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Using defined biotic and abiotic stimuli to dissect patterns of gene expression and protein accumulation that specify root architecture. Root morphogenesis is fundamental to agriculture and valuable for investigating the informational networks of genes, proteins and metabolites that control root growth and plant development. Root systems vary widely both within and between species. Root morphology is directed by a basic genetic program that is influenced by environmental factors to provide an e ....Using defined biotic and abiotic stimuli to dissect patterns of gene expression and protein accumulation that specify root architecture. Root morphogenesis is fundamental to agriculture and valuable for investigating the informational networks of genes, proteins and metabolites that control root growth and plant development. Root systems vary widely both within and between species. Root morphology is directed by a basic genetic program that is influenced by environmental factors to provide an enormous "phenotypic plasticity". This project will use two model plant systems to investigate how different external signals are "translated" by the plant into different developmental regimes. This knowledge is crucial to understanding how the plasticity of root development is modulated in response to changing environmental factors.Read moreRead less
Carbon uptake and water use by plants: is there pre-stomatal control? Society relies on mathematical descriptions of climate change, weather forecasting, crop performance, and other processes in which the control of carbon uptake and water loss by plants forms a basic element. Scientists also use the same element in ascribing sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), describing vegetation, hydrological and ecological processes. A key physiological assumption in this element is now in doubt and ....Carbon uptake and water use by plants: is there pre-stomatal control? Society relies on mathematical descriptions of climate change, weather forecasting, crop performance, and other processes in which the control of carbon uptake and water loss by plants forms a basic element. Scientists also use the same element in ascribing sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), describing vegetation, hydrological and ecological processes. A key physiological assumption in this element is now in doubt and we will test it rigorously and if necessary provide a robust alternative. We will do this by developing a novel 'window' on intact leaf functioning that will reveal the concentration of water vapour and other gases inside leaves.Read moreRead less
Enhancing plant photosynthesis by engineering the carbon dioxide (CO2)-fixing enzyme Rubisco. Improving the ability of crops to use water, sunlight and fertiliser more efficiently would have economic benefits for Australia and ease the environmental impacts associated with agricultural practices. Photosynthesis research has confirmed that such improvements are theoretically possible by enhancing the efficiency of the protein, Rubisco, which initiates the conversion of carbon dioxide into carbon ....Enhancing plant photosynthesis by engineering the carbon dioxide (CO2)-fixing enzyme Rubisco. Improving the ability of crops to use water, sunlight and fertiliser more efficiently would have economic benefits for Australia and ease the environmental impacts associated with agricultural practices. Photosynthesis research has confirmed that such improvements are theoretically possible by enhancing the efficiency of the protein, Rubisco, which initiates the conversion of carbon dioxide into carbon compounds required for growth. The biotechnological research proposed here uses unique capabilities to improve our understanding of structural features in Rubisco that influence its assembly and functional efficiency in plants. This knowledge will pave the way for transplanting more efficient Rubisco into crops to improve their growth.Read moreRead less
Identifying potential barriers to transplanting modified forms of the CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, into plants. Improving the ability of crops to use water, light and fertiliser more efficiently would have economic benefits and ease the environmental impacts associated with agricultural practices. It is thought that such improvements can be made by enhancing the efficiency of the photosynthetic protein, Rubisco, which fixes most of the CO2 in the biosphere. The research proposed here uses unique ....Identifying potential barriers to transplanting modified forms of the CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, into plants. Improving the ability of crops to use water, light and fertiliser more efficiently would have economic benefits and ease the environmental impacts associated with agricultural practices. It is thought that such improvements can be made by enhancing the efficiency of the photosynthetic protein, Rubisco, which fixes most of the CO2 in the biosphere. The research proposed here uses unique Rubisco transplantation capabilities that I have developed to improve our fundamental understanding of how Rubisco is processed and its activity regulated in plants. This will pave the way for our ongoing efforts to engineer and transplant more efficient Rubisco into crops.Read moreRead less
Active bicarbonate transporters from cyanobacteria: physiological properties, genetic regulation, and introduction into plants for crop improvement. An intriguing set of membrane transport proteins that accumulate bicarbonate into marine cyanobacterial cells will be investigated. These proteins support the crucial process of photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation in marine cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which are major contributors to global carbon dioxide sequestration and form one of the f ....Active bicarbonate transporters from cyanobacteria: physiological properties, genetic regulation, and introduction into plants for crop improvement. An intriguing set of membrane transport proteins that accumulate bicarbonate into marine cyanobacterial cells will be investigated. These proteins support the crucial process of photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation in marine cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), which are major contributors to global carbon dioxide sequestration and form one of the foundations of the marine food web. These bicarbonate "transporters" will also be transferred into a model plant system to test whether the efficiency of photosynthesis can be improved, with corresponding gains in the water-use efficiency of these plants. If successful this technology will have profound global implications for improving crop production in semi-arid areas.