Exploring synthetic biology for tissue regeneration
The Janovjak Group conducts research at the interface of synthetic biology and mammalian physiology.
The group has established new methods to control cellular signalling pathways (e.g. those activated by receptor tyrosine kinases and GPCRs) and cellular behaviours (e.g. proliferation and survival of nerve cells, cancer cells and key cell populations involved in metabolism). Their methods offer spatial precision (e.g. to activate only selected cells or tissues ex vivo and in vivo) and temporal precision (e.g. to intervene with specific stages during development and disease progression) and included but were not limited to optogenetics.
The group is currently applying these methods to understand and manipulate cells and tissues affected by degeneration, with a particular focus on type I diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Their interdisciplinary research combines the development of new molecular tools and the study of disease using the mouse and fruit fly.
For more information about their research, please also visit the Janovjak Group website.
A full list of publications can be found here at PubMed.
FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
- Monash University
- Australian Research Council (ARC)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)
- European Union Seventh Framework Programme (EU FP7)
- Synthetic biology strategies to maintain cell survival and initiate cell proliferation in degenerative disorders
- Developing new methods for controlling cell behaviour with high spatio-temporal precision (e.g. optogenetics)
- Engineering of new genes and proteins for synthetic biology
- Deciphering the function and physiology of orphan receptors