Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100202
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Interplay between plasticity and senescence. This project aims at bridging two fundamental human stressors together in a quantitative genetic framework. The environment changes globally on a huge scale coupled with effect on the age-structures and genetic composition of countless populations by over-harvesting and exploitation. This project will provide significant benefits, such as potential strategies of dealing with future human-induced changes more effectively.
How beetles harness near-infrared properties to enhance energy efficiency. This project aims to discover how animals use nanophotonic structures to manipulate near infra-red light for thermal control and visual information. Almost nothing is currently known about the mechanism, function and evolution of near-infrared properties in animals, despite their potential importance for maintaining body temperatures within the critical thermal limits for survival. The project uses multidisciplinary techn ....How beetles harness near-infrared properties to enhance energy efficiency. This project aims to discover how animals use nanophotonic structures to manipulate near infra-red light for thermal control and visual information. Almost nothing is currently known about the mechanism, function and evolution of near-infrared properties in animals, despite their potential importance for maintaining body temperatures within the critical thermal limits for survival. The project uses multidisciplinary techniques from optical physics, physiology and evolutionary biology to reveal near-infrared adaptations in socially and economically important Christmas beetles. The intended outcomes include a bio-informed blueprint for a new class of functional nanomaterials that enhance energy efficiency.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial adaptation. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of heteroplasmy – a scenario in which multiple mitochondrial DNA genotypes exist in one individual. Recent studies indicate heteroplasmy is widespread, and can be caused by paternal transmission of mtDNA. But the effects of heteroplasmy on evolutionary processes remain unknown. Leveraging state-of-the-art methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas ....Unravelling the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial adaptation. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of heteroplasmy – a scenario in which multiple mitochondrial DNA genotypes exist in one individual. Recent studies indicate heteroplasmy is widespread, and can be caused by paternal transmission of mtDNA. But the effects of heteroplasmy on evolutionary processes remain unknown. Leveraging state-of-the-art methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of evolutionary ecology and mitochondrial genetics. Expected outcomes include discoveries that advance understanding of fundamental biological processes, and student training. Expected benefits include strengthening of Australia’s research capacity, by setting the research agenda in this rapidly developing field.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary limits. This project aims to understand the processes that limit adaptation to rapid environmental change. Adaption to rapid environmental change determines population persistence. Species with restricted distributions may lack the genetic variation necessary to adapt to changing environments, although they represent the vast majority of biodiversity. Understanding why they lack the necessary genetic variation for adaptation is important for identifying and managing vulnerable biolo ....Evolutionary limits. This project aims to understand the processes that limit adaptation to rapid environmental change. Adaption to rapid environmental change determines population persistence. Species with restricted distributions may lack the genetic variation necessary to adapt to changing environments, although they represent the vast majority of biodiversity. Understanding why they lack the necessary genetic variation for adaptation is important for identifying and managing vulnerable biological systems. This project will empirically determine the contribution of mutations to key traits to better understand what limits evolutionary adaptation. Better prediction of extinction risk should inform conservation and biodiversity management.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary models and biodiscovery tools from neurotoxic snake venoms. This project aims to identify the selection pressures that shape snake venom neurotoxins and how they interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and to elucidate their biodiscovery potential. This project aims to test these important toxins on model systems that represent natural prey items in order to determine the molecular and functional evolution of neurotoxic peptides. Expected outcomes include substantial contri ....Evolutionary models and biodiscovery tools from neurotoxic snake venoms. This project aims to identify the selection pressures that shape snake venom neurotoxins and how they interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and to elucidate their biodiscovery potential. This project aims to test these important toxins on model systems that represent natural prey items in order to determine the molecular and functional evolution of neurotoxic peptides. Expected outcomes include substantial contributions to the body of evolutionary biology knowledge, while also having the applied benefit of discovering novel compounds with potential for use in drug design and discovery. These outcomes will benefit Australian science and society by elucidating fundamental processes while revealing biodisovery resources.Read moreRead less
Adaptation by DNA download: Experimental evolution of a pangenome. This project aims to understand how microbes adapt when they can directly “download" new genes from their surrounding environment, or from other types of bacteria. Specifically, the proposed research will carry out the largest-scale measurements of the fitness effects of horizontally transferred genetic variation, to discover how each of these genes interacts with the environment, and with other genes. This project is expected to ....Adaptation by DNA download: Experimental evolution of a pangenome. This project aims to understand how microbes adapt when they can directly “download" new genes from their surrounding environment, or from other types of bacteria. Specifically, the proposed research will carry out the largest-scale measurements of the fitness effects of horizontally transferred genetic variation, to discover how each of these genes interacts with the environment, and with other genes. This project is expected to generate new knowledge in the fields of microbial evolution and microbiome science. The benefits of this cutting-edge research will be to strengthen Australia’s research capacity in these rapidly developing fields and to train a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists.Read moreRead less
Integrating evolution and plasticity into predictions of population persistence in a changing climate: adaptation or extinction? To effectively manage biodiversity at a time of rapid environmental change, Australia needs accurate predictions of how human alterations to climate and habitat will affect species. This project integrates evolution and spatial ecology to develop new tools for predicting and understanding how species will respond to environmental change.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100555
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,872.00
Summary
Identifying factors that counter negative impacts of ocean climate change. This project aims to identify factors that counter the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs. This project expects to address key research gaps to ensure the persistence of these ecosystems. Expected outcomes of this project include identification of coral reefs that are buffered by adjacent systems, such as mangroves and seagrass, and characterisation of conditions (e.g. increased food availability) that allo ....Identifying factors that counter negative impacts of ocean climate change. This project aims to identify factors that counter the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs. This project expects to address key research gaps to ensure the persistence of these ecosystems. Expected outcomes of this project include identification of coral reefs that are buffered by adjacent systems, such as mangroves and seagrass, and characterisation of conditions (e.g. increased food availability) that allow coral reefs and associated organisms to persist under stress. Outcomes of this project should provide significant benefits such as adding to the interventions toolbox in alleviating the impacts of global change on coral reefs and identifying conservation strategies to help prevent the loss of these valuable ecosystems.Read moreRead less
A Varied Diet, Ageing, and the Evolution of Life Histories. This research aims to understand how nutritional environments affect lifespan and its evolution. The expected outcomes are improved knowledge around the biology of ageing including the identification of diet-responsive genes and biological pathways. These elements will comprise targets for future applied studies on ageing, metabolic dysfunction and personalised nutrition. This study will also inform as to how lifespans evolve. Because l ....A Varied Diet, Ageing, and the Evolution of Life Histories. This research aims to understand how nutritional environments affect lifespan and its evolution. The expected outcomes are improved knowledge around the biology of ageing including the identification of diet-responsive genes and biological pathways. These elements will comprise targets for future applied studies on ageing, metabolic dysfunction and personalised nutrition. This study will also inform as to how lifespans evolve. Because lifespan is a fundamental demographic trait, this knowledge will improve ability to predict how populations adapt to environmental change. Lastly, through methodological innovation this project will also provide new statistical tools for studying how treatments affect the risk of death age specifically.Read moreRead less
How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex ....How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex traits.Read moreRead less