Cellular Plasticity in the Brain: discovering molecular mechanisms controlling the production of neurons during brain development, function, ageing and disease. The program aims to understand the mechanisms regulating Brain Plasticity - this recently discovered property of the brain to respond to environmental stimuli, both physiological and pathological, by producing new functional neurons. Specifically, the program will discover how the brain's stem cells are stimulated to produce new neurons. ....Cellular Plasticity in the Brain: discovering molecular mechanisms controlling the production of neurons during brain development, function, ageing and disease. The program aims to understand the mechanisms regulating Brain Plasticity - this recently discovered property of the brain to respond to environmental stimuli, both physiological and pathological, by producing new functional neurons. Specifically, the program will discover how the brain's stem cells are stimulated to produce new neurons. This understanding will significantly expand our knowledge of how the brain develops, and how functions, like memory, are modulated by neuronal replacement. Discoveries will underpin the development of, in association with Australia's biotechnology sector, a new generation of therapeutics, which treat neurological diseases, like Stroke, by stimulating the production of functional neurons.Read moreRead less
The Role of Metals in the Biology of the Ageing Brain. Aims
1.To advance basic understanding of the interactions between cellular proteins and biologically important metals
2. To learn how these interactions change as the organism ages
3. To study the pathological results of aberrant metal biology using animal and cellular models of major age-dependent neurodegenerative disease.
In a rapidly ageing society, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases will presen ....The Role of Metals in the Biology of the Ageing Brain. Aims
1.To advance basic understanding of the interactions between cellular proteins and biologically important metals
2. To learn how these interactions change as the organism ages
3. To study the pathological results of aberrant metal biology using animal and cellular models of major age-dependent neurodegenerative disease.
In a rapidly ageing society, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases will present a medical and economic challenge demanding novel and powerful science. This research will lead both to deeper understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying such disorders and to tools for designing new and effective treatments.
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The Uses of Multimedia: Citizen Consumers, Creative Participation and Innovation in Australian Digital Content. The Fellowship will seize the opportunity for Australia to become a world leader of research and applications in user-led innovation for the creative industries. It will show how Australia can uplift the capabilities of the general population in multimedia literacy, to promote wider social participation in creative content production. It also provides practical solutions for national a ....The Uses of Multimedia: Citizen Consumers, Creative Participation and Innovation in Australian Digital Content. The Fellowship will seize the opportunity for Australia to become a world leader of research and applications in user-led innovation for the creative industries. It will show how Australia can uplift the capabilities of the general population in multimedia literacy, to promote wider social participation in creative content production. It also provides practical solutions for national and international dissemination of consumer-led content, thereby effectively adding new national networks of communication for creative content and civic participation. Linking professional production and consumer-led innovation will strengthen both the service economy and the Australian polity.Read moreRead less
Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowle ....Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowledge base of how the nervous system develops or degenerates, but the results will provide crucial information for future studies based on genetic approaches, drug therapies and bioengineering technology to repair the injured nervous system.Read moreRead less
Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific commun ....Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific community and will be disseminated back to the scientific community, to the humanities and to the Australian public. The project will bring to Australia the strengths of the applicant's existing collaborations with leading research centres in this field in the USA, UK and Canada.Read moreRead less
Television in the post-broadcast era: the role of old and new media in the formation of national communities. This Federation Fellowship program will examine the place of television in a range of national locations during the post-broadcast era, addressing its socio-cultural function for the citizen as well as considering the competing or complementary roles played by new forms of online journalism. The program will provide a unique international comparative overview of contemporary media system ....Television in the post-broadcast era: the role of old and new media in the formation of national communities. This Federation Fellowship program will examine the place of television in a range of national locations during the post-broadcast era, addressing its socio-cultural function for the citizen as well as considering the competing or complementary roles played by new forms of online journalism. The program will provide a unique international comparative overview of contemporary media systems in the midst of dramatic change. The expertise, critical mass and findings developed within the program will equip Australia to better understand and manage the complex role the media plays in socio-cultural change, while providing cutting edge policy advice to government and industry.Read moreRead less
