Insect age: an ecological genomics approach to understanding host-parasite interactions. The importance of insect age (or the age structure of a population of insects) in understanding relationships between insects and their abiotic and biotic environment has been stressed in many theoretical studies but seldom directly tested. This is because few tools exist that can accurately measure the age of a wild-caught insect with any accuracy. In this proposal we plan to use a genomics approach to deve ....Insect age: an ecological genomics approach to understanding host-parasite interactions. The importance of insect age (or the age structure of a population of insects) in understanding relationships between insects and their abiotic and biotic environment has been stressed in many theoretical studies but seldom directly tested. This is because few tools exist that can accurately measure the age of a wild-caught insect with any accuracy. In this proposal we plan to use a genomics approach to develop tools that can be used to efficiently determine the age of an insect and then apply these tools to better understand the relationship between insect age and the ability of an insect to transmit pathogens to humans, livestock or plants. These tools will also have future applicability in developing new approaches to control insect transmitted disease as well as provide methodology to determine the effectiveness of current control programs that seek to kill pest insect populations of agricultural or public health significance.Read moreRead less
A novel method for controlling microbial concrete corrosion in sewers. This project plans to use a newly discovered, low-cost and environmental benign antimicrobial agent to develop an innovative technology to control the development of corrosion-inducing sewer biofilms. Concrete sewer corrosion is a long-standing and costly problem for the water industry. Microbial hydrogen sulfide oxidation on concrete surfaces plays a critical role. The technology will be designed to prevent corrosion of new ....A novel method for controlling microbial concrete corrosion in sewers. This project plans to use a newly discovered, low-cost and environmental benign antimicrobial agent to develop an innovative technology to control the development of corrosion-inducing sewer biofilms. Concrete sewer corrosion is a long-standing and costly problem for the water industry. Microbial hydrogen sulfide oxidation on concrete surfaces plays a critical role. The technology will be designed to prevent corrosion of new concrete sewers by adding a precursor chemical into the cement, or to slow down the corrosion of existing sewers by infrequently (once every one to few years) spraying the precursor chemical directly onto the concrete surface. Potentially, the project will substantially reduce sewer corrosion.Read moreRead less
Development of novel pest management tools for major insect pests. The project will provide new options for environmentally sustainable control of some of the world's worst pests. Cost effective systems will be developed that prevent crop damage, using chemicals identical to naturally occurring plant compounds, combined with tiny quantities of insecticides, to lure and kill adult moths before they lay eggs.
Strategies for mid-air collision avoidance in aircraft: lessons from bird flight. Birds seldom collide with each other and other objects, despite the high speeds at which they fly in complex environments. This project will examine how birds sense and avoid impending collisions, and will use these results to design novel strategies for the detection and avoidance of aircraft mid-air collisions.
Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equ ....Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equivalent levels of service to remote communities over vast distances (or border protection of vast regions). The population base of Australia requires that cost-effective solutions are sought to meet this end. Read moreRead less
Who's calling? Understanding and exploiting signalling system ecology to improve success in trapping cane toads. This project has five major national and community benefits for Australia. It will: 1. provide a much-needed control option for a major pest, 2. actually remove many toads during the course of the study, through trapping at various locations around Australia, 3. support an Australian small business by providing research outcomes that will enable it to develop and market a highly desi ....Who's calling? Understanding and exploiting signalling system ecology to improve success in trapping cane toads. This project has five major national and community benefits for Australia. It will: 1. provide a much-needed control option for a major pest, 2. actually remove many toads during the course of the study, through trapping at various locations around Australia, 3. support an Australian small business by providing research outcomes that will enable it to develop and market a highly desired product, and 4. provide high level, postgraduate training in science. This project directly addresses the National Research Priority goal safeguarding Australia, protecting Australia from invasive … pests, because it will generate new technologies useful for controlling an invasive species.Read moreRead less
Elucidating structure and function of activation-associated secreted proteins (ASPs) in blood-feeding hookworms – toward new methods of control. The national/community benefits are: (1) to develop a long-term, high quality scientific and technological program contributing to national objectives, including the maintenance of a strong capability in basic research, the development of new scientific concepts and the enhancement of international collaborative links; (2) to strengthen the links betwee ....Elucidating structure and function of activation-associated secreted proteins (ASPs) in blood-feeding hookworms – toward new methods of control. The national/community benefits are: (1) to develop a long-term, high quality scientific and technological program contributing to national objectives, including the maintenance of a strong capability in basic research, the development of new scientific concepts and the enhancement of international collaborative links; (2) to strengthen the links between basic and applied research; (3) to develop excellence in research by promoting collaborative research, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; (4) to enhance the skills-base in biology and biotechnology; (5) to substantially increase global visibility through quality research, leading to an increased investment in Australian science.Read moreRead less
Developing a chlamydial vaccine for koalas. Developing a chlamydial vaccine for koalas . This project aims to produce an optimised, safe, field-tested, protective Chlamydia vaccine for koalas. In many regions of Australia, Chlamydia infection severely reduces female koala reproductive rates, threatening the species’ long term survival. This project builds on work developing a prototype vaccine for koala Chlamydia, and intends to produce a vaccine ready for potential registration and use by koala ....Developing a chlamydial vaccine for koalas. Developing a chlamydial vaccine for koalas . This project aims to produce an optimised, safe, field-tested, protective Chlamydia vaccine for koalas. In many regions of Australia, Chlamydia infection severely reduces female koala reproductive rates, threatening the species’ long term survival. This project builds on work developing a prototype vaccine for koala Chlamydia, and intends to produce a vaccine ready for potential registration and use by koala care centres, wildlife hospitals and government departments.Read moreRead less
Development of a vaccine to protect koalas against koala retrovirus (KoRV). This project aims to develop a vaccine against koala retrovirus (KoRV) to arrest the increasing loss of animals due to this infection. Along with Chlamydia, KoRV threatens the long-term survival of the koala. KoRV infects over 95 per cent of Australia’s koalas and has been strongly linked to lymphoma and leukemia. Although quarantine and antiretroviral drug treatment are possible control measures, they are impractical in ....Development of a vaccine to protect koalas against koala retrovirus (KoRV). This project aims to develop a vaccine against koala retrovirus (KoRV) to arrest the increasing loss of animals due to this infection. Along with Chlamydia, KoRV threatens the long-term survival of the koala. KoRV infects over 95 per cent of Australia’s koalas and has been strongly linked to lymphoma and leukemia. Although quarantine and antiretroviral drug treatment are possible control measures, they are impractical in the wild, leaving vaccination as the only realistic option. This is valuable for both wild and captive koalas; zoos report high animal losses due to KoRV-associated lymphoma. The main outcome will be a KoRV vaccine which can be combined with a Chlamydia vaccine which is being developed in parallel.Read moreRead less
Mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial pest management - physicochemical definition of oviposition sites for development of cost-efficient artificial substrates. The mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial purposes demands the development of cost-effective techniques for breeding and distributing them to growers. Many predatory beneficial insects lay their eggs in sites that prevent effective mass culturing. To circumvent this difficulty, it should be possible to defin ....Mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial pest management - physicochemical definition of oviposition sites for development of cost-efficient artificial substrates. The mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial purposes demands the development of cost-effective techniques for breeding and distributing them to growers. Many predatory beneficial insects lay their eggs in sites that prevent effective mass culturing. To circumvent this difficulty, it should be possible to define such oviposition sites in chemical and physical terms, and then use the information to develop artificial substrates that are convenient for mass rearing the insects and for disseminating them to growers. We will use the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouszieri to test the feasibility of this approach and to assess its application to other beneficial species.Read moreRead less