Mutagenesis and combinatorial algorithms for sequencing problematic genomic regions. This project will develop a remarkable and original approach to DNA sequencing with potential to radically improve the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of existing sequencing technologies. It is especially useful for dealing with difficult-to-sequence genomic regions and has implications for all sequencing projects, including completion of the Human Genome Project. The approach involves generating, and wholly o ....Mutagenesis and combinatorial algorithms for sequencing problematic genomic regions. This project will develop a remarkable and original approach to DNA sequencing with potential to radically improve the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of existing sequencing technologies. It is especially useful for dealing with difficult-to-sequence genomic regions and has implications for all sequencing projects, including completion of the Human Genome Project. The approach involves generating, and wholly or partially sequencing, mutated copies of problematic regions of the target genome. Advanced combinatorial algorithms are then used to form highly probable alignments between strings and determine the unknown sequence. The approach has additional benefits in detecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms and sequencing errors.Read moreRead less
Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international effo ....Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international efforts in this area, via the development of statistical methods for segmenting genomes, classification of those segments, and study of the resulting classes. In the long term, enhanced understanding of eukaryotic cells will lead to breakthroughs in biology, and to medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural and scientific advances.Read moreRead less
Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies ....Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies of the mitochondrial genome. We will infer the animal phylogeny, and use it to chart the evolution of animal morphology and development, and the evolution of mitochondrial genetic codes, gene order, and nucleotide content.Read moreRead less
New Approaches to the Analysis of Count Time Series. The focus of this proposal is on the analysis of data that enumerate events over time. Occurrences of such count data abound in economics and business, examples being observations on insurance claims, loan defaults and individual product demand. This project develops a suite of innovative methods for modelling and predicting event counts. The methods explicitly accommodate both the discreteness of the data and possible complexities in its evo ....New Approaches to the Analysis of Count Time Series. The focus of this proposal is on the analysis of data that enumerate events over time. Occurrences of such count data abound in economics and business, examples being observations on insurance claims, loan defaults and individual product demand. This project develops a suite of innovative methods for modelling and predicting event counts. The methods explicitly accommodate both the discreteness of the data and possible complexities in its evolution over time. In so doing, they enable both accurate inferences regarding the dynamic structure of the data to be drawn and accurate forecasts of future event counts to be produced.Read moreRead less
Mining venture risk: novel econometric methods to integrate joint financial and geological uncertainty into dynamic risk forecasting measures. The mining industry is nationally important: it contributed $33,927M to Australia's GDP in 2002-3. This project's outcomes - sophisticated statistical and econometric tools - will significantly improve capability for forecasting overall risk to mining projects requiring vast upfront, irreversible investments, and contribute to its efficiency and internati ....Mining venture risk: novel econometric methods to integrate joint financial and geological uncertainty into dynamic risk forecasting measures. The mining industry is nationally important: it contributed $33,927M to Australia's GDP in 2002-3. This project's outcomes - sophisticated statistical and econometric tools - will significantly improve capability for forecasting overall risk to mining projects requiring vast upfront, irreversible investments, and contribute to its efficiency and international competitiveness. Innovative methods driven by data from complex financial and geological systems will integrate price volatility risk and orebody uncertainty in a real options framework, providing holistic, rigorous measurement of mining venture risk. Xstrata Queensland Ltd will strongly support and participate in research training of an identified candidate to deliver discoveries to the wider industry.Read moreRead less
Function and evolution of optical structures in nature. Designing optical structures that simultaneously satisfy multiple and conflicting criteria and satisfy difficult manufacturing constraints is technologically challenging. However, Nature has been doing this for millions of years. This project is a systematic study of optical structures in one of Nature's most diverse range of species: butterflies. The microstructures inside butterfly scales have an amazing diversity of geometries that produ ....Function and evolution of optical structures in nature. Designing optical structures that simultaneously satisfy multiple and conflicting criteria and satisfy difficult manufacturing constraints is technologically challenging. However, Nature has been doing this for millions of years. This project is a systematic study of optical structures in one of Nature's most diverse range of species: butterflies. The microstructures inside butterfly scales have an amazing diversity of geometries that produce structural colour and are amongst the most complex naturally occurring optical structures produced by a single cell.Read moreRead less
A mathematical model of calcium signalling in single cells and in multicellular systems. Calcium released from stores inside cells plays a vital signalling role in living organisms. It initiates cell division after fertilization, mediates communication and learning in the nervous system, causes contraction in the muscular walls of arteries and plays an important but as yet poorly understood role in the information processing that occurs in systems of coupled glial cells. We will construct a uni ....A mathematical model of calcium signalling in single cells and in multicellular systems. Calcium released from stores inside cells plays a vital signalling role in living organisms. It initiates cell division after fertilization, mediates communication and learning in the nervous system, causes contraction in the muscular walls of arteries and plays an important but as yet poorly understood role in the information processing that occurs in systems of coupled glial cells. We will construct a unified mathematical model of calcium signalling in multicellular systems, starting from the known processes in single cells, and use it to gain insight into the functioning and possible dysfunctioning of calcium-mediated intercellular communication.Read moreRead less
Computational Reconstruction of Cardiac Pacemaker Activation and Atrial Propagation. This study seeks to develop accurate computer models of electrical activity in pacemaker and atrial cells of the heart, in order to understand how the heartbeat originates and propagates across the atria during normal and abnormal rhythms. In Australia, atrial fibrillation represents the most common form of chronic cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, as well as being a major risk factor in strok ....Computational Reconstruction of Cardiac Pacemaker Activation and Atrial Propagation. This study seeks to develop accurate computer models of electrical activity in pacemaker and atrial cells of the heart, in order to understand how the heartbeat originates and propagates across the atria during normal and abnormal rhythms. In Australia, atrial fibrillation represents the most common form of chronic cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, as well as being a major risk factor in stroke. Accurate computer modelling of normal and abnormal heart rhythms will provide greater insights into the development of antiarrythmic drugs as well as advancing knowledge of key electrical phenomena in the heart.Read moreRead less
Geometric structures in representation theory. Mathematics underpins every aspect of people's interactions with nature (e.g. physics) and with each other (e.g. finance). Its uses range from formulating physical laws in order to understand and predict nature, to analysis of financial concepts and transactions. This project will formulate and develop three new fundamental mathematical concepts: cellular algebras, eigenspace geometries, and diagram algebras. Benefits include enhancement of Australi ....Geometric structures in representation theory. Mathematics underpins every aspect of people's interactions with nature (e.g. physics) and with each other (e.g. finance). Its uses range from formulating physical laws in order to understand and predict nature, to analysis of financial concepts and transactions. This project will formulate and develop three new fundamental mathematical concepts: cellular algebras, eigenspace geometries, and diagram algebras. Benefits include enhancement of Australia's position at the very frontier of world class mathematical research, and a myriad of potential applications to physics, coding theory, information technology, electronic security and experimental design.Read moreRead less
The geometry of exotic nilpotent cones. This research will describe the geometry of some important objects which sit at the boundary of algebra, geometry, and combinatorics. It has intrinsic value as a significant addition to the heritage of mathematical thought, and will strengthen Australian traditions in these areas of mathematics.