Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100311
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$383,982.00
Summary
Shining nanoparticles for single microRNA detection in microfluidics. This project aims to extensively study the interface between nanoparticles and nucleic acids. It sets out to produce a novel ultrasensitive high-performance biosensing platform that will combine luminescent nanoparticles with microfluidics in a digital assay. This portable platform will detect biological fingerprints, or microRNAs, at a single-molecule level, delivering unprecedented levels of sensitivity and specificity. The ....Shining nanoparticles for single microRNA detection in microfluidics. This project aims to extensively study the interface between nanoparticles and nucleic acids. It sets out to produce a novel ultrasensitive high-performance biosensing platform that will combine luminescent nanoparticles with microfluidics in a digital assay. This portable platform will detect biological fingerprints, or microRNAs, at a single-molecule level, delivering unprecedented levels of sensitivity and specificity. The multiplexed platform has the potential to benefit the biomedical research of microRNAs and opens up a genuine commercialisation potential for portable biosensing of nucleic acids.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101137
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,665.00
Summary
Exploiting biological noise for next generation electrochemical biosensors. This project aims to harness the intrinsic noise in a biological system to develop a new platform for biosensors. This will lead to advancement of a new versatile electrochemical platform for real-time screening with vast applications that span from sensing at sub-cellular level to point-of-care and implantable biosensors. The new sensory technique will improve the specificity, sensitivity and resolution in biosensors an ....Exploiting biological noise for next generation electrochemical biosensors. This project aims to harness the intrinsic noise in a biological system to develop a new platform for biosensors. This will lead to advancement of a new versatile electrochemical platform for real-time screening with vast applications that span from sensing at sub-cellular level to point-of-care and implantable biosensors. The new sensory technique will improve the specificity, sensitivity and resolution in biosensors and enables measurement of multiple biomarkers simultaneously in real-time. The outcomes will contribute to a better understanding of fundamental physiological processes and chemical interactions at subcellular level which will inform future advancements in biomedical engineering.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100985
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,574.00
Summary
Targeted genome editing using engineered CRISPR-Cas endonucleases. This project aims to study the generation of targeted and cell-specific endonucleases. CRISPR-Cas endonucleases have revolutionised the field of genome engineering due to programming simplicity based on a short guide RNA and high cleavage efficiency. This project will combine the use of two technologies in genome engineering and antibody therapeutics to generate new antibody-targeted endonucleases that modify cellular genomes wit ....Targeted genome editing using engineered CRISPR-Cas endonucleases. This project aims to study the generation of targeted and cell-specific endonucleases. CRISPR-Cas endonucleases have revolutionised the field of genome engineering due to programming simplicity based on a short guide RNA and high cleavage efficiency. This project will combine the use of two technologies in genome engineering and antibody therapeutics to generate new antibody-targeted endonucleases that modify cellular genomes with high efficacy and specificity. This project will provide new and intriguing insights into cellar function, with broad applications in basic research and biotechnology.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102556
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The influence of crosstalk between protein post-translational modifications on the propagation of molecular signals. The ability of a cell to respond appropriately to its surroundings is a result of interactions between proteins and chemical modifiers termed post-translational modifications (PTM). This project will show how PTM interactions (competition/ cooperation) influence cellular outcomes in response to changes in the environment.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100745
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$347,000.00
Summary
Next generation motion-compensated brain imaging in animals and humans. The aim of this project is to develop innovative and highly practical motion tracking methods allowing human and animal subjects to move, behave and respond during imaging without at all degrading the quality of information. This should not only maximise the potential of imaging technologies to see into the brain, but also exploit a previously impossible class of experiments to probe the link between brain function and behav ....Next generation motion-compensated brain imaging in animals and humans. The aim of this project is to develop innovative and highly practical motion tracking methods allowing human and animal subjects to move, behave and respond during imaging without at all degrading the quality of information. This should not only maximise the potential of imaging technologies to see into the brain, but also exploit a previously impossible class of experiments to probe the link between brain function and behaviour.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100688
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,446.00
Summary
