News: Honours projects - Molecular and biomedical science: Biochemistry
Structural study of misfolding proteins
![An illustration of the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease - BruceBlaus / CC BY-SA](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-10/proteins-Alzheimers_Disease.jpg?h=c93a5daa&itok=ff715q5A)
Honours project: Investigate the structural characterisation of protein misfolding in amyloid diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Saving megafauna from bacteria
![A skeleton of a Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) in the Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte Caves National Park Karora, Public domain](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-11/honours-thylacoleo_skeleton_in_Naracoorte_Caves.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=LadQJXBS)
Honours projects: Identify and image biofilms that threaten the Naracoorte Caves National Park fossils.
Retinal energy metabolism and links to eye disease
Honours project: Investigate retinal metabolism associated with eye disease.
[Read more about Retinal energy metabolism and links to eye disease]
Making a bistable switch
![Making a bistable switch](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/shearwin-bistable-switch.png?h=99fc1e07&itok=G8r_N0mp)
Honours project: This honours project involves the design, construction and testing of an activator based bistable switch.
Role of HIFs in cancer
![Decipher the specific roles of HIF1 and HIF2 in multiple myeloma.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/peet-hif-cancer.png?h=d22cabc7&itok=0JA1GSOF)
Honours project: Decipher the specific roles of HIF1 and HIF2 in multiple myeloma.
Directed evolution of proteins in vivo
Honours project: Use a new phage-based directed evolution approach to evolve proteins with properties to make them suitable for use in synthetic circuit applications, such as in vivo biosensing or construction of bistable switches.
Synthetic phage therapy
![Synthetic phage therapy](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/shearwin-synthetic-phage-therapy.png?h=27b04f14&itok=kyhNZOUo)
Honours project: Investigate the structural biology of bacteriophage proteins.
Deciphering & exploiting bacterial cholesterol metabolism to combat disease
![Deciphering & exploiting bacterial cholesterol metabolism to combat disease](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/bell-cholesterol.png?h=803a5d8b&itok=RnXjwT5a)
Honours project: Address the fundamental science behind the use of the steroid cholesterol as a source of energy by bacteria.
[Read more about Deciphering & exploiting bacterial cholesterol metabolism to combat disease]
Role of eEF2K & cancer cell migration & invasion
![Cancer cells survive and gain the ability to spread under microenvironmental stress conditions through the inhibition of mTORC1 and subsequent activation of eEF2K](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-06/proud-figure1-cancer-cells-survive.png?h=d470be75&itok=uM8YIUca)
Honours project: Study cell signalling and gene regulation through the exploration of the role of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) and cancer cell migration and invasion.
[Read more about Role of eEF2K & cancer cell migration & invasion]
Systematic analysis of the eIF4E interactome
![Active mTORC1 phosphorylates 4E-BP, preventing 4E1 binding. (B) mTORC1 inhibition leads to 4E-BP hypophosphorylation; 4E-BP now binds 4E1 and blocks eIF4F](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-06/proud-figure-active-mtorc1.png?h=cafa2d6d&itok=OA1E0VC5)
Honours project: Conduct a systematic analysis of the eIF4E interactome to understand the distinct functional roles of the three mammalian eIF4E proteins in translation initiation.
[Read more about Systematic analysis of the eIF4E interactome]