Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute - Achievements
 https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/tags/achievements%E2%80%A8 en Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic receives Queen's birthday honour https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/professor-emeritus-frances-separovic-receives-queens-birthday-honour <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/Frances_0.jpg?itok=n9GgycQw" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Bio21's Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic, Deputy Director of the Bio21 Institute has been honoured with the appointment as an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia (General Division) announced in the Queen's Birthday 2019 Honours List on 10 June 2019.</p> <p align="center"><strong>Frances has been awarded an AO for her distinguished service to science education, particularly to biophysical chemistry, as an academic, and to young women scientists.</strong></p> <p>Frances was appointed as the first female Professor of Chemistry (2005) at the University of Melbourne and Head of the School of Chemistry from 2010 – 2016.</p> <p>Frances has shown leadership in the field of biological magnetic resonance, which has previously been recognised by the ASB Robertson Medal for Biophysics in 2009, the Australia &amp; New Zealand Society for Magnetic Resonance Medal in 2011 , and the International Union of Pure &amp; Applied Chemistry Distinguished Woman of Chemistry/Chemical Engineering in 2017. In 2012 Frances was the first woman chemist to be elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. She was also elected a Fellow of the Biophysical Society, and an International Society for Magnetic Resonance Fellow. Frances Separovic was one of twenty outstanding Victorian women who were inducted into the 2018 Victorian Honour Roll of Women, recognising her as a trailblazer for women in science.</p> <p>In recent years, Frances has become very active as an advocate for women in science, through speaking to many groups of young women to encourage them in their scientific careers by telling her own story and highlighting how she has overcome the challenges she’s faced.</p> <p>Just to name a few, during 2018 Frances spoke to the Women in Science Network at the Faculty of Science (WiSN), Balmain Public School, Girls in Physics Breakfast - Bendigo, Royal Australian Chemical Institute Annual Dinner, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, Institute for Molecular Bioscience - Brisbane, Faculty of Veterinary &amp; Agricultural Sciences - Melbourne and Adelaide Protein Group on ‘my brilliant career’.</p> <p>You can also follow Frances on social media channels Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, that she uses as a platform to share news about the opportunities and challenges for women in STEMM.</p> <p>We are very proud to have Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic AO as our Deputy Director, at the Bio21 Institute, where she continues to support initiatives for women in science.</p> <p> </p> </div></div></div> Fri, 07 Jun 2019 10:07:46 +0000 floder 357 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Media Release: New ACRF cancer research facility will harness structural biology to discover innovative cancer drugs in Melbourne https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/media-release-new-acrf-cancer-research-facility-will-harness-structural-biology-discover-innovative <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2018-11-28-Michael-Parker-receiving-award-from-GG_portrait3.jpg?itok=Dp8QZWCb" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong>New ACRF cancer research facility will harness structural biology to discover innovative cancer drugs in Melbourne</strong></p> <p>28 November 2018</p> <p>The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) will provide $2 million to fund the creation of the ACRF Facility for Innovative Cancer Drug Discovery at the Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne.</p> <p>The chief investigators, Professor Michael Parker and Dr David Ascher of Bio21, Professor Rick Pearson of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Professor John Silke of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, represent some of Victoria’s major cancer research institutions.</p> <p>Professor Parker said: “The ACRF funding will make it possible to create a facility that houses some of the most cutting-edge structural biology instruments and technologies to cater for the cancer research community in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct and beyond. It will provide our partners with powerful tools to develop and deliver new cancer drugs to patients.</p> <p>Structural biology has played a key role in targeted molecular medicines including imatinib (Gleevec) to treat myeloid leukaemia, venetoclax for leukaemia and gefitinib for lung cancer.</p> <p>“Structural biology holds the key to developing innovative cancer drugs by providing detailed information about the shape of molecules that are involved in cancer-causing biological signalling pathways within cells of our bodies,” Professor Parker said.