Our research reveals the roles of proteins in molecular and cellular biology and how they can be used to treat diseases.
Taking advantage of proteins in product development
The secondary structure of the enzyme AtzF which is shaped like Australia. A line of beta-sheets crosses the centre of the continent with alpha helices in the North West and South East corners.
In this structure beta-sheets are shown in magenta and alpha-helices in cyan. Loops are shown in pale pink. The amino-acids at the enzyme's active site are shown as blue sticks.
Crystal structure of AtzF, an enzyme that looks a little like a map of Australia. AtzF is one of six enzymes in the degradation pathway of the herbicide Atrazine. We're working towards using the enzymes to clean up the environment, a process called bioremediation.
Show text descriptionProteins are nature’s workers. Their recipes are written in DNA and their functions span forming structures like muscles, carrying out chemical reactions, fighting infections, acting as chemical messengers and transporting smaller molecules.
Understanding and making use of proteins has many benefits, from cleaning up pesticides to designing drugs to treat infectious diseases.
Building a better picture of proteins
We research the structure, function and biochemical significance of proteins. We unravel their roles in molecular and cellular biology, how they are regulated and how they work.
Our expertise spans:
We partner with small and large companies, government and industry in Australia and around the world.