Centre for Chemistry and Drug Discovery

AEP-mediated biosynthesis of orally active cyclotide-based antagonists for bradykinin B1 receptor

Benchmarking deep learning methods for designing active peptides

Boosting accumulation of cyclisation-stabilised peptide-based pharmaceuticals in plant seeds

C-fos: a measure of pain in chemotherapy induced neuropathy

Chemical strategies to deliver peptide drugs into cells

Chemical synthesis and structure-activity-relationship studies of the trefoil factor family

Defining cylclotide membrane interactions using nanodisc

Dehydrating microalgal to extend their shelf-life for medical and agricultural use.

Design and characterisation of a next-generation antimicrobial peptide

Design and characterisation of a new generation of anti-obesity peptides

Designing experimental drugs using computers and structure-based drug design

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Huy Hoang (h.hoang@imb.uq.edu.au)

Computational approaches can be powerful aids for drug discovery as they combine and amplify the power of three dimensional structures of both small molecule drug leads and protein targets with molecular insights to disease development. This project will use computer-based methods to design, discover and optimise new candidate drug leads.

Designing protein drugs for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases

Supervisor: Dr Conan Wang (c.wang@imb.uq.edu.au)

Cytokines are signalling proteins that play essential roles in immune responses and have garnered clinical interest in the context of cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease. This project aims to overcome their limitations of poor stability, activity, and specificity to develop new therapeutics. Candidates will learn new skills in drug design and characterisation using tools in molecular biology, biochemistry, and structural biology.

Determining three-dimensional structures of protein modulators using NMR spectroscopy

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Huy Hoang (h.hoang@imb.uq.edu.au)

Three-dimensional structures of compounds in solution determine their activities on biological targets (e.g. proteins, DNA, RNA). NMR spectroscopy is the most powerful and versatile method to elucidate solution structures, dynamics and interactions of chemical compounds alone and with their targets. This project will give opportunities to solve three dimensional structures of bioactive fragments of proteins and small molecule modulators of proteins.

Developing microalgae soil additives that improve soil health

Developing new mass spectrometric methods for the rapid identification and assignment of absolute configuration to chiral amino compounds

Developing new drugs for inflammatory bowel disease

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Eunice Poon (k.poon@uq.edu.au)

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a collection of complex chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. It is currently treated with immunosuppressives that are associated with significant, often severe, side effects. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of new therapeutic compounds with different mechanisms of action using a mouse model of colitis and various molecular biology techniques.

Development of gut-stable peptide hormones

Discovery of novel ion channel modulators from cone snail venoms

Discovery of novel sodium channel modulators from venoms

Efficient design of drugs using new nanoscale technologies Principal advisor

Supervisor: Dr Conan Wang (c.wang@imb.uq.edu.au)

Powerful technologies have emerged to perform millions of experiments quickly in tiny nanolitre droplets, and have attracted wide interest from major pharmaceutical companies because of the potential to accelerate drug discovery. Honours project opportunities are available to investigate these next-generation tools for drug design and learn new skills in one or more areas of nanotechnology and molecular biology.

Efficient extraction of recombinant proteins from algae

GABA-A receptor variants in epilepsy

Genetic exploration of Petunia as a novel platform for producing cyclisation-stabilised peptide-based pharmaceuticals

Glycine receptor variants in autism spectrum disorder

Improving photosynthetic oxygen for food and therapeutics

Mechanisms of cell uptake by macrocyclic drug

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Liping Liu (liping.liu@uq.edu.au)

Protein-protein interactions are responsible for most biological processes and so proteins and their peptide fragments hold immense promise for treating diseases. However, to be used as medicines they must first penetrate cellular membranes which is a key problem. Endocytosis is the principal mechanism of cellular uptake but peptides often get trapped in endosomes and mechanisms of escape into the cytoplasm are not well understood. This project will study diverse peptide structures for cell uptake and findings may help in designing new drugs with enhanced cellular delivery.

