Finding the missing links in salt and water transport in plants. Grain crops and horticultural plants use proteins called aquaporins to move water across cell membranes, but a group of these proteins can also transport some important nutrient ions as well as toxic sodium ions. This project aims to reveal the molecular pathways that regulate water and ion transport via aquaporins using advanced techniques in biophysics and molecular biology. These results will provide novel insights into how plan ....Finding the missing links in salt and water transport in plants. Grain crops and horticultural plants use proteins called aquaporins to move water across cell membranes, but a group of these proteins can also transport some important nutrient ions as well as toxic sodium ions. This project aims to reveal the molecular pathways that regulate water and ion transport via aquaporins using advanced techniques in biophysics and molecular biology. These results will provide novel insights into how plants coordinate and adapt to changing water and salt conditions, addressing a missing link in how ions and water move in and out of plant vacuoles. Benefits include an expanded, innovative range of targets for plant breeding programs to improve plant productivity in our changing climate.Read moreRead less
Molecular adaptation of photosynthesis powered by long-wavelength light. Some photosynthetic organisms have a remarkable ability to accumulate long-wavelength absorbing photopigments, such as chlorophyll f, in response to the changed light and nutrient environments. The project aims to demonstrate that the structure and function of undefined chlorophyll f-binding proteins can be changed and controlled in desired light and nutrient conditions. The optimised photosynthesis strengthens their adapta ....Molecular adaptation of photosynthesis powered by long-wavelength light. Some photosynthetic organisms have a remarkable ability to accumulate long-wavelength absorbing photopigments, such as chlorophyll f, in response to the changed light and nutrient environments. The project aims to demonstrate that the structure and function of undefined chlorophyll f-binding proteins can be changed and controlled in desired light and nutrient conditions. The optimised photosynthesis strengthens their adaptation capability and challenges the long wavelength limits of photosynthesis. The research outcome will provide tools and a molecular blueprint for the adaptation of photosynthesis with optimised energy transfer pathway and efficiency for potential future molecular applications. Read moreRead less
Control of sucrose source/sink status by the plant immune system. This project aims to investigate the roles of plant malectin receptor kinases in pathogen recognition and response. The project will utilise molecular and cell biological tools to detect complex formation and changes in sugar import into cells. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of how pathogens manipulate plant cells to their benefit, and greater knowledge of which host molecules participate in this ....Control of sucrose source/sink status by the plant immune system. This project aims to investigate the roles of plant malectin receptor kinases in pathogen recognition and response. The project will utilise molecular and cell biological tools to detect complex formation and changes in sugar import into cells. Expected outcomes of this project include a better understanding of how pathogens manipulate plant cells to their benefit, and greater knowledge of which host molecules participate in this process. This should provide significant benefits such as a new theoretical basis to engineer crop plants for resistance against devastating diseases.Read moreRead less
Evolution and specificity of alternative splicing in plants. This project aims to elucidate fundamental principles of alternative splicing, a basic mechanism that plays a vital role in several biological processes across all organisms. Plants are highly effective in adapting to varied environmental, seasonal and climatic conditions and this project aims to uncover how alternative splicing contributes to regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental cues. Uncovering ....Evolution and specificity of alternative splicing in plants. This project aims to elucidate fundamental principles of alternative splicing, a basic mechanism that plays a vital role in several biological processes across all organisms. Plants are highly effective in adapting to varied environmental, seasonal and climatic conditions and this project aims to uncover how alternative splicing contributes to regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental cues. Uncovering the underlying mechanisms of alternative splicing will not only advance fundamental knowledge, but also has the potential to provide tools and technologies through which sensitivities of plants to environmental stress can be potentially manipulated to benefit agriculture.Read moreRead less
Targeting root architecture to improve plant production in sub-optimal soil. This project aims to identify important missing links in the signalling pathways that connect major plant hormones in their control of root architecture, with a focus on the signalling system that helps plants cope with sub-optimal growing conditions. New discoveries in plant hormones will be applied to crops to provide a deeper understanding of root growth responses under sub-optimal conditions, and to maximise plant e ....Targeting root architecture to improve plant production in sub-optimal soil. This project aims to identify important missing links in the signalling pathways that connect major plant hormones in their control of root architecture, with a focus on the signalling system that helps plants cope with sub-optimal growing conditions. New discoveries in plant hormones will be applied to crops to provide a deeper understanding of root growth responses under sub-optimal conditions, and to maximise plant efficiency. Expected outcomes include a better understanding of signal pathways in roots, improved knowledge about how crops respond to adverse conditions, new knowledge and potential genetic resources for plant industry, and novel ideas about how to improve crop productivity.Read moreRead less
