myc oncoprotein and consequently inducing neuroblastoma, and SIRT2 inhibitors as anticancer agents.
Characterisation of a powerful molecular motor, the FtsK DNA translocase. The FtsK protein is a fast and powerful molecular motor, a pump that can, and does, move an entire bacterial chromosome. This project will uncover the detail of the mechanism used by this motor to convert the cell's chemical energy source Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) into movement of DNA; revealing the molecular detail of a fast and powerful motor.
Determination of cellular mechanisms underpinning cancer cell metastasis through integrated in vivo imaging approaches. Understanding key steps that drive the spread of cancer is critical to improve current treatment strategies. Using cutting-edge imaging technology and in vivo model systems that mimic the disease, this project will pinpoint key events that are susceptible to drug intervention and identify new therapeutic targets.
Dissecting cell cycle regulation using programmable gene editing technology. This program aims to harness the unprecedented power of CRISPR-Cas13 gene-editing technology to develop high-throughput tools to explore the role of RNA regulation in cell cycle control. This project expects to generate new knowledge about cell division and RNA biology by utilizing this new technology and applying interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes of this proposal include new research tools capable of broa ....Dissecting cell cycle regulation using programmable gene editing technology. This program aims to harness the unprecedented power of CRISPR-Cas13 gene-editing technology to develop high-throughput tools to explore the role of RNA regulation in cell cycle control. This project expects to generate new knowledge about cell division and RNA biology by utilizing this new technology and applying interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes of this proposal include new research tools capable of broadly addressing biological questions across multiple disciplines (e.g. from health to food production). This project intends to provide significant benefits, such as enhanced biological knowledge, multidisciplinary training opportunities and will build Australia’s capability in this rapidly expanding field.Read moreRead less
Characterising rates of molecular evolution across the Tree of Life. This project aims to characterise the variation in molecular evolutionary rates across the Tree of Life. Despite advances in genetic methods and genomic data, a critical gap remains in knowledge of evolutionary rates across species. The project will evaluate and refine methods for estimating rates, develop genomic data for molecular clocks, create an online database of rate estimates, and reconstruct ecological communities’ res ....Characterising rates of molecular evolution across the Tree of Life. This project aims to characterise the variation in molecular evolutionary rates across the Tree of Life. Despite advances in genetic methods and genomic data, a critical gap remains in knowledge of evolutionary rates across species. The project will evaluate and refine methods for estimating rates, develop genomic data for molecular clocks, create an online database of rate estimates, and reconstruct ecological communities’ responses to past environmental and climatic factors. The project’s database of evolutionary rates in different species is expected to increase understanding of evolutionary and demographic events across species, including the Australian biota, and improve conservation efforts.Read moreRead less
Complex trait analyses based on genome-wide approaches. This project aims to develop whole genome approaches that can improve the estimation and prediction power by using information from the dynamic genetic architecture of complex traits (i.e. the changes of genetic characteristics and effects when varying effective population size and genetic backgrounds). The project intends to deliver advanced statistical models, efficient algorithms and design by combining data from close relatives, populat ....Complex trait analyses based on genome-wide approaches. This project aims to develop whole genome approaches that can improve the estimation and prediction power by using information from the dynamic genetic architecture of complex traits (i.e. the changes of genetic characteristics and effects when varying effective population size and genetic backgrounds). The project intends to deliver advanced statistical models, efficient algorithms and design by combining data from close relatives, population samples or from different populations (e.g. multi-ethnicities or multi-breeds). The expected outcome is to better understand the dynamic architecture of complex traits and develop methods with improved power, precision and accuracy in genomic analyses.Read moreRead less
Exploring novel coding genomic features through integrative proteogenomics. Knowledge of the full extent to which the human genome is made into proteins is of fundamental importance in the study of health and disease. New technological advances are now enabling functional studies of genomes with increasing detail. This project aims to develop and apply cutting edge bioinformatics methods to perform an integrative and comprehensive exploration of the extent to which the genes of a human cell line ....Exploring novel coding genomic features through integrative proteogenomics. Knowledge of the full extent to which the human genome is made into proteins is of fundamental importance in the study of health and disease. New technological advances are now enabling functional studies of genomes with increasing detail. This project aims to develop and apply cutting edge bioinformatics methods to perform an integrative and comprehensive exploration of the extent to which the genes of a human cell line are made into proteins. The project will improve our understanding of the human genome and deliver cutting edge methodology applicable for genome annotation in all living organisms.Read moreRead less