Method development for chemical synthesis of proteins

Neuro-immune interactions involved in painful neuropathies

Neuropeptides and their role in memory formation

New antiparasitic to protect Australian livestock

NLRP3 inflammasome activation by chemotherapies and the therapeutic application

NMDA receptor variants in neurological disorders

NMR structures and computational studies to design bioavailable peptides

Pesticides targeting invertebrate synaptic receptors

Pharmacology of Stinging Nettle venom

Protein Engineering using a new class of ligase enzymes

Regulating mucin protection against microbes in our gut

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Eunice Poon (k.poon@uq.edu.au)

The intestine is lined with a layer of mucus which acts as a protective barrier against microbial invasion. Mucins are a major component of this layer and are secreted mainly by goblet cells in the epithelium. We have identified a protein that, when activated, depletes mucins from goblet cells. The exact mechanism for this effect is unknown. This project aims to further understand this process by using in vivo and ex vivo techniques and to regulate the process using novel drug leads.

Reassessing the classification of conotoxin genes into superfamilies

Reengineering of wasp venom peptides for antimicrobial applications

Role of adhesion molecules in chemotherapy induced side effects

Single-channel analysis of voltage-gated sodium channels

Soils for Science - Searching the soil microbes for new antibiotics

Soils for Science - Searching the soil microbes for new antifungals

Stapled peptides as anticancer drugs

Structure-activity relationships of cyclic dynorphin A analogues targeting kappa opioid receptors

Synthesis and oxidative folding pathway of disulfide-rich cyclic peptides

Synthesis of bacterial metabolite analogues as anti-inflammatory drugs

Synthesis of DNA-binding peptides for anti-cancer therapy

Synthesis of fluorescent probes for visualising an inflammatory protein in cells

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Jeff Mak (j.mak@imb.uq.edu.au)

Class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes involved in regulating inflammation in humans. Unlike other HDACs, they do not localise within the nucleus, but shuttle between the nucleus and the cytosol. The project aims to synthesise fluorescent ligands for studying and visualising these processes.

Synthesis of modified bacterial metabolites as anti-inflammatory drugs

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Jeff Mak (j.mak@imb.uq.edu.au)

Mucosal associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) are antibacterial immune cells that are activated by small molecule bacterial metabolites. However, their excessive activation can contribute to inflammatory diseases such as colitis. This project aims to modify bacterial metabolites to produce new MAIT cell inhibitors as potential leads to a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Synthesis of long-acting antidiabetic agents

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Tim Hill (t.hill@imb.uq.edu.au)

Derivatives of the hormone glucagon-like peptide have been used to treat diabetes and more recently obesity. We have previously developed compounds like this hormone that have profoundly different effects on cells, but with poor drug-like properties such as plasma instability. This project aims to synthesise compounds that can similarly alter cell signalling profiles but have enhanced drug-like properties that make them potential drug candidates for testing in mose models of diabetes and obesity.

Synthesis of novel 8-membered heterocycles towards new cancer drugs

Targeted delivery of anticancer drugs

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Tim Hill (t.hill@imb.uq.edu.au)

Most approved cancer therapeutics are designed to be cytotoxic and interfere with cellular proliferation. Consequently, they are usually also toxic to normal cells and cause side effects, presenting a major challenge to achieve both therapeutic efficacy and safety. One way to try and over come this problem is to create targeted drug conjugates which contain a protein or peptide which can selectively interact with cancer cells whilst delivering a known cytotoxic drug to the target. This project aims to create peptide-drug conjugates which can be targeted to cancer cells which overexpress specific receptors.

Targeting gut biofilms in patients with gastrointestinal disorders

Targeting the oxytocin receptor in breast or prostate cancer

Understanding a new mechanism for treating asthma

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr Eunice Poon (k.poon@uq.edu.au)

Asthma is a chronic condition which leads to narrowing and inflammation of airways in the lung. Common triggers include allergens such as pollen, dust and mould. There is currently no cure. This project will investigate a protein on the cell surface that is associated with allergic asthma, investigate its mechanistic role in promoting lung inflammation, and help in the development of new therapeutics using a mouse model of lung inflammation.

