I earned a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the University of Adelaide, where my research focused on understanding the biosynthesis of glycans in various cereal plants for agricultural purposes and beer brewing applications.

Currently, my research focuses on using yeast systems to discover peptide modalities with novel functions and to sustainably manufacture cyclic disulfide-rich peptides. These cyclic peptides have the potential to be further developed into drug modalities or for other biotechnological applications.  Cyclic peptides such as MCoTI-II, a potent trypsin inhibitor or cyclic Vc1.1, is a potential analgesic for the treatment of chronic pain.  However, the capability to produce cyclic peptides in an environmentally sustainable manner at large scale remains elusive.  At present majority of peptides (including cyclic peptides) rely heavily on solid phase peptide synthesis which co-generates significant amount of toxic and hazardous wastes.  Several recombinant attempts at producing cyclic peptides in Escherichia coli or plant systems have results in yields deemed not commercially viable.  Hence, this yeast-based bioproduction platforms that we have develped can provide a greener alternative compared to traditional means for manufacturing peptides and generated yields two to three times more compared to other recombinant attempts at producing cyclic peptides.  

Here are some research articles related to my ongoing PhD project, published in Green Chemistry and Nature Protocols:

• An environmentally sustainable biomimetic production of cyclic disulfide-rich peptides – Green Chemistry (RSC Publishing)

• Yeast-based bioproduction of disulfide-rich peptides and their cyclization via asparaginyl endopeptidases | Nature Protocols

For my Capacity Building grant, I visited the Wittrup lab at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  The Wittrup lab are world pioneers in the area of yeast-surface display (YSD) technology.  This technology is widely used for discovering novel drug modalities, ranging from antibodies to peptides.  Specifically, I visited the Wittrub lab to  learn the intricate details of YSD technology and further strengthen our  collaborative ties with the Wittrub lab.

The CIPPS Capacity Building Grant provided me the opportunity to accelerate my training and knowledge in YSD technology, which would otherwise take a considerable amount of time.  Furthermore, the opportunity to exchange ideas with members of the Wittrup lab have positively influenced and broadened the scope of my research project.  Following this exchange, as an outcome, I have initiated the establishment of YSD technology in the Craik lab.  As an output, we currently have a manuscript in the pipeline which will contribute to the finalisation of my PhD.

The most memorable experience from my exchange is the opportunity to observe the operations and thought process of a differenct research group.  The PhD projects that I observed generally consist of a project with significantly large aim in the Wittrup lab which will require an entire PhD to complete compare to the PhD projects in my group, which typically consist of three generally smaller project aims.

My word of advice is that the chance to meet experts in the field of choice is invaluable, and the CIPPS CBG offers opportunities that are otherwise impossible to achieve.