Understanding mosquito smell system: a new frontier in mosquito control. This project aims to identify and functionally investigate mosquito smell receptors, which are critical in detecting volatile compounds and locating their hosts from a considerable distance away. Mosquitoes display preferences for certain hosts over others, primarily determined by volatile chemicals produced by hosts. This study builds on recently discovered, novel, host-derived volatile compounds, which can elicit robust r ....Understanding mosquito smell system: a new frontier in mosquito control. This project aims to identify and functionally investigate mosquito smell receptors, which are critical in detecting volatile compounds and locating their hosts from a considerable distance away. Mosquitoes display preferences for certain hosts over others, primarily determined by volatile chemicals produced by hosts. This study builds on recently discovered, novel, host-derived volatile compounds, which can elicit robust responses and attractiveness from mosquitoes. Expected outcomes of the project are enhanced understanding of mosquito smell system and behaviours. This could provide significant benefits to how we can fight mosquitoes and mosquito-transmitted diseases in a more efficient and environmentally responsible way.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100382
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Odorant recognition in insect olfactory system to control insect behaviour. This project seeks to develop new insights into insect’s ability to detect odour and to identify potential attractant compounds to support the development of environmentally safer insect pest control strategies. Insect reliance on senses to detect food has considerable potential for the development of odour-based behaviour control methods. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are an ideal molecular target to identify odorant- ....Odorant recognition in insect olfactory system to control insect behaviour. This project seeks to develop new insights into insect’s ability to detect odour and to identify potential attractant compounds to support the development of environmentally safer insect pest control strategies. Insect reliance on senses to detect food has considerable potential for the development of odour-based behaviour control methods. Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are an ideal molecular target to identify odorant-based insect attractants from a large pool of compounds. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanism that mediates chemoreception in insects is limited. This project may provide valuable insight into the role of OBPs in molecular recognition in insects and develop a new way to screen attractants based on the binding ability of OBPs to compounds.Read moreRead less
Quantitative measures of brain evolution in early vertebrates. Why and how do brains become bigger? Using new quantitative methods of assessing the number of neurons with respect to both brain and body size, the project will trace the ways in which the brain (and its component parts) has evolved in a range of early vertebrates. The results will enable us to trace the evolution of cognitive abilities in animals.
Life hanging on a thread; disrupting the structure and function of lepidopteran silking behaviour. The production and use of silk by many invertebrates is vital for their survival. We develop a means of visualising and understanding the role of silking behaviour as a survival mechanism for Helicoverpa larvae (a key world-wide pest) with a view to disrupting silking. This novel project allows us to understand not just where larvae go but what they do along the way. The project outcomes will have ....Life hanging on a thread; disrupting the structure and function of lepidopteran silking behaviour. The production and use of silk by many invertebrates is vital for their survival. We develop a means of visualising and understanding the role of silking behaviour as a survival mechanism for Helicoverpa larvae (a key world-wide pest) with a view to disrupting silking. This novel project allows us to understand not just where larvae go but what they do along the way. The project outcomes will have wide application to the study and control of lepidopteran pests in natural and agricultural ecosystems and is of interest to applied and fundamental projects associated with insect pest control, behaviour and ecology.Read moreRead less
Ecophysiology of water-holding frogs in the Australian arid-zone. Water-holding frogs of arid-zone Australia have an Aboriginal heritage and cultural significance, but many aspects of their natural history, physiology and reproduction are poorly known or documented. We will examine behaviour, physiology, endocrinology, reproductive cycles and movements for these frogs (Cyclorana, Neobatrachus, Notaden, Heleioporus) while active on the surface, and cocoon formation, subterranean movements and dyn ....Ecophysiology of water-holding frogs in the Australian arid-zone. Water-holding frogs of arid-zone Australia have an Aboriginal heritage and cultural significance, but many aspects of their natural history, physiology and reproduction are poorly known or documented. We will examine behaviour, physiology, endocrinology, reproductive cycles and movements for these frogs (Cyclorana, Neobatrachus, Notaden, Heleioporus) while active on the surface, and cocoon formation, subterranean movements and dynamics of water exchange with the soil, metabolic depression, muscle ATP energetics, endocrinology and aspects of reproduction while aestivating underground. We have the expertise and prior experience to accomplish all aspects of the proposed studies.Read moreRead less
Using magnetic nanotechnology to aid recovery from neurotrauma. Nanotechnology is an exciting new field that holds great promise to solve challenging health issues including neurotrauma associated with brain and spinal cord injury. Current methods to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently need. The recently established research team brings together expertise in nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop new, safe ways t ....Using magnetic nanotechnology to aid recovery from neurotrauma. Nanotechnology is an exciting new field that holds great promise to solve challenging health issues including neurotrauma associated with brain and spinal cord injury. Current methods to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently need. The recently established research team brings together expertise in nanotechnology and neuroscience to develop new, safe ways to deliver drugs and stimulate tissue repair after neurotrauma, and provide quality research training. Specifically designed nanomaterials will deliver drugs slowly over time and act as scaffolds to stop cells dying and stimulate them to restore broken connections and work again. Read moreRead less
Neuro-ecology: information processing under natural conditions. Not enough is known about how sensory information is processed through the brain under natural environmental conditions. This project will shed light on how information processing changes with context and will help explain why even those animals with the smallest brains are much more versatile and robust than our most advanced robots.
Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology. Nanotechnology and other frontier areas in science have exciting potential to solve major challenges of the 21st century, including health. The proposed research provides the real possibility of discovering ways to alleviate the many complex problems associated with neurotrauma following, for example, brain and spinal cord injury. Current delivery of therapeutics do not work effectively and new ap ....Targeted enzymatic treatment of the injured central nervous system using innovative nanotechnology. Nanotechnology and other frontier areas in science have exciting potential to solve major challenges of the 21st century, including health. The proposed research provides the real possibility of discovering ways to alleviate the many complex problems associated with neurotrauma following, for example, brain and spinal cord injury. Current delivery of therapeutics do not work effectively and new approaches are urgently needed. The recently established powerful multidisciplinary research team combines expertise in nanotechnology, glycobiology and neuroscience to develop novel, safe ways to deliver therapeutic enzymes over biological time-courses. We aim to make broken connections work again, while providing quality research training.Read moreRead less
Ecological immunity in the Lepidoptera: unravelling the relationship between immune function, sperm quality, and reproductive success. The effect of juvenile immune challenge and an individual's population ecology on subsequent adult immune function, physiology and reproductive success is poorly understood, despite its ability to explain fundamental processes in sexual selection. This project will unravel the relationship between immune function, sperm quality, and reproductive success.
Polarization vision: insights from biological systems for imaging solutions. This project aims to discover how invertebrate and vertebrate model species see linearly polarised light by constructing a novel instrument to determine limits to sensitivities, as well as animals' ability to distinguish small differences in degree and angle of linear polarisation. The project aims to predict how this might be affected as environments change. A clear understanding of biological solutions to polarisation ....Polarization vision: insights from biological systems for imaging solutions. This project aims to discover how invertebrate and vertebrate model species see linearly polarised light by constructing a novel instrument to determine limits to sensitivities, as well as animals' ability to distinguish small differences in degree and angle of linear polarisation. The project aims to predict how this might be affected as environments change. A clear understanding of biological solutions to polarisation perception can inform the design and development of novel bio-inspired imaging sensors that will be particularly suited to small, autonomous robots.Read moreRead less