</p> <p>ACRF chief executive Professor Ian Brown said: “The ACRF is proud to be providing the ACRF Facility for Innovative Cancer Drug Discovery with state-of-the-art equipment for the identification, development and delivery of drugs for cancers in this era of personalised medicine where there is currently no therapy available or where improved treatments are required.  Structure-based drug discovery offers great potential to hasten advances to improved patient outcomes.”</p> <p>The grant was announced at a reception hosted by the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) and Lady Cosgrove, tonight at Admiralty House in Sydney.</p> <p>Background</p> <ul><li>The Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology aims to understand human health and disease at the molecular level and improve patient outcomes through biotechnology. It is home to more than 700 research scientists, making it one of the largest biotechnology research centres in Australia. The Institute has major analytical and imaging technology platforms providing world-leading capability to researchers in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct.<br />  </li> <li>The Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) supports Australian cancer research to end all types of cancer.  ACRF funding for cutting-edge technology and infrastructure to speed up discoveries in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment.  For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.acrf.com.au">www.acrf.com.au</a><br />  </li> <li>The Melbourne Biomedical Precinct in Parkville has more than 25 health service, research and academic partners, making it one of the world's largest life science research clusters and Australia's largest research and higher education teaching precinct. Partners include Bio21, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the University of Melbourne, Cancer Therapeutics CRC (CTx), CSL, CSIRO, Monash Institute of Pharmacological Sciences and Melbourne Health.</li> </ul><p>Professor Michael Parker and Dr David Ascher are available for interview.</p> <p><strong>Kathryn Powley | University of Melbourne</strong>  <br /> +61 3 8344 4123 <br /> +61 428 734 902 <br /><span class="spamspan"><span class="u">florienne.loder</span> [at] <span class="d">unimelb.edu.au</span><span class="e"></span></span></p> <!--target="_blank"--><p></p> <p><strong>Kirilly Mallard | Australian Cancer Research Foundation</strong><br /> +61 2 9019 6296<br /> +61 412 449 307<br /><span class="spamspan"><span class="u">kirilly.mallard</span> [at] <span class="d">mcsaatchi.com.au</span></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="/images/new-acrf-logo.png" style="width: 270px; height: 97px; float: left;" /><img alt="" src="/images/PMAC_MASTER_RGB_HORIZONTAL.png" style="width: 200px; height: 61px;" />       <img alt="" src="/images/WEHI_logo_2016_0.png" style="width: 200px; height: 59px;" />   </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div> Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:31:47 +0000 floder 341 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Bio21 projects funded for discovery https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/bio21-projects-funded-discovery <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2017-11-28-Bio21-News_ARC-Announcements_2018-2019.jpg?itok=_xG7YSK2" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Congratulations to Bio21 Institute researchers who have had their projects funded through the ARC Discovery Projects scheme for 2019.</p> <p>Scheme Round Statistics for Approved Proposals - Discovery Projects 2019 round 1</p> <p><a href="https://rms.arc.gov.au/RMS/Report/Download/Report/a3f6be6e-33f7-4fb5-98a6-7526aaa184cf/189">Follow the link to the ARC website for the list of ARC Disovery Project recipients</a>. </p> <table border="0.5" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 1027px;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Associate Professor Craig Hutton     </td> <td style="width: 738px;">Thioamide ligations: new technologies for peptide and protein synthesis. This project aims to develop novel amide-bond forming reactions for the chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. New peptide ligation strategies, including an asparagine-based ligation and a residue-independent ligation will be developed that exploit the recent discovery of silver-promoted coupling reactions of thioamides. A novel late-stage, chemo-selective assembly of N-glycosylated asparagine residues in peptides and proteins will also be developed. The outcomes of this research will lead to breakthroughs in synthetic methodologies for the assembly and functionalisation of peptides and proteins, thereby enabling access to a range of homogeneous, post translationally modified proteins though total chemical synthesis. These research outcomes will expand Australia's research capability and global competitiveness in the field of biotechnology, delivering significant benefits to the third largest manufacturing sector in Australia.