Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH190100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,787,259.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection. The Hub aims to develop and commercialise an innovative biological alternative to chemical fungicides targeting economically significant diseases of broadacre and horticultural crops. It addresses industry challenges of fungicide resistance, chemical residues in food, off-target effects and environmental harm. It builds on ground-breaking ‘BioClay’ platform to deliver pathogen targeting RNA using clay particles as non-genetically modified crop pr ....ARC Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection. The Hub aims to develop and commercialise an innovative biological alternative to chemical fungicides targeting economically significant diseases of broadacre and horticultural crops. It addresses industry challenges of fungicide resistance, chemical residues in food, off-target effects and environmental harm. It builds on ground-breaking ‘BioClay’ platform to deliver pathogen targeting RNA using clay particles as non-genetically modified crop protection. An expert multidisciplinary team uniting science, commercial and social licence pathways ensures industry and consumer uptake advancing $60B Australian Agriculture. The Hub translates to increased productivity, market access and enhanced environmental credentials of Australian food.
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Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC150100026
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,732,019.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation. ARC Training Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation. This training centre aims to transform the way that horticulture industries combat invasive fruit flies that threaten Australian crops, which are valued at $9 billion per year. For generations, Australia has relied on insecticides to protect crops. Owing to environmental damage and concerns for consumer health, the most effective insecticides have recently been banned for use on ma ....ARC Training Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation. ARC Training Centre for Fruit Fly Biosecurity Innovation. This training centre aims to transform the way that horticulture industries combat invasive fruit flies that threaten Australian crops, which are valued at $9 billion per year. For generations, Australia has relied on insecticides to protect crops. Owing to environmental damage and concerns for consumer health, the most effective insecticides have recently been banned for use on many crops leaving no equivalent replacements. Horticulture industries are unprepared for this change, and are in desperate need of new sustainable practices to combat fruit flies. New researchers who are trained in both scientific approach and practical application will be well placed to deliver these new tools.Read moreRead less
Molecular mechanisms of signalling by plant immune receptors. This project aims to understand how resistance proteins function and to find new sources of these proteins. Plant diseases account for 15% loss of global crop production, representing a threat to food security. Fungicides, one key form of protection, represent environmental concerns. The other key form of protection corresponds to resistance gene breeding, which is limited by lengthy breeding processes, restricted choice of genes from ....Molecular mechanisms of signalling by plant immune receptors. This project aims to understand how resistance proteins function and to find new sources of these proteins. Plant diseases account for 15% loss of global crop production, representing a threat to food security. Fungicides, one key form of protection, represent environmental concerns. The other key form of protection corresponds to resistance gene breeding, which is limited by lengthy breeding processes, restricted choice of genes from sexually compatible species and short effective time spans in the field. Building on previous research, this project aims to characterise the molecular basis of the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-mediated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) cleavage and the structural architecture of plant NLR complexes. This knowledge will support the long-term objective of protecting crops from pathogens.Read moreRead less
Structural basis of plant immune receptor signaling. Plants detect invading pathogens and trigger immune responses in a process called “effector-triggered immunity”, in which pathogen effector (avirulence) proteins are recognized by plant resistance proteins, typically so-called “plant NLRs”. Ongoing work in the applicants’ laboratories has shown that oligomerization into “resistosomes” and NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) cleavage play central roles in the process. Building on these dat ....Structural basis of plant immune receptor signaling. Plants detect invading pathogens and trigger immune responses in a process called “effector-triggered immunity”, in which pathogen effector (avirulence) proteins are recognized by plant resistance proteins, typically so-called “plant NLRs”. Ongoing work in the applicants’ laboratories has shown that oligomerization into “resistosomes” and NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) cleavage play central roles in the process. Building on these data, the project aims to characterize the structures of the signaling molecules resulting from TIR (Toll/interleukin-1 receptor) domain-mediated NAD+ cleavage and the structural architecture of plant NLR resistosomes. This knowledge will support the long-term objective of protecting crops from pathogens.Read moreRead less
Preventing and addressing environmental harm through restorative justice. This project aims to develop a knowledge base on how Restorative Justice (RJ) principles and practices can prevent and address environmental harm. Research has demonstrated that RJ is a powerful response to a wide variety of governance challenges and could provide a useful alternative paradigm for environmental regulation. This project aims to apply the processes and values of RJ to environmental regulation with a focus on ....Preventing and addressing environmental harm through restorative justice. This project aims to develop a knowledge base on how Restorative Justice (RJ) principles and practices can prevent and address environmental harm. Research has demonstrated that RJ is a powerful response to a wide variety of governance challenges and could provide a useful alternative paradigm for environmental regulation. This project aims to apply the processes and values of RJ to environmental regulation with a focus on harm prevention, advancing theory into a new domain of application. This should lead to immediate and long-term benefits, including better prevention of environmental harm, better relationships with communities, and stronger commitments by those who have caused harm to rehabilitate, repair and reform.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100043
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$454,000.00
Summary
Kangaroos, feral herbivores and bushfires: Consequences for forest dynamics. This project aims to investigate the functional role of native and introduced herbivores in forest ecosystems using a powerful, highly replicated, herbivore exclosure experiment. This project expects to create new knowledge of the effects of mammalian herbivores, particularly kangaroos and invasive deer, on forest plants, soils and productivity. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into above and belowground i ....Kangaroos, feral herbivores and bushfires: Consequences for forest dynamics. This project aims to investigate the functional role of native and introduced herbivores in forest ecosystems using a powerful, highly replicated, herbivore exclosure experiment. This project expects to create new knowledge of the effects of mammalian herbivores, particularly kangaroos and invasive deer, on forest plants, soils and productivity. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into above and belowground interactions in forests, and an enhanced capacity to predict effects of changing herbivore populations across environmental gradients, and following bushfire. This should produce significant benefits for forest management in Australia, allowing informed, targeted, and pre-emptive management of invasive herbivore populations.Read moreRead less
