Coping with flooding: nutrient transport in oxygen-deprived roots. Flooding damages plants by reducing oxygen supply to roots. The project will study effects of low oxygen on nutrient transport by roots. Understanding root functioning during low oxygen will enhance knowledge of plant acclimation to soil water logging. The project will contribute to the National Goal of 'Responding to Climate Change and Variability'.
Is water deficit the predisposing factor associated with Agonis flexuosa (WA peppermint) decline in Western Australia? The incidence and severity of tree decline across species is now widespread in southern Western Australia. There is increasing concern about their management by agencies, landowners and the community, due to the loss of aesthetics, biodiversity and ecosystem services. This project will provide remote sensing tools to monitor peppermint health and relate declines to abiotic and b ....Is water deficit the predisposing factor associated with Agonis flexuosa (WA peppermint) decline in Western Australia? The incidence and severity of tree decline across species is now widespread in southern Western Australia. There is increasing concern about their management by agencies, landowners and the community, due to the loss of aesthetics, biodiversity and ecosystem services. This project will provide remote sensing tools to monitor peppermint health and relate declines to abiotic and biotic factors. An understanding of how water abstraction for urban development and declining rainfall predispose trees to decline, and the application of thinning regimes, fungicides and nutrient implants will provide potential tools to the wider community that can be used to manage tree health.Read moreRead less
Diversity of pollination biology in heat-producing flowers. This research is an entirely new approach to understanding pollination biology. It will highlight the value of ecological diversity in tropical ecosystems and will work toward conservation of these threatened habitats. The project is very strong in developing international links, involving Australia, Germany, France, Turkey, Brazil, Guyana, India and Malaysia. By supporting research involving the International Canopy Crane Network, A ....Diversity of pollination biology in heat-producing flowers. This research is an entirely new approach to understanding pollination biology. It will highlight the value of ecological diversity in tropical ecosystems and will work toward conservation of these threatened habitats. The project is very strong in developing international links, involving Australia, Germany, France, Turkey, Brazil, Guyana, India and Malaysia. By supporting research involving the International Canopy Crane Network, Australia will be recognised as a major contributor to the multinational effort. The project deals with energetics of scarab beetles, with work on reproductive energetics of natural and pest species. Research maintains and develops critical thought, essential for effective university teaching and training.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Evolutionary Adaptation of the Chemical Language of Nutrient Acquisition Strategies in Higher Plants. The autotrophic and sessile nature of plants means that they need to respond to nutrient limitations in a finely tuned manner to grow and survive. Metabolites play an important role during these adaptations, either as direct modulators or as biochemical indicators of the pathways activated. Plants have evolved from relatively simple unicellular organisms that have a remarkable adaptability to re ....Evolutionary Adaptation of the Chemical Language of Nutrient Acquisition Strategies in Higher Plants. The autotrophic and sessile nature of plants means that they need to respond to nutrient limitations in a finely tuned manner to grow and survive. Metabolites play an important role during these adaptations, either as direct modulators or as biochemical indicators of the pathways activated. Plants have evolved from relatively simple unicellular organisms that have a remarkable adaptability to respond to their environment through metabolite-modulated quorum-sensing mechanisms. Preliminary evidence suggests that plants have either retained some of this ability or have evolved novel nutrient recognition strategies. This project will elucidate these pathways to gain new insights into nutrient acquisition in plants.Read moreRead less
More than defence: primary roles for cyanogenic glucosides. The tropical crop, sorghum, produces toxic cyanide to avoid being eaten by herbivores, but this diverts resources away from growth and reproduction. Using non-toxic sorghum mutants, this project seeks to explain how cyanide production is regulated and enhance agricultural efficiency in the face of climate change.
Are plants wasting water in the dark? This project aims to measure stomatal conductance to water vapour in the dark in economically important species to understand how conductance is regulated in the dark, and its adaptive significance. Leaves of most plants continue to lose water in the dark because stomata remain open. No photosynthetic carbon fixation can occur in the dark so water-use efficiency is reduced, and this reduction influences crop yield, forest growth, catchment water yield and c ....Are plants wasting water in the dark? This project aims to measure stomatal conductance to water vapour in the dark in economically important species to understand how conductance is regulated in the dark, and its adaptive significance. Leaves of most plants continue to lose water in the dark because stomata remain open. No photosynthetic carbon fixation can occur in the dark so water-use efficiency is reduced, and this reduction influences crop yield, forest growth, catchment water yield and climate feedback. Existing mechanistic models of stomatal conductance will be extended to include responses in the dark, and aim to be used to predict the reduction in potential daytime water loss (which is coupled to carbon gain) due to nocturnal stomatal conductance for crops and forests.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanisms of thermal acclimation in the symbiotic algae (Symbiodinium) within cnidarian corals. Global warming is a major threat to coral reefs, contributing to devastating coral bleaching. This project will provide new insight into how coral reefs can respond to rising global temperature through clarifying the thermal acclimation mechanisms in corals using molecular techniques.
Peridinin-chlorophyll-protein complex: unravelling the unique photosynthetic apparatus of dinoflagellates in response to climatic variation. Dinoflagellates sustain the food chain. They live in coral and in ice, and also create toxic algal blooms. This project will dissect the unique photosynthetic machinery of these organisms to learn how they adapt and thrive in extreme environments. This new knowledge will predict how dinoflagellate-based ecosystems will respond to future climate change.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100188
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
Terabase sequencing for mutant, developmental, environmental and population genomics. This facility will make it possible to completely sequence the genome (and epi-genome and transcriptome) of a large number of samples in a cost effective manner. This will provide researchers with unprecedented ability to compare individuals in a population and to discover and define novel traits which govern disease resistance, yield and population dynamics in natural systems.