Targeting chloroplasts to enhance crop salt tolerance. Yield losses in crop plants due to increasingly saline soils are linked to the effects of salt on chloroplasts. By comparing chloroplast water- and salt-transport mechanisms of closely related salt-loving and salt-sensitive plants, this Fellowships aims to discover how chloroplasts maintain function in saline conditions. Novel biophysics and molecular techniques will be used to characterise transporters in model plants, and proof-of-concept ....Targeting chloroplasts to enhance crop salt tolerance. Yield losses in crop plants due to increasingly saline soils are linked to the effects of salt on chloroplasts. By comparing chloroplast water- and salt-transport mechanisms of closely related salt-loving and salt-sensitive plants, this Fellowships aims to discover how chloroplasts maintain function in saline conditions. Novel biophysics and molecular techniques will be used to characterise transporters in model plants, and proof-of-concept complementation experiments aim to confer salt tolerance on sensitive plants. These fundamental insights are likely to lead to rapid, step-change improvements in salt tolerance, especially in agriculturally relevant crops, to benefit Australia’s agri-industry and ensure food security in the future.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100466
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,623.00
Summary
Decrypting chloroplast signalling in C4 photosynthesis under heat stress. This project aims to fill a critical knowledge gap in how photosynthesis, chloroplast signals, metabolism and cell specialisation are coordinated for stress acclimation in plants. It aims to dissect the complex interactions between a) cellular distress signals produced by chloroplasts with b) reactive radicals and c) plant metabolism during heat stress. It expects to provide the first insights into chloroplast signalling c ....Decrypting chloroplast signalling in C4 photosynthesis under heat stress. This project aims to fill a critical knowledge gap in how photosynthesis, chloroplast signals, metabolism and cell specialisation are coordinated for stress acclimation in plants. It aims to dissect the complex interactions between a) cellular distress signals produced by chloroplasts with b) reactive radicals and c) plant metabolism during heat stress. It expects to provide the first insights into chloroplast signalling critical for heat-tolerant C4 photosynthesis which is active in two specialised leaf cell types in cereals such as maize and sorghum. Expected outcomes include an unprecedented cell-level resolution map of chloroplast signalling, which will benefit the engineering of improved photosynthesis into crops. Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL180100139
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,973,547.00
Summary
Processes of plant growth that impact agriculture and horticulture. The project aims to discover the genes and processes that control plant shoot architecture, which is a major driver of yield in field, horticultural and forestry crops. Shoot branching is the result of the complex interplay of genes, environment and crop management. By investigating cellular processes governing growth and development, as well as physiology and molecular genetics, this project will enhance Australian capacity and ....Processes of plant growth that impact agriculture and horticulture. The project aims to discover the genes and processes that control plant shoot architecture, which is a major driver of yield in field, horticultural and forestry crops. Shoot branching is the result of the complex interplay of genes, environment and crop management. By investigating cellular processes governing growth and development, as well as physiology and molecular genetics, this project will enhance Australian capacity and multidisciplinary innovation. An improved understanding of shoot branching and how it may be manipulated will improve our knowledge of plant sciences that could contribute to agricultural expansion and food security in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach. This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity could regulate pollen germination, elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruit and seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Research has established that CWIN-mediated sugar metabolis ....Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach. This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity could regulate pollen germination, elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruit and seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Research has established that CWIN-mediated sugar metabolism and signaling may play crucial roles in pollen growth and fruit set under heat stress. The intended outcome is the generation of critical knowledge that will advance understanding on reproductive development under heat stress, thereby providing significant benefits, such as novel ideas and solutions for improving crop yield.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