Skip to content
Home page - Centenary Institute Centenary Institute

Primary menu

  • Research
        • Research

          The latest medical research into our most complex health challenges across cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation

          Learn more

        • Cancer
        • Inflammation
        • Cardiovascular
        • Programs
        • Laboratories
        • Diseases
        • Expertises
        • Services and instrumentation
  • Support us
        • Support us

          By supporting the Centenary Institute you can help improve human health through excellence in medical research

          Learn more

        • Workplace giving
        • Host or join a fundraiser
        • Gift in your Will
        • Donate in Memory
  • Impact
        • Impact

          Our research develops new diagnostics, treatments and cures for some of the most deadly and debilitating diseases affecting society today

          Learn more

        • Breakthroughs
        • Community and research
        • Real stories
  • Health hub
        • Health hub

          A range of practical information to assist in the possible preventions to disease through evidence-based research on how the body works.

          Learn more

        • Inflammation
        • The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet
        • Ageing
        • Exercise Snack Program
  • News & events
        • News & Events

          Explore the latest research breakthroughs and ways you can take part in our series of digital and in-person events

        • News
        • Events
        • Media Hub
  • About us
        • About us

          We are world-leading independent medical research institute that drives collaboration to accelerate and translate solutions to our most complex health challenges

          Learn more

        • Governance
        • Corporate information
        • Annual reports
        • Our researchers
        • Careers and studies
        • Contact
  • Donate
    Centenary Institute > Directed Evolution Laboratory

Directed Evolution Laboratory

In the Directed Evolution laboratory, we harness the power of Darwinian selection to evolve proteins with new therapeutic activities. Starting with unique proteins from all domains of life we aim to produce first-in-class or vastly improved drugs for intractable diseases.

Working with international collaborators, we have recently identified a new trigger for cardiac regeneration. In humans, this regenerative pathway is not properly engaged after a heart attack preventing a full recovery. We are applying our expertise in protein evolution (the engineering of new proteins with new traits) to increase the potency of this regenerative trigger to use as a therapeutic to improve outcomes after heart attack.

Heart disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects more than four million Australians and causes one in four deaths, with disproportionately worse outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. More treatment options are urgently needed to improve outcomes for those with CVD.

We develop and apply novel Directed Evolution platforms that couple mutagenesis, selection and next-generation sequencing to identify proteins with desirable properties. In the context of CVD we aim to specifically trigger regeneration of the heart to replace the cardiac muscle that is damaged by a heart attack.

Dr Daniel Hesselson

Head, Directed Evolution Laboratory

Australian

Anzac Research Institute
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Hunter Medical Research Institute
James Cook University
Macquarie University
Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania
Monash Children’s Hospital
Monash University
St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney
University of Queensland
University of Newcastle
University of New South Wales Sydney
University of Sydney
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

 

International

Institut Pasteur, France
Le Reseau International Des Instituts Pasteur RIIP, France
Max Planck Society, Germany
National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Japan

Themes

  • Cancer

    Cancer

Head

  • Dr Daniel Hesselson

    Head, Directed Evolution Laboratory

    Email Email d.hesselson@centenary.org.au

Programs

  • ACRF Centenary Cancer Research Centre

Topics

  • Chronic diseases ,

Expertise

  • Directed evolution ,

Publications

Recent publications

Search amongst our repository

all publications

For access to all Publications via Pub Med.

Heart disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects more than four million Australians and causes one in four deaths, with disproportionately worse outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. More treatment options are urgently needed to improve outcomes for those with CVD.

We develop and apply novel Directed Evolution platforms that couple mutagenesis, selection and next-generation sequencing to identify proteins with desirable properties. In the context of CVD we aim to specifically trigger regeneration of the heart to replace the cardiac muscle that is damaged by a heart attack.

Dr Daniel Hesselson

Head, Directed Evolution Laboratory

Australian

Anzac Research Institute
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Hunter Medical Research Institute
James Cook University
Macquarie University
Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania
Monash Children’s Hospital
Monash University
St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney
University of Queensland
University of Newcastle
University of New South Wales Sydney
University of Sydney
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute

 

International

Institut Pasteur, France
Le Reseau International Des Instituts Pasteur RIIP, France
Max Planck Society, Germany
National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Japan

News

  • Meet Dr Dan Hesselson

    Originally from Canada, Dr Dan Hesselson, Head of the Centenary Institute’s Directed Evolution Laboratory, has a true passion for ice hockey, a sport he played regularly as a child and one which he still plays recreationally now.
    Date 21 Dec 2021
    Dr Dan Hesselson Dr Dan Hesselson
View all

Twitter

Tweets by CentenaryInst Follow us (links open in a new window)

Subscribe to receive news on
research updates and free events

Newsletter

The Centenary Institute is a world-leading independent Medical Research Institute.

We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Centenary Institute stands.

About

  • About
  • Governance
  • Corporate information

Research

  • Programs
  • Our researchers
  • News
  • Media hub

Careers & studies

  • Career opportunities
  • Life at Centenary

Links

  • Contact
  • Privacy statement

Contact us

Building 93, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Missenden Rd
Camperdown NSW 2050 Australia
Telephone +61 2 9565 6100
Fax +61 2 9565 6101

Centenary Institute ABN 22 654 201 090 (DGR 1) • Centenary Institute Medical Research Foundation ABN 85 778 244 012 (DGR 2)
© 2017 Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology.

  • Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram