Cell-cell signaling in the regulation of cell polarity in plants. This project aims to investigate how plants cells communicate with each other to coordinate their growth and directionality. The project is expected to generate new knowledge in the area of plant developmental biology. Expected outcomes include a new mechanistic framework, built from the cellular level, for understanding and manipulating plant growth and the building of new international collaborations. The project should provide ....Cell-cell signaling in the regulation of cell polarity in plants. This project aims to investigate how plants cells communicate with each other to coordinate their growth and directionality. The project is expected to generate new knowledge in the area of plant developmental biology. Expected outcomes include a new mechanistic framework, built from the cellular level, for understanding and manipulating plant growth and the building of new international collaborations. The project should provide an enhanced ability to modify crop architecture to improve agricultural output.Read moreRead less
Why is the peribacteroid membrane transcription factor SAT1 required for legume nitrogen fixation and what is its role in other symbiotic systems? This project will investigate the functional activity of the plant membrane bound basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor SAT1 in both nitrogen fixing (Rhizobia) and phosphorus acquiring (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal) symbioses found in plants. The project will identify its regulation and downstream activities across both symbiosis using selected ....Why is the peribacteroid membrane transcription factor SAT1 required for legume nitrogen fixation and what is its role in other symbiotic systems? This project will investigate the functional activity of the plant membrane bound basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor SAT1 in both nitrogen fixing (Rhizobia) and phosphorus acquiring (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal) symbioses found in plants. The project will identify its regulation and downstream activities across both symbiosis using selected legumes and or cereals.Read moreRead less
Why does phosphite protect some plants against Phytophthora but not others? Plant diseases caused by Phytophthora pose a major threat to Australia's biodiversity, horticulture and agriculture. The systemic chemical potassium phosphite is a key component of management strategies, but its effectiveness varies on different plant species. We will use molecular and biochemical techniques to understand why some plant species are protected against Phytophthora dieback by phosphite while others are not. ....Why does phosphite protect some plants against Phytophthora but not others? Plant diseases caused by Phytophthora pose a major threat to Australia's biodiversity, horticulture and agriculture. The systemic chemical potassium phosphite is a key component of management strategies, but its effectiveness varies on different plant species. We will use molecular and biochemical techniques to understand why some plant species are protected against Phytophthora dieback by phosphite while others are not. This will improve the options for managing bushland affected by dieback and will also expand our knowledge of plant disease resistance.Read moreRead less
Phloem unloading of sucrose: cloning, functional characterisation and regulation of novel membrane transporters. Sucrose is the principal form in which plant biomass, produced in photosynthetic leaves, is transported to non-photosynthetic organs for growth and storage. Sucrose transport proteins play pivotal roles in facilitating sucrose transport around plants. Hence activities of sucrose transporters directly impact on plant growth rates and crop yields. Our aim is to isolate hitherto unkno ....Phloem unloading of sucrose: cloning, functional characterisation and regulation of novel membrane transporters. Sucrose is the principal form in which plant biomass, produced in photosynthetic leaves, is transported to non-photosynthetic organs for growth and storage. Sucrose transport proteins play pivotal roles in facilitating sucrose transport around plants. Hence activities of sucrose transporters directly impact on plant growth rates and crop yields. Our aim is to isolate hitherto unknown membrane proteins that move sucrose at high rates between cells and discover their transport properties. Expected outcomes are to better understand mechanisms and regulation of sucrose transport and hence provide novel opportunities to enhance crop yield. The project will foster a productive international collaboration.Read moreRead less
Nutrient transfer across symbiotic membranes in soybean. Legume plants interact with soil bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air to obtain nitrogen required for growth, reducing their use of fertilisers. Understanding how nutrients are exchanged between bacteria and legumes may improve the efficiency of this process. This would make legumes a more valuable component of sustainable agricultural systems.
The response of mitochondria to oxidative stress in plants. Crops encounter many situations in their environment which place them under stress. Reactive oxygen molecules produced in these situations act as messengers to trigger defence mechanisms but also cause cellular damage. Mitochondria are the subcellular compartments involved in energy production and are essential for plant development and growth. However, they also have been implicated in the response of plants to stress and pathogen atta ....The response of mitochondria to oxidative stress in plants. Crops encounter many situations in their environment which place them under stress. Reactive oxygen molecules produced in these situations act as messengers to trigger defence mechanisms but also cause cellular damage. Mitochondria are the subcellular compartments involved in energy production and are essential for plant development and growth. However, they also have been implicated in the response of plants to stress and pathogen attack, and in production of reactive oxygen molecules. This proposal seeks to investigate how mitochondria are involved in these processes, focusing on the role of terminal oxidases. Potential outcomes include crops better able to cope with environmental stress.Read moreRead less
Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering the Mechanisms of Wall Ingrowth Formation. This project seeks fundamental molecular understanding of how specialized plant cells that are designed for optimum transport of nutrients develop. So-called "transfer cells" are important for efficient nutrient transport and distribution in many crop species of significance to agriculture. Discovering the mechanisms that coordinate development of these specialized cells will maintain Australia's international reputat ....Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering the Mechanisms of Wall Ingrowth Formation. This project seeks fundamental molecular understanding of how specialized plant cells that are designed for optimum transport of nutrients develop. So-called "transfer cells" are important for efficient nutrient transport and distribution in many crop species of significance to agriculture. Discovering the mechanisms that coordinate development of these specialized cells will maintain Australia's international reputation in this field of research, as well as provide technological opportunities to enhance crop yields by manipulating the efficiency of nutrient distribution in crop species. Read moreRead less
Induction of Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering Regulatory Networks. This project seeks molecular understanding of regulatory mechanisms responsible for inducing formation of specialized plant cells that are of central importance in controlling nutrient transport. These so-called "transfer cells" play pivotal roles in determining crop nutrition and hence yield under normal and stressful environments such as soil nutrient deficiencies and salinity. Discovering regulatory mechanisms that control f ....Induction of Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering Regulatory Networks. This project seeks molecular understanding of regulatory mechanisms responsible for inducing formation of specialized plant cells that are of central importance in controlling nutrient transport. These so-called "transfer cells" play pivotal roles in determining crop nutrition and hence yield under normal and stressful environments such as soil nutrient deficiencies and salinity. Discovering regulatory mechanisms that control formation of these specialized cells will maintain Australia's international reputation in this field of research. In addition, the information platform generated may provide technological opportunities to optimise nutrient flows in healthy plants, combat certain environmental stresses and control pathogen attack.
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Investigations of signals involved in redox-regulation of carbon storage. This project seeks molecular understanding of signals optimising storage processes in plants in response to nutrient supply and environmental stress. Discovering regulatory signals that control carbon storage and yield will maintain Australia's international reputation in this field of research and may provide technical opportunities to improve crops in healthy or stressful environments. This is an issue of increasing impo ....Investigations of signals involved in redox-regulation of carbon storage. This project seeks molecular understanding of signals optimising storage processes in plants in response to nutrient supply and environmental stress. Discovering regulatory signals that control carbon storage and yield will maintain Australia's international reputation in this field of research and may provide technical opportunities to improve crops in healthy or stressful environments. This is an issue of increasing importance especially in the context of global warming. Read moreRead less
Cell wall invertase regulates fruit and seed development through sugar signals, sugar transporters and plasmodesmal gating. This project seeks to understand the molecular and cellular events controlling carbohydrate allocation in fruit and seed by focusing the coupling between sugar metabolism and transport using tomato as a model. The information generated may provide technological opportunities to improve fruit and seed development hence, crop yield.