</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$420,000.00</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Professor Gavin Reid; Associate Professor Oliver Sieber</td> <td style="width: 738px;">Photodissociation mass spectrometry for lipidome analysis. This project aims to develop and apply novel bioanalytical mass spectrometry-based methods and workflows to illuminate the otherwise hidden structural diversity and molecular complexity of the lipidome. The structure of individual lipids define their specific biological functions. A major requirement of analytical methods employed for lipid analysis on a lipidome-wide scale, therefore, is to enable the detailed structural characterisation of the, potentially, tens of thousands of individual molecular lipid species that may be present within a sample of interest. This project will develop and optimise novel, ultraviolet photodissociation-tandem mass spectrometry methods which will be integrated within an automated lipidome analysis workflow, to enable comprehensive global lipidome profiling and to reveal the structural diversity of lipids involved in fundamental cellular signalling processes.</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$410,000.00</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Professor Jose Villadangos</td> <td style="width: 738px;">A novel link between metabolism and host defence. This project aims to delineate how a protein modification that consists of the addition of a small sugar to cellular proteins, known as O-GlcNAcylation, provides a link between metabolism and complex cell functions. The model for these studies is a cell type of the immune system known as dendritic cells. Upon encountering pathogens these cells undergo metabolic changes that increase the rate of O-GlcNAcylation of proteins involved in immune responses, altering their function. This project will study how O-GlcNAcylation works and is regulated. The project expects to develop new technology and provide high-level training, increasing the competitiveness of the strategic biotechnology sector in Australia</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$520,000.00</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;"> Professor Ary Hoffmann</td> <td style="width: 738px;">Wolbachia endosymbionts: novel strain dynamics in Australian Drosophila. This project aims to understand Wolbachia infections across Australian Drosophila flies. Wolbachia bacteria that live inside the cells of insects and other invertebrates are widely seen as a promising tool for pest and disease control. This project will assess the population distribution, host phenotypic effects, population dynamics and evolutionary context of multiple Wolbachia infections across Australian Drosophila flies. The outcome will include new and novel strains for applied projects, new information on the fate of Wolbachia infections, and new insights into the factors that dictate the fate of Wolbachia infections across populations.</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$328,000.00</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Professor Lloyd Hollenberg; Professor Frances Separovic; Dr Jean-Philippe Tetienne</td> <td style="width: 738px;"> <p>Integrating quantum hyperpolarisation in nuclear magnetic resonance systems. This project aims to integrate quantum hyperpolarisation technology into state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems, potentially boosting the signal by several orders of magnitude. Understanding the structure and function of membrane bound peptides and proteins in cells in their native environments is critical in drug development. However, studying these biomolecules by conventional NMR under ambient conditions is challenging due to sensitivity limitations. The technology developed by this project will be a significant step forward in NMR and the new science enabled may have far reaching consequences for the study of peptides and proteins of live cells for the development of new drugs and anti-biotics, with direct societal benefits and flow-on economic benefits.</p> </td> <td style="width: 127px;">$553,000.0</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Dr Justine Mintern; Associate Professor Howard Hang</td> <td style="width: 738px;">Trafficking inside the cell for effective immunity. This project aims to investigate how cargo is trafficked to the right destination inside cells. The project will investigate the trafficking routes and the critical machinery required. This project is expected to generate fundamental new knowledge in the areas of cell biology and immunology. Expected outcomes of this Project include scholarly publications and highly-trained personnel in cell biology and immunology. This project will provide significant benefits such as advances to fundamental knowledge, training for higher research degree students, opportunities for the biotechnology sector and strengthened international (research collaborations.