Motility as a means to understand prokaryotic function in the biosphere. Bacterial processes are crucial to the environment, industry and technology of Australia. This work will open a new area of research to expand our understanding of how bacteria behave and function. This will lay the foundation for improved environmental management and resource utilisation in the critical areas of groundwater purification, coral infections, fisheries yields, petroleum remediation and bioenergy generation. Th ....Motility as a means to understand prokaryotic function in the biosphere. Bacterial processes are crucial to the environment, industry and technology of Australia. This work will open a new area of research to expand our understanding of how bacteria behave and function. This will lay the foundation for improved environmental management and resource utilisation in the critical areas of groundwater purification, coral infections, fisheries yields, petroleum remediation and bioenergy generation. This proposal will train over a dozen new scientists in these crucial areas and bring leading international scientists to Australia in the areas of bioenergy production, microfluidics, advanced microscopy and bioengineering.Read moreRead less
The geomicrobiology and (bio)geochemistry of platinum, palladium and rhodium. Few economic (Platinum) Pt, (Palladium) Pd or (Rhodium) Rh deposits are known in Australia despite an abundance of potential host rock. By improving onshore exploration techniques this project will ensure the supply of these strategic metals to the Australian economy. By integrating geochemical, molecular microbial and microanalyses (e.g., synchrotron) techniques this project will also: (i) enhance Australia's status i ....The geomicrobiology and (bio)geochemistry of platinum, palladium and rhodium. Few economic (Platinum) Pt, (Palladium) Pd or (Rhodium) Rh deposits are known in Australia despite an abundance of potential host rock. By improving onshore exploration techniques this project will ensure the supply of these strategic metals to the Australian economy. By integrating geochemical, molecular microbial and microanalyses (e.g., synchrotron) techniques this project will also: (i) enhance Australia's status in the breakthrough science of Geomicrobiology; (ii) secure a leading role for Australian science in the assessment of anthropogenic Pt, Pd and Rh pollution; (iii) access expertise developed overseas by fostering international collaborations; and (iv) explore the transformational capabilities of microbiota for ore-processing of and nano-particle production.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms and management of inducible tolerance to synthetic insecticides and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-formulations in Australian populations of diamondback moth. Insects have a cunning ability to respond to damaging environments by evolving genetic resistance or mobilising metabolic tolerance mechanisms. Recent observations of inducible tolerance to synthetic and biopesticides, which can be transmitted to offspring by a maternal effect has the potential to cause ecological and economic prob ....Mechanisms and management of inducible tolerance to synthetic insecticides and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-formulations in Australian populations of diamondback moth. Insects have a cunning ability to respond to damaging environments by evolving genetic resistance or mobilising metabolic tolerance mechanisms. Recent observations of inducible tolerance to synthetic and biopesticides, which can be transmitted to offspring by a maternal effect has the potential to cause ecological and economic problems in agricultural production. We will use field-collected Diamondback moth (DBM), a major insect pest in canola and brassica vegetable crops, to investigate the genetic implications of inducible tolerance for the integrated management of DBM and for the design of new resistance management strategies.Read moreRead less
Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laborator ....Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laboratory techniques and DNA identification methods to provide a template for determining ground water diversity and food web dynamics throughout Australia. This project will lead to a better understanding of how to manage ground water in a sustainable manner.Read moreRead less
Beyond oceanography: behavior as a tool to uncover ocean complexity. It is crucial that Australia remains a world leader in marine biology and ecology and continues to preserve the uniqueness of its marine environment through the development of integrated inter-disciplinary research projects. This project will open a new area of research at both the national and international levels through the first integrated approach of the behavioural mechanisms that rule the base of the ocean food web struc ....Beyond oceanography: behavior as a tool to uncover ocean complexity. It is crucial that Australia remains a world leader in marine biology and ecology and continues to preserve the uniqueness of its marine environment through the development of integrated inter-disciplinary research projects. This project will open a new area of research at both the national and international levels through the first integrated approach of the behavioural mechanisms that rule the base of the ocean food web structures and functions. The present work is also expected to open new perspectives in fields such as biological oceanography, microbial ecology, plankton ecology, behavioural ecology through the exploration of previously untapped areas of research.Read moreRead less
