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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100729
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Brain connectivity during movement planning and execution in young and older adults. Ageing is associated with a reduced ability to undertake everyday movement tasks, resulting in loss of independence and frequent injuries due to falls. This research will improve our understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying movement control, with the aim of maintaining older people's quality of life and reducing health costs to the nation.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100059
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,790.00
Summary
Advanced high resolution biomolecular analysis facility for Tasmania. This project aims to establish an advanced, multi-purpose mass spectrometry platform for high-throughput and targeted biomolecular analysis, including proteomics and metabolomics. The purpose of the project is to provide a centralised state-of-the-art facility that supports research programs in plant science, agricultural research, food safety, animal and human health research and separation science. Potential benefits from th ....Advanced high resolution biomolecular analysis facility for Tasmania. This project aims to establish an advanced, multi-purpose mass spectrometry platform for high-throughput and targeted biomolecular analysis, including proteomics and metabolomics. The purpose of the project is to provide a centralised state-of-the-art facility that supports research programs in plant science, agricultural research, food safety, animal and human health research and separation science. Potential benefits from the project include increased agricultural productivity and food security, improved knowledge of age and injury-related changes in neurophysiology, helping to prevent the extinction of iconic Tasmanian wildlife and the development of advanced micro-electroseparation technologies.Read moreRead less
Meta-modelling of ecological, evolutionary and climatic systems dynamics. This project aims to improve forecasts of the response of biodiversity to future climate change and so improve on-ground conservation management. Using dynamic systems modelling, tested against field data from a wide variety of case studies, the project models will integrate a variety of biological and geophysical inputs to produce more realistic forecasts of change.
Systems modelling for synergistic ecological-climate dynamics. The project aims to improve forecasts of the response of biodiversity to future climate change and so improve on-ground conservation management. A systems modelling framework will be developed and tested against real-world data to integrate a wide variety of biological and geophysical inputs and so produce more realistic predictions.
Fire, air, water and earth: Using fossils to discover the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. How Australia came to be dominated by open, tough-leaved vegetation is an old but still highly controversial question, especially with recent developments in molecular biology that challenge paradigms established from the fossil record. The project will test this new molecular paradigm with innovative use of characteristics of fossil leaves to identify the timing and drivers of the evolution of Au ....Fire, air, water and earth: Using fossils to discover the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. How Australia came to be dominated by open, tough-leaved vegetation is an old but still highly controversial question, especially with recent developments in molecular biology that challenge paradigms established from the fossil record. The project will test this new molecular paradigm with innovative use of characteristics of fossil leaves to identify the timing and drivers of the evolution of Australia’s open vegetation. The integration of new and rigorous evidence derived from living and fossil plants will provide the clearest evidence yet for the origins of Australian environments. This has ramifications for understanding plant responses to past and future climate changes.Read moreRead less
A novel top-down approach to ecosystem management using multivariate foraging strategies of an iconic marine top-predator. Understanding predator aggregation patterns in relation to marine productivity is critical in designing ecosystem-level conservation plans for protecting marine habitats and species. The project aims to develop a new approach to measure prey abundance and availability in the marine ecosystem for the management of resources of top-predators. This will be of specific benefit i ....A novel top-down approach to ecosystem management using multivariate foraging strategies of an iconic marine top-predator. Understanding predator aggregation patterns in relation to marine productivity is critical in designing ecosystem-level conservation plans for protecting marine habitats and species. The project aims to develop a new approach to measure prey abundance and availability in the marine ecosystem for the management of resources of top-predators. This will be of specific benefit in areas where a strong need exists for conservation of prey species with economic importance too low to justify expensive at-sea research.Read moreRead less
Capturing Proteus: 65 million years of ecosystem change revealed through evolution of Proteaceae in Australasia. By assessing past changes in the iconic Australian plant family Proteaceae, this research will show how the Australasian vegetation has responded to 65 million years of profound landscape and climate changes. This knowledge from the past will give important insights into how ecosystems can be expected to change under future climate scenarios.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101514
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
The control of neuroplasticity in the brain. This project aims to determine how neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to remodel and make new circuits – is controlled in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons. This capacity, vital for all cognitive functions, diminishes as people age. It is imperative to determine neuroplasticity’s mechanisms and how and why they change, but it is not known how both excitatory and inhibitory neurons contribute to neuroplasticity and how these dynamic alterations ....The control of neuroplasticity in the brain. This project aims to determine how neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to remodel and make new circuits – is controlled in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons. This capacity, vital for all cognitive functions, diminishes as people age. It is imperative to determine neuroplasticity’s mechanisms and how and why they change, but it is not known how both excitatory and inhibitory neurons contribute to neuroplasticity and how these dynamic alterations are controlled. Understanding neuroplasticity is vital for learning, memory and healthy ageing throughout life.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of acclimation of coralline algae to ocean acidification. This project aims to investigate the biological and ecological mechanisms by which reef-building coralline algae may have survived past ocean acidification and warming events and may acclimate to future changes. Coralline algae play critical roles in coral reef ecology but are sensitive to human-induced ocean acidification. However, the abundant geological record coincident with past acidification events is inconsistent with th ....Mechanisms of acclimation of coralline algae to ocean acidification. This project aims to investigate the biological and ecological mechanisms by which reef-building coralline algae may have survived past ocean acidification and warming events and may acclimate to future changes. Coralline algae play critical roles in coral reef ecology but are sensitive to human-induced ocean acidification. However, the abundant geological record coincident with past acidification events is inconsistent with their sensitivity to high carbon dioxide. Acclimation and adaptation is therefore possible but in ways we do not yet understand. The project expects to provide insights to the ability of key marine organisms to acclimate to rapid environmental change and provide information critical for the conservation of valuable marine systems.Read moreRead less