Microbe-produced repellents and their roles in marine pathogen behaviours. Economic losses caused by disease outbreaks in marine fisheries and aquaculture exceed US$6 billion per year globally. Decades of research in human and plant pathogens have revealed that the ability of pathogens to infect their host is governed by behaviours; however our understanding of the chemical cues affecting the behaviour of marine pathogens is very poor. This research program aims to combine new approaches in micr ....Microbe-produced repellents and their roles in marine pathogen behaviours. Economic losses caused by disease outbreaks in marine fisheries and aquaculture exceed US$6 billion per year globally. Decades of research in human and plant pathogens have revealed that the ability of pathogens to infect their host is governed by behaviours; however our understanding of the chemical cues affecting the behaviour of marine pathogens is very poor. This research program aims to combine new approaches in microfluidics and chemical imaging to identify the cues that govern the behaviour of marine pathogens. Expected outcomes include an improved capacity to predict, monitor and manage marine diseases, as well as novel strategies to prevent disease outbreaks, helping to protect Australia’s valuable marine estate.Read moreRead less
Creation of a super-resolution map of the bacterial cytokinesis machinery . Cell division is a fundamental process essential for life. Yet our understanding of this process on a molecular level is limited, mostly hampered by the inability to visualize the different components of the division machinery inside these tiny cells with adequate resolution. To overcome this barrier, capitalizing on recent advancements in imaging and molecular technologies combined with innovative engineering, this proj ....Creation of a super-resolution map of the bacterial cytokinesis machinery . Cell division is a fundamental process essential for life. Yet our understanding of this process on a molecular level is limited, mostly hampered by the inability to visualize the different components of the division machinery inside these tiny cells with adequate resolution. To overcome this barrier, capitalizing on recent advancements in imaging and molecular technologies combined with innovative engineering, this project aims to create a spatial and temporal map of the division machinery inside bacterial cells at unprecedented resolution. The expected outcomes are new knowledge on the mechanism of bacterial division and technological advances in biological imaging, informing applications in a wide variety of sectors.Read moreRead less
Microbial community stability dynamics to environmental triggers. This project aims to advance our knowledge of the structural/functional dynamics of complex microbial communities by defining stability in response to environmental influences such as nutrient stress, pathogen invasion and antibiotics/chemicals. Using innovative microbial consortia modelling, to identify communities at risk of homeostatic disruption, we will develop and test pre-emptive microbial manipulation strategies for restor ....Microbial community stability dynamics to environmental triggers. This project aims to advance our knowledge of the structural/functional dynamics of complex microbial communities by defining stability in response to environmental influences such as nutrient stress, pathogen invasion and antibiotics/chemicals. Using innovative microbial consortia modelling, to identify communities at risk of homeostatic disruption, we will develop and test pre-emptive microbial manipulation strategies for restoring community stability. This project will yield significant global impact and economic/health benefit for humans and animals.Read moreRead less
Novel Babesia proteins and their roles in the pathogenesis of tick fever. This project aims at gaining a deep understanding of the biology of Babesia parasites and how they cause tick fever in cattle. The project expects to discover novel parasite proteins involved in the development and persistence of tick fever and identify their functional role in infection. The main expected outcome is the discovery of parasite proteins that are critical for infection and pathogenesis of cattle tick fever. T ....Novel Babesia proteins and their roles in the pathogenesis of tick fever. This project aims at gaining a deep understanding of the biology of Babesia parasites and how they cause tick fever in cattle. The project expects to discover novel parasite proteins involved in the development and persistence of tick fever and identify their functional role in infection. The main expected outcome is the discovery of parasite proteins that are critical for infection and pathogenesis of cattle tick fever. The findings will contribute to the development of future novel vaccines to control tick fever, with significant economic benefits for the beef and dairy industries worldwide.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101524
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$355,325.00
Summary
Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-bas ....Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-based, high-throughput technology for defining bacterial gene regulation networks, and use it to understand siderophore control. This will provide new knowledge of siderophore function, enhance understanding of bacterial community and host interactions, and establish leadership in a new genomics technology in Australia.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,402,903.00
Summary
Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop ....Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop new bioinformatics tools to identify and analyse highly divergent genome sequences through studying meta-transcriptomic data from diverse animal phyla, from prokaryotes and basal eukaryotes, from iconic native mammalian species and their major invasive pests. The benefits provided will include determining the viromes of native and invasive species and enhancing the efforts to protect iconic Australian species from infectious disease.Read moreRead less
Defining the links between climate change, marine disease and food security. This project will deliver critical new knowledge on the causes of marine pathogen outbreaks that threaten Australia’s $1.6 billion aquaculture industry. Several members of the same genus of bacteria have been implicated in recent mass mortality events in aquaculture species, as well as human illness in consumers of seafood, yet the triggers for unprecedented outbreaks of these pathogens are unknown. By coupling a suite ....Defining the links between climate change, marine disease and food security. This project will deliver critical new knowledge on the causes of marine pathogen outbreaks that threaten Australia’s $1.6 billion aquaculture industry. Several members of the same genus of bacteria have been implicated in recent mass mortality events in aquaculture species, as well as human illness in consumers of seafood, yet the triggers for unprecedented outbreaks of these pathogens are unknown. By coupling a suite of sophisticated molecular biological tools and physiological measurements, this research will resolve the role of environmental disturbances including marine heat waves, floods and plastic pollution in stimulating marine pathogen outbreaks, thereby informing efforts to safeguard Australia’s food security and food safety.Read moreRead less
Defining the Microbial-scale Processes Governing Ocean Health . This project aims to resolve the foundations of healthy ocean function by employing innovative approaches to uncover the links between marine chemistry and microbiology. While the importance of microbes in governing ocean health is unquestionable, they are often studied over inappropriately large-scales, leading to inaccurate interpretation of the oceanic processes that ultimately influence fishery production and climate control. W ....Defining the Microbial-scale Processes Governing Ocean Health . This project aims to resolve the foundations of healthy ocean function by employing innovative approaches to uncover the links between marine chemistry and microbiology. While the importance of microbes in governing ocean health is unquestionable, they are often studied over inappropriately large-scales, leading to inaccurate interpretation of the oceanic processes that ultimately influence fishery production and climate control. We will develop new oceanographic tools and analytical techniques to provide a unique "microbes-eye-view" of the sea. The project's outcomes are anticipated to deliver transformative new knowledge on the controls of ocean productivity and sustainability, helping to safeguard Australia’s valuable marine estate.Read moreRead less
Peril and promise: Origins and spread of integron gene cassettes. Integrons have a major role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes among pathogens. They do so by capturing gene cassettes encoding resistance, yet how these cassettes are generated, the taxa in which they originate, and the range of traits that cassettes can encode have been outstanding questions for 30 years. This project addresses these long standing questions. The project will analyze single bacterial cells to detect newly ....Peril and promise: Origins and spread of integron gene cassettes. Integrons have a major role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes among pathogens. They do so by capturing gene cassettes encoding resistance, yet how these cassettes are generated, the taxa in which they originate, and the range of traits that cassettes can encode have been outstanding questions for 30 years. This project addresses these long standing questions. The project will analyze single bacterial cells to detect newly generated cassettes and assign them to specific taxa, using an innovative method that links cassette DNA to bacterial 16S rDNA. Understanding cassette origins is the key to controlling their activity, both to harness integrons for biotechnology, and to prevent pathogens from acquiring new, dangerous traits. Read moreRead less
Defining how inter-bacterial symbioses regulate aquatic ecosystem health. This project will determine how ecological relationships among aquatic bacteria govern the health of Australia’s marine and freshwater environments. Cyanobacteria support aquatic ecosystem productivity, but can have detrimental effects when they form harmful blooms, although the factors governing the balance of these contrasting impacts are largely undefined. By coupling sophisticated approaches including genomics, phenomi ....Defining how inter-bacterial symbioses regulate aquatic ecosystem health. This project will determine how ecological relationships among aquatic bacteria govern the health of Australia’s marine and freshwater environments. Cyanobacteria support aquatic ecosystem productivity, but can have detrimental effects when they form harmful blooms, although the factors governing the balance of these contrasting impacts are largely undefined. By coupling sophisticated approaches including genomics, phenomics, and microfluidics to examine how symbioses with other bacteria influence the growth and function of important species of cyanobacteria, this research will elucidate the importance of an over-looked factor in controlling the productivity, health and value of Australia’s aquatic estate.Read moreRead less