Molecular Bioscience - Biochemistry, Human Nutrition & Microbiology
The University of Sydney houses one of the first and largest schools in Australia undertaking research and teaching in the areas of microbiology, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, and human nutrition. Research interests span biophysical studies on macromolecular structure, the molecular biology of bacteria, yeast and mammals, human genetic disease, cancer, central nervous system inflammation, metabolism and human nutrition.
University of Sydney Advantage
The School of Molecular Bioscience (SMB) is a large and extremely research-active academic school. Their research interests are broad and they have particular expertise in protein structure and function, the regulation of gene expression and metabolism. It has extensive expertise in the major areas of biochemistry and molecular biology, nutrition and microbiology. SMB cultivates a research-based culture with extensive collaboration between groups. A student society, AMOEBA, organises social activities for all such as wine tours, trivia evenings and barbeques.
Read more about the research activities in SMB.
Facilities
The School is well equipped for all types of research with laboratories for experiments involving recombinant DNA technology; the generation of transgenic animals; tissue culture facilities for the growth and maintenance of cell lines and studies on human gene expression, and treatment of cancer and excellent facilities for the study of metabolism and nutrition.
The School is strong in biophysical research, with a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facility containing 400MHz and 600MHz spectrometers and computer backup. There is also a complete proteomics facility and facilities for X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, fluorescence microscopy, recombinant protein and analytical ultracentrifugation. SMB is well served with equipment used in modern microbiological laboratories, including microscopes, ultra-centrifuges, high performance liquid chromatography equipment for electrophoresis, advanced image analysis of 2D gels, electroporation and the polymerase chain reaction. The Australian Genomic Information Service is also associated with the School.
Areas of Research
Biochemistry
- mechanisms of action of purine analogues and antifolates against cancer cells
- induction of apoptosis diagnosis of leukaemias
- the structure and catalytic mechanism of the enzyme dihydroorotase; development of inhibitors
- protein structure and the molecular biology of disease
- x-ray structural determination of medically relevant macromolecules
- structure of metalloenzymes
- biological signal transduction
- identification and cloning of transcription factors involved in the control of gene expression
- fuel selection in exercise
- biochemical roles of clusterin
- development of allergen identification systems
- NMR studies of fast membrane transport
- red blood cell metabolism and morphology
- NMR methods to probe the biophysical properties of cells and their metabolic profiles (metabolomes)
- NMR characterisation of bioactive peptides
- synthetic genes and human molecular biology
- eukaryotic gene expression
- assembly of human elastic tissue
- transgenic modelling of cytokine-induced neurological disease
- disease-associated signal transduction pathways that mediate cytokine actions in the brain
- biochemical basis of brain function in health and disease
- genomic and proteomic profiling of brain inflammation
- structural biology of molecular communication
Human Nutrition Unit
- nutritional requirements in chronic illness
- diet and diabetes
- glycaemic index
- satiety, weight loss and exercise performance
- obesity and diabetes
- metabolic complications of obesity (both human and experimental)
- lipid nutrition and metabolism
- interactions between trace elements and lipid metabolism
- minor dietary constituents and cardiovascular disease
- the epidemiology of obesity
- the aetiology and management of obesity
- obesity prevention strategies
- the definition and causes of the metabolic syndrome
- the fetal origins of adult disease (programming or environment)
Microbiology
- genetics and molecular biology of the bacterial cell envelope
- bacterial hunger responses
- experimental evolution in chemostats
- evolutionary origins of variation in bacterial species
- mobile genetic elements in bacteria
- biodegradation of hydrocarbons and xenobiotics
- development of microbial biocatalysts
- studying virus/ host interactions using advanced imaging techniques
- modification of host signalling pathways and cell behaviour during viral infection
- population genetics of pathogenic fungi
- fungal proteomics
- chromosomal integrons in bacteria
Academic Programs offered
- Honours
- Graduate Diploma in Science (GradDipSc)
- Master of Science (MSc)
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)