Pilot-scale production of therapeutically-active cannabinoids . The Isolation of minor therapeutically-active cannabinoids from cannabis at pilot scale would establish a commercially competitive Australian industry and lead to a superior position in the global marketplace. This project aims to select elite clones from genetically diverse cannabis strains for yield of minor, but therapeutically-active, cannabinoids, and develop a pilot-scale extraction and separation procedure that can be scaled- ....Pilot-scale production of therapeutically-active cannabinoids . The Isolation of minor therapeutically-active cannabinoids from cannabis at pilot scale would establish a commercially competitive Australian industry and lead to a superior position in the global marketplace. This project aims to select elite clones from genetically diverse cannabis strains for yield of minor, but therapeutically-active, cannabinoids, and develop a pilot-scale extraction and separation procedure that can be scaled-up for commercial production. This would contribute to the growth of the agri-biotechnology sector and a skilled multidisciplinary workforce in rural Australia, thus providing significant economic benefit. The novel scale-up procedure has potential for industry adoption to add value to Australian manufacturing.
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Carbon flux and its regulation in metabolic networks. Allocation of photo-assimilates throughout metabolic networks are central to a plants ability to cope with changes in its environment. This project will combine the use of quantitative molecular, chemical and imaging techniques to characterise the flux of resources and its regulation through metabolic networks of Australian native and crop plants.
Transport of nucleotide sugars and their roles in cell wall biosynthesis. This project aims to define and manipulate transporters involved in the delivery of activated sugars for cell wall polymer biosynthesis. Cell wall polymers play important structural and functional roles in plants. They also represent an important renewable resource in the form of biomass and contribute to the nutritional value of food. The project will complete the characterisation of cell wall-associated transporters, app ....Transport of nucleotide sugars and their roles in cell wall biosynthesis. This project aims to define and manipulate transporters involved in the delivery of activated sugars for cell wall polymer biosynthesis. Cell wall polymers play important structural and functional roles in plants. They also represent an important renewable resource in the form of biomass and contribute to the nutritional value of food. The project will complete the characterisation of cell wall-associated transporters, apply new technologies to visualise cell wall biosynthesis in growing plants and leverage this knowledge to manipulate biomass in rice. This information will provide fundamental knowledge on a crucial process in plants that can be used the development of functional foods for agriculture and tailored biomass for industry.Read moreRead less
Identifying novel salinity tolerance mechanisms by spatial and temporal analysis of lipids in barley. Agrifood production faces the dual challenges of an increasing world population and the threats of abiotic stresses arising from climate change and the erosion of arable land. Cereals, the major food crops, are poorly adapted to tolerate most abiotic stresses, including salinity. This project applies new technologies investigating spatial and temporal biochemical mechanisms a model cereal, Horde ....Identifying novel salinity tolerance mechanisms by spatial and temporal analysis of lipids in barley. Agrifood production faces the dual challenges of an increasing world population and the threats of abiotic stresses arising from climate change and the erosion of arable land. Cereals, the major food crops, are poorly adapted to tolerate most abiotic stresses, including salinity. This project applies new technologies investigating spatial and temporal biochemical mechanisms a model cereal, Hordeum vulgare (barley), utilises to adapt and tolerate salinity. The aims are to investigate the role of specifically plasma membrane lipids modulating either signalling pathways or membrane fluidity that impacts on adaptation during salinity. The results will provide new leads for the development of cereal germplasm with increased salt tolerance.Read moreRead less
Phosphorus-efficient Australian plants: applications for crop improvement. This project aims to investigate ways to improve the phosphorus (P) efficiency of selected crops (Lupinus) in Australia. The phosphorus impoverished soils in Australia has allowed the evolution of plants that are highly efficient at acquiring and using phosphorus. Increasing understanding of highly-efficient phosphorus use mechanisms at the physiological, biochemical, anatomical and molecular biological levels will provid ....Phosphorus-efficient Australian plants: applications for crop improvement. This project aims to investigate ways to improve the phosphorus (P) efficiency of selected crops (Lupinus) in Australia. The phosphorus impoverished soils in Australia has allowed the evolution of plants that are highly efficient at acquiring and using phosphorus. Increasing understanding of highly-efficient phosphorus use mechanisms at the physiological, biochemical, anatomical and molecular biological levels will provide knowledge of traits to guide breeding efforts to develop more phosphorus efficient crops that can perform well in P-limited environments; an outstanding strategy to balance the phosphorus demand for increasing global food production with gradually decreasing non-renewable phosphorus reserves. An expected outcome of this project is to develop crops better able to use scarce phosphorus.Read moreRead less
The cell wall substrate delivery mechanisms in plants. This project aims to study the delivery of substrates plants need to biosynthesise sugar polymers. Sugar polymers play key structural and functional roles in plant development and determine quality for all plant-based products including food, textile fibres, building materials and renewable biomass. However, unknown mechanisms regulate and control the transport mechanisms that deliver the building blocks for polysaccharide biosynthesis. This ....The cell wall substrate delivery mechanisms in plants. This project aims to study the delivery of substrates plants need to biosynthesise sugar polymers. Sugar polymers play key structural and functional roles in plant development and determine quality for all plant-based products including food, textile fibres, building materials and renewable biomass. However, unknown mechanisms regulate and control the transport mechanisms that deliver the building blocks for polysaccharide biosynthesis. This project is expected to increase understanding of nucleotide sugar transport and develop and enhance the biological toolbox for applications involving modelling and engineering of plants, synthesis of industrial biopolymers and production of functional foods.Read moreRead less