Muscle fibre excitability and calcium regulation in skeletal muscle of amphibians and mammals. The fundamental role of skeletal muscle is posture and movement. Essential for this is a specialised cell structure and a complex regulation of function. This project will define key aspects of muscle structure and functional regulation crucial to developing targets for improving function under stressed states such as fatigue, disease and age.
Improving the growth rate and flesh quality of cultured Barramundi: Investigating the effects of temperature, diet, and population. Barramundi fillet is one of the premier seafoods available in Australia and the decline of wild fisheries has increased the demand for the cultured product. Accordingly, there has been a rapid growth of the barramundi farming industry, but competition from cheaper overseas imports has cut the sale price and profit margins of local growers. By developing methods to i ....Improving the growth rate and flesh quality of cultured Barramundi: Investigating the effects of temperature, diet, and population. Barramundi fillet is one of the premier seafoods available in Australia and the decline of wild fisheries has increased the demand for the cultured product. Accordingly, there has been a rapid growth of the barramundi farming industry, but competition from cheaper overseas imports has cut the sale price and profit margins of local growers. By developing methods to increase growth rates, this research has the potential to substantially increase profit margins by reducing production costs and increasing turnover. Improvement of flesh quality will also increase the attractiveness of barramundi fillet. Increasing the viability of barramundi culture in Australia will attract more growers and increase employment opportunities.Read moreRead less
Regulation of salt gland activity in the estuarine crocodile: phenotypic plasticity and control mechanisms. The estuarine crocodile excretes excess sodium and chloride ions through salt glands located on the tongue, enabling the crocodile to live in seawater. This study will investigate the regulation of salt gland secretory capacity and activity, by examining both the phenotypic plasticity of the gland to changes in environmental salinity and diet, and by determining the neural/humoral mech ....Regulation of salt gland activity in the estuarine crocodile: phenotypic plasticity and control mechanisms. The estuarine crocodile excretes excess sodium and chloride ions through salt glands located on the tongue, enabling the crocodile to live in seawater. This study will investigate the regulation of salt gland secretory capacity and activity, by examining both the phenotypic plasticity of the gland to changes in environmental salinity and diet, and by determining the neural/humoral mechanisms controlling secretory rate. In vivo measurements of blood flow and salt gland secretory rate, together with perfused gland preparations will reveal extrinsic and intrinsic factors controlling salt gland activity and the degree of coupling between blood flow and secretory rate.Read moreRead less
A contractile cochlear frame - a possible new mechanism of sound adaptation. It is generally accepted that the rigid frame that harbours sensory structures in the hearing organs of modern higher vertebrates has only a passive supporting role. We have discovered a contractile component in the cartilaginous cochlear frame of the lizard Teratoscincus scincus and demonstrated that the tonus of the contractile tissue can be regulated. We hypothesize a new, previously unknown mechanism of slow mechani ....A contractile cochlear frame - a possible new mechanism of sound adaptation. It is generally accepted that the rigid frame that harbours sensory structures in the hearing organs of modern higher vertebrates has only a passive supporting role. We have discovered a contractile component in the cartilaginous cochlear frame of the lizard Teratoscincus scincus and demonstrated that the tonus of the contractile tissue can be regulated. We hypothesize a new, previously unknown mechanism of slow mechanical adaptation in the vertebrate hearing organ. The aim of the proposed project is to examine this hypothesis in more detail.
