Radicals in the Environment

Overview

Air pollution, UV radiation, X-rays, pesticides and cigarette smoke are major sources of free radical exposure to both living organisms and materials. This signature theme focuses on understanding the impact that environmental radicals have on living and non-living materials.

Centre scientists are conducting groundbreaking research to:

• understand atmospheric free radical damage to human cells and explore their role in pollution-derived diseases,
• understand UV-induced damage to proteins,
• detect free radical species in diesel and smoke exhaust,
• develop new materials to remove radical producing radioactive waste from the environment,
• improve technology to control biofilm formation and dispersal, and
• develop new technologies for the treatment and preservation of culturally significant objects, artwork, and buildings.

Research Projects

The overall aim of this theme is to gain fundamental understanding of the role that radicals formed in the environment, from both natural and anthropogenic sources, have on living and non-living materials.

The Centre is engaged in the following projects:

• Examination of the effects of protein and peptide peroxides generated by photo-oxidation on cell viability and parameters of cell function;
• Determination whether protein and peptide peroxides generated by photo-oxidation inhibit the enzymatic activities of the proteasome, and whether inhibition of this protein removal system contributes to the accumulation of damaged proteins within cells;
• Examination of whether metal ions exacerbate UV-mediated damage to lens proteins induced by adducted tryptophan metabolites;
• Investigation of the products formed in the reaction of NO3. with amino acids and to obtain kinetic data for the NO3. induced damage of amino acids;
• Investigation of the reaction of amino acids and small peptides with NO3. under atmosphere-relevant conditions, eg. in the presence of NO2 and O2 in both nonaqueous and aqueous environments;
• Determination of the mechanism of the NO3. induced damage of amino acids using computational and experimental studies;
• Synthesis of polymers to capture toxic waste using reverse addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and incorporation into porous metal oxides;
• Development of new agents that release nitric oxide in a controlled way in a time-dependent fashion to prevent biofilm formation (in collaboration with the Environmental Biotechnology CRC);
• Development of treatments and prevention strategies for culturally significant objects (together with the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation).