07 Nov 2016
Doherty Institute ARC funding success
Doherty Institute researchers have shared more than two and a half million dollars in Australian Research Council (ARC) funding, with grants shared across three labs.
Doherty Institute Director, Professor Sharon Lewin said the projects that were funded highlights the strong immunology research being conducted at the Institute.
“The Godfrey, Villadangos and McCluskey groups based here at the Doherty are leading the way in studying the cells in our immune system to increase our understanding of exactly how it works,” Professor Lewin said.
“While we should celebrate those who were successful in ARC and also last week in the NHMRC, we all know it’s a tough funding environment and need to be mindful of those who missed out.”
University of Melbourne Dr Alexandra Corbett (Professor Jim McCluskey’s group) was the recipient of a significant ARC Future Fellowship ($680,648) which will be used to evaluate the range of molecules that can stimulate vitamin B-reactive T cells in mammals and amphibians, and the degree of conservation or variation in these molecules among diverse microorganisms.
Laboratory Head, University of Melbourne Professor Jose Villadangos’s Discovery Project ($513,500) aims to delineate biochemically how mammals fight pathogens by alerting their immune system to Vitamin B compounds produced by certain bacteria and fungi.
Professor Dale Godfrey and Dr Adam Uldrich from The University of Melbourne with Jerome Le Nours from Monash University were awarded for a Discovery Project ($428,000) that aims to investigate the unrestricted T cell repertoire; the molecular and structural basis of antigen recognition by unrestricted T cells; and the development of unrestricted T cells.
Dicovery Project ($431,000) collaborators Laboratory Head, University of Melbourne Professor Dick Strugnell and Professor Greg Qiao from the University’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering aim to develop a controlled polymerisation method by combining reversible addition fragmentation chain (RAFT) polymerisation technology and the redox processes within bacterial cells.
University of Melbourne’s Dr Sidonia Eckle (Professor Jim McCluskey’s group) was one of two Discovery Early Career Researcher Awardees ($372,000). She is working on a project that aims to study immune cells that target harmful microbes by recognising by-products of their metabolism, and develop methods modulating their function.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Awardee ($372,000) University of Melbourne’s Dr Hamish McWilliam (Professor Jose Villadangos’ group) aims to study the role of a host molecule in immune protection.