Hybridisation leading to lost sex: genomic and experimental insights. The project intends to apply advanced genomics to two classic Australian systems and quantitative genetics to one to address long-standing questions about why asexual reproduction is rare. It aims to test for rapid changes in genomes accompanying hybrid-origins of asexuals and whether this new diversity enables their ongoing evolution. The significance is that support for this hypothesis would challenge current theory for why ....Hybridisation leading to lost sex: genomic and experimental insights. The project intends to apply advanced genomics to two classic Australian systems and quantitative genetics to one to address long-standing questions about why asexual reproduction is rare. It aims to test for rapid changes in genomes accompanying hybrid-origins of asexuals and whether this new diversity enables their ongoing evolution. The significance is that support for this hypothesis would challenge current theory for why sex is so common. The expected outcome is to understand how variation is generated in natural populations with different ways of reproducing. Benefits would include significant contributions to global science, evolutionary training and potential applications in using hybridisation to manage threatened species or pests.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the impact of phenotypic plasticity on population persistence. This project aims to understand how environmental sensitivity in growth, survival and reproduction of individuals in a population influence population dynamics using terrestrial ectotherms. It will provide significant new insights into whether phenotypic plasticity promotes population persistence in the face of environmental change. Expected outcomes include approaches for incorporating environmental effects in population ....Quantifying the impact of phenotypic plasticity on population persistence. This project aims to understand how environmental sensitivity in growth, survival and reproduction of individuals in a population influence population dynamics using terrestrial ectotherms. It will provide significant new insights into whether phenotypic plasticity promotes population persistence in the face of environmental change. Expected outcomes include approaches for incorporating environmental effects in population models for threatened species, open databases that can be used to estimate demographic information for species lacking data, and an assessment of what characteristics make some species more sensitive to the environment than others. Benefits include quantitative training and tools for managing Australia's rich biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100184
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,000.00
Summary
Pioneering alpine epigenomics to discover adaptive genetic elements. The genetic code of native plants are yet to be explored for DNA elements that promote resilience to climate change. These elements are now ripe for discovery due to recent advances in epigenomics allowing for rapid identification. This proposal aims to discover heat-associated elements in waxy bluebells, which inhabit Australia’s vulnerable high country. Expected outcomes include new insights on gene regulatory mechanisms in n ....Pioneering alpine epigenomics to discover adaptive genetic elements. The genetic code of native plants are yet to be explored for DNA elements that promote resilience to climate change. These elements are now ripe for discovery due to recent advances in epigenomics allowing for rapid identification. This proposal aims to discover heat-associated elements in waxy bluebells, which inhabit Australia’s vulnerable high country. Expected outcomes include new insights on gene regulatory mechanisms in native plants; the generation of resources for genetic conservation, and catalysing further molecular research into Australian flora. This should provide significant benefits by revealing genome regulation in native plants, thereby improving the ability to predict the impacts of climate change.Read moreRead less