Lay summary
This project focuses on characterising circadian regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and screening effective small-molecule inhibitors to alter this process. With complementary programs in Dunedin, Auckland, and Shenzhen, we aim to both understand the detailed mechanism by which COP1 regulates lipid metabolism in the liver, and discover new therapeutic agents. We will use existing chemical leads that we have discovered through previous HRC funding, and state-of-the-art screening methods to identify new lead compounds with desirable characteristics. The goal is to provide novel strategies and targets for precision therapy in metabolic diseases and associated tumors, accelerating drug development in an area that currently has few effective treatments and significant health disparities.