Nanosensors in artificial cochlea for natural hearing. This project aims to develop a miniaturised and implantable cochlear that closely mimics the human auditory system by utilising advanced microfabrication techniques. This project expects to generate new knowledge in engineering hearing and vestibular hair cells and also on tonotopic organisation of cochlear. Expected outcomes include study of auditory hair cells and development of implantable ear-on-a-chip devices. This project is expected t ....Nanosensors in artificial cochlea for natural hearing. This project aims to develop a miniaturised and implantable cochlear that closely mimics the human auditory system by utilising advanced microfabrication techniques. This project expects to generate new knowledge in engineering hearing and vestibular hair cells and also on tonotopic organisation of cochlear. Expected outcomes include study of auditory hair cells and development of implantable ear-on-a-chip devices. This project is expected to enable low-cost production of highly engineered implant cochlear with great potential for commercialisation.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100810
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$343,450.00
Summary
Optical tweezers for bio-nanotechnologies. This project aims to develop a platform of diamond nanosensors and novel optical tweezers for probing cellular processes with single-molecule resolution, in vivo and over physiologically relevant time scales. In biomedicine, long-term imaging of single-molecules is beyond reach with existing bio-labels. The project combines the superior properties of nanodiamond biomarkers (brightness, stability, small size and non-toxicity), with new optical tweezers w ....Optical tweezers for bio-nanotechnologies. This project aims to develop a platform of diamond nanosensors and novel optical tweezers for probing cellular processes with single-molecule resolution, in vivo and over physiologically relevant time scales. In biomedicine, long-term imaging of single-molecules is beyond reach with existing bio-labels. The project combines the superior properties of nanodiamond biomarkers (brightness, stability, small size and non-toxicity), with new optical tweezers which exploit laser trapping of atoms to manipulate nanodiamonds in three-dimensional biological environments. By accessing smaller size and higher force regimes, the platform will improve bio-imaging and bio-manipulation techniques, and potentially advance pathogentracking and early detection of diseases.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101308
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
An in vitro model of biomaterial-induced thrombosis. This project intends to use bioengineering strategies to develop new methods to understand material interactions with proteins and cells. The project plans to develop microfluidic channels to contain test materials and immobilise a key enzyme associated with thrombosis by plasma immersion ion implantation. This knowledge may increase our understanding of material-biomolecule interactions and have implications for manipulating biological foulin ....An in vitro model of biomaterial-induced thrombosis. This project intends to use bioengineering strategies to develop new methods to understand material interactions with proteins and cells. The project plans to develop microfluidic channels to contain test materials and immobilise a key enzyme associated with thrombosis by plasma immersion ion implantation. This knowledge may increase our understanding of material-biomolecule interactions and have implications for manipulating biological fouling across multiple fields.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100111
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,097.00
Summary
Replication and transfer of novel plasmid classes in Acinetobacter. The project aims to reveal basic biology of plasmids found in Acinetobacter baumannii. A. baumannii is a bacterial pathogen that can rapidly acquire resistance to antibiotics, including last-resort antibiotics. In modern strains, acquisition is often mediated by plasmids. On the basis of DNA sequencing data, A. baumannii plasmids are likely to function differently to well-studied plasmids. However, surprisingly little experiment ....Replication and transfer of novel plasmid classes in Acinetobacter. The project aims to reveal basic biology of plasmids found in Acinetobacter baumannii. A. baumannii is a bacterial pathogen that can rapidly acquire resistance to antibiotics, including last-resort antibiotics. In modern strains, acquisition is often mediated by plasmids. On the basis of DNA sequencing data, A. baumannii plasmids are likely to function differently to well-studied plasmids. However, surprisingly little experimental work has been done to evidence this. By combining microbiological and bioinformatics approaches the project expects to generate new knowledge on the mechanisms of replication and transfer of A. baumannii plasmids. This may lead to new targets for strategies to slow and track the spread of antibiotic resistance.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,000.00
Summary
Protein network regulation: A systems-level analysis of methylation. The systems-level analysis of protein-protein interaction networks is a vital new framework for exploring protein complex formation. However key studies into the dynamics of these networks are being precluded by a lack of broad-scale data on interactions mediated by post-translational modifications, which are known regulators of protein-protein interactions. To solve this problem, this project aims to conduct an organism-wide s ....Protein network regulation: A systems-level analysis of methylation. The systems-level analysis of protein-protein interaction networks is a vital new framework for exploring protein complex formation. However key studies into the dynamics of these networks are being precluded by a lack of broad-scale data on interactions mediated by post-translational modifications, which are known regulators of protein-protein interactions. To solve this problem, this project aims to conduct an organism-wide survey of interactions mediated by an important class of post-translational modification, methylation, using an innovative mass spectrometry-based workflow. This project aims to produce fundamental new insights into the mechanisms underlying protein-protein interaction network dynamics, and into how protein complexes are formed.Read moreRead less