Health

Challenge: Surgeons use collagen-based scaffolds to repair damaged tissue because of their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical strength but the latter tends to depend on the direction of the applied strain. How does collagen structure influence scaffold strength and its surgical application?

Solution: Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) provides detailed information on the architecture of collagen materials, including fibril orientation and d-spacing. Collagen scaffolds exhibit optimal strength when the fibrils are parallel to the direction of applied strain. This information can assist surgeons in selecting and placing scaffolds.

Challenge: 3D graphene is a promising scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. Screening and optimisation of scaffold candidates is essential for the development of implantable devices with improved osseointegration in the field of orthopaedics.

Solution: ANSTO offers a customised approach for scaffold assessment and imaging bone recovery. Bone defect models can be prepared for scaffold insertion while PET imaging is used to analyse the distribution of our 18F radioisotope in bone regeneration areas prior to calcification. CT imaging reveals the calcification process over time.

Challenge: Streptococcus pneumoniae is the world’s foremost bacterial pathogen, causing 1 – 2 million deaths worldwide each year. There are now 100 different serotypes of S. pneumoniae and the best vaccine currently on the market only protects against 13 of them.   

Solution: GPN Vaccines is developing a vaccine that provides protection against all pneumococci, regardless of strain serotype. ANSTO’s gamma irradiation facility delivers the precise radiation doses for inactivation of a whole-cell pneumococcal vaccine. The process provides an advantage over other inactivated vaccines because the structures of conserved surface protein antigens are maintained.

Challenge: mRNA-based vaccines that rely on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as delivery vehicles are emerging as potent alternatives to conventional vaccine approaches for COVID-19.  Characterising the structure of LNPs and the distribution of the lipid components is critical for understanding the way in which the vaccines function in the human body.

Solution: Cholesterol is an important component that plays a key role in stabilising the LNP surface.  Deuteration of cholesterol enables the use of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) for studying the structure and composition of LNPs.  ANSTO’s deuteration facility produces completely deuterated cholesterol using yeast biotechnology, allowing a wider range of neutron studies on LNPs.

Challenge: Australia has one of the highest rates of sun-related skin cancer in the world. Sunscreen agents significantly reduce the UV damage caused by the sun but are prone to photodegradation, resulting in less protection over time. Can deuteration alter the photostability of sunscreen agents?

Solution: Avobenzone is a common broad spectrum sunscreen agent that exists as a mixture of two isomers.  Deuteration increases the proportion of one isomer, leading to changes in the photodegradation behaviour. This demonstrates that deuteration can be used to alter complex chemical equilibria and potentially design more effective sunscreen agents.    

Challenge: Cochlear is a world leader in implantable hearing technology and first introduced a flexible implant that curls around inside the cochlea of the human ear. Platinum electrodes contained in the implant bypass the damaged part of the ear and stimulate the hearing nerve directly. Research continues to refine many aspects of the cochlear implant.

Solution: X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy (XFM) provides images of the distribution of platinum in tissue samples.  Interactions between the platinum electrodes of implants and the inner ear can be examined in detail. This information is helping Cochlear scientists verify ongoing developments in the platinum electrode technology.  

Challenge: Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common leukaemia in Australia and around 1000 cases are diagnosed every year. Drugs being developed to treat this disease target BCL-2, a key protein that helps cancer cells survive indefinitely.      

Solution: Venetoclax is a potent anti-cancer drug that has been approved for use in CLL patients. Macromolecular crystallography was used to determine the structure of BCL-2 as part of the drug design process. ANSTO’s MX2 beamline provided highly detailed 3D images of the protein to enable the development of a drug that only targets BCL-2 to minimise potential side-effects.

Challenge: Staphylococcus aureus has the potential to infect nearly every tissue in the human body and is increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) are widely known and there are now signs of growing resistance to daptomycin, an antibiotic of last resort.

Solution: Lipid composition in the bacterial membrane affects antibiotic resistance in strains of S. aureus.  Biomimetic membranes on solid supports can be created to mimic these bacterial membranes. Neutron reflectometry can be used to probe these structures to determine if antibiotics are effective in penetrating the membrane and initiating their bactericidal action.

Challenge: ARPANSA recommends annual testing of dose calibrators with certified reference materials (CRMs) as part of standard quality control procedures within nuclear medicine practices. It is a requirement that the calibration procedure is traceable to a national standard.

Solution: ANSTO provides a coordinated national program to supply CRMs that are traceable to the Australian standard for radioactivity. Technetium-99 and Iodine-131 are provided annually and additional radionuclides are offered on a rotating basis according to availability and demand. Improved patient outcomes are achieved through the more precise administration of nuclear medicine.