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Victoria University focuses on mission-oriented research that is relevant to the needs of society. The University has identified a number of strategic areas where our research strengths match the needs and interests of existing and potential external stakeholders.
Within the Strategic Research Areas, activities are coordinated through structures including Key Research Areas (KRAs), Research Centres, units, institutes and groups that contribute to the University and wider community. Most of the research is organised through a multi-tier system, with the University's KRAs at the broadest level. These KRAs are cross-disciplinary and co-exist with the network of Research Centres that represent nodes of research expertise within the University.
Research in the area of Medical Biotechnology involves studies on the environmental effects on breast and prostrate cancer and on some of the control processes regulating cellular function. Research is also being undertaken on the fetal origin of disease including the effect of genetic and environmental factors on preterm delivery, respiratory distress syndrome and placental insufficiency in women. Research is ongoing in development of new methods for synthesizing important pharmaceutical agents such as epinephrine using yeast to produce the correct sterioisomer. The Austin Institute is affiliated to Victoria University, providing additional focus on medical biotechnology.
The Muscle Cell Biochemistry Laboratory has a focus on the physiological role of muscle protein isoforms; the regulation of intracellular events by protein phosphorylation/ dephosphorylation and be endogenous substances (glycogen, glycolytic, metabolites and hormones); physiology, biochemistry and biogenesis of mitochondria.
The KRA in Integrated Food Value Chain is developing as a provider of large, high-quality and cross-disciplinary R&D programs, including areas such as food technology, food biotechnology, food processing, food marketing, hospitality, information technology, electronic commerce, food safety and quality, packaging technology, service quality, food tracking, operational research, systems engineering, logistics, warehousing and transport.
The Food Science and Biotechnology Research Unit facilitates an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to research in the broad areas of microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology and food science and technology as well as incorporating the expertise of the Biocatalytic Synthesis Unit (BISUM).
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