Calcium compartmentation in leaves: testing an integrated model of water and calcium transport with cell specific functional genomics. Calcium is a vital nutrient to animals and humans and its storage in vegetation is important for its accessibility. We believe this storage is linked to water flow in the leaf by a novel mechanism. This project will provide fundamental understanding of the cell type-specific processes involved in calcium storage and water flow in plants. High calibre PhD and Hono ....Calcium compartmentation in leaves: testing an integrated model of water and calcium transport with cell specific functional genomics. Calcium is a vital nutrient to animals and humans and its storage in vegetation is important for its accessibility. We believe this storage is linked to water flow in the leaf by a novel mechanism. This project will provide fundamental understanding of the cell type-specific processes involved in calcium storage and water flow in plants. High calibre PhD and Honours students will be educated to maintain the momentum of international excellence within Australia in the field of plant nutrient relations. The increase in understanding will allow future work to improve calcium availability and water use by plants to the benefit of agricultural productivity and quality of life.Read moreRead less
Can altered sugar sensing improve crop productivity? This project aims at genetically manipulating sugar sensing pathways in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis, and at replacing sugar sensors in the model C3 crop Oryza sativa (rice) with those from S. viridis. This project expects to elucidate the impact of altered sugar perception on crop photosynthesis and yield. Expected outcomes includes advancing a novel “pull” approach to improve yield in C3 crops by using C4-like sugar sensors to reduce f ....Can altered sugar sensing improve crop productivity? This project aims at genetically manipulating sugar sensing pathways in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis, and at replacing sugar sensors in the model C3 crop Oryza sativa (rice) with those from S. viridis. This project expects to elucidate the impact of altered sugar perception on crop photosynthesis and yield. Expected outcomes includes advancing a novel “pull” approach to improve yield in C3 crops by using C4-like sugar sensors to reduce feedback regulation of photosynthesis which in turn limits productivity. This is in contrast to previous ‘push’ approaches aimed at directly increasing photosynthesis. Hence, this project provides significant benefits by contributing to the next green revolution needed to lift agricultural yields.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology. We propose a novel approach to improve sustainable yield by optimising the overall efficiency of energy capture, conversion and use by plants. Efficiency gains in metabolism, transport, and development will be more effective than optimising single nutrient inputs or product outputs. Improving multiple parameters simultaneously is a necessary solution to the increasing demand for more crop yield from finite land, water, and nutrient resources. Unp ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology. We propose a novel approach to improve sustainable yield by optimising the overall efficiency of energy capture, conversion and use by plants. Efficiency gains in metabolism, transport, and development will be more effective than optimising single nutrient inputs or product outputs. Improving multiple parameters simultaneously is a necessary solution to the increasing demand for more crop yield from finite land, water, and nutrient resources. Unpredictable environmental challenges adversely affect plant growth and further perturb plant energy balance, limiting yield. The epigenetic controls, gene variants and signals discovered will provide a new basis for sustainable productivity of crops and will future-proof plants in changing climates.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101536
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,000.00
Summary
How does mitochondrial biogenesis regulate seed germination in plants? This project aims to develop a better understanding of seed germination to enable the generation of cereal seeds with optimised rates of germination for agricultural production. Seed germination is a fundamental phase of the plant life cycle. Every year, alterations in the rate of germination cause significant crop loss in rice and other cereals. Mitochondria are emerging as essential signalling hubs in the regulation of seed ....How does mitochondrial biogenesis regulate seed germination in plants? This project aims to develop a better understanding of seed germination to enable the generation of cereal seeds with optimised rates of germination for agricultural production. Seed germination is a fundamental phase of the plant life cycle. Every year, alterations in the rate of germination cause significant crop loss in rice and other cereals. Mitochondria are emerging as essential signalling hubs in the regulation of seed germination. The project aims to combine the latest technologies and molecular approaches with genetics to understand how mitochondria regulate seed germination and the rate of germination progression in rice. The project also plans to investigate and confirm the interplay between oxygen signalling, phytohormones and mitochondrial biogenesis.Read moreRead less