LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evi ....LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evidence that one group of fungal pathogens is particularly adept at acquiring new genes that enable them to cause new diseases. We will determine the mechanism and frequency of gene transfer in this group. The work had fundamental significance in evolutionary biology, in the emergence of new diseases and in the use of genetically-modified organisms.Read moreRead less
Resolving the steps in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. This project aims to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the evolution of grasses using the C4 biochemical pathway that enables plants to survive in hot, dry, high-light environments. The endemic Australian subtribe Neurachninae is the only known grass group that contains C4 species, species using the ancestral C3 pathway, as well as species using pathways intermediate to C3 and C4. Through a comparative approach employing ....Resolving the steps in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. This project aims to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the evolution of grasses using the C4 biochemical pathway that enables plants to survive in hot, dry, high-light environments. The endemic Australian subtribe Neurachninae is the only known grass group that contains C4 species, species using the ancestral C3 pathway, as well as species using pathways intermediate to C3 and C4. Through a comparative approach employing high-throughput sequencing technologies, it is expected that the molecular changes underlying the transition from C3 to C4 will be identified. These results should define what is required to engineer plant varieties with increased yield and the ability to withstand climate change effects.Read moreRead less