Study Opportunities
The Adelaide Proteomics Centre offers opportunities for students to undertake research projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Undergraduate students interested in learning state-of-the-art proteomic techniques, such as multidimensional protein purification or mass spectrometry, can apply either for a lab placement or for an honour's project.
Additionally, we are currently seeking PhD applicants. The details of their respective research projects are described below. For further details, please contact Associate Professor Peter Hoffmann.
Current PhD positions available
Right click on the project for detailed information.
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has the highest mortality rate of all gynaecological malignancies and was responsible for 13 850 fatalities in 2010. There is no universal model for ovarian oncogenesis and disagreement still exists concerning the correct grading system. As such it is vital to gain a deeper understanding of EOC, in particular, there is an urgent need for the development of grading systems which can unambiguously distinguish tumors based on molecular composition and predict patient responses to treatment.
The proposed project will involve theory, design and application of MALDI imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) to molecular grading of ovarian epithelial tumours. The Adelaide Proteomics Centre is the national NCRIS facility for MALDI IMS and the only group in Australia with a publication record using this technology.
The Centre is equipped with the latest mass spectrometry instrumentation and has close collaborations with Bruker Daltonics (Mass Spectrometry instrument vendor) to push the boundaries of this technology.
The project will use MALDI IMS to generate mass spectrometry based grading profiles for the four sub-types of EOC, beginning with the most common serous sub-type.
Project aims will be as follows:
- Design and implementation of a clinically relevant method for generating MALDI IMS grading profiles in frozen and formalin-fixed ovarian tissues.
- Acquisition of disease specific molecular profiles by MALDI IMS across a large patient subset of varying grade, starting with serous sub-type tumors.
- Use of the acquired profiles to generate an ovarian cancer classification system to complement grading by classical histology.
We are looking for a self motivated student with a degree in Biochemistry or Chemistry and depending on quality of applicants we would be able to pay a $3,000/year top up on PhD scholarships.
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CRC affects 1 out of every 20 Australians, and although it is treatable if detected early, remains the second greatest cause of cancer-related death. Even with colonoscopic examination, patients diagnosed as negative can still develop CRC. As a result, greater understanding of the differing types of pre-cursor lesion is required, particularly at the molecular level.
The project will involve theory, design and application of classical proteomics like Liquid Chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as well as imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) for the investigation of CRC, the Adelaide Proteomics Centre is the national NCRIS facility for Imaging Mass Spectrometry and the only group in Australia with a publication record on this technology. The Centre is equipped with the latest mass spectrometry instrumentation and has close collaboration with Bruker Daltonics (one of the Mass Spectrometry instrument vendors) to push the boundaries of this technology. The project will use this new technology and apply it to tissue samples from CRC patients.
The main three aims of the project are:
- Determination of disease specific molecular changes at the protein and peptide level by imaging mass spectrometry.
- Identification of mass spectrometry detectable markers and/or marker profiles by IMS and LC-MS/MS.
- Increasing current understanding of atypical CRC precursor lesions in the "serrated" pathway.
We are looking for a self motivated student with a degree in Biochemistry or Chemistry and depending on quality of applicants we would be able to pay a $3,000/year top up on PhD scholarships.
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In AML, several factors have been identified that confer a good or poor prognosis. These include age, white blood cell count, the presence or absence of a preceding haematologic disorder, response to induction chemotherapy and the cytogenetic profile. Cytogenetics is the most important prognostic marker, but there remains heterogeneity within specific cytogenetic subtypes. No cytogenetic abnormality, or a normal karyotype, at diagnosis accounts for 40 – 50% of AML cases at diagnosis but within this group specific molecular mutations such as FLT3, NPM1 or CEBP-A mutations confer unfavourable or favourable outcomes. Response to induction chemotherapy has been found to be a negative prognostic indicator. Gene expression signatures predictive of in vivo drug resistance have been identified. However, changes in gene expression do not necessarily correlate with protein levels within the cell. Therefore it is of interest to determine if there is a change in protein expression levels in patients depending on their response to chemotherapy. Proteomics offers the ability to identify changes in expression level and post-translational modification of a vast number of proteins in patient samples. We predict different protein expression profiles will be observed in patients that respond to chemotherapy compared to patients that do not respond to chemotherapy. Protein profiles of patients that respond or did not respond to induction chemotherapy will be compared and proteins that are differentially expressed or modified between groups will be identified. Identification of specific changes in protein expression may lead to the development of specific therapies targeting these abnormal proteins.
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