ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision. Robots are vital to Australia's future prosperity in the face of high relative wages, low or decreasing productivity, and impending labour shortages. However the work and workplaces of our most important industries are unstructured and changeable and current robots are challenged by their inability to quickly, safely and reliably "see" and "understand" what is around them. The Centre's research will create the fundamental science and technologies th ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision. Robots are vital to Australia's future prosperity in the face of high relative wages, low or decreasing productivity, and impending labour shortages. However the work and workplaces of our most important industries are unstructured and changeable and current robots are challenged by their inability to quickly, safely and reliably "see" and "understand" what is around them. The Centre's research will create the fundamental science and technologies that will allow robots to see as we do, and overcome the last barrier to the ubiquitous deployment of robots into society for the benefit of all.Read moreRead less
Identifying components of a novel imprinting mechanism that regulates seed size in plants. Australia is a major exporter of agricultural food crops thus producers must maintain their competitive advantage in order to compete on the world stage. This project will study a fundamental biological process of seed development as seeds are a major food staple and an important export product for Australian farmers.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100225
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,000.00
Summary
Western Australia single-cell isolation and genomics preparation facility. This project aims to give Western Australian researchers direct access to new platforms in single-cell isolation and single-cell RNA, genome and exome sample library preparation, so they can participate in the precision single-cell based research driving biology worldwide. This project will give researchers access to single-cell analysis techniques, integrated with other analysis methods, microscopy, and preclinical imagi ....Western Australia single-cell isolation and genomics preparation facility. This project aims to give Western Australian researchers direct access to new platforms in single-cell isolation and single-cell RNA, genome and exome sample library preparation, so they can participate in the precision single-cell based research driving biology worldwide. This project will give researchers access to single-cell analysis techniques, integrated with other analysis methods, microscopy, and preclinical imaging. The characterisation of rare and complex biological samples is expected to advance effective, socio-economically important research programmes in cell and molecular biology, sports science, plant and crop sciences, agriculture, clean energy (biofuels) resources and production, greenhouse gas reduction, environmental microbiology and marine science.Read moreRead less
Enhanced algal biofuel production: optimising photosynthesis in Australian strains of marine algae. Algal biofuel produces a sustainable liquid fuel to help meet our future energy needs. This project will pioneer a multifaceted approach in molecular biology and photophysiology to engineer the best biofuel producers from Australian marine algae and will advance innovation in Australia's biofuel biotechnology development.
Understanding the biological functions of the karrikin-responsive signaling system of plants in growth, development and responses to the environment. A new signalling system in plants, related to that of strigolactone hormones but evolutionarily more ancient and functionally distinct, has been discovered. It is defined by the Karrkin-Insensitive-2 (KAI2) protein discovered by its ability to confer responsiveness to karrikins from bushfires. The KAI2 system influences seed germination, and develo ....Understanding the biological functions of the karrikin-responsive signaling system of plants in growth, development and responses to the environment. A new signalling system in plants, related to that of strigolactone hormones but evolutionarily more ancient and functionally distinct, has been discovered. It is defined by the Karrkin-Insensitive-2 (KAI2) protein discovered by its ability to confer responsiveness to karrikins from bushfires. The KAI2 system influences seed germination, and development of seedlings, leaves and potentially roots. This project will use KAI2 mutants and transgenic plants to define the biological functions of KAI2 signalling, and its interactions with other signalling systems. New genes central to KAI2 signalling and responses will be identified for functional analysis. The research will reveal the significance of this new signalling system in plant biology. Read moreRead less
How plants produce their biomass. This project aims to investigate mechanisms that underpin the formation of secondary walls, the bulk of biomass in plant cells. Plant cell walls are essential for plant growth and provide great raw materials for many industrial products. Understanding how cell walls are made would enable tailored plant biomass production, but understanding remains poor. The project will induce secondary walls at will and outline a framework for how secondary walls are made. The ....How plants produce their biomass. This project aims to investigate mechanisms that underpin the formation of secondary walls, the bulk of biomass in plant cells. Plant cell walls are essential for plant growth and provide great raw materials for many industrial products. Understanding how cell walls are made would enable tailored plant biomass production, but understanding remains poor. The project will induce secondary walls at will and outline a framework for how secondary walls are made. The outcomes are expected to be relevant for the fuel, feed, food and construction sectors, and thus to Australia's future.Read moreRead less
