Developing a novel carbon negative fertiliser . Food security is vital to support our growing population. However, our increasing reliance on intensive farming systems necessitates increased fertiliser use, leading to increased water pollution and soil degradation - threatening both the Australian environment and food security. Increasing carbon storage capacity by soil and decreasing fertiliser use are two of the primary pathways for restoring the bio-support capacity of soils and reducing farm ....Developing a novel carbon negative fertiliser . Food security is vital to support our growing population. However, our increasing reliance on intensive farming systems necessitates increased fertiliser use, leading to increased water pollution and soil degradation - threatening both the Australian environment and food security. Increasing carbon storage capacity by soil and decreasing fertiliser use are two of the primary pathways for restoring the bio-support capacity of soils and reducing farming footprints. This innovative and first-of-its-kind project aims to develop a cost-effective, carbon negative fertiliser that reduces fertiliser inputs and increases soil carbon storageRead moreRead less
Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowled ....Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowledge, which will improve current understanding of arsenic and iron fate impacted by remediation actions, plant growth and planetary changes induced via the atmosphere-plant-soil interface.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. This Centre aims to develop carbon-based catalysts for clean energy, CO2 capture, and green chemistry to reduce emissions. The Centre expects to use pioneering data-guided atomic-precision synthesis and multiscale analysis to transform fundamental science of carbon materials. Expected outcomes of this Centre will benefit new technologies for energy, environmental, and green che ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. This Centre aims to develop carbon-based catalysts for clean energy, CO2 capture, and green chemistry to reduce emissions. The Centre expects to use pioneering data-guided atomic-precision synthesis and multiscale analysis to transform fundamental science of carbon materials. Expected outcomes of this Centre will benefit new technologies for energy, environmental, and green chemical industries by utilising abundant sunlight, seawater, and waste feedstocks. This should provide significant benefits, through industry collaborations, our new world-leading capacity will train a next generation of game changers to empower emerging carbon industries to solve grand socio-economic challenges, ultimately meeting zero-carbon emissions targets.Read moreRead less
Rhizosphere priming regulates soil carbon cycle under high carbon dioxide. Australian farmers will be producing crops under elevated CO2 in the future. However, it is unknown how the increased CO2 level will affect agricultural production and soil health. This project aims to understand the effect of high atmospheric CO2 on carbon and nitrogen cycles in major cropping soils. It will examine how combinations of crop and soil types lead to differences in loss of soil organic carbon. Soil microorga ....Rhizosphere priming regulates soil carbon cycle under high carbon dioxide. Australian farmers will be producing crops under elevated CO2 in the future. However, it is unknown how the increased CO2 level will affect agricultural production and soil health. This project aims to understand the effect of high atmospheric CO2 on carbon and nitrogen cycles in major cropping soils. It will examine how combinations of crop and soil types lead to differences in loss of soil organic carbon. Soil microorganisms that link to carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils will be examined in the long-term field trials. The project intends to provide fundamental information that is essential to evaluate the future impact of climate change on the fertility and productivity of our poor, already infertile soils in semi-arid regions.Read moreRead less
Defining and engineering the rhizosphere for Australian rainfall patterns. The manner in which plants use carbon and water defines agricultural and natural landscapes. Today's models that predict plant improvement rely on carbon and water usage by plant leaves. However, the first interaction between plants, carbon and water occurs in the rhizosphere; a diverse zone with dynamic root-microbiome interactions. We will use advanced visualisation and mathematics to determine fine scale relationships ....Defining and engineering the rhizosphere for Australian rainfall patterns. The manner in which plants use carbon and water defines agricultural and natural landscapes. Today's models that predict plant improvement rely on carbon and water usage by plant leaves. However, the first interaction between plants, carbon and water occurs in the rhizosphere; a diverse zone with dynamic root-microbiome interactions. We will use advanced visualisation and mathematics to determine fine scale relationships between microbes and roots in the rhizosphere when exposed to water levels reflective of current and projected rainfall values. From generated knowledge of water and carbon dynamics caused by intimate microbe-root interactions, we will provide water saving, soil regeneration and improved carbon biosequestration strategies.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR180100005
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,225,000.00
Summary
Remediation of PFAS contaminated soil using soil washing and immobilisation. This project aims to assess the applicability of soil washing and immobilisation as cost-effective techniques for the remediation of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substance (PFAS) contaminated Australian soils. The project expects to establish the efficacy of the remediation of a range of PFASs, including many polyfluorinated precursors of perfluorinated, chemically-persistent legacy pollutants which are of concern. The proj ....Remediation of PFAS contaminated soil using soil washing and immobilisation. This project aims to assess the applicability of soil washing and immobilisation as cost-effective techniques for the remediation of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substance (PFAS) contaminated Australian soils. The project expects to establish the efficacy of the remediation of a range of PFASs, including many polyfluorinated precursors of perfluorinated, chemically-persistent legacy pollutants which are of concern. The project will provide a scientific basis for understanding the benefits and limitations associated with soil washing and immobilisation techniques and a more comprehensive understanding of future liabilities associated with formation of PFASs from precursors remaining in remediated soils. Collaboration with stakeholders will ensure benefits are captured both commercially and environmentally, as well as removing a potential and on-going health threat to communities exposed to these contaminants.Read moreRead less
