Living on air: how do bacteria scavenge atmospheric trace gases? This project aims to determine the molecular and cellular basis of atmospheric trace gas oxidation by bacteria. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to adapt to resource limitation and environmental change by entering dormant states. Our research has shown they survive in this state by using atmospheric hydrogen and carbon monoxide as energy sources. This interdisciplinary project will determine how bacteria achieve this by elucidati ....Living on air: how do bacteria scavenge atmospheric trace gases? This project aims to determine the molecular and cellular basis of atmospheric trace gas oxidation by bacteria. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to adapt to resource limitation and environmental change by entering dormant states. Our research has shown they survive in this state by using atmospheric hydrogen and carbon monoxide as energy sources. This interdisciplinary project will determine how bacteria achieve this by elucidating the regulation, mechanism, and integration of the three uncharacterised enzymes that mediate this process. Outcomes and benefits include understanding of the processes that facilitate bacterial persistence, regulate atmospheric composition, and in turn support resilience of natural ecosystems.Read moreRead less
How does Clostridium perfringens carry multiple closely related plasmids? The project aims to determine how bacteria are able to replicate and maintain multiple copies of very closely related extrachromosomal elements or plasmids in the same cell. These plasmids are important as they encode toxin genes and antibiotic resistance genes. The project proposes to examine two fundamental hypotheses that are postulated to explain this novel phenomenon. The anticipated outcome of the project is the adva ....How does Clostridium perfringens carry multiple closely related plasmids? The project aims to determine how bacteria are able to replicate and maintain multiple copies of very closely related extrachromosomal elements or plasmids in the same cell. These plasmids are important as they encode toxin genes and antibiotic resistance genes. The project proposes to examine two fundamental hypotheses that are postulated to explain this novel phenomenon. The anticipated outcome of the project is the advancement of fundamental knowledge of how bacteria that cause disease in food-production animals can maintain the genetic elements that enable them to cause these diseases. This would contribute to our understanding of the epidemiology of these economically significant animal pathogens and may support the development of new methods of prevention or treatment.Read moreRead less
Mechanism of action of a novel multifunctional bacterial secretion system. This project aims to examine the functional role of holin/lysin secretion systems in the complex lifestyles of important animal bacterial pathogens. This project will generate new knowledge in how bacteria interact with each other, the environment or their hosts through the secretion of proteins or other particles. The results of this research will provide a deeper understanding of the multifunctional roles that these un ....Mechanism of action of a novel multifunctional bacterial secretion system. This project aims to examine the functional role of holin/lysin secretion systems in the complex lifestyles of important animal bacterial pathogens. This project will generate new knowledge in how bacteria interact with each other, the environment or their hosts through the secretion of proteins or other particles. The results of this research will provide a deeper understanding of the multifunctional roles that these unusual secretion systems play and how they contribute to niche adaptation and disease. New insights will lead to identifying targets for future veterinary disease interventions or biotechnological applications.Read moreRead less
Molecular genetic analysis of genes controlling morphogenesis: Dimorphic switching in the fungus Penicillium marneffei. Fungi exist in two predominant growth forms; unicellular yeast and multicellular mould (filamentous hyphae). Some fungi can alternate between these two forms in response to environmental stimuli, a process known as dimorphic switching. The cells of these two forms have distinctive shapes and physiological capacities established by genome-wide expression patterns that are trigge ....Molecular genetic analysis of genes controlling morphogenesis: Dimorphic switching in the fungus Penicillium marneffei. Fungi exist in two predominant growth forms; unicellular yeast and multicellular mould (filamentous hyphae). Some fungi can alternate between these two forms in response to environmental stimuli, a process known as dimorphic switching. The cells of these two forms have distinctive shapes and physiological capacities established by genome-wide expression patterns that are triggered by signalling pathways. This research aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms controlling dimorphic switching using Penicillium marneffei, a model system. P. marneffei switches between yeast and filamentous forms in response to temperature. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms that control dimorphic switching has important implications for biotechnology and medicine.Read moreRead less
Identifying Novel Biosynthetic Pathways in Mycobacteria using DNA Microarray Technology. DNA microarrays are a powerful new bioinformatics-based technology and an ideal tool for characterising complex biosynthetic pathways since the expression of all genes in the bacterial genome can be monitored in a single experiment. In this project we aim to construct and use a DNA microarray to identify novel biosynthetic pathways in mycobacteria. Of particular interest are pathways used to create compone ....Identifying Novel Biosynthetic Pathways in Mycobacteria using DNA Microarray Technology. DNA microarrays are a powerful new bioinformatics-based technology and an ideal tool for characterising complex biosynthetic pathways since the expression of all genes in the bacterial genome can be monitored in a single experiment. In this project we aim to construct and use a DNA microarray to identify novel biosynthetic pathways in mycobacteria. Of particular interest are pathways used to create components of the highly complex and poorly characterised cell wall. Since this structure is unique in the bacterial world, we expect to identify and characterise pathways that are unique to mycobacteria.Read moreRead less
A microbiological platform for the production of complex small molecules with important biological activities. Currently making complex chemicals such as medicines relies on harvesting rare natural resources or using complicated, energy intensive laboratory-based processes. This project will overcome these limitations by using a natural biological system to produce these chemicals, returning significant health and economic benefits to the nation.