Untangling the plant Golgi apparatus: Functional proteomics to understand plant cell wall biosynthesis. The plant cell wall determines plant morphology and structure. It is also a major factor in food quality, and it is used as forage and is the raw material for a range of industries. A significant proportion of the cell wall is synthesised in a poorly studied cellular compartment known as the Golgi apparatus. This project intends to exploit unique isolation and analytical techniques in conjunct ....Untangling the plant Golgi apparatus: Functional proteomics to understand plant cell wall biosynthesis. The plant cell wall determines plant morphology and structure. It is also a major factor in food quality, and it is used as forage and is the raw material for a range of industries. A significant proportion of the cell wall is synthesised in a poorly studied cellular compartment known as the Golgi apparatus. This project intends to exploit unique isolation and analytical techniques in conjunction to further profile and characterise this structure in order to uncover new information about the complex interplay of components involved in plant cell wall biosynthesis. This information will be used to support approaches to manipulate cell walls to produce plant biomass optimised for agricultural and industrial applications.Read moreRead less
Co-variant analysis and statistical modelling for improved crop yield. This project plans to develop mathematical tools that will help to identify cereal plant varieties with the highest yield. This is a critical responsibility of plant breeders and many Australian breeders acquire and store important information related to the issue. However, there are as yet no mathematical tools that are able to co-analyse the heterogeneous and high-dimensional data in order to understand how external and int ....Co-variant analysis and statistical modelling for improved crop yield. This project plans to develop mathematical tools that will help to identify cereal plant varieties with the highest yield. This is a critical responsibility of plant breeders and many Australian breeders acquire and store important information related to the issue. However, there are as yet no mathematical tools that are able to co-analyse the heterogeneous and high-dimensional data in order to understand how external and internal factors correlate with the major growth and development stages at the crop level. This project seeks to develop and implement mathematical and statistical tools to analyse genetic, agronomic and phenomic factors that affect plant performance, to deliver advanced yield prediction.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100011
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$346,439.00
Summary
Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages. Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages: This custom-built spinning disk confocal microscope with rotational stages will constitute an internationally unique platform. The system has the capability of rapidly monitoring cells in growing biological specimens under changing environments. It offers an integrated platform for multiple imaging strategies, including confocal and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. The ....Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages. Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages: This custom-built spinning disk confocal microscope with rotational stages will constitute an internationally unique platform. The system has the capability of rapidly monitoring cells in growing biological specimens under changing environments. It offers an integrated platform for multiple imaging strategies, including confocal and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. The system will reside in core facilities with open access to a broad research community. The system may be used to monitor a wide variety of cells and molecules, and will offer capabilities that are of importance to understand cell trafficking, disease and signalling, plant biomass production, and climate change.Read moreRead less
Measuring protein turnover in vivo in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts to identify protease targets. This project plans to measure the rate at which proteins degrade inside plants by using stable isotopes of nitrogen and mass spectrometry analysis of isolated protein samples from different plant mutant lines. This will allow new insights into the in vivo role of specific proteases which are involved in regulating energy generating pathways in plant organelles and that are needed for light tol ....Measuring protein turnover in vivo in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts to identify protease targets. This project plans to measure the rate at which proteins degrade inside plants by using stable isotopes of nitrogen and mass spectrometry analysis of isolated protein samples from different plant mutant lines. This will allow new insights into the in vivo role of specific proteases which are involved in regulating energy generating pathways in plant organelles and that are needed for light tolerance, adaptation to day length, growth and normal leaf development. The new information will aid us to develop approaches to alter quality control of the plant proteome as a tool for engineering energy processes in plants.Read moreRead less