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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101173
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,318.00
Summary
Inhibiting adenylate-forming enzymes via a new reaction-hijacking mechanism. This project aims to identify and validate the adenylate-forming enzymes that are susceptible to reaction-hijacking inhibition in malaria parasites. This class of enzymes can be induced to synthesise their own nucleoside sulfamate inhibitor conjugates via a novel mechanism. This project expects to provide new knowledge about the molecular basis of this novel inhibition mechanism and susceptible target enzymes in the par ....Inhibiting adenylate-forming enzymes via a new reaction-hijacking mechanism. This project aims to identify and validate the adenylate-forming enzymes that are susceptible to reaction-hijacking inhibition in malaria parasites. This class of enzymes can be induced to synthesise their own nucleoside sulfamate inhibitor conjugates via a novel mechanism. This project expects to provide new knowledge about the molecular basis of this novel inhibition mechanism and susceptible target enzymes in the parasites. Adenylate-forming enzymes play critical roles in a diverse range of biochemical pathways, such as protein translation and fatty acid metabolism. The project seeks to deliver a new paradigm for the design of future antiparasitic agents.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100894
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Molecular mechanisms of equine fertility and early recognition of pregnancy. This project aims to identify biomarkers of stallion fertility and early pregnancy in thoroughbred and Standardbred horses using biochemistry, proteomics and ribonucleic acid analyses. Responding to industry calls for improved methods of detecting and managing infertility in both stallions and mares, this project will connect Australian horse breeders and international clinical experts with the world renowned reproducti ....Molecular mechanisms of equine fertility and early recognition of pregnancy. This project aims to identify biomarkers of stallion fertility and early pregnancy in thoroughbred and Standardbred horses using biochemistry, proteomics and ribonucleic acid analyses. Responding to industry calls for improved methods of detecting and managing infertility in both stallions and mares, this project will connect Australian horse breeders and international clinical experts with the world renowned reproductive Priority Research Centre with the intended outcome of novel reproductive technologies and diagnostic tests. This should both secure international competitiveness and significantly enhance profitability and employment in this culturally significant industry.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100390
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Characterisation of collagenous lectins and their roles in ovine infectious diseases. Specific proteins involved in immunity against infections will be studied in sheep to enhance their immune response against specific infections, such as ovine Johne's disease and footrot. This may lead to selective breeding of sheep that are more resistant to disease, minimising production losses and use of medications.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101243
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
The molecular mechanisms of dual nucleic acid specificities of SFPQ. Dynamic interactions between proteins and nucleic acids are a fundamental process in gene regulation, where aberrant regulation leads to lethality or various diseases. This project aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of DNA-RNA interplay with a multifunctional nuclear protein, splicing factor proline/glutamine-rich (SFPQ) in gene regulation at the molecular level by characterising the interactions between SFPQ and nucle ....The molecular mechanisms of dual nucleic acid specificities of SFPQ. Dynamic interactions between proteins and nucleic acids are a fundamental process in gene regulation, where aberrant regulation leads to lethality or various diseases. This project aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of DNA-RNA interplay with a multifunctional nuclear protein, splicing factor proline/glutamine-rich (SFPQ) in gene regulation at the molecular level by characterising the interactions between SFPQ and nucleic acids. The results will provide a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms of dual nucleic acid specificities of nuclear proteins in gene regulation, for which no structural information is currently available.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100611
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,116.00
Summary
How do extracellular vesicles fuse with cells to deliver messages? Aims: This project aims to investigate how tiny packages released by all cells in the human body, called extracellular vesicles, deliver messages into neighbouring cells facilitating cell-to-cell communication.
Significance: This project expects to generate key knowledge in the area of cell-to-cell communication by using innovative molecular biology approaches and cutting-edge microscopy and biophysical techniques.
Expected outco ....How do extracellular vesicles fuse with cells to deliver messages? Aims: This project aims to investigate how tiny packages released by all cells in the human body, called extracellular vesicles, deliver messages into neighbouring cells facilitating cell-to-cell communication.
Significance: This project expects to generate key knowledge in the area of cell-to-cell communication by using innovative molecular biology approaches and cutting-edge microscopy and biophysical techniques.
Expected outcomes: Expected outcomes include high resolution details of which molecules are packaged onto extracellular vesicles and how they are delivered into recipient cells.
Benefits: This project should contribute significantly to understanding extracellular vesicle function and guide their eventual use as therapeutics.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102857
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Innovative chemical tools for the isolation, biochemical and structural analysis of biological macromolecular assemblies. This project will develop a new approach for determining the three dimensional structures of protein complexes. This project will demonstrate this approach by determining the structure of a protein complex involved in gene regulation and disease.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100530
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,802.00
Summary
Neanderthal hunting ability and the extinction of archaic humans. This project aims to investigate a critical factor in explaining Neanderthals extinction: their hunting abilities. The research expects to generate new knowledge of archaic humans behaviour using an innovative approach combining traditional archaeological analytical methods with ground-breaking biomolecular techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of new knowledge in human evolutionary history and impr ....Neanderthal hunting ability and the extinction of archaic humans. This project aims to investigate a critical factor in explaining Neanderthals extinction: their hunting abilities. The research expects to generate new knowledge of archaic humans behaviour using an innovative approach combining traditional archaeological analytical methods with ground-breaking biomolecular techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include the development of new knowledge in human evolutionary history and improved techniques to understand past human extinction events. This should provide significant benefits for Australia to become a primary power in studying human past and deep history, while enhancing capacity by becoming the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to implement ancient protein studies in archaeology.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101479
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,948.00
Summary
The investigation of an unconventional Human Leukocyte Antigen molecule. This project aims to characterise a unique and understudied surface molecule (HLA-E). The immune system is activated and regulated by a complex set of molecules including HLA molecules present on the cell surface that inform the immune system of infection. Therefore, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of cellular biology and immunology by utilising a cutting-edge and multi-disciplinary approach. Exp ....The investigation of an unconventional Human Leukocyte Antigen molecule. This project aims to characterise a unique and understudied surface molecule (HLA-E). The immune system is activated and regulated by a complex set of molecules including HLA molecules present on the cell surface that inform the immune system of infection. Therefore, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of cellular biology and immunology by utilising a cutting-edge and multi-disciplinary approach. Expected outcomes of this project include the generation of new knowledge of this unconventional molecule and its interaction with immune cells. This should provide significant impacts by defining the non-conventional role of HLA-E within the immune system, which may advise future research into vaccines or therapeutics. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100707
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,926.00
Summary
Towards a molecular fingerprint for human-specific endogenous retroviruses. This project aims to understand how ancient viral sequences resident in the human genome can contribute to cellular processes. Using a novel molecular toolbox that combines affinity-directed proximity labelling mass spectrometry and single molecule microscopy, this project will characterise the cellular fingerprint of a human endogenous retrovirus family HERV-K (HML-2). This fingerprint will comprehensively describe how ....Towards a molecular fingerprint for human-specific endogenous retroviruses. This project aims to understand how ancient viral sequences resident in the human genome can contribute to cellular processes. Using a novel molecular toolbox that combines affinity-directed proximity labelling mass spectrometry and single molecule microscopy, this project will characterise the cellular fingerprint of a human endogenous retrovirus family HERV-K (HML-2). This fingerprint will comprehensively describe how expressed HERV-K loci engage with the homeostasis network in human cells. This will provide significant benefits in the form of new knowledge concerning fundamental aspects of cellular homeostasis, and a state-of-the-art molecular biology toolbox ready to explore quantitatively the role of HERV-K in human health and disease.Read moreRead less