</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$474,000.00</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Associate Professor Michael Kearney; Professor Ary Hoffmann</td> <td style="width: 738px;">Environmental mismatch in invertebrate translocations for conservation. This project aims to use matchstick grasshoppers as a model system to develop strategies and protocols for maximising the adaptive potential of species when movement of individuals or genes is required. Biodiversity management increasingly requires translocation or targeted gene flow to maintain genetic diversity, raising the issue of disrupting local environmental adaptations. Matchstick grasshoppers are extremely well understood genetically, are highly amenable to experimental investigation, and include populations and species threatened by habitat destruction. This project will generate novel conservation tools for the focal species as well as empirical precedents for resolving the problem of environmental mismatch in translocation.</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$441,000.00</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 144px;">Professor Amanda Ellis; Professor Sally Gras</td> <td style="width: 738px;">DNA printing on a synthetic polymer template. This project aims to design and study DNA printing to manufacture long strands of DNA using simple but elegant fundamental non-enzymatic chemical reactions. Gene therapy is one of the most rapidly growing therapies in modern medicine but it is prohibitively expensive for the average person. Current methods of artificial gene synthesis are complicated with commercial DNA synthesis only supplying short DNA strands. The project outcomes will lead to a stable template directing the chemical reactions for DNA printing. This new approach will make life-saving gene therapy cheaper and more widely available for future generations and provide economic, and social benefits to all Australians.</td> <td style="width: 127px;">$372,000.00</td> </tr></tbody></table><p>  </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div> Wed, 28 Nov 2018 05:55:59 +0000 floder 340 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Bio21 NHMRC Grants fund Asthma, Antimicrobial Resistance and Dental Research. https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/bio21-nhmrc-grants-fund-asthma-antimicrobial-resistance-and-dental-research <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2017-10-13-Bio21-News_NHMRC-Outcomes.jpg?itok=KD-VStts" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>11 October 2017</p> <p>NHMRC Grant Outcomes for 2018 were announced today.</p> <table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" height="625" width="1046"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 168px;"><img alt="" height="198" src="/images/Bio21_Kat-Holt-portrait_2015_Casamento_LowRes.jpg" width="152" /></td> <td style="width: 1019px;"> <p>Congratulations to Kat Holt for her successful Career Development Fellowship for $476,728.00.</p> <p>Her Project Title is: "Applied bacterial genomics to tackle antimicrobial resistance."</p> <p> "The focus of my research program for the next 5 years will be antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is recognized by the WHO as one of the most pressing health issues globally and a threat to the very core of modern medicine. AMR is a consequence of adaptive evolution of microbial genomes in response to antimicrobial drugs; as such, genomics has a crucial role to play in understanding, monitoring and managing this most challenging of global health problems."</p> </td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 168px;"><img alt="" height="198" src="/images/Bio21_Spencer-Williams-portrait_2015_Casamento_LowRes.jpg" width="150" /></td> <td style="width: 1019px;">Congratulations to Spencer Williams for receiving the NHMRC Development Grant with Professor Alastair Stewart and Dr Paul Barrett, of $538,064.00.<br /> The Project Title is: "Steroid-enhancing selective casein kinase inhibitors: first in class novel inhaled anti-asthma agents."</td> </tr><tr><td style="width: 168px;"><img alt="" height="193" src="/images/Bio21_Eric-Reynolds-portrait_2015_Casamento_LowRes.jpg" width="146" /></td> <td style="width: 1019px;">Congratulations to Eric Reynolds and Stuart Dashper for receiving the NHMRC Development Grant of $800,585.00.<br /> Their Project Title is: "Enamel remineralisation and prebiosis by a novel biomimetic system."</td> </tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/grants/fellows/funded/outcomes/1.summary_of_results_2017_app_round_171011.xlsx">To download the full list of success NHMRC Grant Outcomes, please follow this link.</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/grants/fellows/funded/outcomes/development_grants_funding_outcomes_for_website.pdf">To download the full list of successful NHMRC Development Grant recipients for 2018, please follow this link.</a></p> <p>------</p> <p>2017 Development Grants for funding commencing in 2018 The Development Grants scheme provides financial support to individual researchers and/or research teams to undertake health and medical research within Australia at the proof-of-concept stage that specifically drives towards a commercial outcome within a foreseeable timeframe. The Development Grants scheme supports the commercial development of a product, process, procedure or service that, if applied, would result in improved health care, disease prevention or provide health cost savings. Research supported by this scheme must, via a commercial business plan, have detailed feasible strategies for commercialisation that takes into account the regulatory pathway, protectable Intellectual Property, commercial barriers and potential routes to market. The applications listed in the table below have been approved for funding by the Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP.