Deciphering the regulatory principles of metazoan development. This proposal aims to elucidate how regulatory elements in the genome, known as enhancers, determine the identity and function of animal tissues. Currently, it is believed that enhancers cannot be traced across evolutionarily distant animals. The project uses novel concepts, computational and molecular approaches to identify deeply conserved enhancers. It further dissects the mechanism of function by proteomics and high-throughput ge ....Deciphering the regulatory principles of metazoan development. This proposal aims to elucidate how regulatory elements in the genome, known as enhancers, determine the identity and function of animal tissues. Currently, it is believed that enhancers cannot be traced across evolutionarily distant animals. The project uses novel concepts, computational and molecular approaches to identify deeply conserved enhancers. It further dissects the mechanism of function by proteomics and high-throughput genomics. The expected outcomes will overturn our current view on enhancer evolution and reposition our understanding of how enhancers are functionally encoded in the genome. The work is an important contribution to understanding cellular complexity and species evolution with wide-ranging impact in genetics.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary origin of stem cells and the emergence of animal complexity. The project aims to decipher the fundamental mechanisms governing stem cell specification and formation. All animals rely on stem cells to replenish, repair and regenerate tissues. Stem cells are also often a conduit to malignant tumours. This project seeks to uncover the rules governing stem cell formation through the study of a simple and ancient animal – the marine sponge Amphimedon queenslandica. The project plans to c ....Evolutionary origin of stem cells and the emergence of animal complexity. The project aims to decipher the fundamental mechanisms governing stem cell specification and formation. All animals rely on stem cells to replenish, repair and regenerate tissues. Stem cells are also often a conduit to malignant tumours. This project seeks to uncover the rules governing stem cell formation through the study of a simple and ancient animal – the marine sponge Amphimedon queenslandica. The project plans to combine insights from the simple, experimentally-tractable sponge stem cell system with existing knowledge of stem cell specification in humans and other animals, to reveal the essential features of stem cell formation. These insights may inform future pursuits to generate, control and use stem cells in cancer and regenerative medicines.Read moreRead less
Evolution of environmental regulation of cell states in animal life cycles. This project seeks to understand how the environment influences the fate of cells over an animal's life, and how this influence originated in animal evolution. Using a homegrown Australian model, a sea sponge from the Great Barrier Reef, and advanced multi-omic approaches (genomics plus cell biology), this project aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying global cell state changes that are induced through the interplay o ....Evolution of environmental regulation of cell states in animal life cycles. This project seeks to understand how the environment influences the fate of cells over an animal's life, and how this influence originated in animal evolution. Using a homegrown Australian model, a sea sponge from the Great Barrier Reef, and advanced multi-omic approaches (genomics plus cell biology), this project aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying global cell state changes that are induced through the interplay of environmental and endogenous signals at metamorphosis. Because of the evolutionary position of sponges, outcomes of this project expect to reveal the cardinal rules governing environmentally-induced cell state changes that are obligatory for most animals to complete their complex life cycles.Read moreRead less
Origin of genomically-encoded communication in animals: deciphering the role of peptide signalling in the sea sponge Amphimedon queenslandica. The purpose of this research is to understand the evolutionary origin and essential roles of peptide communication in humans and other animals. Knowledge gleaned from this study will shed light on how peptide signalling influences animal life at its most fundamental level, including potentially how abnormal cell communication causes disease.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101150
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,000.00
Summary
Using sponge transcriptomes to understand ancestral animal development. The invention of a basic developmental program was likely a key step in the transition to multicellularity in animals, one of the major transitions in the tree of life. By combining next-generation sequencing of a representative panel of sponges and functional studies on an oviparous sponge, this project aims to identify gene interactions and networks that built the first animal embryos over 680 million years ago. Furthermor ....Using sponge transcriptomes to understand ancestral animal development. The invention of a basic developmental program was likely a key step in the transition to multicellularity in animals, one of the major transitions in the tree of life. By combining next-generation sequencing of a representative panel of sponges and functional studies on an oviparous sponge, this project aims to identify gene interactions and networks that built the first animal embryos over 680 million years ago. Furthermore, the role of Wingless (Wnt) signalling in patterning these ancestral embryos along a primordial anterior-posterior axis will be investigated. Piecing together the fundamental molecular machinery shared by all animal embryos will shed light on the molecular basis for the complex development of most animals on Earth.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL110100044
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,001,626.00
Summary
Origin, evolution and roles of cardinal genomic features underpinning animal multicellular complexity. As the first genome project from our oceans, the sea sponge Amphimedon heralds a new era of marine science for Australia. Using post-genomic approaches, this project will show how studying marine organisms can produce the most fundamental insights into not only multicellular life but also into human diseases and cancer that originally evolved from our oceans.