The characterization of tiny Ribonucleic acids in animal epigenetics. Epigenetics, the inheritance of traits not encoded in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), is not well understood in animals. This project will investigate two classes of Ribonucleic acid (RNA) that may form part of an animal-specific epigenetic regulatory system. This study could revolutionize our understanding of animal genetics.
The cellular basis of branching morphogenesis during kidney development. This project aims to study the process of branching morphogenesis which drives the development of the kidney. Previous studies group have demonstrated, in general terms, how branching progresses during gestation. However, little is known about the fundamental cellular events which trigger or characterise this basic developmental process. This project expects to provide deep insights into the cellular basis of tissue and org ....The cellular basis of branching morphogenesis during kidney development. This project aims to study the process of branching morphogenesis which drives the development of the kidney. Previous studies group have demonstrated, in general terms, how branching progresses during gestation. However, little is known about the fundamental cellular events which trigger or characterise this basic developmental process. This project expects to provide deep insights into the cellular basis of tissue and organ development. In studying this process the project should provide critical insights into how cells act, individually and collectively, to build tissues.Read moreRead less
The genomic programming of complex organisms. The project will have far-reaching consequences in medicine, agriculture, biotechnology, engineering, information science and associated industries. It will provide a platform for the rationalization of genetic epidemiology and genetic improvement programs, the development of a wide range of new diagnostics and therapies, the development of new core technologies and practical approaches in genetics and genetic diversity, a framework for advanced gen ....The genomic programming of complex organisms. The project will have far-reaching consequences in medicine, agriculture, biotechnology, engineering, information science and associated industries. It will provide a platform for the rationalization of genetic epidemiology and genetic improvement programs, the development of a wide range of new diagnostics and therapies, the development of new core technologies and practical approaches in genetics and genetic diversity, a framework for advanced genetic engineering, the development of new principles and systems for information storage and transmission, and the design of artificial systems capable of self-referential assembly in other environments.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0667981
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Kangaroo Genome Resource Management Facility. Increasingly, large Australian multicentre research programs in biological and medical sciences have a genomics component that involves integration of biological information with sequencing data. The success of these research programs depends on rapid internet access to the research information by all participating scientists. The universal design of the proposed information management system means that it can be easily adapted to support a broad ran ....Kangaroo Genome Resource Management Facility. Increasingly, large Australian multicentre research programs in biological and medical sciences have a genomics component that involves integration of biological information with sequencing data. The success of these research programs depends on rapid internet access to the research information by all participating scientists. The universal design of the proposed information management system means that it can be easily adapted to support a broad range of research programs. The development of this software program therefore has the potential to benefit research scientists, academics and students in many related fields, as well as the broader community, through enhancing research outcomes.Read moreRead less
How to build the head: A molecular mechanistic insight. This project aims to gain an insight into the functional output of the gene regulatory network and the molecular determinants that are critical for the formation of the head. Genome-wide sequencing technologies are employed to identify the ensemble of genes that are regulated by Lhx1. By a combination of bioinformatics analysis and a system biology approach, the project aims to build a model of the network of the interacting genes for head ....How to build the head: A molecular mechanistic insight. This project aims to gain an insight into the functional output of the gene regulatory network and the molecular determinants that are critical for the formation of the head. Genome-wide sequencing technologies are employed to identify the ensemble of genes that are regulated by Lhx1. By a combination of bioinformatics analysis and a system biology approach, the project aims to build a model of the network of the interacting genes for head development, and to characterise the function of selected components of this network to refine its architecture and define the dynamics of the network. The knowledge may improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism underpinning the naturally-occurring variation in the forms of major body parts, and of how genes and signals work cooperatively to build an embryo.Read moreRead less
Understanding the evolution of the alternation of generations in the land plant life cycle. This project will investigate the genetic basis and evolution of the land plant life cycle, in which both haploid and diploid phases consist of complex multicellular bodies. The project's findings, which will be made using two model laboratory plants, will be applicable to all plants and will help understand important processes such as pollen and seed production.