</p> </div></div></div> Fri, 13 Oct 2017 03:41:40 +0000 floder 283 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Nancy is a Science Hero https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/nancy-science-hero <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2016-12-21-Bio21_News_Nancy-Endersby.jpg?itok=d9MmQj0J" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Congratulations to Dr Nancy Endersby- Harshman, <a href="/hoffmann-group">Hoffmann group</a>, for winning the Invitrogen 'Science Hero' Award.</p> <p>Nancy was nominated in the <strong>Behind the Scenes Award </strong>Category by 31 people; a great reflection of her dedication and how appreciated she is amongst her peers.</p> <p>”That is most definitely a record, especially in the category that receives the most entries,” says Senior Manager Marketing Development, Life Sciences Group. “</p> <p>The peer-nominated award is run by Thermo-Fisher/Invitrogen and awardee’s names have been published on the <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/au/en/home/products-and-services/promotions/science-hero.html">award website</a> and were announced at the recent<a href="http://www.ascb.org/2016meeting/"> American Society for Cell Biology conference in the USA</a>.</p> </div></div></div> Wed, 21 Dec 2016 03:57:29 +0000 floder 236 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Bright ideas at the EBSS Research Poster Symposium https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/bright-ideas-ebss-research-poster-symposium <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2016-10-05-Bio21-EBSS_Extended-Investigations-Res-Summit_2.jpg?itok=7uSv7zxq" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>5 October 2016</p> <p>Could the screen protector on your mobile phone, harness sunlight to power or recharge your phone?<br />  <br /> Christian Scaramozzino thinks so and has used his year 11 project of the Extended Investigations VCE subject at the Elizabeth Blackburn School of Sciences to try to prove it.</p> <p>He is standing in front of his scientific poster at the Elizabeth Blackburn Science School Extended Investigation Poster Symposium, 5 October 2016 that showcases his year’s work designing and conducting experiments with the guidance of his mentor <a href="/wong-group">Quentin Hong, PhD student at the Bio21 Institute</a>.</p> <p>“I’ve invented an adaptation for a traditional solar cell, which causes an increase in effectiveness in their ability to power mobile phones,” he explains.</p> <p>“Basically you create a so-called ‘luminescent solar concentrating screen protector’ that concentrates light to the edges of a transparent surface, such as a clear piece of tinted glass, or plastic screen-protector,” he explains.</p> <p>“Because light is concentrated to the edges, they glow. When this concentrated light is then focussed on to a solar cell, the light energy can be converted to electricity that recharges or powers your phone.”</p> <p>Chris McCaw, one of the EBSS teachers of the Extended Investigations subject, identified Bio21’s Quentin Hong as a mentor for Christian.</p> <p>“The students drive their own project,” he explains. “They picked their own question and see it through to experimental design and execution,” he says. "The very challenging, but rewarding Extended Investigations subject has been taught in its third year at the school and the poster session has been included by the school, as a celebration of their work and to practice their defence.”</p> <p>“Students learn research and critical thinking skills that are extremely valuable both in the short and long term,” explains Chris McCaw.<br /> In the course of his project, Christian met his mentor, Quentin on a weekly basis. ‘We even met in the school holidays” explains Christian.</p> <p>“Because there was very little scientific literature on the subject as it is a relatively new field, Quentin encouraged me to demonstrate my concept experimentally."</p> <p>So, Christian purchased a special fluorescent Perspex, as well as creating a unique flourescent dye to act as a luminescent solar concentrating screen protector and strapped a solar cell to its edges. Using a multimeter attached to his invention, he recorded the amount of current in milliamps (mA) produced by the solar cell using a set-up with the luminescent solar conentrating screen protector and without it. He took measurements of the sunlight captured on three different days, with different light conditions. The presence of the luminescent solar concentrating screen protector increased the efficiency of the solar cell by over 20 percent. The results were encouraging and although the overall amount of energy produced was not sufficient to be a viable source of power, Christian is keen to pursue this line of research to increase the efficiency.