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the interactions between drought tolerance and photoprotection in plants. The 2002-03 drought cost Australia in the order of $10Billion and 70,000 jobs. Associated with reduced rainfall is increased sunlight irradiance, which exacerbates the reduction in crop yield due to the combined damage of a water deficit and oxidative damage caused by the excess light. Plants have networks of responses to minimise damage due to drought and excess light. We have identified a novel class of genes ....Elucidating the interactions between drought tolerance and photoprotection in plants. The 2002-03 drought cost Australia in the order of $10Billion and 70,000 jobs. Associated with reduced rainfall is increased sunlight irradiance, which exacerbates the reduction in crop yield due to the combined damage of a water deficit and oxidative damage caused by the excess light. Plants have networks of responses to minimise damage due to drought and excess light. We have identified a novel class of genes that optimise or alter different aspects of these networks and we wish to define the nature of that optimisation to determine how it could be transfered to crop plants.Read moreRead less
Proteome Analysis of Plant Response Pathways to Microbial Signals in the Model Legume, Medicago truncatula. This project will investigate plant responses to soil microbes in the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to provide fundamental information needed to design crops with improved abilities to interact beneficially with soil microbes. Plant development and performance are significantly influenced by soil microbes, but it is largely unknown how the information contained in microbial signalling ....Proteome Analysis of Plant Response Pathways to Microbial Signals in the Model Legume, Medicago truncatula. This project will investigate plant responses to soil microbes in the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to provide fundamental information needed to design crops with improved abilities to interact beneficially with soil microbes. Plant development and performance are significantly influenced by soil microbes, but it is largely unknown how the information contained in microbial signalling molecules is relayed to plants. Proteome analysis and immunocytochemistry will be combined to identify and localise differentially expressed proteins in roots treated with specific microbial signal molecules. Annotated Proteome databases will be generated to strengthen and complement an international project on M. truncatula genome analysis.Read moreRead less
Molecular analysis of photosynthetically-linked, active CO2 uptake and CO2 signal transduction by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) have evolved a very efficient means of capturing and concentrating CO2 for photosynthetic fixation into sugars, the basic building blocks for cell growth. This process is dependent on the operation of several unique, active uptake systems for CO2 and HCO3-, with their genetic expression regulated by CO2 supply. This proposal will cap ....Molecular analysis of photosynthetically-linked, active CO2 uptake and CO2 signal transduction by cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) have evolved a very efficient means of capturing and concentrating CO2 for photosynthetic fixation into sugars, the basic building blocks for cell growth. This process is dependent on the operation of several unique, active uptake systems for CO2 and HCO3-, with their genetic expression regulated by CO2 supply. This proposal will capitalize on our progress in describing the functional genetics of this process and aims to elucidate the mechanism of active CO2 uptake and the way that cells sense the ambient CO2 concentration. The information gained is likely to be useful for designing improved crops.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989071
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$600,000.00
Summary
Phytosphere: new facilities for controlled manipulation of effects of climate change & airborne pollutants on disease epidemiology & plant performance. Western Australia is home to a range of world-leading plant science research groups. Establishing a world-class multi-purpose phytosphere facility in WA will enable these groups to remain at the forefront of their research fields and continue to attract high-profile international scientists and students. Such a facility will result in significant ....Phytosphere: new facilities for controlled manipulation of effects of climate change & airborne pollutants on disease epidemiology & plant performance. Western Australia is home to a range of world-leading plant science research groups. Establishing a world-class multi-purpose phytosphere facility in WA will enable these groups to remain at the forefront of their research fields and continue to attract high-profile international scientists and students. Such a facility will result in significant advancement of our understanding of the impact of climate change on plants through biotic stresses (e.g., disease epidemiology, plant-pathogen interactions) and in interaction with abiotic variables (e.g., CO2 concentrations, temperature, light intensity, humidity, moisture stress, airborne pollutants such as SO2), and allow crop yield optimisation in future environments.Read moreRead less
Photosynthetically active bicarbonate transporters from cyanobacteria & their rational redesign for application in engineered crops that use less water. Marine blue-green algae are critical components of global primary productivity and fisheries productivity but CO2 acquisition processes in these organisms are poorly understood. Our aim is to determine the protein structure and regulatory controls present in two classes of cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters that are required for efficient p ....Photosynthetically active bicarbonate transporters from cyanobacteria & their rational redesign for application in engineered crops that use less water. Marine blue-green algae are critical components of global primary productivity and fisheries productivity but CO2 acquisition processes in these organisms are poorly understood. Our aim is to determine the protein structure and regulatory controls present in two classes of cyanobacterial bicarbonate transporters that are required for efficient photosynthesis. This information is now critical to the our goal of redesigning these bicarbonate transporters so they will be functional in plants, thereby contributing to the applied objective of engineering crop plants that could produce good grain yields with reduced water requirements.Read moreRead less