Nanoprobe and Microprobe Structural and Spectroscopic Studies in Biomedical Research. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables multi-layered information on changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments a ....Nanoprobe and Microprobe Structural and Spectroscopic Studies in Biomedical Research. Breakthrough microprobe and nanoprobe technologies, involving X-ray, visible and infrared light can focus into different components of mammalian cells in order to interrogate the biochemistry that is occurring therein. Each of the different wavelengths of light provides complementary biochemical information that enables multi-layered information on changes in cells that occur as a function of drug treatments and disease processes. This will provide unprecedented information as to where drugs go and how they are transformed inside cells that, in turn, may revolutionalise the way in which new drugs are designed that have higher specificity and lower side effects.Read moreRead less
Allosteric regulation, molecular structure and function of transglutaminase 2. With Australia's ageing population, we can expect to see increasing prevalence of pathologies such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and cataracts. The ubiquitous enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2) has been implicated in all of these age-related diseases, as well as in chronic disorders such as coeliac disease and diabetes, and may contribute in a positive way to wound healing. Understanding how TG2 is activated and inac ....Allosteric regulation, molecular structure and function of transglutaminase 2. With Australia's ageing population, we can expect to see increasing prevalence of pathologies such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and cataracts. The ubiquitous enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2) has been implicated in all of these age-related diseases, as well as in chronic disorders such as coeliac disease and diabetes, and may contribute in a positive way to wound healing. Understanding how TG2 is activated and inactivated, and how it selects its targets, will be a critical addition to current knowledge of this enzyme, and will be an essential prerequisite for the development of TG2-targetted drugs and other TG2-related therapies.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346876
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,584,000.00
Summary
800 MHz NMR Spectrometer for Molecular Structure-Function Analyses. An 800 MHz high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer equipped with a triple-resonance cryoprobe is required to support the research of 5 universities in the NSW/ACT area. The high magnetic field of the spectrometer is necessary for the study of proteins, protein-ligand complexes and other biomolecular systems of molecular weight >30,000. Projects previously inaccessible due to sensitivity, solubility or resol ....800 MHz NMR Spectrometer for Molecular Structure-Function Analyses. An 800 MHz high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer equipped with a triple-resonance cryoprobe is required to support the research of 5 universities in the NSW/ACT area. The high magnetic field of the spectrometer is necessary for the study of proteins, protein-ligand complexes and other biomolecular systems of molecular weight >30,000. Projects previously inaccessible due to sensitivity, solubility or resolution problems will become tractable. The increased turn-around times afforded by the high sensitivity of the cryo-enabled spectrometer make it possible to provide access for Australian institutions that would not otherwise have access to comparable equipment.Read moreRead less
Experimental Electron Densities, Crystal Engineering and Molecular Recognition: A Supramolecular Approach to Drug Design. GABA receptors are important therapeutic targets for the treatment of a number of disorders from memory dysfunction, to muscle spasticity and chronic pain. This project is designed to address some of the fundamental questions associated with drug/target interactions. This work will lead to a greater understanding of how the chemical structure of a drug can be tailored to prod ....Experimental Electron Densities, Crystal Engineering and Molecular Recognition: A Supramolecular Approach to Drug Design. GABA receptors are important therapeutic targets for the treatment of a number of disorders from memory dysfunction, to muscle spasticity and chronic pain. This project is designed to address some of the fundamental questions associated with drug/target interactions. This work will lead to a greater understanding of how the chemical structure of a drug can be tailored to produce a more effective compound. The outcomes of this program will highlight Australia as a strong contributing nation in molecular design. It is certain that the outcomes of this program will benefit Australia by providing a much greater level of understanding of the fundamental properties of molecules and how others may be rationally designed to suit a specific role.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989336
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$560,000.00
Summary
The South Australian Facility for Small and Large Molecule X-Ray Diffraction Structure Determination. The precise three dimensional arrangement of atoms within molecular and macromolecular structures defines their function. Thus, the discovery, development and application of biological compounds, catalysts, nanodevices and pharmaceuticals require X-ray diffraction structure determination. These endeavours underpin the conversion of academic research into real benefits for the community and are ....The South Australian Facility for Small and Large Molecule X-Ray Diffraction Structure Determination. The precise three dimensional arrangement of atoms within molecular and macromolecular structures defines their function. Thus, the discovery, development and application of biological compounds, catalysts, nanodevices and pharmaceuticals require X-ray diffraction structure determination. These endeavours underpin the conversion of academic research into real benefits for the community and are critical for the competitiveness of Australian industry, national productivity and economic growth. This application seeks to provide a facility for multidisciplinary scientific development that will enhance academic-industrial collaboration. This will position SA research community for scientific breakthroughs that benefit the Australian community.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0346733