Unravelling soil carbon response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems. This project aims to reveal the continental pattern of soil carbon (C) response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems across Australia and to unravel the biogeochemical mechanisms underlying fire’s role in shaping the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Fire has modified over 40% of the Earth’s land surface and wildfire frequency is predicted to increase under global warming. This project expects to generate new k ....Unravelling soil carbon response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems. This project aims to reveal the continental pattern of soil carbon (C) response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems across Australia and to unravel the biogeochemical mechanisms underlying fire’s role in shaping the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Fire has modified over 40% of the Earth’s land surface and wildfire frequency is predicted to increase under global warming. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how fire influences soil-to-atmosphere C fluxes in a warmer climate using a multi-disciplinary approach. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to predict the terrestrial ecosystem-to-atmosphere C fluxes and their feedbacks to climate under increasing frequency of fire using Earth-system models. Read moreRead less
Developing a predictive toxicity model for metallic anions in plants. This project aims to develop competitive anionic toxicity models for antimony, arsenic, molybdenum and selenium supported by detailed speciation information. Available ecotoxicological models for inorganic toxicants have exclusively focused on cations such as zinc, and ignored anionic toxicants such as arsenic and antimony. For available models on cations to be applicable to contaminated environments, it is essential for equiv ....Developing a predictive toxicity model for metallic anions in plants. This project aims to develop competitive anionic toxicity models for antimony, arsenic, molybdenum and selenium supported by detailed speciation information. Available ecotoxicological models for inorganic toxicants have exclusively focused on cations such as zinc, and ignored anionic toxicants such as arsenic and antimony. For available models on cations to be applicable to contaminated environments, it is essential for equivalent anionic toxicity models be developed. This project will develop the first such model, which will provide new insights on ecotoxicological modelling for inorganic anionic toxicants. The project will transform ecotoxicological modelling approaches for metals and metalloids in terrestrial systems and directly improve our ability to assess risks associated with environmental contamination.Read moreRead less
Resolving the role of kelp in blue carbon cycles to enable management. We aim to uncover how kelp forests contribute to carbon storage, biodiversity enhancement and nutrient mitigation in Australia. We will combine mapping and modelling to identify local variation in kelp carbon stocks and sequestration potential and verify kelp carbon export to deep ocean sinks through genetic tracing in seawater and sediments. Co-benefits will be identified through nutrient experiments and reef surveys. We wil ....Resolving the role of kelp in blue carbon cycles to enable management. We aim to uncover how kelp forests contribute to carbon storage, biodiversity enhancement and nutrient mitigation in Australia. We will combine mapping and modelling to identify local variation in kelp carbon stocks and sequestration potential and verify kelp carbon export to deep ocean sinks through genetic tracing in seawater and sediments. Co-benefits will be identified through nutrient experiments and reef surveys. We will also assess the risk that calcification and production of halogenic gas within the kelp forest could offset its climate mitigation potential. Project outcomes will enable management to consider kelp ecosystem services broadly and optimize our capacity to meet current emission reduction and biodiversity commitments.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101029
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,763.00
Summary
A global exploration of microbial carbon breakdown in wetland ecosystems. This project aims to investigate how plant litter breakdown in wetlands controls soil carbon preservation by identifying the climatic, environmental and microbial drivers of decomposition on a global scale. This project will generate new knowledge in the area of freshwater and coastal wetland ecology using interdisciplinary approaches in biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. Outcomes of this project include novel global d ....A global exploration of microbial carbon breakdown in wetland ecosystems. This project aims to investigate how plant litter breakdown in wetlands controls soil carbon preservation by identifying the climatic, environmental and microbial drivers of decomposition on a global scale. This project will generate new knowledge in the area of freshwater and coastal wetland ecology using interdisciplinary approaches in biogeochemistry and microbial ecology. Outcomes of this project include novel global datasets that will identify why some wetlands preserve carbon better than others and what management practices can enhance sequestration capacity. This should provide significant benefits, including advancing carbon-cycling models and predictions, and improving capacity to manage and restore wetland function.Read moreRead less