Purification and bioactivity of legume protein as nutritional supplements . Lupin seed is a major Australian high protein legume crop, undervalued at only ~$200 tonne due to its use as an animal feed. However this project aims to add value to the crop by designing a scalable food-grade and commercialisable technology to purify the protein gamma-conglutin from lupin seed waste as a nutraceutical for human blood glucose control. The process optimisation and mechanism of action for gamma-congluti ....Purification and bioactivity of legume protein as nutritional supplements . Lupin seed is a major Australian high protein legume crop, undervalued at only ~$200 tonne due to its use as an animal feed. However this project aims to add value to the crop by designing a scalable food-grade and commercialisable technology to purify the protein gamma-conglutin from lupin seed waste as a nutraceutical for human blood glucose control. The process optimisation and mechanism of action for gamma-conglutin will be informed by proteomic analysis and cellular studies. From the project farmers may benefit through adding a premium to their crop value, a new gamma-conglutin purification technology will be available for processors to commercialise and consumers will have a natural product to help their blood glucose control.Read moreRead less
Rethinking and revitalising herbicides to counter resistance. Weeds and increasingly herbicide resistant weeds are the major yield penalty for agriculture. This project aims to develop innovative ways to overcome resistance. This project expects to (i) make herbicides work more efficiently, (ii) reveal a new mode of action for an under-used herbicide and (iii) assign breakdown pathways to herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project are to (i) to find rare, but truly synergistic herbicide combi ....Rethinking and revitalising herbicides to counter resistance. Weeds and increasingly herbicide resistant weeds are the major yield penalty for agriculture. This project aims to develop innovative ways to overcome resistance. This project expects to (i) make herbicides work more efficiently, (ii) reveal a new mode of action for an under-used herbicide and (iii) assign breakdown pathways to herbicides. Expected outcomes of this project are to (i) to find rare, but truly synergistic herbicide combinations; (ii) reveal a herbicide against which weeds outside of Japan have not evolved resistance to; and (iii) establish how best to make breakdown blockers. A benefit of using existing herbicides is the approaches are close to market, so with partner Nexgen Plants, its outcomes can be commercialised.Read moreRead less
Superior Australian psyllium for functional foods. This project aims to establish a breeding program for Plantago ovata in Australia to provide a reliable supply of high quality, superior psyllium as a key ingredient in the gluten-free food industry, providing benefits to the industrial partner, growers in Australia and consumers. Target traits include better harvest index, reduced seed shattering and identification of lines carrying psyllium with novel properties or whole seeds that can be grou ....Superior Australian psyllium for functional foods. This project aims to establish a breeding program for Plantago ovata in Australia to provide a reliable supply of high quality, superior psyllium as a key ingredient in the gluten-free food industry, providing benefits to the industrial partner, growers in Australia and consumers. Target traits include better harvest index, reduced seed shattering and identification of lines carrying psyllium with novel properties or whole seeds that can be ground and used as flour that imparts less intense colour changes or effects on loaf structure, and which may be highly suitable for other baked gluten-free products. The fundamental knowledge gained from the genetic and biochemical anlayses of these lines will also broadly benefit seed biology research.Read moreRead less
Advanced plant breeding and food manufacturing for healthier bread. This project aims to generate bread containing high amounts of biologically available iron through targeted manipulation of plant-derived phytonutrients at several points along the wheat-to-bread supply chain. The project expects to generate new knowledge for developing healthier bread and address consumer demands for value-added food products. Anticipated outcomes are novel plant breeding and food manufacturing techniques that ....Advanced plant breeding and food manufacturing for healthier bread. This project aims to generate bread containing high amounts of biologically available iron through targeted manipulation of plant-derived phytonutrients at several points along the wheat-to-bread supply chain. The project expects to generate new knowledge for developing healthier bread and address consumer demands for value-added food products. Anticipated outcomes are novel plant breeding and food manufacturing techniques that enhance the nutritional composition of wheat grain and bread making products, resulting in higher-value agricultural commodities and breads. The project should benefit bread retailers and crop growers involved in Australia’s $4.7 billion bread market and reduce the environmental impacts of bread production.Read moreRead less
Characterising the transport and delivery of oligonucleotides . Short RNA and DNA molecules represent a class of macromolecules that have great potential, but to facilitate their trafficking across cellular and membrane barriers into specific sites of action is challenging. This project aims to develop and apply novel imaging approaches to track them in cells and tissues. Expected outcomes include better understanding of the trafficking across cellular and membrane barriers, and improved imaging ....Characterising the transport and delivery of oligonucleotides . Short RNA and DNA molecules represent a class of macromolecules that have great potential, but to facilitate their trafficking across cellular and membrane barriers into specific sites of action is challenging. This project aims to develop and apply novel imaging approaches to track them in cells and tissues. Expected outcomes include better understanding of the trafficking across cellular and membrane barriers, and improved imaging tools that could be used to further study the molecular mechanisms of accumulation, metabolism and trafficking of these molecules. This project should provide new strategies to target these molecules to specific cells and tissues, which have significant social and economic benefits to the Australian community.Read moreRead less