</p> <p>“Quentin gives you a bit, then let’s you go off and do your own research; he taught me experimental design,” explains Christian. Dr Wallace Wong also gave Christian a tour of their laboratory, where they are creating printable plastic solar cells and are developing various dyes to be used in luminescent solar concentrators. “He inspired me to pursue my interest,” explains Christian.</p> <p>Christian, who relished the problem-solving aspect of the work, also admits to having a bit of an entrepreneurial knack. He has applied to pitch his idea to ‘Shark Tank’ to eventually develop the concept further as a product for the market.</p> <p>By Florienne Loder</p> </div></div></div> Fri, 07 Oct 2016 05:28:05 +0000 floder 219 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Awards Recognises Outstanding Undergraduate Achievements https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/biochemistry-and-molecular-biology-awards-recognises-outstanding-undergraduate-achievements <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2016-4-08-Bio21-Student-Awards-Biochem-2nd-3rd-and-Hon.jpg?itok=Xm4LUG7F" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>8 April 2016</p> <p>In an awards ceremony at Bio21 today (Friday 8 April), Professor Paul Gleeson presented prizes to students who did exceptionally well in 2<sup>nd</sup> year, 3<sup>rd</sup> year and Honours last year. A big congratulations to Riley Metcalfe, who won the Honours AB SCIEX award. Riley is now completing a PhD with Mike Griffin at Bio21.</p> <p>Congratulations also to the following students, who were recognised for their outstanding performance in 2015:</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;"><strong>2<sup>nd</sup> Year Exhibition</strong></p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">1<sup>st </sup>– Gemma van Duijneveldt</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">2<sup>nd</sup>- Yu Quing Yap</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">3<sup>rd</sup> – Aundrea Quek</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;"><strong>Stanley award</strong></p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">Marycarol Holdaway</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;"> </p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;"><strong>3<sup>rd</sup> year Dunlop Prize</strong></p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">1<sup>st </sup>– Katherine Davies</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">2<sup>nd </sup>– Wassif Kabir</p> <p style="margin-left:36.0pt;">3<sup>rd </sup>– Kimberley Callaghan</p> </div></div></div> Fri, 08 Apr 2016 07:05:05 +0000 floder 182 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Bio21 Groups Supported in Quest for Medical Discoveries https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/bio21-groups-supported-quest-medical-discoveries <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2015-11-09-Bio21News_NHMRC-Success_web_0.jpg?itok=vwFXLMEE" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>9 November 2015</p> <p>NHMRC<span style="line-height: 20.8px;"> outcomes for project funding that were announced today, will </span><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">ensure that important research into </span>neurodegenerative<span style="line-height: 20.8px;"> diseases, </span>radiopharmaceuticals<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">, </span>periodontitis<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">, and the tropical diseases </span>leishmaniasis<span style="line-height: 20.8px;"> and malaria conducted by Bio21 researchers will </span><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">continue.</span></p> <p>Bio21 members; Associate Professor Kevin Barnham, Associate Professor Paul Donnelly, Professor Eric Reynolds, Associate Professor Danny Hatters, Associate Professor Paul Gooley, Associate Professor Stuart Ralph, Dr Kat Holt and Professor Leann Tilley on their successful <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/outcomes-funding-rounds">NHMRC Fellowship and Project Grants</a>, which were formally announced today, 9 November.</p> <p>Bio21 researchers were awarded a total of $6 473 968 across ten successful grants, including the previously announced “Targeted Calls for People” NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellowship awarded to Dr Andrew Watt, Barnham group.</p> <p>This success has occurred in a very competitive year and will ensure that research programs around neurodegenerative diseases, radiopharmaceuticals, periodontitis, and the tropical diseases leishmaniasis and malaria continue. The success that Bio21 researchers have had in the NHMRC and ARC this year reflects the very high quality of research that takes place at the Institute.</p> <p>Successful grants in which Bio21 researchers were CIAs are as follows:</p> <p><strong>A/Pr Kevin Barnham</strong><br /> Research Fellowships (6<sup>th</sup> year of Fellowship)<br /> New therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases<br /><strong>$137,595</strong>                              <br /> As life expectancies increase the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease will also increase.  