Membrane transporters and channels

Membrane transporters and ion channels play a crucial role in the provision of nutrients to organisms and cells, they remove toxic compounds and waste, and are crucial in regulating excitability in the nervous system. In the Research School of Biology we target ion channels to treat human diseases and target transporters to treat type 2 diabetes and cancer. We use computational approaches to study the function of ion channels and investigate transport processes in parasites as novel targets to combat Malaria. 

Project Groups
Adaptations of solid tumours to their environment Callaghan Group - Human disease and membrane transport
ANU International applicants for PhDs in Biomedical Science and Biochemistry
  • Adamska Group - Genomic and evolutionary basis of animal development
  • Altin Group - Tumour immunology and liposome targeting group
  • Behm Group - Nematode molecular biology
  • Brock Group - Membrane Structural & Synthetic Biology
  • Broer Group - Membrane transport and nutrition
  • Callaghan Group - Human disease and membrane transport
  • Chung Group - Biophysics of ion channels
  • Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
  • Fahrer Group - Immunology
  • Howitt Group - Transporter structure and function
  • Kirk Group - Membrane transport in parasites
  • Lehane Group - Antimalarial drug action and resistance
  • Leyton Group - Assembly, function, and applications of nanoscale bacterial surface structures
  • Maier Group - Molecular mechanisms of malaria pathogenesis
  • Maleszka Group - From molecules to behaviour
  • Saliba Group - Physiology and biochemistry of the malaria parasite
  • van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
  • Verma Group - Bacterial and bacteriophage genetics, and vaccine development
  • Biologically inspired membranes for the efficient desalination of water Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    Cancer metabolism Broer Group - Membrane transport and nutrition
    Cellular adaptations that allow the transmission and survival of Plasmodium falciparum when taken up by the mosquito Maier Group - Molecular mechanisms of malaria pathogenesis
    CO2 acquisition by cyanobacteria and plants, & Synthetic Biology strategies for transplanting cyanobacterial CO2 Concentrating mechanism parts in crop plants
  • Price Group - The cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanism and the use of synthetic biology to transfer it to C3 crop plants
  • von Caemmerer Group - CO2 fixation and water loss of leaves
  • CO2 diffusion inside leaves von Caemmerer Group - CO2 fixation and water loss of leaves
    Computational models of nerve conduction Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    Design and evaluation of novel antimalarial drugs
    Designing new channel inhibitors for treating chronic pain Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    Diseases of amino acid transport Broer Group - Membrane transport and nutrition
    Do multidrug transporters play a role in Alzheimer’s Disease? Callaghan Group - Human disease and membrane transport
    Drug resistance in the human malaria parasite
    Elucidating the role of plasmodesmata in wheat stripe rust fungal infection
  • Rathjen Group - Plant immunity
  • Danila Group – Plant cell structure and intercellular communication
  • Erythrocyte membrane modifications during malaria infection Maier Group - Molecular mechanisms of malaria pathogenesis
    Functional characterisation of novel autotransporter proteins Leyton Group - Assembly, function, and applications of nanoscale bacterial surface structures
    How do biological molecules distinguish between ions? Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    How do RNA binding proteins find the right partner? Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    How does P-glycoprotein confer resistance to so many anti-cancer drugs? Callaghan Group - Human disease and membrane transport
    How does pfCRT confer drug resistance to malaria? Callaghan Group - Human disease and membrane transport
    Identification and characterisation of membrane transport proteins
    Ion homeostasis in the malaria parasite Kirk Group - Membrane transport in parasites
    Lipid flipping in vision: seeing is believing! Callaghan Group - Human disease and membrane transport
    Mapping the genetic mechanism of plasmodesmata formation and regulation to improve crops Danila Group – Plant cell structure and intercellular communication
    Membrane transport proteins of the malaria parasite and their roles in conferring drug resistance
    New antibiotics that target membrane channels Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    Novel nutrient/metabolite transporters in apicomplexan parasites
  • Kirk Group - Membrane transport in parasites
  • van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
  • Nutrient acquisition in apicomplexan parasites
  • Kirk Group - Membrane transport in parasites
  • Lehane Group - Antimalarial drug action and resistance
  • van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
  • Olfactory pattern recognition in nematodes Behm Group - Nematode molecular biology
    Plasmodium falciparum lipid metabolism as a target for malaria intervention strategies Maier Group - Molecular mechanisms of malaria pathogenesis
    Redesign and engineering of the autotransporter β-barrel domain Leyton Group - Assembly, function, and applications of nanoscale bacterial surface structures
    Structural basis of drug resistance in the Malaria parasite Brock Group - Membrane Structural & Synthetic Biology
    Structural basis of Endometriosis Brock Group - Membrane Structural & Synthetic Biology
    Student opportunities in molecular analysis of CO2 acquisition by cyanobacteria Price Group - The cyanobacterial CO2 concentrating mechanism and the use of synthetic biology to transfer it to C3 crop plants
    SynBio enabled biosensors Brock Group - Membrane Structural & Synthetic Biology
    Synthetic nanotubes to mimic biological ion channels Chung Group - Biophysics of ion channels
    Targeting ion transport in apicomplexan parasites with new generation antimalarials
  • Kirk Group - Membrane transport in parasites
  • Lehane Group - Antimalarial drug action and resistance
  • van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
  • The biology of the mitochondrion of apicomplexan parasites van Dooren Group - Cell biology and metabolism of apicomplexan parasites
    The role of amino acids in diabetes Broer Group - Membrane transport and nutrition
    The role of phospholipid flippases in the immune system Broer Group - Membrane transport and nutrition
    The transport game – modelling the physiology of cells Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    To what degree does autotransporter folding inside the bacterial cell resemble autotransporter folding in bulk solution? Leyton Group - Assembly, function, and applications of nanoscale bacterial surface structures
    Understanding the proteins responsible for our sense of touch Corry Group - Transport proteins and computational biophysics
    Vitamin utilisation by malaria parasites Saliba Group - Physiology and biochemistry of the malaria parasite