Development of Fluorescent Tools for the Study of Amyloids

Dementia is the leading cause of death in Australia, and affects approximately 101 million people worldwide. Amyloids are a type of protein aggregate that are thought to cause dementia. To complicate matters, some amyloids are actually necessary for other biological functions. This raises questions such as “What makes some amyloids toxic, and some functional?” This thesis aims to develop chemical tools that will help with diagnosis and research, enabling a better understanding, and hopefully improved patient outcomes.