The goals of this fellowship application are to develop new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for these diseases.                                                                              </p> <p><strong>A/Pr Paul Donnelly</strong>         <br /> Project Grants<br /> Molecular Imaging of Cancers with Copper and Zirconium Radiopharmaceuticals               <br /><strong>$466,475</strong>              <br /> This research aims to develop new imaging agents to assist in the diagnosis of breast cancer. This research will advance knowledge in the areas of chemistry, biotechnology and diagnostic imaging.</p> <p><strong>Prof Eric Reynolds          </strong><br /> Project Grants                   <br /> The role of Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicle biogenesis in virulence and immunomodulation  <br /><strong>$734,288              </strong><br /> Porphyromonas gingivalis is a keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis. This bacterium exists as part of a biofilm on the surface of the tooth and selectively packages enzymes, toxins and antigens on to vesicles that penetrate host tissue and cause the inflammatory response that is associated with disease progression. In this study we will determine the host response to vesicles and determine the role of a specific protein in vesicle biogenesis.              </p> <p><strong>A/Pr Daniel Hatters</strong>        <br /> Project Grants                   <br /> Pathogenic and adaptive molecular interactions with mutant huntingtin exon 1 <br /><strong>$727,117</strong>              <br /> This project aims to determine how the gene mutation that causes Huntington’s disease (HD) damages cells in the brain. The diseased gene creates a protein that is abnormally sticky, which causes it to form clumps. Our goal is to determine the components of the cell that are disrupted and damaged as clumping happens.  Understanding this link will enable therapeutics to be logically designed in efforts to prevent harm to the brain, potentially before symptoms are evident.</p> <p><strong>Prof Malcolm McConville</strong>            <br /> Project Grants   <br /> Targeting carbohydrate metabolism in Leishmania           <br /><strong>$854,288</strong>              <br /> There is an urgent need to develop new drugs to treat human leishmaniasis, a disease that causes debilitating and life-threatening diseases in millions of people worldwide. This project will investigate whether it is possible to develop a new generation of drugs that target a novel metabolic pathway in these parasites that we have shown to be essential for virulence.            </p> <p><strong>Prof Leann Tilley</strong>              <br /> Project Grants   <br /> Targeting commitment to sexual differentiation in Plasmodium <br /><strong>$688,954              </strong><br /> Efforts to control malaria in endemic areas are very often thwarted by "carriers", who have transmissible parasites in their bloodstream (called gametocytes), but who suffer no symptoms. These gametocytes serve as a reservoir ready to reinitiate disease transmission when mosquito numbers increase. This project will develop urgently needed strategies to target gametocytes, and thus block malaria transmission.</p> <p>Successful grants in which Bio21 researchers were co-CIAs are as follows:</p> <p><strong>A/Pr </strong><strong>Paul Gooley (co-CIA with Pr Ross Bathgate)  </strong><br /> Project Grants<br /> Unravelling the binding and activation mechanism of a complex G protein-coupled receptor     <br /><strong>$1,041,638</strong>          <br /> The peptide hormone relaxin is currently in a Phase III trial for the treatment of heart failure. However the peptide is not a good drug as it can't be taken orally and is very expensive to produce. We will study the interaction of relaxin with its cell surface receptor and the mechanisms by which the receptor functions. The knowledge gained will aid in the design of smaller, more potent and orally active forms of relaxin for the treatment of heart failure.</p> <p><strong>Dr Kat Holt (CIB with Michael Inouye at CIA)</strong><br /> Project Grants<br /><strong>$487,814</strong>             <br /> Typhoid fever affects 25 million people annually and is caused by systemic infection with Salmonella Typhi or Paratyphi. With this proposal, we will characterise how different individuals respond differently to typhoid, what ramifications this has for systemic Salmonella infection in humans, and how typhoid can be clinically identified early on, thus giving the patient the best possible chance to avoid complications, injury and potential death.</p> <p><strong>A/Pr Stuart Ralph (CIE, with Jonathan Baell from Monash as CIA)</strong><br /> Project Grants    <br /> New treatments for malaria targeting both the sexual and asexual stages of the causative parasite, Plasmodium falciparum      <br /><strong>$731,155</strong>             <br /> We have discovered a potent antimalarial compound class. In this research plan we will improve their metabolic stability such that we can progress them as potential oral cures for malaria. We will also elucidate their mechanism of action and this will aid therapeutic development.                                                                                              </p> <p>Also, announced on the 19<sup>th</sup> October, Dr Andrew Watt from the Barnham group, was awarded a NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellowship:       </p> <p> <strong>Dr Andrew Watt</strong>               <br /> Targeted Calls for People             <br /> NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellowship          <br /> In vivo assessment of the role of aggregated tau in preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer's disease<br /><strong>$604,644</strong>              <br /> Subtle changes in the brain precede an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis by 20-30 years. These changes provide an incredible opportunity to diagnose and treat AD; however, our understanding of them, remains limited. We aim to use new imaging technologies to investigate these subtle changes in the preclinical AD brain. This will give us a greater understanding of how these early changes effect AD progression and whether we can use this information to improve the diagnosis and treatment of AD.</p> <p>For more information on the NHMRC funding outcomes, <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/outcomes-funding-rounds">visit the NHMRC website</a>.</p> <p> </p> </div></div></div> Mon, 09 Nov 2015 05:04:20 +0000 floder 159 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au Advance Global Australia Award for Professor Karen Day https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/advance-global-australia-award-professor-karen-day <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/sites/www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au/files/styles/page/public/field/image/2015-06-26_Bio21News_Karen-Day-award_web.jpg?itok=WSzY-VRz" width="960" height="440" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>18th September 2015</p> <p>Professor Karen Day, distinguished malaria researcher and Dean of Science at the University of Melbourne, has won the 2015 Advance Global Australian Award in recognition of her international leadership in life sciences research and education.<br />  <br /> The Advance Australia awards recognise and celebrate Australians around the world who exhibit remarkable talent, exceptional vision and ambition. They are billed as “the only awards to recognise the important contributions of the more than one million Australians living and working abroad, and those who have returned home.”<br />  <br /> Professor Day won both the Life Sciences category and the overall Advance Global Australian Award, announced at the Sydney Opera House on Monday.<br />  <br /> She said she was delighted that her contribution to international research and education was recognised by Advance.<br />  <br /> “Advance has been an exceptional organisation, bringing together the diaspora in a most influential way,” she said.<br />  <br /> Born in Melbourne, Professor Day was educated at University of Melbourne, where she was inspired to solve problems in microbiology and infectious diseases.<br />  <br /> “That led me to work in global health,” she said.<br />  <br /> She had the “life changing” opportunity of studying the public health problems of Papua New Guineans as a young postdoctoral researcher. This experience led her to strengthen her public health training in the UK as a lecturer in molecular epidemiology at Imperial College.<br />  <br /> She was recruited to University of Oxford in 2003 where she was promoted to Professor. She was also appointed Fellow of Hertford College in 2003, becoming one of the few women “dons” in science at Oxford.<br />  <br /> She moved to New York University School of Medicine in 2004 where she held several senior academic administrative roles at NYU including Chair of the Department of Medical Parasitology, and Director of the Institute of Urban and Global Health, coordinating global health activities at the Medical School.<br />  <br /> At NYU, Professor Day led the development of a Masters Program in Global Public Health in the time when the Millenium Development Goals were inspiring governments, NGOs and citizens to participate to reduce global poverty and disease.<br />  <br /> She joined the University of Melbourne in 2014 as the Dean of Science. In addition, she continues to run a malaria research group based in the Bio21 Institute and School of BioSciences.<br />  <br /> She maintains her international links as an Emeritus Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford and a member of NYU Society of Fellows.<br />  <br /> University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis congratulated Professor Day on her success.<br />  <br /> “This important national recognition for the work of Professor Day is well-deserved individually, and reflects further credit on the global status of the University of Melbourne, especially in the sciences,” he said.</p> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnZI1vGbRiA" width="854"></iframe> <p><a href="http://sciencematters.unimelb.edu.au/2015-advance-global-australia-award-for-dean-of-science/">Read original story on "Science Matters"</a></p> </div></div></div> Fri, 18 Sep 2015 04:21:45 +0000 floder 140 at https://www.bio21.unimelb.edu.au