Host cell targets of bacterial virulence effectors. The research described in this proposal will result in a better understanding of the cell biology of host-pathogen interactions. We are in a unique position to analyze the importance of protein/protein interactions between bacterial virulence determinants and host cell proteins using a range of cell biology techniques to address the fundamental, molecular basis of the host-pathogen interaction. In addition we will construct a new genetic tool ....Host cell targets of bacterial virulence effectors. The research described in this proposal will result in a better understanding of the cell biology of host-pathogen interactions. We are in a unique position to analyze the importance of protein/protein interactions between bacterial virulence determinants and host cell proteins using a range of cell biology techniques to address the fundamental, molecular basis of the host-pathogen interaction. In addition we will construct a new genetic tool to identify novel bacterial virulence determinants. We anticipate that a greater knowledge of the factors that contribute to the host-pathogen interaction will provide new insights into the subversion of host cell processes by bacterial pathogens of animals, plants and humans.
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Bacterial communities in metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project aims to apply recently developed culturing methods to archive and phenotype bacterial species found in the human gut in a representative sample from metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project expects to isolate, genome sequence, classify, characterize and permanently archive 1500 bacterial species. Expected outcomes of this project include detailed knowledge of previously undiscovered bacteria ....Bacterial communities in metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project aims to apply recently developed culturing methods to archive and phenotype bacterial species found in the human gut in a representative sample from metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project expects to isolate, genome sequence, classify, characterize and permanently archive 1500 bacterial species. Expected outcomes of this project include detailed knowledge of previously undiscovered bacterial species, improved methods to measure the bacterial species that inhabit the human gut and a detailed understanding of the gut microbiota of Australians. This project should significantly enhance our knowledge of bacterial diversity and evolution and provide detailed insights into bacterial transmission.Read moreRead less
Plant Genes Conferring Resistance to Ultraviolet Radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces DNA damage that can decrease plant growth and productivity. Our aim is to begin deciphering the mechanisms responsible for the UV resistance phenotype in plants by: 1) isolating genes that control processing of UV-induced DNA damage; 2) determining the influence of UV on gene activity; and 3) elucidating the functions and essential interactions of the gene products. The results of this study will help ....Plant Genes Conferring Resistance to Ultraviolet Radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces DNA damage that can decrease plant growth and productivity. Our aim is to begin deciphering the mechanisms responsible for the UV resistance phenotype in plants by: 1) isolating genes that control processing of UV-induced DNA damage; 2) determining the influence of UV on gene activity; and 3) elucidating the functions and essential interactions of the gene products. The results of this study will help us understand how these genes operate to produce the UV resistance phenotype. This new knowledge will facilitate eventual engineering of plants to increase agricultural productivity by enhancing resistance to solar UV radiation.Read moreRead less
Molecular Genetic Analysis of Genes Regulating Metabolism in the Fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Filamentous fungi can use a wide variety of sources of carbon and nitrogen. In order to grow on these compounds metabolism is adjusted in response to changes in nutrient availability. Patterns of genome expression are altered by signalling to global regulatory genes which control the transcription of genes producing enzymes appropriate to the substrates available. This is of fundamental significance to ....Molecular Genetic Analysis of Genes Regulating Metabolism in the Fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Filamentous fungi can use a wide variety of sources of carbon and nitrogen. In order to grow on these compounds metabolism is adjusted in response to changes in nutrient availability. Patterns of genome expression are altered by signalling to global regulatory genes which control the transcription of genes producing enzymes appropriate to the substrates available. This is of fundamental significance to the physiology and development of fungi which include devastating pathogens and species used in industrial microbiology. This project aims to use the excellent molecular genetics of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans to investigate the strategies employed and the mechanisms involved.Read moreRead less