Biomolecular Science and Health

The Biomolecular Science and Health research theme brings together a strong multidisciplinary focus combining molecular biology, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and statistics to address the myriad of molecules and applications of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms.

Research Focus

We focus on the variety of plants, fungi, and bacteria and their biological activities that are invaluable to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and agricultural industries. Specific research strengths include examining yeast for the alcohol and food manufacturing industry, investigating the biosynthesis of bioactive molecules such as anticancer or antibacterial agents by bacteria, and looking at the biology and biochemistry of parasitic organisms and the interplay between parasites and their hosts.

Research Links

Our research links strongly with industry in Australia and internationally (e.g., Fosters Australia, Australian Wine Research Institute) and is funded from a variety of industry and other sources around the world. Our researchers work with a range of leading scientists from Universities and industry.

Current and recent research includes:

The use of yeast as a model system for elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in oxidative stress, the ageing process, and neurodegenerative diseases
Molecular and Functional Genomic analysis of yeast during the beer brewing and wine fermentation processes, and during dough formation
Genetic identification of the enzymes responsible for the production of bioactive natural products in cyanobacteria, including anticancer, antibacterial and toxic compounds
Transcriptional regulation of genes encoding the biosynthesis of toxins in cyanobacteria
Analysing the effect of laser light and microwaves on bacteria
Identification of of parasitic molecules (proteases) released to alter the physiology of their hosts
Discovery of strategies by which we can protect animals and humans from parasitic infections by either chemotherapeutic (drugs) or immunological (vaccines) methods
Development of web tools for functional genomics
Identifying the biological impacts of Cisplatin-DNA adduct
Characterising cellular responses to oxidative stress