New approaches to functional and structural genomics. Genome sequencing has revealed complete sets of macromolecules that make up our cells. We now need to learn how these macromolecules work together in a coordinated fashion. The proposed research will lead to the discovery of new biological molecules, interactions and processes essential for the function of cells, identify new therapeutic targets and strategies to combat disease, identify new concepts in bio- and nanotechnology, and train new ....New approaches to functional and structural genomics. Genome sequencing has revealed complete sets of macromolecules that make up our cells. We now need to learn how these macromolecules work together in a coordinated fashion. The proposed research will lead to the discovery of new biological molecules, interactions and processes essential for the function of cells, identify new therapeutic targets and strategies to combat disease, identify new concepts in bio- and nanotechnology, and train new interdisciplinary researchers. It will underpin the National Research Priorities (Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, and Promoting and Maintaining Good Health) and help Australia capitalise on a plethora of opportunities for future economic and health benefits.Read moreRead less
Cellular and Neurochemical Basis of Drug Addiction. Addiction to the major drugs of abuse, including heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol damage the lives and cause premature death of more than 20% of Australians. Addiction produces long-term disruption of brain processes that lead to loss of control over urges to consume drugs and persistent cycles of relapse to drug taking. This research will apply new neurochemical approaches to discover mechanisms of disrupted brain function t ....Cellular and Neurochemical Basis of Drug Addiction. Addiction to the major drugs of abuse, including heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol damage the lives and cause premature death of more than 20% of Australians. Addiction produces long-term disruption of brain processes that lead to loss of control over urges to consume drugs and persistent cycles of relapse to drug taking. This research will apply new neurochemical approaches to discover mechanisms of disrupted brain function that occur during development of addiction and relapse that are critical for development of better strategies to treat the disorder. Read moreRead less
Optical Semiconductors for next-generation lasers, optical processors, and integrated optical chips. We are on the verge of an optical processing revolution. The silicon industry evolved from valves to transistors and finally to processors - Optical processing is the next step in the evolution of lasers from gas to solid state, and ultimately to integrated optical chips. Australia had a significant lead in semiconductors during the 1970?s, but unfortunately lost this lead due to a lack of local ....Optical Semiconductors for next-generation lasers, optical processors, and integrated optical chips. We are on the verge of an optical processing revolution. The silicon industry evolved from valves to transistors and finally to processors - Optical processing is the next step in the evolution of lasers from gas to solid state, and ultimately to integrated optical chips. Australia had a significant lead in semiconductors during the 1970?s, but unfortunately lost this lead due to a lack of local market. The emergence of biotechnology and telecommunications offer strong local markets for this new integrated optical technology. This project aims to create a world-leading Research capability in Australia to drive the evolution of integrated optoelectronics, and provide a commercial path to create a leading Australian industry.Read moreRead less
The first stage of vision: transduction and adaptation in retinal photoreceptors. The project aims to provide a detailed understanding of the molecular steps involved in the first stage of vision - the conversion of light into a neural signal in the rod and cone photoreceptors of the retina. The significance of this is that it will explain the initial events that enable us to see, and will help explain the deficits that occur when the process fails. The outcome will be a comprehensive understand ....The first stage of vision: transduction and adaptation in retinal photoreceptors. The project aims to provide a detailed understanding of the molecular steps involved in the first stage of vision - the conversion of light into a neural signal in the rod and cone photoreceptors of the retina. The significance of this is that it will explain the initial events that enable us to see, and will help explain the deficits that occur when the process fails. The outcome will be a comprehensive understanding of how our photoreceptors respond with extreme sensitivity, yet great rapidity, and over an enormous range of light intensities, thus endowing us with our remarkable sense of vision.Read moreRead less