Molecular mechanisms that generate muscle cell type diversity. The general aim of this project is to exploit the advantages of the zebrafish system and our access to the embryology of Australian shark species to generate an understanding of the basis for muscle fibre diversity and evolution. While there is some understanding of the fundamental genetic basis of how to make an individual muscle cell from a nascent myoblast there is far less knowledge on how individual muscle cells generate mature ....Molecular mechanisms that generate muscle cell type diversity. The general aim of this project is to exploit the advantages of the zebrafish system and our access to the embryology of Australian shark species to generate an understanding of the basis for muscle fibre diversity and evolution. While there is some understanding of the fundamental genetic basis of how to make an individual muscle cell from a nascent myoblast there is far less knowledge on how individual muscle cells generate mature muscle types and patterns. The intended outcome of this research is to generate understanding of the complex molecular basis of muscle patterning in the simple paradigm of the zebrafish myotome that could be applied across the vertebrate phylogeny.Read moreRead less
Development and evolution of land plant shoots. How do plants grow and develop their wonderful diversity of forms, from cereal crops to eucalypt forests? The project aims to understand basic mechanisms of plant development via comparative studies using the model angiosperm, Arabidopsis, and the liverwort, Marchantia, which possesses a simplified genome. Comparative studies of the genetic basis of the body plan, branching, and hormonal action could unlock their evolutionary elaboration from the s ....Development and evolution of land plant shoots. How do plants grow and develop their wonderful diversity of forms, from cereal crops to eucalypt forests? The project aims to understand basic mechanisms of plant development via comparative studies using the model angiosperm, Arabidopsis, and the liverwort, Marchantia, which possesses a simplified genome. Comparative studies of the genetic basis of the body plan, branching, and hormonal action could unlock their evolutionary elaboration from the simpler liverworts to more complex flowering plants. The project may generate new understanding of the principles of how genes and hormones control the architecture of plant shoot systems, and support the targeted selection of new agricultural plants.Read moreRead less
Imaging mammalian organogenesis with adaptive optics. Optical and computational barriers to analysing cell movement have limited our understanding of mammalian organogenesis. We have built a super-resolution spinning disk confocal microscope with adaptive optics and developed machine learning-based image processing and cell segmentation workflows to overcome these long-standing barriers. We propose to combine these cutting-edge live imaging and analysis approaches to characterise the role of cel ....Imaging mammalian organogenesis with adaptive optics. Optical and computational barriers to analysing cell movement have limited our understanding of mammalian organogenesis. We have built a super-resolution spinning disk confocal microscope with adaptive optics and developed machine learning-based image processing and cell segmentation workflows to overcome these long-standing barriers. We propose to combine these cutting-edge live imaging and analysis approaches to characterise the role of cell movement in mammalian organ formation and develop advanced cell segmentation and tracking methods for use in the scientific community. We anticipate this project will generate fundamental insights into how cells interact to build complex organs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101962
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Functional epigenomics interrogation of DNA methylation dynamics during vertebrate development and evolution. DNA methylation (mC) is an epigenetic signal essential for the maintenance of correct gene expression patterns. To investigate the causal relationships between mC and transcription during vertebrate embryonic development and evolution, this project will perform high-resolution mC profiling at different stages of teleost, amphibian and mammalian development. Highly conserved and syntenic, ....Functional epigenomics interrogation of DNA methylation dynamics during vertebrate development and evolution. DNA methylation (mC) is an epigenetic signal essential for the maintenance of correct gene expression patterns. To investigate the causal relationships between mC and transcription during vertebrate embryonic development and evolution, this project will perform high-resolution mC profiling at different stages of teleost, amphibian and mammalian development. Highly conserved and syntenic, methylated sequences will then be used as baits in proteomics screens to identify novel 5mC 'readers'. The generation of genomic profiles of mC 'readers' and their integration with developmental mC maps will reveal transient epigenome dynamics during vertebrate embryogenesis and provide new insights into the conservation of these crucial developmental mechanisms.Read moreRead less