The other half of the G-protein story: Functional analysis of the plant G-protein gamma subunits. It is now established that G-proteins are involved in the transduction of a number of important processes in plants (Cell division, stomata control, defence, light perception, etc). Nevertheless the data accumulated to date is based on the study of one of the two subunits (alpha) of the G-proteins. Almost nothing is known about the role of the second (and independent) subunit: beta-gamma. We will st ....The other half of the G-protein story: Functional analysis of the plant G-protein gamma subunits. It is now established that G-proteins are involved in the transduction of a number of important processes in plants (Cell division, stomata control, defence, light perception, etc). Nevertheless the data accumulated to date is based on the study of one of the two subunits (alpha) of the G-proteins. Almost nothing is known about the role of the second (and independent) subunit: beta-gamma. We will study for the first time the role of the beta-gamma subunit in plants. We will use a comprehensive approach combining biochemical, physiological, phenotypic, genomic and proteomic studies.Read moreRead less
Discovery of novel circular proteins in bacteria, plants and animals: applications in drug design and crop protection. The overall goal is to use innovative methods in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to determine the structures and functions of several families of circular proteins that have exciting pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. These molecules differ from conventional proteins in that they have no ends: their termini are seamlessly joined, thereby making them exce ....Discovery of novel circular proteins in bacteria, plants and animals: applications in drug design and crop protection. The overall goal is to use innovative methods in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to determine the structures and functions of several families of circular proteins that have exciting pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. These molecules differ from conventional proteins in that they have no ends: their termini are seamlessly joined, thereby making them exceptionally stable and resistant to enzyme digestion. The big question is ?How and why does Nature produce circular proteins?" Increasing our knowledge of why circular proteins have evolved will facilitate their applications in drug design and in the development of novel insecticides.Read moreRead less
Discovering the activity of novel CLE peptide hormones that regulate legume nodulation. This project aims to functionally characterise novel peptide hormones that regulate the number of nitrogen-fixing root nodules that legumes form. Findings will enhance the current nodulation model and could help to alleviate our reliance on expensive, often polluting, nitrogen-fertilisers by helping to optimise the nodulation process in agriculture.
Discovery of the systemic regulator of legume nodulation. This project aims to discover the novel, shoot-derived factor that legumes produce to regulate the number of nitrogen-fixing root nodules they form. Outcomes will enhance the current nodulation model and could help optimise the process in agriculture, which would help alleviate current reliance on nitrogen-fertilisers that are expensive and pollute.
Crosstalk between branching and flowering regulatory pathways in shoot development. This project will explore how a newly discovered plant hormone communicates with other plant and environmental signals to regulate shoot branching. Understanding this process is an important step towards enhancing the yield, productivity and sustainability of commercially important plant species.
The Role of Sugar Demand in Apical Dominance: Branching in a New Direction. For centuries, people around the world have made use of the knowledge that pruning the growing tips of shoots causes buds on the stem below to grow out into branches. Yields in crop, horticulture and forestry industries depend on shoot architecture. Since the discovery of auxin in the 1930s, shoot branching has been thought to be regulated by plant hormones. However, in this project we propose a new theory whereby shoot ....The Role of Sugar Demand in Apical Dominance: Branching in a New Direction. For centuries, people around the world have made use of the knowledge that pruning the growing tips of shoots causes buds on the stem below to grow out into branches. Yields in crop, horticulture and forestry industries depend on shoot architecture. Since the discovery of auxin in the 1930s, shoot branching has been thought to be regulated by plant hormones. However, in this project we propose a new theory whereby shoot tip demand for sugar is predominant in apical dominance; enhanced sucrose, a mobile sugar, is necessary and sufficient for the initial growth of buds. This project aims to expand this theory, revealing underlying components involved in sucrose action and describe how the network of sugar demand and hormones acts to control shoot architecture.Read moreRead less
Strigolactone, a new plant hormone: its regulation, role and potential for plant improvement. This Project will investigate a new plant hormone, one of only 10 or so discovered to date in plants. This hormone regulates shoot number, water and nutrient uptake and the ability of shoots to generate roots and develop wood. The Project will produce genetic tools and describe new processes for applications in sustainable plant improvement.
The new plant hormone controlling shoot branching. This project will create genetic tools and knowledge on the control of a new plant growth hormone that affects a diverse number of plant properties. These important traits include shoot number, water and nutrient uptake, wood production, the ability to generate roots and the ability to stimulate particular potentially devastating parasitic weeds.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis seeks to develop and harness advances in photosynthesis research, crop bioengineering, plant phenomics and computational tools to realise increased and sustainable crop yields, opening new routes to achieving the next revolution in plant productivity. It will deliver improved yield by undertaking a continuum of fundamental and applied photosynthesis research and targeting proj ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis seeks to develop and harness advances in photosynthesis research, crop bioengineering, plant phenomics and computational tools to realise increased and sustainable crop yields, opening new routes to achieving the next revolution in plant productivity. It will deliver improved yield by undertaking a continuum of fundamental and applied photosynthesis research and targeting projects with a high probability of producing increased yield. Links with national and international institutions, consortia and breeding companies will enhance the prospects of translating genetic improvements into crops such as wheat, rice and sorghum for improved yield.Read moreRead less
New plant development discoveries stem from strigolactone research. This project involves a new plant hormone, strigolactone, and the way it controls wood and root formation in above-ground parts of plants. It will identify new plant genes involved in these processes and provide greater understanding of how plant hormones interact to control these important traits.