Understanding bacterial metabolites in immunity

Understanding the complex spatial distribution of cone snail venom peptides across the venom gland

Understanding cellular activation through G protein coupled receptors

Supervisors: Professor David Fairlie (d.fairlie@uq.edu.au), Dr James Lim (j.lim@imb.uq.edu.au)

G protein-coupled receptors are the most common therapuetic target on the cell surface. Understanding how they work involves investigating how specific molecules bind to them, triggering a series of fundamental cellular functions. This project aims to unravel the details of this activation process and potentially identify novel drug targets to treat various diseases.

Centre for Chemistry and Drug Discovery

AEP-mediated biosynthesis of orally active cyclotide-based antagonists for bradykinin B1 receptor

Benchmarking deep learning methods for designing active peptides

Boosting accumulation of cyclisation-stabilised peptide-based pharmaceuticals in plant seeds

C-fos: a measure of pain in chemotherapy induced neuropathy

Chemical strategies to deliver peptide drugs into cells

Chemical synthesis and structure-activity-relationship studies of the trefoil factor family

Defining cylclotide membrane interactions using nanodisc

Dehydrating microalgal to extend their shelf-life for medical and agricultural use.

Design and characterisation of a next-generation antimicrobial peptide

Design and characterisation of a new generation of anti-obesity peptides

Designing experimental drugs using computers and structure-based drug design

Designing protein drugs for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases

Determining three-dimensional structures of protein modulators using NMR spectroscopy

Developing microalgae soil additives that improve soil health

Developing new mass spectrometric methods for the rapid identification and assignment of absolute configuration to chiral amino compounds

Developing new drugs for inflammatory bowel disease

Development of gut-stable peptide hormones

Discovery of novel ion channel modulators from cone snail venoms

Discovery of novel sodium channel modulators from venoms

Efficient design of drugs using new nanoscale technologies Principal advisor

Efficient extraction of recombinant proteins from algae

GABA-A receptor variants in epilepsy

Genetic exploration of Petunia as a novel platform for producing cyclisation-stabilised peptide-based pharmaceuticals

Glycine receptor variants in autism spectrum disorder

Improving photosynthetic oxygen for food and therapeutics

Mechanisms of cell uptake by macrocyclic drug

Method development for chemical synthesis of proteins

Neuro-immune interactions involved in painful neuropathies

Neuropeptides and their role in memory formation

New antiparasitic to protect Australian livestock

NLRP3 inflammasome activation by chemotherapies and the therapeutic application

NMDA receptor variants in neurological disorders

NMR structures and computational studies to design bioavailable peptides

Pesticides targeting invertebrate synaptic receptors

Pharmacology of Stinging Nettle venom

Protein Engineering using a new class of ligase enzymes

Regulating mucin protection against microbes in our gut

Reassessing the classification of conotoxin genes into superfamilies

Reengineering of wasp venom peptides for antimicrobial applications

Role of adhesion molecules in chemotherapy induced side effects

Single-channel analysis of voltage-gated sodium channels

Soils for Science - Searching the soil microbes for new antibiotics

Soils for Science - Searching the soil microbes for new antifungals

Stapled peptides as anticancer drugs

Structure-activity relationships of cyclic dynorphin A analogues targeting kappa opioid receptors

Synthesis and oxidative folding pathway of disulfide-rich cyclic peptides

Synthesis of bacterial metabolite analogues as anti-inflammatory drugs

Synthesis of DNA-binding peptides for anti-cancer therapy

Synthesis of fluorescent probes for visualising an inflammatory protein in cells

Synthesis of modified bacterial metabolites as anti-inflammatory drugs

Synthesis of long-acting antidiabetic agents

Synthesis of novel 8-membered heterocycles towards new cancer drugs

Targeted delivery of anticancer drugs

Targeting gut biofilms in patients with gastrointestinal disorders

Targeting the oxytocin receptor in breast or prostate cancer

Understanding a new mechanism for treating asthma

Understanding bacterial metabolites in immunity

Understanding the complex spatial distribution of cone snail venom peptides across the venom gland

Understanding cellular activation through G protein coupled receptors

Upgrading the potency of a cancer drug using structure-based design

Using conjugation strategies to improve the drug-like properties of peptide leads

Using venom peptides to understand the function of sensory neurons

Venom peptide drug discovery