Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100174
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,000.00
Summary
Development of a digital Transmission Electron Microscope Facility in Tasmania. Development of a digital transmission electron microscope facility: Transmission electron microscopy is a fundamental tool for the study of biological systems at the ultrastructural level. This project will establish a facility that will be accessible to a range of biological researchers, replacing aged and non-sustainable electron microscopy facilities. The instrument will revitalise cellular research and provide ad ....Development of a digital Transmission Electron Microscope Facility in Tasmania. Development of a digital transmission electron microscope facility: Transmission electron microscopy is a fundamental tool for the study of biological systems at the ultrastructural level. This project will establish a facility that will be accessible to a range of biological researchers, replacing aged and non-sustainable electron microscopy facilities. The instrument will revitalise cellular research and provide additional insights and outcomes related to the study of intracellular features in a diverse range of systems and models. This will add substantially to the knowledge base across a wide range of fields of research, increasing national contributions in the areas of neuroscience, separation science and marine science.Read moreRead less
Cellular mechanisms that protect against copper-bound beta-amyloid. This project will investigate some of the brain’s own mechanisms for protecting itself against Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding these mechanisms will be important for developing future therapeutic strategies for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Old brain cells perform new tricks to allow life-long learning. In the brain, nerve cells transmit electrical signals more quickly and reliably when they are insulated. The insulating cells undergo small adaptive changes that speed up information transfer during learning, and the faster the electrical signal, the better the learning outcomes. This project aims to understand the signals that direct insulating cells to adapt and support life-long learning. In the longer term, this knowledge may be ....Old brain cells perform new tricks to allow life-long learning. In the brain, nerve cells transmit electrical signals more quickly and reliably when they are insulated. The insulating cells undergo small adaptive changes that speed up information transfer during learning, and the faster the electrical signal, the better the learning outcomes. This project aims to understand the signals that direct insulating cells to adapt and support life-long learning. In the longer term, this knowledge may be used to: develop interventions that improve learning and educational outcomes; counteract age-related memory decline and enable longer work force participation; develop strategies to circumvent the memory loss caused by brain diseases, or improve the design of computer hardware.Read moreRead less
Feeding and digestion in tropical rock lobster phyllosoma larvae and its applications for culture. Provision of larval culture diets that provide optimal nutrition in a suitable presentation format is the major challenge for developing a rock lobster aquaculture industry. Tropical rock lobsters are likely contenders due to their faster growth rates and shorter larval phase than temperate species. This project will assess the ingestive and digestive capabilities of larvae during development, thro ....Feeding and digestion in tropical rock lobster phyllosoma larvae and its applications for culture. Provision of larval culture diets that provide optimal nutrition in a suitable presentation format is the major challenge for developing a rock lobster aquaculture industry. Tropical rock lobsters are likely contenders due to their faster growth rates and shorter larval phase than temperate species. This project will assess the ingestive and digestive capabilities of larvae during development, through an examination of mouthpart and gut structure and their types and concentration of digestive enzymes. Information will be used to formulate and test improved diets of appropriate size, texture and nutritional composition and will be the first comprehensive analysis of preferred larval diets on the basis of their biological and physiological characteristics.Read moreRead less
Microfluidic technology to help understand physical damage to brain cells. Understanding the organisation, structure and mechanisms of the human brain and nervous system remains one of the biggest challenges of science. This project aims to develop a new cell culture platform to form defined molecular networks of brain cells and to monitor changes throughout the network in response to a small localised injury within the network. This innovative platform will be used to help understand changes wi ....Microfluidic technology to help understand physical damage to brain cells. Understanding the organisation, structure and mechanisms of the human brain and nervous system remains one of the biggest challenges of science. This project aims to develop a new cell culture platform to form defined molecular networks of brain cells and to monitor changes throughout the network in response to a small localised injury within the network. This innovative platform will be used to help understand changes within cells in response to physical damage to networks of brain cells. This is one of the major causes of death and disability in developed nations, and is identified as a risk factor for a range of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neuron disease.Read moreRead less
Genetics, genomics and evolution of flowering time control in legumes. Flowering in plants is strongly regulated by environmental factors, with important consequences for their natural distribution and use in agriculture. This project will characterise genes, genetic diversity and molecular mechanisms that control flowering in legumes, contributing to fundamental biology, crop improvement and research training.
Decoding the signals in legume symbioses: investigating the role of plant hormones. Plants form intimate relationships with soil microbes that give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients. Legumes are major Australian crops for fodder, grain and nutrients, and are unique in forming symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This project aims to determine the role of plant hormones (small, mobile, potent ....Decoding the signals in legume symbioses: investigating the role of plant hormones. Plants form intimate relationships with soil microbes that give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients. Legumes are major Australian crops for fodder, grain and nutrients, and are unique in forming symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This project aims to determine the role of plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these relationships. In particular, the role of interactions between hormones and other novel plant signals will be determined. An insight into the common and divergent roles of hormones in these symbioses is essential to provide new tools to maximise nutrient acquisition.Read moreRead less
Unique plant hormone responses: the key to nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project aims to build a model of the signals that regulate root nodule formation, unique root organs formed by some plants that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is often limited in the soil and agriculture relies on nitrogen fertiliser. Sustainable sources of plant nutrients are required to ensure food security and minimise the environmental impact of intensive farming. This project will provide fundamental informati ....Unique plant hormone responses: the key to nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project aims to build a model of the signals that regulate root nodule formation, unique root organs formed by some plants that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is often limited in the soil and agriculture relies on nitrogen fertiliser. Sustainable sources of plant nutrients are required to ensure food security and minimise the environmental impact of intensive farming. This project will provide fundamental information on why some species can form nitrogen-fixing nodules by examining the role of plant hormones. This will build the knowledge base required to potentially expand this symbiosis into non-legumes, harnessing the huge advantage nodule forming species have in staple crops.Read moreRead less
The role of plant hormones in legume symbioses. Soil microbes can give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients through symbioses. Legumes are unique as they form symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This proposal will investigate the role of the plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these symbiotic relationships across legume genera. An insight into the commo ....The role of plant hormones in legume symbioses. Soil microbes can give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients through symbioses. Legumes are unique as they form symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This proposal will investigate the role of the plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these symbiotic relationships across legume genera. An insight into the common and divergent roles of hormones in these symbioses is essential to provide researchers and breeders with new tools to maximise nutrient acquisition by legumes, important crops contributing an estimated one billion Australian dollars per year to the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
How does warming prevent soil nitrogen availability from declining in response to elevated CO2? The sustainable use of the terrestrial environment depends upon maintaining ecosystem productivity which in turn depends upon nutrient availability within the soil. Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are known to decrease nutrient availability while warming prevents this from happening. The aims of this project are to determine how warming is able to prevent elevated CO2 concentrations from re ....How does warming prevent soil nitrogen availability from declining in response to elevated CO2? The sustainable use of the terrestrial environment depends upon maintaining ecosystem productivity which in turn depends upon nutrient availability within the soil. Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are known to decrease nutrient availability while warming prevents this from happening. The aims of this project are to determine how warming is able to prevent elevated CO2 concentrations from reducing soil N availability and hence productivity in a native grassland ecosystems. This is important, as it will allow likely problems caused by global climate change to be predicted by increasing the understanding of the underlying mechanisms as well as improving the management of grasslands in an environmentally sustainable way. Read moreRead less