The roles viruses play in the decline of terrestrial orchids in Australia’s hotspot of global biodiversity. Plant viruses play both positive and negative roles in native plant health and population viability. This study will use deep sequencing and plant physiology approaches to elucidate how threatened terrestrial orchids respond to infection by exotic and indigenous viruses, allowing more informed management of critically-important ecosystems.
Advanced cryobanking for propagation-recalcitrant and critically endangered plant species. This project aims to advance methods for the conservation of recalcitrant/threatened plant species to achieve best practice ecological restoration in areas of high biodiversity. In particular, the nature of freezing and dehydration damage to cell membranes at various stages of tissue culture and cryopreservation will be investigated to try to minimise deleterious effects. In addition, metabolic changes tha ....Advanced cryobanking for propagation-recalcitrant and critically endangered plant species. This project aims to advance methods for the conservation of recalcitrant/threatened plant species to achieve best practice ecological restoration in areas of high biodiversity. In particular, the nature of freezing and dehydration damage to cell membranes at various stages of tissue culture and cryopreservation will be investigated to try to minimise deleterious effects. In addition, metabolic changes that affect cryogenic survival will be assessed to provide further insight into the role of oxidative stress and the toxicity of cryopreservation processes. Ultimately, improved cryogenic protocols will be developed to maintain the integrity of long-term cryobanks of key species for ecological restoration, such as in post-mined areas.Read moreRead less
Predicting seed lifespan for improved curation of conservation seed banks. This project aims to improve the practice of seed banking for the conservation of the Australian flora. Recent evidence points to diverse and complex storage behaviour for wild seeds and to seeds of many species being shorter-lived than anticipated. Predicting seed storage behaviour and viability decline is central to effective seedbanking. This project expects to develop new high throughput technologies and data interrog ....Predicting seed lifespan for improved curation of conservation seed banks. This project aims to improve the practice of seed banking for the conservation of the Australian flora. Recent evidence points to diverse and complex storage behaviour for wild seeds and to seeds of many species being shorter-lived than anticipated. Predicting seed storage behaviour and viability decline is central to effective seedbanking. This project expects to develop new high throughput technologies and data interrogation techniques for predicting seed lifespan in storage, and alternative storage protocols for problematic seeds. Results will allow seed bank managers to more efficiently triage and curate their seed collections and will benefit seed banks globally.Read moreRead less
Farming in a biodiversity hotspot - harnessing native plants to reduce deleterious off-site phosphorus flows. Biodiversity hotspots that coexist with farmland are often threatened by movement of phosphorus off farmland into waterways and into vegetation adapted to low phosphorus soils. Strategic use of phosphorus-resistant native perennial plants may aid biodiversity preservation by retaining phosphorus in farmland soils.
Advanced cryobanking for recalcitrant-seeded Australian rainforest plants. This project aims to develop an interdisciplinary research alliance to enhance the efficiency of ecological restoration for recalcitrant Australian rainforest plant species. The project expects to provide fundamental knowledge to target two major impediments to cryostorage of recalcitrant-seeded native species: desiccation sensitivity with relatively large size, and active metabolism and precocious germination. These attr ....Advanced cryobanking for recalcitrant-seeded Australian rainforest plants. This project aims to develop an interdisciplinary research alliance to enhance the efficiency of ecological restoration for recalcitrant Australian rainforest plant species. The project expects to provide fundamental knowledge to target two major impediments to cryostorage of recalcitrant-seeded native species: desiccation sensitivity with relatively large size, and active metabolism and precocious germination. These attributes severely limit the time available for effective use of collected germplasm for long-term storage. A combination of biochemical, biophysical and molecular simulation approaches will be used to optimise cryopreservation of a wide range of endangered Australian rainforest species. This should provide significant benefits such as enabling conservation agencies to greatly enhance their ability to preserve the unique Australian rainforest flora, particularly given current threats due to habitat loss and global warming.Read moreRead less
The roles viruses play in the decline of terrestrial orchids in Australia’s hotspot of global biodiversity. Plant viruses play both positive and negative roles in native plant health and population viability. This study will use deep sequencing and plant physiology approaches to elucidate how threatened terrestrial orchids respond to infection by exotic and indigenous viruses, allowing more informed management of critically-important ecosystems.