Carbon in - carbon out: can carbon inputs keep up with losses in peatland? This project aims to quantify the current and predict the future carbon balance of a high altitude, carbon-dense ecosystem, namely sub-alpine grassy peatland, by measuring how environmental variables including experimental warming control the fluxes of carbon and water into and out of the system. In this way, this project will produce new knowledge on the susceptibility of high-altitude peaty soils to climate change. Expe ....Carbon in - carbon out: can carbon inputs keep up with losses in peatland? This project aims to quantify the current and predict the future carbon balance of a high altitude, carbon-dense ecosystem, namely sub-alpine grassy peatland, by measuring how environmental variables including experimental warming control the fluxes of carbon and water into and out of the system. In this way, this project will produce new knowledge on the susceptibility of high-altitude peaty soils to climate change. Expected outcomes include an enhanced ability to predict future carbon accumulation rates and the resilience of the vital water-storage and filtration services provided by these systems. This project will enhance outputs from new infrastructure and assist planning for future flood and drought management across SE Australia.Read moreRead less
Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability t ....Micro-electrofluidic platforms for monitoring 3D human biological models. The ability to study living cells and human biological models (cell cultures) delivers greater understanding of basic biological function and response to applied (bio)chemical stimuli. Creating the physical environments to sustain biological models, and mimic natural conditions and fluidic pathways, is immensely challenging, yet essential to deliver meaningful observational data. This project will deliver this capability through the convergence of expertise and innovation in analytical chemistry, materials science and cellular biology, ultilising the latest technology and understanding of 3D micro/electrofluidics, to enable the study and stimulation of advanced biological models, sustained within precisely controlled 3D micro-environments.Read moreRead less
Natural selection and the Tasmanian devil. This project aims to explain evolution of immune capabilities in response to disease threats in the wild by assessing the immune adaptive capabilities of Tasmanian devils in response to facial tumour disease. It plans to determine how the expression of immune genes differs between wild and captive populations. The project will combine immunology, epidemiology and evolutionary biology, to understand the role of host genetic and phenotypic adaptations to ....Natural selection and the Tasmanian devil. This project aims to explain evolution of immune capabilities in response to disease threats in the wild by assessing the immune adaptive capabilities of Tasmanian devils in response to facial tumour disease. It plans to determine how the expression of immune genes differs between wild and captive populations. The project will combine immunology, epidemiology and evolutionary biology, to understand the role of host genetic and phenotypic adaptations to disease threats. The project will assist in the development of diagnostic tools for managing this and other threatened species and for screening disease resistance markers across wild and captive insurance populations.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100115
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,697.00
Summary
Evaluating the Impact and Efficiency of Engineering the Ocean to Remove CO2. This project aims to evaluate the viability of engineering the ocean to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by simulating a suite of climate intervention and baseline scenarios. To better predict changes in marine carbon cycling, I will first make novel observations of zooplankton grazing dynamics, then use them to improve, validate and constrain a new marine biogeochemical model. Using this model, coupled to an o ....Evaluating the Impact and Efficiency of Engineering the Ocean to Remove CO2. This project aims to evaluate the viability of engineering the ocean to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by simulating a suite of climate intervention and baseline scenarios. To better predict changes in marine carbon cycling, I will first make novel observations of zooplankton grazing dynamics, then use them to improve, validate and constrain a new marine biogeochemical model. Using this model, coupled to an ocean, atmosphere and fisheries model, I will quantify the long-term efficiency with which marine carbon dioxide removal strategies sequester carbon along with their impact on fisheries catch. These projections will help scientists, policy-makers, and industry leaders decide if, when, and how we should geoengineer the ocean. Read moreRead less
How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms. This project aims to identify novel and conserved mechanisms that drive the opening of stomata – plant pores that enable CO2 acquisition for photosynthesis. Stomatal movements strongly affect plant productivity and water use efficiency and have profoundly influenced the earth’s climate and terrestrial ecology. This project will address critical gaps in our understanding of how plants open stomata in response to their env ....How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms. This project aims to identify novel and conserved mechanisms that drive the opening of stomata – plant pores that enable CO2 acquisition for photosynthesis. Stomatal movements strongly affect plant productivity and water use efficiency and have profoundly influenced the earth’s climate and terrestrial ecology. This project will address critical gaps in our understanding of how plants open stomata in response to their environment and the evolutionary history of the genes controlling this fundamental process. A major expected outcome is knowledge of the diversity of stomatal opening pathways, which should ultimately lead to improved predictions of plant responses to environmental change and assist future targeted modification of plant growth.Read moreRead less