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The co-expression of visual pigments in a single photoreceptor: environmental regulation and spectral tuning. The light sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the vertebrate retina contain filters (oil droplets) and visual pigments (opsins). These structures tune the incoming light and initiate the visual process, respectively. Exciting new research reveals that some vertebrates express more than one opsin within a single photoreceptor. We plan to examine the regulation of single and two co-express ....The co-expression of visual pigments in a single photoreceptor: environmental regulation and spectral tuning. The light sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the vertebrate retina contain filters (oil droplets) and visual pigments (opsins). These structures tune the incoming light and initiate the visual process, respectively. Exciting new research reveals that some vertebrates express more than one opsin within a single photoreceptor. We plan to examine the regulation of single and two co-expressed opsin genes by manipulating the light environment. We expect to determine the environmental triggers for visual pigment tuning and the effects of co-expression on colour vision.Read moreRead less
Environmental regulation of opsin expression and spectral tuning in the vertebrate retina. Exciting new evidence shows that the vertebrate visual system is extraordinarily plastic and that the colour and brightness of the ambient light regulates both the spatial and temporal expression of visual pigments (opsin) genes and the degree of spectral filtering in the retina. Based on findings that more than one visual pigment can be co-expressed in a single photoreceptor type, we plan to manipulate th ....Environmental regulation of opsin expression and spectral tuning in the vertebrate retina. Exciting new evidence shows that the vertebrate visual system is extraordinarily plastic and that the colour and brightness of the ambient light regulates both the spatial and temporal expression of visual pigments (opsin) genes and the degree of spectral filtering in the retina. Based on findings that more than one visual pigment can be co-expressed in a single photoreceptor type, we plan to manipulate the light environment in order to identify and quantify the effect of different lighting regimes by morphological, spectral and molecular techniques in a concerted effort to understand the regulation of opsin expression.Read moreRead less
The evolution of colour vision in vertebrates. Colour vision plays a crucial role in the lives of many animals including vertebrates. However, very little is known about the origins of colour vision and we aim to fill this gap. Photoreceptors (cone cells) with sensitivities to different colours mediate colour vision (humans possess blue, green and red cones). This study will examine the structure, physiological responses and molecular biology of these cells in the closest living relatives of the ....The evolution of colour vision in vertebrates. Colour vision plays a crucial role in the lives of many animals including vertebrates. However, very little is known about the origins of colour vision and we aim to fill this gap. Photoreceptors (cone cells) with sensitivities to different colours mediate colour vision (humans possess blue, green and red cones). This study will examine the structure, physiological responses and molecular biology of these cells in the closest living relatives of the early vertebrates. The underlying mechanisms for spectral tuning, the genetic rate of evolutionary change and the importance of colour in visual ecology will also be examined.Read moreRead less
How does the interaction between environmental drivers determine the impact of global change on animals? There is an urgent need to determine how vulnerable natural populations are to simultaneous changes in more than one environmental driver. This project will take an integrative approach, using molecular, physiological and ecological tools, to determine whether cellular responses to the interaction between UV-B radiation and temperature vary between populations, and within individuals over tim ....How does the interaction between environmental drivers determine the impact of global change on animals? There is an urgent need to determine how vulnerable natural populations are to simultaneous changes in more than one environmental driver. This project will take an integrative approach, using molecular, physiological and ecological tools, to determine whether cellular responses to the interaction between UV-B radiation and temperature vary between populations, and within individuals over time. This project will bridge the gap between physiology and ecology by testing whether molecular responses translate into fitness benefits for the organism to gain an understanding at a level that is relevant for conservation. Read moreRead less
Extreme acid tolerance: Overcoming the challenges of life at low pH. This project aims to investigate tolerance to low pH freshwaters, focusing on the mechanisms that underpin acid tolerance, physiological plasticity, the interactions between low pH and other environmental variables (e.g. temperature), and the costs and/or trade-offs to living in such physiologically challenging environments. Low pH waters are toxic to most animals, yet some freshwater vertebrates have managed to colonise some o ....Extreme acid tolerance: Overcoming the challenges of life at low pH. This project aims to investigate tolerance to low pH freshwaters, focusing on the mechanisms that underpin acid tolerance, physiological plasticity, the interactions between low pH and other environmental variables (e.g. temperature), and the costs and/or trade-offs to living in such physiologically challenging environments. Low pH waters are toxic to most animals, yet some freshwater vertebrates have managed to colonise some of the lowest pH environments on Earth. In our rapidly changing world, this study is expected to provide an important fundamental understanding of the capacity of some organisms to flourish at environmental extremes and their ability to respond to increased variability both within and between environmental stressors.Read moreRead less
The evolution of breathing patterns in animals. Although breathing is usually regarding as a continuous process, many species voluntarily hold their breath for up to several hours at a time. This pattern of periodic breathing is shown by a range of animals including mammals, reptiles, and insects, yet the reasons why they hold their breath is unknown. This project will examine the evolution of breathing patterns in the context of climate and atmospheric conditions. The outcomes of this project w ....The evolution of breathing patterns in animals. Although breathing is usually regarding as a continuous process, many species voluntarily hold their breath for up to several hours at a time. This pattern of periodic breathing is shown by a range of animals including mammals, reptiles, and insects, yet the reasons why they hold their breath is unknown. This project will examine the evolution of breathing patterns in the context of climate and atmospheric conditions. The outcomes of this project will provide insight into the evolution of fundamental characteristic of animals (breathing), describe the role of climate in shaping how animals breathe, and demonstrate how animals will cope with climate change.Read moreRead less