Protecting cereal grain development at high temperatures. This project aims to investigate new temperature-responsive factors that regulate cereal grain development to protect grain production under heat stress. The new research will leverage international collaborations with access to cutting-edge genetic and technological resources, and refine novel X-ray imaging techniques in Australia, to observe how temperature affects flower structure and function in barley and rice. Favourable mutations t ....Protecting cereal grain development at high temperatures. This project aims to investigate new temperature-responsive factors that regulate cereal grain development to protect grain production under heat stress. The new research will leverage international collaborations with access to cutting-edge genetic and technological resources, and refine novel X-ray imaging techniques in Australia, to observe how temperature affects flower structure and function in barley and rice. Favourable mutations that optimise plant yield and fitness will be defined and explored in other, more complex, cereals such as wheat. Expected outcomes will be fundamental breakthroughs in understanding how plants respond to, and buffer, the effects of heat to lead to translational breeding strategies that bolster grain 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
Undermining fungal defences by targeting their functional amyloid armour. This project will determine how a protective protein coating forms on the surface of fungal spores and infectious structures. This coating is comprised of amyloid protein fibrils and is used by fungi to improve efficiency of infection and to avoid detection by the host plant or animal. We have discovered novel small molecules that prevent the fibrils from forming. This project will use these molecules to reveal the details ....Undermining fungal defences by targeting their functional amyloid armour. This project will determine how a protective protein coating forms on the surface of fungal spores and infectious structures. This coating is comprised of amyloid protein fibrils and is used by fungi to improve efficiency of infection and to avoid detection by the host plant or animal. We have discovered novel small molecules that prevent the fibrils from forming. This project will use these molecules to reveal the details of the fibril assembly mechanism and find the best way to undermine this fungal defence system. This knowledge will enable the development of potent small molecule inhibitors to treat fungal infections that blight crops and harm animals, and the production of new layered biomaterials for nanotechnology applications.Read moreRead less