Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100092
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$240,000.00
Summary
A high-throughput protein production and structure facility. Making proteins and studying their structures and properties is a key activity in biotechnology, drug design, food security and bio-nanotechnology. The Protein Production and Structure Facility will provide Western Australian researchers and their international partners with world-class resources to pursue this research for the benefit of all Australians.
The function and misfunction of serum apolipoproteins: lipid binding and protein misfolding. The interaction between proteins and lipids is a fundamental aspect of cellular processes in all organisms. Lipid binding proteins must be structurally dynamic to perform their function, which predisposes them to misfolding and aggregation. This project aims to assess the structural mechanisms of lipid binding by apolipoproteins, and how these proteins balance this function with their propensity to misfo ....The function and misfunction of serum apolipoproteins: lipid binding and protein misfolding. The interaction between proteins and lipids is a fundamental aspect of cellular processes in all organisms. Lipid binding proteins must be structurally dynamic to perform their function, which predisposes them to misfolding and aggregation. This project aims to assess the structural mechanisms of lipid binding by apolipoproteins, and how these proteins balance this function with their propensity to misfold. It will focus on apolipoprotein (apo)A-I as a model serum apolipoprotein that binds lipids and mediates lipid transport in circulation. This project also aims to provide an important new understanding of protein-lipid interactions, the structural mechanisms of apolipoproteins, and the process of misfolding in a diverse range of proteins.Read moreRead less
A study into post-translational modifications on adaptive immunity. Using proteomics, structural biology and cellular immunology, this project aims to provide a greater understanding of the impact of PTMs on the immune system. The immune system combats pathogens by mounting T-cell responses against foreign antigens present in infected cells. However, T-cells activated by self-antigens that are inadvertently presented by healthy cells can cause aberrant T-cell reactivity and disease. Post-transla ....A study into post-translational modifications on adaptive immunity. Using proteomics, structural biology and cellular immunology, this project aims to provide a greater understanding of the impact of PTMs on the immune system. The immune system combats pathogens by mounting T-cell responses against foreign antigens present in infected cells. However, T-cells activated by self-antigens that are inadvertently presented by healthy cells can cause aberrant T-cell reactivity and disease. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are common in the host's proteins, but surprisingly little is known about their effect on T-cell immunity.Read moreRead less
The structure in four-dimensions of a mammalian nuclear body. The project aims to develop a working model of a micron-sized molecular machine implicated in numerous aspects of gene regulation. Bodies in the mammalian cell nucleus are larger than macromolecular complexes and smaller than organelles. Recent developments in structural, molecular and cell biology are allowing us to begin to interpret their structure-function relationships. This project capitalises on a wealth of structural and funct ....The structure in four-dimensions of a mammalian nuclear body. The project aims to develop a working model of a micron-sized molecular machine implicated in numerous aspects of gene regulation. Bodies in the mammalian cell nucleus are larger than macromolecular complexes and smaller than organelles. Recent developments in structural, molecular and cell biology are allowing us to begin to interpret their structure-function relationships. This project capitalises on a wealth of structural and functional data on nuclear bodies termed paraspeckles with the aim of developing a structural model. It aims to track tens of proteins and long non-coding RNA from paraspeckles as they proceed through the cell cycle, by combining genome engineering, super-resolution microscopy, proteomics and in vitro interaction studies.Read moreRead less
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
Mechanisms of gene regulation. This project aims to determine the molecular basis of specific gene targeting. Transcription factor complexes regulate gene expression by binding to DNA at specific sites, modifying and looping chromatin, and recruiting the basal transcription machinery. Using blood cell transcription factor complexes as a model, this project will reveal interactions between sets of proteins that fine-tune DNA binding and recruit accessory proteins that regulate gene expression. Th ....Mechanisms of gene regulation. This project aims to determine the molecular basis of specific gene targeting. Transcription factor complexes regulate gene expression by binding to DNA at specific sites, modifying and looping chromatin, and recruiting the basal transcription machinery. Using blood cell transcription factor complexes as a model, this project will reveal interactions between sets of proteins that fine-tune DNA binding and recruit accessory proteins that regulate gene expression. The mechanistic detail provided is expected to inform the artificial up- or down-regulation of genes in biotechnological applications and ultimately treat disease which have a genetic component.Read moreRead less
The early structural assembly of high-density lipoproteins. This project aims to study the interaction between proteins and lipids, a fundamental aspect of cellular processes in all organisms. Lipid binding by apoA-I forms high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the bloodstream, which removes cholesterol from the body. This project will define the types of lipids that bind first to the apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and the structural mechanisms of this process. The conformation of lipid binding proteins o ....The early structural assembly of high-density lipoproteins. This project aims to study the interaction between proteins and lipids, a fundamental aspect of cellular processes in all organisms. Lipid binding by apoA-I forms high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the bloodstream, which removes cholesterol from the body. This project will define the types of lipids that bind first to the apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and the structural mechanisms of this process. The conformation of lipid binding proteins often changes during lipid binding. However, the structural mechanisms and conformational rearrangements are poorly understood. This project expects to understand the function of HDL and the structural mechanisms of lipid binding proteins in general. The results will have far-reaching applications in biology, human health, and biotechnology, including food and biopharmaceutical processing.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,000.00
Summary
Biomolecular Interaction Facility. Biomolecular interaction facility: A biomolecular interaction facility located in Perth is essential to support the research performed by a growing community of key protein researchers. The infrastructure provided by this integrated facility will act as a hub for analysis of samples produced by high-throughput protein production methods and will provide high-level training with cutting-edge equipment for researchers at all levels. It will underpin faster and be ....Biomolecular Interaction Facility. Biomolecular interaction facility: A biomolecular interaction facility located in Perth is essential to support the research performed by a growing community of key protein researchers. The infrastructure provided by this integrated facility will act as a hub for analysis of samples produced by high-throughput protein production methods and will provide high-level training with cutting-edge equipment for researchers at all levels. It will underpin faster and better fundamental and translational research in the areas of structural biology, biotechnology, biomedical science, plant science and nanotechnology, supporting the activities of researchers and their collaborators in Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
An investigation into T cell immunity towards metabolites. This project aims to investigate how the immune system responds to small molecule metabolites, an emerging area in the life sciences about which little is known. The project aims to combine innovative mass spectrometry, structural and biochemical approaches to learn how metabolites are presented to specific T lymphocytes by an antigen presenting molecule called MR1. Outcomes are expected to transform the current understanding of the mol ....An investigation into T cell immunity towards metabolites. This project aims to investigate how the immune system responds to small molecule metabolites, an emerging area in the life sciences about which little is known. The project aims to combine innovative mass spectrometry, structural and biochemical approaches to learn how metabolites are presented to specific T lymphocytes by an antigen presenting molecule called MR1. Outcomes are expected to transform the current understanding of the molecular basis underpinning metabolite-mediated immunity. Significant benefits are anticipated to include fundamental new knowledge about immunity that may ultimately be used by the biotechnology industry.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.