Managing infectious disease through partial wildlife social networks. This project aims to investigate the dynamics of the spread of infectious disease in wildlife, derived from incomplete information about contact networks. Infectious diseases in wildlife are difficult to track and control, because it is not feasible to monitor each individual in a population and know the contact network for a population. The project will create ways to best utilise incomplete observational data of contact netw ....Managing infectious disease through partial wildlife social networks. This project aims to investigate the dynamics of the spread of infectious disease in wildlife, derived from incomplete information about contact networks. Infectious diseases in wildlife are difficult to track and control, because it is not feasible to monitor each individual in a population and know the contact network for a population. The project will create ways to best utilise incomplete observational data of contact networks to develop robust predictions of disease spread and population fate, and to reliably predict the outcomes of management interventions. These robust prediction methods will provide better insights for conservation of Australian wildlife.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101133
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,067.00
Summary
The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival. This project aims to identify genes that control plant responses to low air humidity, which enhance drought survival by restricting water loss. Most plant water loss occurs through pores called stomata. This project expects to identify the genes that close stomata within minutes of decreased humidity by determining the molecular changes that occur over this timeframe and testing candidate genes for a critical role. Divers ....The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival. This project aims to identify genes that control plant responses to low air humidity, which enhance drought survival by restricting water loss. Most plant water loss occurs through pores called stomata. This project expects to identify the genes that close stomata within minutes of decreased humidity by determining the molecular changes that occur over this timeframe and testing candidate genes for a critical role. Diverse land plant models will be examined to ensure broad applicability of results. A major expected outcome is new knowledge of genes that minimise plant water loss, which would ultimately benefit plant-based industries through new targets for breeding improved, drought-adapted varieties for food security in a drying climate.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL160100131
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,496,651.00
Summary
Geoengineering the Southern Ocean? A transdisciplinary assessment. Geoengineering the Southern Ocean? A transdisciplinary assessment. The project aims to comprehensively evaluate the feasibility of offsetting climate change by using geoengineering to boost carbon dioxide removal by Southern Ocean microbes. With existing polar datasets as a platform, the project would combine experiments and modelling to quantify carbon dioxide removal and critically assess the economic feasibility and side effec ....Geoengineering the Southern Ocean? A transdisciplinary assessment. Geoengineering the Southern Ocean? A transdisciplinary assessment. The project aims to comprehensively evaluate the feasibility of offsetting climate change by using geoengineering to boost carbon dioxide removal by Southern Ocean microbes. With existing polar datasets as a platform, the project would combine experiments and modelling to quantify carbon dioxide removal and critically assess the economic feasibility and side effects of geoengineering. Anticipated outcomes include a framework for governance of future research and informed national/international policy on using geoengineering to mitigate climate change.Read moreRead less
Developing a wildlife health intelligence and vaccine distribution system. This project aims to establish an industry-linked pipeline for vaccines to be delivered to animals in edible baits and a near real-time monitoring system for assessing the impact of management actions. This project will develop ultrasensitive diagnostic tests and incorporate biomarkers into baits from Australia's leading pest animal control company. Bait uptake and disease status in the field will be monitored using artif ....Developing a wildlife health intelligence and vaccine distribution system. This project aims to establish an industry-linked pipeline for vaccines to be delivered to animals in edible baits and a near real-time monitoring system for assessing the impact of management actions. This project will develop ultrasensitive diagnostic tests and incorporate biomarkers into baits from Australia's leading pest animal control company. Bait uptake and disease status in the field will be monitored using artificial intelligence technology developed in Tasmania. This integrated wildlife health intelligence and scalable vaccine platform can help protect the iconic Tasmanian devil from disease and increase Australia's preparedness for looming threats to the livestock industry such as African swine fever.Read moreRead less