Health And Fertility Of Young Men Conceived Using Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,570.00
Summary
The injection of a single sperm into the egg (ICSI) has been the main IVF treatment for men with poor sperm quality since 1993 but is now often used for other types of infertility. Concern has been raised about the health of the children. We will approach >800 parents and their adult sons conceived using ICSI and will assess his general health and development, and fertility. This work will improve patient counselling and practice guidelines, and direct research into the safety of ICSI.
Clinical Review Of A Cohort Aged 22-33 Years Conceived Using Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$946,454.00
Summary
In a recent study, using telephone-interviews, we compared the health and wellbeing of 547 singleton young adults born following assisted reproductive technologies (ART), with 549 matched controls. Reviewing their health when they are 22-33 years is possible because of their ongoing interest. We have a protocol in place to measure their cardiac and respiratory function and other aspects of growth and development. Our findings will fill a major knowledge gap about the longer term safety of ART.
Control of developmental switches by importin 5. Aims: This project will study a key molecular switch called IPO5, a protein that is required for cells and organs to form and function normally, and it will reveal how it works.
Significance: These experiments will provide the first complete description of how this molecular switch controls the behaviour of a cell across its lifespan. IPO5 is highly conserved, so these studies will be relevant to a wide range of animals.
Expected Outcomes: This k ....Control of developmental switches by importin 5. Aims: This project will study a key molecular switch called IPO5, a protein that is required for cells and organs to form and function normally, and it will reveal how it works.
Significance: These experiments will provide the first complete description of how this molecular switch controls the behaviour of a cell across its lifespan. IPO5 is highly conserved, so these studies will be relevant to a wide range of animals.
Expected Outcomes: This knowledge will reveal how IPO5 controls formation of sperm by revealing what other proteins it binds to and how this affects cell signaling and responses to the environment.
Benefits: This will provide information about potential interventions to control fertility or to repair abnormal cells.
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Miniaturised Adiabatic Light Processing Devices. The project will develop, model and analyse a range of miniaturised light-processing devices for optical communications applications that rely soley on their geometrical design for their optical functionality. Such devices are less complex than devices that rely on other physical phenomena for their operation, such as interference, resonance or grating phenomena. They have potential application to a wide range of applications including optical tel ....Miniaturised Adiabatic Light Processing Devices. The project will develop, model and analyse a range of miniaturised light-processing devices for optical communications applications that rely soley on their geometrical design for their optical functionality. Such devices are less complex than devices that rely on other physical phenomena for their operation, such as interference, resonance or grating phenomena. They have potential application to a wide range of applications including optical telecommunications, optical sensing and biophotonics. The major outcome will be a range of novel devices that are very compact, have very low optical power loss and process light signals in ways that either cannot be readily achieved by other approaches or are simpler than other approaches.Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Visiting Expert: Dr Standish Allen - Enhancement Of Tetraploid And Triploid Production In The Australian Pacific Oyster Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$14,200.00
Summary
SCL’s overall goal with regard to tetraploid technology is to make it work as effectively as anywhere in the world. In some ways, SCL is ahead of the game already, with dedicated facilities and technicians to pursue this goal. The objective of this Visiting Expert project is to get SCL fully on this path and to continue the improvement of tetraploid technology in Australia, and by example, the world.
There is currently only a hand full of commercial operations producing natural trip ....SCL’s overall goal with regard to tetraploid technology is to make it work as effectively as anywhere in the world. In some ways, SCL is ahead of the game already, with dedicated facilities and technicians to pursue this goal. The objective of this Visiting Expert project is to get SCL fully on this path and to continue the improvement of tetraploid technology in Australia, and by example, the world.
There is currently only a hand full of commercial operations producing natural triploids and even fewer assessing breeding technologies required to enhance the breeding of tetraploid populations.
At SCL, commercial production of natural triploid oysters in Australia has been successful for a number of years. The regeneration of tetraploids through large mass populations of tetraploids are accomplished each year by SCL research staff. We also have the know-how for the production of both natural mass spawning of tetraploids and chemical induction of tetraploids.
The opportunity exists to enhance our tetraploid lines through the infusion of genetics from the industry owned breeding program (Australian Seafood Industries). This request from industry is based on the following two, and likely very distinct, traits. 1. Specific resistance to OsHV-1 µVar 2. Increase fitness in general oyster populations to combat mortalities in South Australia or Tasmania probably due to the high metabolism of triploids in food poor waters.
