Sugar transporters in coral symbiosis and origin of parasitism. We aim to identify how symbiotic algae feed sugar to their coral hosts. Corals need this algal sugar to exist, but no one knows how it is transferred, so understanding this crucial mechanism is hugely significant. The first benefit of this research will be a fundamental understanding about how two organisms (algae and coral) cooperate to build habitats like the Great Barrier Reef. We also aim to explore whether coral/algal coopera ....Sugar transporters in coral symbiosis and origin of parasitism. We aim to identify how symbiotic algae feed sugar to their coral hosts. Corals need this algal sugar to exist, but no one knows how it is transferred, so understanding this crucial mechanism is hugely significant. The first benefit of this research will be a fundamental understanding about how two organisms (algae and coral) cooperate to build habitats like the Great Barrier Reef. We also aim to explore whether coral/algal cooperation paved the way for the origin of parasitism. The second key outcome will be to identify the precise molecular mechanism that allowed parasitism to arise. This will benefit us through understanding the origins of important diseases such as human malaria and related infections of livestock and wildlife.
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Symbiotic partnership between algae and animals that powers coral reefs. This project aims to unlock the molecular basis of a partnership between a microscopic plant and an animal that powers coral growth. Most corals depend on microscopic algae living inside their bodies to nourish them. Most corals have to recruit new algae each time they reproduce, but only a particular strain of algae is accepted. This project aims to establish how anemones and corals identify and take in the right alga, how ....Symbiotic partnership between algae and animals that powers coral reefs. This project aims to unlock the molecular basis of a partnership between a microscopic plant and an animal that powers coral growth. Most corals depend on microscopic algae living inside their bodies to nourish them. Most corals have to recruit new algae each time they reproduce, but only a particular strain of algae is accepted. This project aims to establish how anemones and corals identify and take in the right alga, how the alga gives them food, and how the animal hosts regulate growth of their algae to optimise food production but avoid being overrun by algae. Understanding the partnership that drives reef growth and survival may better equip us to protect this threatened resource.Read moreRead less
Biology and evolution of intracellular parasitism. This project will investigate the development of intracellular parasitism in environmental amoebae. The outcomes of this work will help to understand the mechanisms by which bacteria have evolved to survive inside cells and in some cases cause disease.
Transport And Egress Of Herpes Simplex Virus In Neurones
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$592,023.00
Summary
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) enters the human body via the skin before entering the termini of nerve cell processes. It is transported along these processes to the body of the nerve cell. HSV lies dormant within these nerve cell bodies near the spinal cord in most people. Intermittently the virus reactivates and is transported back down the nerve cell processes to the skin where it causes blisters-ulcers or is shed without causing symptoms. The aim of this grant is to determine how HSV is transpor ....Herpes simplex virus (HSV) enters the human body via the skin before entering the termini of nerve cell processes. It is transported along these processes to the body of the nerve cell. HSV lies dormant within these nerve cell bodies near the spinal cord in most people. Intermittently the virus reactivates and is transported back down the nerve cell processes to the skin where it causes blisters-ulcers or is shed without causing symptoms. The aim of this grant is to determine how HSV is transported within nerve cells at the molecular level. Recent discoveries have shown how virus transport in nerve cells is dependent on interactions between specific viral proteins and cellular motor proteins and how the virus escapes from nerves to infect skin and cause disease. Such information on viral transport will allow development of inhibitors of this process which may be candidates for use as antivirals for control of recurrent herpes simplex. In addition, this information will allow the virus to be exploited for use in gene therapy to introduce DNA into human nerve cells to correct genetic abnormalities. Finally this data will assist in understanding similar mechanisms for other viruses transported in nerve cells such as those causing shingles and rabies.Read moreRead less
Sugars in the real world: are cultured cancer cells a good model system for studying protein glycosylation? It is challenging to study errors in metabolism in human beings, so researchers use cells grown in the laboratory to understand disease processes. This project will determine if cultured cells accurately reflect the real changes to cell surface sugars that occur in all cancers, and the effect of these changes on the invasive properties of colon cancer cells.
The Role Of Microglia In Early Diabetic Retinopathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$665,582.00
Summary
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most feared complications of diabetes. This project will examine the role that retinal immune cells called microglia have in causing early changes in the vasculature. We will examine whether diabetes changes the way neurons communicate with blood vessels, opening up a possible treatment target that could prevent the progression to more advanced disease.
Glycosyltransferase Effectors Of Enteropathogenic E. Coli And Salmonella
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,891.00
Summary
This project aims to characterise the mechanisms of disease caused by bacterial pathogens including Salmonella and enteropathogenic E. coli. These pathogens cause a significant amount of diarrhoeal disease and mortality worldwide particularly in infants and in countries where water sanitation is poor. I aim to investigate the specific mechanisms the bacteria employ to manipulate and avoid our immune response during infection in order to better understand and combat diarrhoeal disease.
Design And Engineering Of Adnectins For Diagnosis And Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$803,152.00
Summary
This project aims to engineer a naturally-occurring human protein, called an adnectin, to produce molecules that are able to bind specific targets in the human body, and as such may be used in the diagnosis and therapy of a range of diseases.
Future Industries Research - Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Small talk: Communication networks in microbes. We will use the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility to address the multifaceted mechanisms of microbial interactions and produce new knowledge about the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of death in cystic fibrosis patients. We will characterise the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the emerging fungal pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum as a proactive step towards be ....Future Industries Research - Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Small talk: Communication networks in microbes. We will use the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility to address the multifaceted mechanisms of microbial interactions and produce new knowledge about the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of death in cystic fibrosis patients. We will characterise the interactions between P. aeruginosa and the emerging fungal pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum as a proactive step towards better understanding of pathogen communication. Improved understanding of pathogen interactions should facilitate the development of novel anti-adhesives as therapeutics. Our project will train young scientists in a new integrated approach to biology.Read moreRead less