LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evi ....LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evidence that one group of fungal pathogens is particularly adept at acquiring new genes that enable them to cause new diseases. We will determine the mechanism and frequency of gene transfer in this group. The work had fundamental significance in evolutionary biology, in the emergence of new diseases and in the use of genetically-modified organisms.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775503
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$255,000.00
Summary
Robotics for plant genomics: Increasing throughput in plant genetic analyses. Plant genomics has direct benefit to crop improvement, especially as focussed in the applicants' laboratories. Thus, the Australian agri-food sector will benefit substantially from the acceleration in plant functional genomics that will arise from the installation of the robotics equipment described in the current application, by both underpinning more applied research and also being used directly in crop improvement p ....Robotics for plant genomics: Increasing throughput in plant genetic analyses. Plant genomics has direct benefit to crop improvement, especially as focussed in the applicants' laboratories. Thus, the Australian agri-food sector will benefit substantially from the acceleration in plant functional genomics that will arise from the installation of the robotics equipment described in the current application, by both underpinning more applied research and also being used directly in crop improvement programs such as are based at the Waite Campus. The outputs will include crops with increased tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, a reduced dependence on chemical inputs such as fertilisers and improved food quality, with consequent benefits to the environment and human health and nutrition.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453839
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$386,892.00
Summary
Adelaide Core Laser Capture Microscopy Facility. Laser Capture Microscopy represents a powerful and essential tool in many aspects of modern cell and molecular biology. Although the applications for these machines are very broad, overall the technology can be viewed as allowing collection of rare cells (or objects as small as bacteria and organelles) from complex tissues and cells. This proposal concerns infrastructure funding to obtain a state-of-the-art core Laser Capture Microscope facility ....Adelaide Core Laser Capture Microscopy Facility. Laser Capture Microscopy represents a powerful and essential tool in many aspects of modern cell and molecular biology. Although the applications for these machines are very broad, overall the technology can be viewed as allowing collection of rare cells (or objects as small as bacteria and organelles) from complex tissues and cells. This proposal concerns infrastructure funding to obtain a state-of-the-art core Laser Capture Microscope facility in Adelaide that will significantly enhance scientific progress in a diverse range of areas including functional genomics of animal, plant and prokaryotic cells.Read moreRead less