Objectives: 1. Evaluating tetraploid spawns, including single pair crosses, mass spawns, and/ or mass selected spawnings, for the development of breeding lines and long term breeding objectives 2. Production of a range of ASI triploids lines for progeny testing, both natural and chemical 3. Assessing the commercial application of producing selectively bred tetraploids utilising a method described by McCombie et al. 2009 4. Expert input to Penny Miller PhD with detail analysis of results to meet project objectives 5. Collaborate with CSIRO in the future enhancement of breeding plans for tetraploid pacific oysters using selectively bred lines from the ASI breeding program 6. Develop a long-term breeding and tetraploid maintenance plan to secure supplies of high quality tetraploids long into the future Read moreRead less
Experimental Production Of Tetraploid Oysters For Use As Broodstock For Commercial Hatchery Production Of Triploids
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$186,362.94
Summary
Objectives: 1. The experimental production of tetraploid (4n) oyster embryos, larvae & Spat 2. On-growing of 4n oyster spat to adulthood and reproductive capability 3. Hybridisation of 2n gametes (from 4n broodstock) with n gametes (form "normal" 2n broodstock) to produce 3n embryos, larvae and spat
Eco-NextNet: An Ecologically-Inspired Adaptive Network Resource Management Framework for a Sustainable Next Generation Mobile Network for Ubiquitous Services. Ubiquitous communications service is the most important element of today's societies. In urban and rural areas of the country as well as at the time of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, it is vital to devise alternative schemes to create and sustain on-demand telecommunications services. In most cases it is not the lac ....Eco-NextNet: An Ecologically-Inspired Adaptive Network Resource Management Framework for a Sustainable Next Generation Mobile Network for Ubiquitous Services. Ubiquitous communications service is the most important element of today's societies. In urban and rural areas of the country as well as at the time of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, cyclones, it is vital to devise alternative schemes to create and sustain on-demand telecommunications services. In most cases it is not the lack of technology that hinders the implementation of a reliable communications service, but it is the resource allocation. In this project we propose a novel sustainable resource management framework inspired by natural ecological systems to solve the above problem. Upon completion, Australia will be in forefront of technologies related to the management of complex networks.Read moreRead less
Role Of The Anaphase-Promoting Complex Activator Cdh1 In Oocyte Maturation And Meiotic Aneuploidy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$526,878.00
Summary
Eggs containing an incorrect number of chromosomes are described as aneuploid. This project sets out to examine the molecular causes of aneuploidy and why it increases with female age. We focus on the protective role of the protein Cdh1 in this process. The outcome would be to better understand the origins of aneuploidy so as to find methods of decreasing it as women age. This is highly significant given aneuploidy is the leading cause of early embryo loss and produces Down Syndrome babies.
Sustainable Genetic Improvement Of Pacific Oysters In Tasmania And South Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$737,531.00
Summary
We have demonstrated that oyster characteristics deemed valuable by industry can be improved by selective breeding. We and industry are convinced that substantial performance increases for commercial lines are achievable. Thus far we have concentrated our efforts on a single trait (growth), but we have a number of family lines which permit the improvement of several traits simultaneously. We plan to continue selecting for increased growth rate and combine these advances with other desirable ....We have demonstrated that oyster characteristics deemed valuable by industry can be improved by selective breeding. We and industry are convinced that substantial performance increases for commercial lines are achievable. Thus far we have concentrated our efforts on a single trait (growth), but we have a number of family lines which permit the improvement of several traits simultaneously. We plan to continue selecting for increased growth rate and combine these advances with other desirable traits such as high meat yield and irradication of the deleterious curl-back trait. This will yield a much improved commercial product. Modifications to our existing protocols need to be trialed to see whether substantial gains in time and savings of funds are possible in the development of a long-term breeding strategy for broodstock improvement. We need to:
1. continue the breeding program through at least three more generations, in both the mass selection and family lines, by producing, where possible, improved lines every year rather than every two years as currently. Performance assessment will continue through to the second year. 2. develop a selection index which uses all information about genetic merit over several commercial traits. This is the sum of the commercial gains an individual can transmit weighted by commercial value. 3. monitor grow-out performance at one year of age and two years of age, to determine if crosses can be made at one year of age rather than two years. This would speed selective improvement. We need to assess whether performance at one year is a good indicator of performance at market size (currently ~2.5 years).
If the Joint Venture company (JVC) proposed to commercialise our work is not established, then we will need to:
4. work with industry to conduct trials of particular lines in both Tasmania and South Australia under full commercial conditions. 5. develop sophisticated long-term breeding plans which yield on-going performance improvements while avoiding the deleterious effects of inbreeding. These plans will be based on analysis of data collected during the project, and require a major commitment from both technical staff and geneticists. FRDC funding is thus required to complete the development program and, if the JVC is not established, to conduct the commercialisation trials and development of breeding plans. If the JVC is established, then we would provide it with broodstock for the trials but would expect it to develop its own long-term breeding strategy with input from and collaboration with our technical staff and geneticists. Objectives: 1. Continued production of mass selection lines for growth rate and family lines for other industry-desired traits. 2. Creation of crossbred family lines to assess the feasibility of combining desirable traits from different families into a single line. 3. Development of a multi-trait selection index. 4. If the Joint Venture Company is not established by November 2000, we have the following additional objective: Assessment of the performance of chosen lines in full-scale commercial trials. 5. If the Joint Venture Company is not established by November 2000, we have the following additional objective: Development of a breeding plan for sustainable genetic improvement. 6. Development of a commercilisation strategy within 12 months of start. Read moreRead less