In December 2015 we held our annual NFMRI awards night, where we announced our successful grant recipients with funding commencing in early 2016. Director General of the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Scott Hansen, officially opened our joint emerging zoonotic infectious diseases grant round that formed part of our expanded partnership.
At the NFMRI, our focus is on delivering benefits to the community sooner through advancement in biomedical innovations, which include diagnostics, devices, drugs, vaccines, therapeutics and biological products. We understand that translating medical discoveries so they can be of benefit to mankind requires progression along the innovation pathway, and that in order to achieve this researchers need to form collaborations (often external) with individuals, teams and organisations that hold different skill sets ranging from legal, financial, business development and scientific. As most of a researcher’s funding can only be spent in his or her lab (despite the fact that those skills required to advance the research may only be available externally), we have made a conscious decision to be very specific in what we support in order to address this critical gap.
The following new projects have now commenced and we will update you of their progress throughout the year:
A/Prof Bernard Flynn, Monash University
$100,000 over one year
‘Sphingolipid targeting agents in the treatment of cardiac fibrosis’
The particular focus of this application, cardiac fibrosis, is the lead cause of heart failure and a major cause of death in the western world. This collaborative research group has drawn together experts in cardiac fibrosis, cell signalling pathways, enzyme assays, medicinal chemistry and metabolomics to help identify a suitable biomolecular target for fibrosis and to design drug molecules to inhibit this target. The focus has been on a class of lipid signalling molecules called sphingolipids, which control cell functions particularly during infection, inflammation and wound healing. Support from NFMRI will enable A/Prof Flynn to access both internal collaborators such as the Monash Centre for Drug Candidate Optimization and external collaborators such vivoPharm to assist with targeted studies.
Dr Sanjaya Kuruppu, Monash University
$90,000 over one year
‘A potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease from a snake venom’
Dr Sanjaya Kuruppu has discovered for the first time a molecule (referred to as K49-P1-20), from the venom of a snake, which stimulates activity of two enzymes that clear amyloid beta. Previous studies have shown that increasing the expression of amyloid beta clearing enzymes can prevent the build-up of this protein and associated behavioural changes. Dr Kuruppu’s preliminary data indicated that K49-P1-20 induced increase in enzyme activity results in accelerated breakdown of synthetic amyloid beta. This research study will use a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease to determine if this molecule can prevent the build-up of amyloid beta in the brain. Support from NFMRI will facilitate access to additional skill sets from an external collaborator at the University of Tasmania, including access to a mouse model relevant for Alzheimer’s disease.
Prof Mark Smythe, The University of Queensland
$80,078 over one year
‘The development of human hematopoietic prostaglandin D2 synthase inhibitors (HPGD2s) for allergic asthma’
Professor Smythe’s research team is pursuing new and innovative asthma therapies by targeting a different and specific enzyme, HPGD2S, involved in the inflammatory mechanisms of asthma. His team has developed and optimized a series of potent and specific inhibitors of HPGD2S that are orally bioavailable and efficacious in in vivo animal models. NFMRI’s support will provide access to additional research studies and facilities to profile the compounds on human bronchial epithelial cells in order to study respiratory function. These studies will aid in the selection of drug candidates, which will provide efficacious treatment for the cause, not symptoms, of asthma. The funding in particular will provide access to external collaborator Asterand Bioscience in order to accelerate the identification and validation of their drug candidates.
Despite having only supported projects under our new strategy since early 2015, those funded are already achieving milestones and progressing very quickly. For example, we have recently received confirmation from Professor Michael Good AO (Griffith University) that they have entered into a formal relationship with a large multinational pharmaceutical company. Professor Stephen Haswell’s (Deakin University) lab-on-chip-device has already been developed and tested, and the team is already looking towards scalable manufacture of the device in a facility compliant with quality systems. Also, A/Prof Janet Davies has recently been promoted to an Associate Professor position at the Queensland University of Technology and has been selected a finalist in the Queensland State Government and Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s Quick Fire Challenge. As a finalist, she will be receiving mentoring from the Johnson & Johnson mentors ahead of the final live presentation to a panel of judges. This challenge comes with a top prize of AUD $100,000.
Our current projects are doing exceptionally well, but we are also looking for some new, groundbreaking innovations. At the moment the following funding opportunities below are available. We encourage you to share this with those who might be interested in submitting an expression of interest.
1. Emerging Infectious Diseases Grant Round
A total of $400,000 is available to support one or more research projects, over up to three years, investigating emerging zoonotic infectious diseases in the form of a joint research grant provided by the NFMRI and Biosecurity and Food Safety NSW.
Focus: emerging zoonotic infectious diseases, with a preference for applications that fall within portfolios 2 & 3, open nationally but research must be of benefit to NSW.
Closes: 6pm AEST on Friday, 26 February 2016
2. 2016 Annual Grant Round
Focus: all diseases/conditions, with a preference for applications that fall within portfolios 2 & 3, open nationally
Closes: 6pm AEST on Friday, 22 April 2016
3. Dr John Dixon Hughes Medal for Medical Research Innovation
Nominations for a researcher under the age of 45 for outstanding contribution towards the development and advancement of a biomedical innovation related to the nature, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and incidence of disease and other health problems that have a significant impact on the health of humans. The medal will be awarded with a prize of $50,000 in the form of a grant.
Closes: 6pm AEST on Friday, 22 April 2016
More information, including forms, can be found on our website: https://nfmri.org.au/research-and-innovation/apply-for-support/