Universal transcriptome editing technologies. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is life’s most essential molecule – as no living cell or virus can function without it. Although RNA plays many critical roles in cells, from information transfer and regulation of gene expression to scaffolding macromolecular structures and catalysis, the current approaches to manipulate RNA for technological purposes are limited in many respects. This project brings together the scientists who were the first to discover a uni ....Universal transcriptome editing technologies. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is life’s most essential molecule – as no living cell or virus can function without it. Although RNA plays many critical roles in cells, from information transfer and regulation of gene expression to scaffolding macromolecular structures and catalysis, the current approaches to manipulate RNA for technological purposes are limited in many respects. This project brings together the scientists who were the first to discover a universal code for recognition of RNA by proteins and one of the world’s leading RNA-focused biotechnology companies, Locana Biosciences, with the goal of providing robust and versatile tools to target RNA in diverse organisms.Read moreRead less
Unleashing the Hidden Chemical Diversity in Australian Fungi. This project aims to exploit an exclusive genomic resource consisting of >150 unique Australian filamentous fungi that has been built in a university-industry collaboration for genomic-guided biodiscovery. The genome sequence of these fungi revealed extensive hidden genetic instructions for production of novel biologically active molecules. The project will apply cutting-edge synthetic biology and chemical tools to tap into the hidden ....Unleashing the Hidden Chemical Diversity in Australian Fungi. This project aims to exploit an exclusive genomic resource consisting of >150 unique Australian filamentous fungi that has been built in a university-industry collaboration for genomic-guided biodiscovery. The genome sequence of these fungi revealed extensive hidden genetic instructions for production of novel biologically active molecules. The project will apply cutting-edge synthetic biology and chemical tools to tap into the hidden genomic potential of these Australian fungi. Expected outcomes of this project include new fine chemicals and lead molecules with desirable bioactivies. This will provide significant benefits to Australia's economy through the discovery of new pharmaceuticals, veterinary products and agrichemicals.Read moreRead less
Digging deeper to improve yield stability. This project aims to provide innovative breeding solutions that harness the ‘hidden’ part of the plant, roots, to support the development of more productive crops in the face of climate variability. The project expects to generate new insights into the biology and genetics of root development in barley, a model cereal crop, by applying cutting-edge genome editing, phenotyping and genomics technologies. Anticipated outcomes include novel methodologies to ....Digging deeper to improve yield stability. This project aims to provide innovative breeding solutions that harness the ‘hidden’ part of the plant, roots, to support the development of more productive crops in the face of climate variability. The project expects to generate new insights into the biology and genetics of root development in barley, a model cereal crop, by applying cutting-edge genome editing, phenotyping and genomics technologies. Anticipated outcomes include novel methodologies to accelerate breeding for diverse production environments, with direct applications in barley, and other major cereals including wheat and oats. This should provide significant economic and social benefits to the Australian grains industry through yield stability amidst climate variability.Read moreRead less
Building a CO2 foundry for sustainable carbon capture and utilisation. This project aims to develop innovative carbon capture and utilisation technology that fuses synthetic biology with inorganic chemistry. The project expects to develop nano-structured electrocatalysts to efficiently convert CO2 from industrial emission into acetate, and genetically-engineered microbes to rapidly transform acetate into platform chemicals and biopolymers. Expected outcomes include an integrated electro-/biocata ....Building a CO2 foundry for sustainable carbon capture and utilisation. This project aims to develop innovative carbon capture and utilisation technology that fuses synthetic biology with inorganic chemistry. The project expects to develop nano-structured electrocatalysts to efficiently convert CO2 from industrial emission into acetate, and genetically-engineered microbes to rapidly transform acetate into platform chemicals and biopolymers. Expected outcomes include an integrated electro-/biocatalytic prototype with unprecedented CO2 conversion efficiency, as well as building a multidisciplinary research capacity in synthetic biology and nanotechnology. This should provide significant benefits, by reducing greenhouse gases and providing the basis for a carbon-negative chemical industry.Read moreRead less
Developing strong restorer-of-fertility genes for hybrid wheat breeding. Hybrid wheat varieties yield 10-15% more than conventional lines but a cost-effective system to produce hybrid seeds on a commercial scale is missing. This project aims to deliver such a system for use in hybrid wheat breeding programmes. The outcome will be ultimately higher wheat yield gains in Australia and worldwide. Higher and more stable yields will contribute to higher food security for the growing human population.