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$399,466.00
Summary
Ultra-Sensitive CCD Diffractometer with High Intensity X-ray Photon Generator. X-ray photon diffraction from single crystals provides the most accurate, precise and detailed three dimensional chemical structure information. It is however often difficult to obtain crystals of complex chemical assemblies, such as those used in nanotechnology and photon technology, suitable for diffraction analysis using equipment currently available at Australian chemical crystal structure facilities. The collab ....Ultra-Sensitive CCD Diffractometer with High Intensity X-ray Photon Generator. X-ray photon diffraction from single crystals provides the most accurate, precise and detailed three dimensional chemical structure information. It is however often difficult to obtain crystals of complex chemical assemblies, such as those used in nanotechnology and photon technology, suitable for diffraction analysis using equipment currently available at Australian chemical crystal structure facilities. The collaborating institutions seek to overcome this problem by purchasing a high sensitivity CCD area detector coupled to an intense laboratory source of X-ray photons. The installation of the equipment would be the first of its kind at an Australian facility and only the fourth worldwide.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238397
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
A ROBOTIC NMR SPECTROMETER FOR ACCELERATED DRUG DISCOVERY. The aim is to establish a facility that will use a robotic NMR instrument to help in the characterisation of drug-protein interactions and in the discovery of new drugs or agrichemicals. The significance is that with the wealth of new information arising on protein sequences from genomics programs there is an urgent need to accelerate the rate of discovery of ligands that bind to these proteins. Such ligands may provide useful drug lea ....A ROBOTIC NMR SPECTROMETER FOR ACCELERATED DRUG DISCOVERY. The aim is to establish a facility that will use a robotic NMR instrument to help in the characterisation of drug-protein interactions and in the discovery of new drugs or agrichemicals. The significance is that with the wealth of new information arising on protein sequences from genomics programs there is an urgent need to accelerate the rate of discovery of ligands that bind to these proteins. Such ligands may provide useful drug leads or help in defining the function of newly discovered proteins. The outcomes will be new knowledge on protein structure and function, and potentially, new bio-active molecules.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453671
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,770.00
Summary
NMR Facility for Natural Products Research. The aim is to establish a facility that will use high-field NMR and LC-NMR equipment to help in the characterisation of unknown compounds from natural products and in the discovery of new drugs and agrichemicals. The significance is that the facility will accelerate the rate of discovery of new bioactive molecules and will provide a wealth of new information on plant biodiversity. The outcomes will be new knowledge in natural products chemistry, and po ....NMR Facility for Natural Products Research. The aim is to establish a facility that will use high-field NMR and LC-NMR equipment to help in the characterisation of unknown compounds from natural products and in the discovery of new drugs and agrichemicals. The significance is that the facility will accelerate the rate of discovery of new bioactive molecules and will provide a wealth of new information on plant biodiversity. The outcomes will be new knowledge in natural products chemistry, and potentially, new bioactive molecules.Read moreRead less
Nanoporous Molecular Frameworks: Chirality, Host-Guest Chemistry and Nanoscale Templation. Molecular frameworks are a new class of nanoporous material that promise a range of applications due to their reversible, selective guest-exchange and their great structural and chemical versatility. This project addresses three points of focus within this area: 1) the use of homochiral (handed) frameworks for molecular enantioseparations, 2) the mechanisms of guest-exchange in these systems, and 3) the us ....Nanoporous Molecular Frameworks: Chirality, Host-Guest Chemistry and Nanoscale Templation. Molecular frameworks are a new class of nanoporous material that promise a range of applications due to their reversible, selective guest-exchange and their great structural and chemical versatility. This project addresses three points of focus within this area: 1) the use of homochiral (handed) frameworks for molecular enantioseparations, 2) the mechanisms of guest-exchange in these systems, and 3) the use of these materials as porous templates within which other nanostructured materials may be grown. In addition to having considerable fundamental interest, the work promises a number of significant commercial benefits in the areas of drug purification and nanomaterials.Read moreRead less
ARC Molecular and Materials Structure Research Network. The Network will build powerful e-Science resources for the structural sciences. Collaborative remote access will be developed for sophisticated instrumentation, including instruments planned for the Replacement Research Reactor and Australian Synchrotron. A structure database service with cross disciplinary content and versatile visualisation and analysis capabilities will further exemplify smart information use. The internet services will ....ARC Molecular and Materials Structure Research Network. The Network will build powerful e-Science resources for the structural sciences. Collaborative remote access will be developed for sophisticated instrumentation, including instruments planned for the Replacement Research Reactor and Australian Synchrotron. A structure database service with cross disciplinary content and versatile visualisation and analysis capabilities will further exemplify smart information use. The internet services will ultimately harness the Grid, enabling linkage into other national and international Grid systems. Encompassing physics, computer science, applied mathematics, chemistry and biochemistry, and catalysing interaction across these disciplines, the MMSN will impact all five National Research Priority 3 goals.Read moreRead less