Competition or cooperation between marine biofilm bacteria recycling POM? Biofilms develop on any wetted surface by adhesion and subsequent growth of microorganisms. Recycling the energy, carbon and nitrogen contained in oceanic particulate organic matter (POM) is a global process essential for life on Earth. Ocean POM is degraded by its biofilm consortia, particularly bacteria secreting digestive enzymes. It is not known whether biofilm bacteria compete or cooperate in recycling POM. This proj ....Competition or cooperation between marine biofilm bacteria recycling POM? Biofilms develop on any wetted surface by adhesion and subsequent growth of microorganisms. Recycling the energy, carbon and nitrogen contained in oceanic particulate organic matter (POM) is a global process essential for life on Earth. Ocean POM is degraded by its biofilm consortia, particularly bacteria secreting digestive enzymes. It is not known whether biofilm bacteria compete or cooperate in recycling POM. This project combines microscopy image analysis, flow cytometry and molecular genetics to determine bacterial interactions quantitatively in mixed-species biofilms on natural POM. Results will increase knowledge of bacterial community functioning and biofilm recycling of POM in marine environments.Read moreRead less
MICROSCALE PLANKTON AND PARTICLE DYNAMICS: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL SEAS. Microscopic phytoplankton are the basis of ocean ecosystems, but most predictions and measurements focus on processes that occur over kilometres. Our recent work shows that definite and regular submetre seascape topography exists. This grant will test the extent to which this seascape topography is the fundamental organisational unit of marine ecosystems and the extent to which it characteris ....MICROSCALE PLANKTON AND PARTICLE DYNAMICS: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL SEAS. Microscopic phytoplankton are the basis of ocean ecosystems, but most predictions and measurements focus on processes that occur over kilometres. Our recent work shows that definite and regular submetre seascape topography exists. This grant will test the extent to which this seascape topography is the fundamental organisational unit of marine ecosystems and the extent to which it characterises Australian coastal waters and open ocean water masses. This research takes a leadership role in defining and advancing our understanding of how marine ecosystems function. The project will bring over $200 million of Japanese infrastructure to Australia for 3 years.Read moreRead less
Microbial Oceanography: Community Heterogeneity Fuelled by Environmental Variability. The ocean is a crucial resource to Australia. This work will open a new area of research within Australian habitats, which will improve our understanding of how the base of the ocean food web functions, and build a new perspective from which to look at the microscopic plankton that influence fisheries yield and species invasions. Appreciating how microbial communities respond to environmental perturbations will ....Microbial Oceanography: Community Heterogeneity Fuelled by Environmental Variability. The ocean is a crucial resource to Australia. This work will open a new area of research within Australian habitats, which will improve our understanding of how the base of the ocean food web functions, and build a new perspective from which to look at the microscopic plankton that influence fisheries yield and species invasions. Appreciating how microbial communities respond to environmental perturbations will provide an improved vantage-point to predict future changes to the Australian marine environment. Leading international scientists will provide conceptual and technical expertise in an Australian based project, applying novel analytical tools not currently employed within oceanographic surveys within Australian waters.Read moreRead less
Functional analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxins. Pore-forming toxins, such as anthrax, hemolysin, cholera and diphtheria toxins, are among the most virulent microbial toxins, posing a threat to humans and lifestock. We are using a novel functional approach to test possible lectin and antimicrobial peptide functions of a typical and economically important pore-forming toxin, the crystal endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis, to examine why toxicity of the lectin-containing toxin is ....Functional analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis crystal toxins. Pore-forming toxins, such as anthrax, hemolysin, cholera and diphtheria toxins, are among the most virulent microbial toxins, posing a threat to humans and lifestock. We are using a novel functional approach to test possible lectin and antimicrobial peptide functions of a typical and economically important pore-forming toxin, the crystal endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis, to examine why toxicity of the lectin-containing toxin is restricted to invertebrates only, while the amphipathic peptide alone is also toxic to many vertebrate cells. The outcome of these experiments has important implications for the sustainable use of biopesticides and for the prevention and containment of infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional mapping and bio-physical coupling in the plankton microenvironment. The fate of carbon in the marine environment, and potential modification of global climate, is driven by organisms ranging in size from 0.1 to 100 µm interacting at mm to cm scales. This research will provide the first high-resolution 3D measurements of distributions, diversity and dynamics of these key organisms. Australia provides the unique opportunity to study these microscale patterns and processes in arch ....Three-dimensional mapping and bio-physical coupling in the plankton microenvironment. The fate of carbon in the marine environment, and potential modification of global climate, is driven by organisms ranging in size from 0.1 to 100 µm interacting at mm to cm scales. This research will provide the first high-resolution 3D measurements of distributions, diversity and dynamics of these key organisms. Australia provides the unique opportunity to study these microscale patterns and processes in archetypical examples of environments representative of the world's most significant marine ecosystems. These results will maintain Australia at the cutting-edge of marine environmental science, and provide the first application of novel sampling, analysis and modelling techiques to environments of the Australian economic exclusion zone.Read moreRead less