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  • Identifying new methods to diagnose, prevent and treat infections before they become life-threatening
  • Cater Lab Team

    Group Leader

    Dr Rosemary Cater

    Senior Research Fellow & Group Leader
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 
    Researcher biography: 

    Dr. Rosemary Cater is a Senior Research Fellow and Group Leader at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience in Australia. She fulfilled her Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Renae Ryan at the University of Sydney, where she used electrophysiology and x-ray protein crystallography to understand how glutamate transporters serve a secondary function as chloride channels. She then went on to complete her post-doctoral training in the lab of Prof. Filippo Mancia at Columbia University, where she used single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and antigen-binding technology to determine structures of small membrane proteins. The overarching goal of the Cater Lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms of nutrient transport at the blood-brain barrier, and how variations to this are implicated in different diseases states.

    Dr Cater is a current ARC DECRA Fellow, and has received several prestigious awards and fellowships, for her research including the New York Academy of Sciences Blavatnik Regional Award (2022) and the Eppendorf & Science Journal Award for Neurobiology (2024).

    Researchers

    Dr Farrah Blades

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow & Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 
    Researcher biography: 

    My research interests are in cell structure, intra-cellular pathways and in protein structure. During my honors I characterised two mouse models of Multiple Sclerosis, looking at T-cell permeability through the blood-brain barrier and the CXCR4/ CXCL12 chemokine axis. During my PhD I found critical roles for the tyrosine kinase receptor, Tyro3, in myelination and retinal ganglion cell function while assessing the neuronal functional outcomes of Tyro3 driven myelin structural deficits. Following my PhD, I moved to the university of Queensland to begin a post doctoral research fellowship under the supervision of Prof. Ben Hankamer, where I focussed on cryogenic electron microscopy and single particle analysis of the photosystem II supercomplex. During this time I also helped establish a virtual desktop which runs from the Bunya supercomputer, making research software accessible and easier to use across UQ.

    As of 2024 I have begun as a post doctoral research fellow under the supervision of Dr. Rosemary Cater, I will be assessing the structure and function of membrane transporter proteins such as FLVCR2 and MFSD2A in the context of the blood-brain and blood-retinal barrier. Our goal is twofold: first, to comprehend the fundamental biology of these transporters; second, to discover a mechanism that enables drug access across the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers. This advancement will facilitate therapeutic treatments for an array of central nervous system diseases.

    Body: 

    Dr Farrah Blade's research interests are in cell structure, intra-cellular pathways and in protein structure. During her honours she characterised two mouse models of Multiple Sclerosis, looking at T-cell permeability through the blood-brain barrier and the CXCR4/ CXCL12 chemokine axis.

    During her PhD, Farrah found critical roles for the tyrosine kinase receptor, Tyro3, in myelination and retinal ganglion cell function while assessing the neuronal functional outcomes of Tyro3 driven myelin structural deficits.

    Following her PhD, Farrah moved to The University of Queensland (UQ) to begin a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship under the supervision of Professor Ben Hankamer, where she focused on cryogenic electron microscopy and single particle analysis of the photosystem II supercomplex. During this time she also helped establish a virtual desktop which runs from the Bunya supercomputer, making research software accessible and easier to use across UQ.

    As of 2024,  Farrah has begun a post doctoral research position under the supervision of Dr Rosemary Cater, assessing the structure and function of membrane transporter proteins such as FLVCR2 and MFSD2A in the context of the blood-brain and blood-retinal barrier. The goal is twofold: first, to comprehend the fundamental biology of these transporters; second, to discover a mechanism that enables drug access across the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers. This advancement will facilitate therapeutic treatments for an array of central nervous system diseases.

    Students

    Mr Matthew van der Burg

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    0
    Supervisor: 

    Ms Ariana Ivanic

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    0
    Supervisor: 

    Miss Ruohua Gao

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    0
    Supervisor: 

    Mr Parteek Mandhan

    Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 
  • King Group

      Group Leader

    Professor Glenn King

    NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Group Leader
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 
    Body: 

    Highlights

    Professor Glenn King is a biochemist and structural biologist whose expertise lies in translating venom-derived peptides into human drugs and bioinsecticides. His lab maintains the most extensive collection of venoms in the world, which includes venoms from more than 600 species of venomous spiders, scorpions, centipedes and assassin bugs.

    Professor King’s primary focus is on the development of drugs to treat three pervasive nervous system disorders: chronic pain, epilepsy, and stroke. His lab is working closely with several pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs for clinical use.

    Professor King has also charted new territory in the field of agriculture by developing venom peptides as eco-friendly bioinsecticides. Vestaron Corporation, the company that he founded, will begin selling these bioinsecticides in the U.S. market in 2017.

    Mentorship is important to Professor King, and he is enthusiastically committed to training the next generation of biological scientists. To date he has trained 30 PhD students and 24 postdoctoral scientists, with 10 lab alumni having gone on to independent academic positions.

    Connect

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      Researchers

    Dr Aline Dantas de Araujo

    Research Fellow/Senior Research officer
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Dr Natalie Saez

    Research Fellow
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Dr Elena-Laura Budusan

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Dr Andrew Walker

    Research Fellow
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 
    Researcher biography: 

    My research interests are centred around the structure and function of venom and silk polypeptides produced by arthropods, and their use in biotechnology and medicine. I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the King laboratory in the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland, Australia. Currently, I am investigating the composition, function and evolution of neglected insect venoms produced by assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) and nettle caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae).

    Dr David Eagles

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

      Students

    Miss Raine Mercedes

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    0
    Supervisor: 

    Miss Laura Isaza Pineda

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Miss Emily Smith

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    0
    Supervisor: 

    Ms Alexandra Sundman

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    0
    Supervisor: 

    Ms Unn Jeamsinkul

    PhD Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Miss Shuyi Jin

    Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Mr Daniel McCarthy

    Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 

    Ms Yongyi Tai

    Student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
    Researcher profile is public: 
    1
    Supervisor: 
  • We asked five leading IMB genomics researchers what advances they are most excited about in the next 5 to 10 years
  • Higher degree by research (PhD) student
    Institute for Molecular Bioscience
  • 12 Sep 2025
    Join researchers and scientists from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) and the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) as they delve into the technology and innovations that are driving healthcare innovation. From international collaborations to preclinical translation, learn more about how we can improve patient care and solve complex global health issues.

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Strawberry DNA extraction activity

Extract and view DNA from a strawberry using common household ingredients.

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The Edge: Genetics

People have known for thousands of years that parents pass traits to their children, but it is only relatively recently that our technology has caught up to our curiosity, enabling us to delve into the mystery of how this inheritance occurs, and the implications for predicting, preventing and treating disease.

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