Designing new optogenetic tools for biomedical research
- Research Opportunity
- PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students
- Number of Honour Places Available
- 1
- Department / Centre
- Biochemistry and Pharmacology
- Location
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute
| Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A/Prof Danny Hatters | dhatters@unimelb.edu.au | 83442530 |
| Co-supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Craig Morton | Personal web page |
Summary In this project, we seek to develop a new way to control the activity of streptavidin using light.
Project Details
Optogenetics describes the manipulation of gene or protein function using light. This powerful technology has exploded in the last few years because it provides exquisite control of a range of biological functions in biomedical research. In this project, we seek to develop a new way to control the activity of streptavidin using light. Streptavidin binds with extremely high affinity to biotin and hence has been used as one of the best systems in biology to detect and/or capture specific protein:protein interactions. Controlling its activity with light will provide a new way to target protein:protein interactions in a spatially controllable manner. This project will build on prototype designs in the lab and test the efficacy of them for being regulated by light. This will involve cloning genes, modeling protein structures, designing targeted mutations and testing activity in mammalian and bacterial cell culture systems.
Faculty Research Themes
Cancer, Infection and Immunology, Neuroscience
School Research Themes
Cancer in Biomedicine, Biomedical Neuroscience, Cell Signalling
Research Opportunities
PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department / Centre
Research Group / Unit / Centre
Research Node
Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology InstituteMDHS Research library
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