Non-urban water governance: rethinking compliance and enforcement. This project aims to critically evaluate the practices and strategies of non-urban water compliance and enforcement in Australia and internationally, to identify and develop innovations for water governance. New law and policy knowledge is expected from its fusion of empirical data and regulatory theory. The project expects to advance applied regulatory theory by identifying improvements in compliance and enforcement to help solv ....Non-urban water governance: rethinking compliance and enforcement. This project aims to critically evaluate the practices and strategies of non-urban water compliance and enforcement in Australia and internationally, to identify and develop innovations for water governance. New law and policy knowledge is expected from its fusion of empirical data and regulatory theory. The project expects to advance applied regulatory theory by identifying improvements in compliance and enforcement to help solve environmental issues. It will also lead to policy reforms for delivering more effective, efficient and politically-acceptable compliance outcomes for non-urban water management that will benefit water regulators and the sustainability and productivity of Australia's agricultural industry.Read moreRead less
Improving The Availability Of Safe And Effective Veterinary Medicines For Australia's Seafood Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$322,764.00
Summary
Globally, disease is the major limiting factor restricting growth in aquaculture (Stentiford et al 2012; Jennings et al 2016), with impact of aquatic diseases exceeding $6 billion per annum. Aquaculture is the fastest growing livestock industry in Australia, and is expected to double in value to $2 billion by 2027 to meet global seafood demand (National Aquaculture Strategic Plan). Therefore access to safe and effective veterinary medicines is critically import to support the current industry an ....Globally, disease is the major limiting factor restricting growth in aquaculture (Stentiford et al 2012; Jennings et al 2016), with impact of aquatic diseases exceeding $6 billion per annum. Aquaculture is the fastest growing livestock industry in Australia, and is expected to double in value to $2 billion by 2027 to meet global seafood demand (National Aquaculture Strategic Plan). Therefore access to safe and effective veterinary medicines is critically import to support the current industry and its expansion.
Australia’s aquaculture industry must have access to safe and effective veterinary medicines for disease management, industry productivity and animal welfare. This need is highlighted in Australia’s national strategic plan (www.agriculture.gov.au/animal/aquatic/aquaplan) and FRDC’s strategic plan (2015-2020 and 2020-2025) including supporting the future sustainable expansion of aquaculture.
Veterinary medicines are required for prevention (for example, vaccines), therapeutic treatments (for example, antibiotics, anthelmintics and antimycotics) and husbandry (for example, hormones for reproduction and anaesthetics for animal handling). Currently there is a substantial lack of access to permitted or registered products.
There is a clear need for national coordination of applications for permits and registrations for aquatic veterinary medicines that replaces the duplication, disjointed efforts, poor permit applications and restrictive minor use permits and generally wasted resources occurring in the seafood industry.
There is a need to coordinate seafood industry prioritisation and application for access and use of agvet chemicals and to establish effective relationships between the seafood industry and APVMA to progress this important issue.
A model to support the resourcing of this service to industry and regulators needs to be devised to maintain this activity after completion of this project. Objectives: 1. Document a safe and effective process for the off-label use of veterinary medicines aimed at supporting fish health, welfare and production while managing environmental risks and enabling data generation. 2. Coordinate a national effort to facilitate the progress of priority aquatic veterinary medicines in the seafood industry through to permitting or registration with the APVMA 3. Determine options for a system, framework and / or business case to effectively coordinate national data generation and applications to the APVMA into the future, and maintain current permits and registrations in the seafood industry. 4. Develop and implement a communication and awareness strategy for industry on safe and effective veterinary medicine use Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC230100027
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity. The ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity aims to deliver a solution for Australia’s increasing biosecurity risk through generational change in its workforce coupled with breakthrough technologies. It will launch an innovative training program for future leaders who will build relationships with end users and engage meaningfully with communities for effective implementation strategies. Expected outcomes include a cohort of highly skilled graduates tha ....ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity. The ARC Training Centre in Plant Biosecurity aims to deliver a solution for Australia’s increasing biosecurity risk through generational change in its workforce coupled with breakthrough technologies. It will launch an innovative training program for future leaders who will build relationships with end users and engage meaningfully with communities for effective implementation strategies. Expected outcomes include a cohort of highly skilled graduates that will innovate novel diagnostic technologies, enable data-driven decision platforms and address barriers to biosecurity adoption. This suite of graduates and technologies will transform the plant biosecurity sector to protect Australia’s $5.7 trillion natural and productive ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Vulnerability of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome. Australia's unique wildlife is inherently at risk from invasive novel pathogens. White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal disease that has decimated bat populations across North America. This fungal disease is likely to soon jump continents and also seriously threaten Australia's bat fauna. This project aims to quantify the risk of exposure to this fungus and understand the sensitivity of Australian bat populations to white-nose syndrome ....Vulnerability of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome. Australia's unique wildlife is inherently at risk from invasive novel pathogens. White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal disease that has decimated bat populations across North America. This fungal disease is likely to soon jump continents and also seriously threaten Australia's bat fauna. This project aims to quantify the risk of exposure to this fungus and understand the sensitivity of Australian bat populations to white-nose syndrome mortality. Expected outcomes include spatially-explicit, species-specific models of vulnerability to white-nose syndrome for bat populations across south-eastern Australia, essential for directing actions to prevent, detect and mitigate the impacts of this potentially catastrophic wildlife disease.Read moreRead less