Dr Sally L Gras

BEng (Honours), Chemical Engineering, Melbourne, 2002
B.Sc. (Honours), Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Melbourne, 2002
Ph.D., Bionanotechnology & Protein Misfolding, Cambridge (Trinity College), 2006

Senior Lecturer

Email:
Telephone: (61) 3 8344 6281 or (61) 3 8344 2259
Fax: (61) 3 8344 4153

Room 308, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Building 1
and the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute

Current Research Activities

• Nano and Biomolecular Engineering
  • Nanostructured Materials
  • Tailored Biomaterials and Emulsions
  • Nano-diagnostics, nano-toxicology, nano-therapeutics
  • Fermentation processes and scale-up

Professional Affiliations

• Member of the Cambridge Australia Trust (Victoria)
• Member of the Australasian Society for Biomaterials
• Member of Australian Research Council Nanotechnology Network
• Member of Surface Science of Biological Interfaces Research Network, UK
• Member of Cambridge Philosophical Society, UK
• Member of AWISE (Association for women in Science and Engineering), UK

Honours/Awards

• Selby Research Award, Selby Scientific Foundation, 2006
• The Australian Academy of Science Grant for Collaborative Research in the U.K., 2006
• Early Career Researcher Scheme, Melbourne University, 2006
• Delegate at the 44th Annual International Achievement Summit, New York, 2005
• Biovision.Nxt Fellowship for future biotechnology leaders, World Life Sciences Forum, Lyon, 2005
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Cambridge Scholarship 2003-2005
• Finalist for Australian Institute of Chemical Engineering Pratt Prize, 2003
• Overseas Research Student Award, Universities UK, 2002
• Chemical Engineering Design Prize, University of Melbourne, 2002
• Bruce Knox Honours Prize, School of Botany, University of Melbourne, 2000
• Hexima Ltd. (Biotechnology) Honours Scholarship , 2000
• Howitt Natural History and Philosophy Scholarship, Australia, 2000-2002
• Comalco Women in Engineering Scholarship for future engineering managers, Australia, 1996-2000
• Gowrie HMAS Cerberus Foundation Scholarship, Australia, 1996-2000

Professional Experience

• 2006: Lecturer Metabolic Engineering and Laboratory Group Head, the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute
• 2003-2006: Gates Research Scholar, Cavendish Laboratory, The University of Cambridge, U.K.
• 2002: Polymer chemistry research assistant, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Melbourne
• 2001: Fluid mechanics research assistant, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Melbourne
• 2000 – 2001: Recombinant protein production Hexima Ltd., Melbourne, Australia
• 2000: Protein research assistant, The Walter and Eliza Institute of Medical Research (Undergraduates Research Opportunities Program), Australia
• 1998: Plant biotechnology internship, Australian National University
• 1998: Process optimization for mineral processing, Boyne Island Smelters Ltd., Gladstone, Australia
• 1997: Process Engineer, Comalco Smelting Ltd., Australia

Selected Publications

• S.L. Gras, A.K. Tickler, A.M. Squires, G.L. Devlin, M.A. Horton, C.M. Dobson, C.E. MacPhee, "Functionalised Amyloid Fibrils for Roles in Cell Adhesion", Biomaterials, in press.
• S.L. Gras, "Protein misfolding: a route to new nanomaterials", Advanced Powder Technology, 18(6): 699-705, 2007. Invited paper.
• S.L. Gras, "Amyloid Fibrils: From Disease to Design. New Biomaterial Applications for Self-Assembling Cross-beta Fibrils", Australian Journal of Chemistry, 60(5): 333-342, 2007, Special Research Front in Bionanochemistry.  Invited review.
• S.L. Gras, T. Mahmud, G. Rosengarten, A. Mitchell, K. Kalantar-zadeh, "Intelligent control of surface hydrophobicity", ChemPhysChem, 18(14) 2036-2050, 2007.
• A.M. Squires, G.L. Devlin, S.L. Gras, A.K. Tickler, C.E. MacPhee, C.M. Dobson, "X-ray scattering study of the effect of hydration on the cross-beta spine of amyloid fibrils", Journal of the American Chemical Society, 128(36): 11738-9, 2006.
• G.L. Devlin, T.P.J. Knowles, A.M. Squires, M.G. McCammon, S.L. Gras, M.R. Nilsson, C.V. Robinson, M.E. Welland, C.M. Dobson, C.E. MacPhee, "The component polypeptide chains of bovine insulin nucleate or inhibit the aggregation of the parent protein in a conformation dependent manner", Journal of Molecular Biology; 360(2):497-509, 2006
• D.C. Thorn, S. Meehan, M. Sunde, A. Rekas, S.L. Gras, C.E. MacPhee, C.M. Dobson, M.R. Wilson and J.A. Carver, "Amyloid fibril formation by bovine milk kappa-casein and its inhibition by the molecular chaperones alpha(S)- and beta-Casein", Biochemistry, 44:17027-17036, 2005.