Investigating Widespread Regulation Of Gene Expression Through Intron Retention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,026.00
Summary
We recently discovered a hidden type of gene regulation that appears to be altered in diverse cancers including leukaemia, melanoma and colon cancer. We will explore this widely relevant mechanism using molecular and computational tools. We created the only computer program able to detect this type of regulation and will now share our discovery with cancer scientists through cloud computing technology.
Computational Reconstruction And Validation Of A Gene Regulatory Network Controlling Differentiation Of B Cells To Antibody-secreting Plasma Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,152.00
Summary
Regulation of B cell differentiation, which occurs when our body responds to antigen infection is tightly controlled by a gene regulatory network. This project will be the first study to reconstruct a regulatory network for this process by using genome-wide expression and transcription factor binding data. The research finding from this study will elucidate the molecular mechanisms regulating this process and will shed new light on how this network is altered in lymphoma and myeloma.
Unravelling Gene Networks In Heart Development And Congenital Heart Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,724.00
Summary
One in 100 Australian babies are affected by heart malformations. The heart is a complex organ and its formation is likewise orchestrated by a complex network of genes. As our current knowledge of this network is limited, I aim to employ cutting-edge bioinformatics approaches to draw a comprehensive picture of genes required to build a healthy heart and to reveal which gene interactions are altered in congenital heart disease, thereby opening new perspectives for network biology-based therapies.
Interactions Between Aberrant Transcriptional Programs And Methylation In Primary Myelodysplasia And Leukaemia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
Impaired development of blood stem cells leads to haematological disease such as leukaemia. State of the art next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics identified molecular pathways essential for normal blood development and a core set of these genes repressed in leukaemia. Understanding the mechanism by which these genes are re-activated by the non-specific drug azacitidine contributes to the development of new therapeutics with increased efficiency and reduced side effects.
Characterising structural variation in the canola genome. Characterising structural variation in the canola genome. This project aims to develop and apply genomic tools to identify and characterise structural genome variation in canola, a major Australian export crop, to better understand genome evolution and accelerate canola breeding. Advances in DNA sequencing revolutionise our understanding of crop genomes, their evolution and impact on the inheritance on agronomic traits. Variation of genom ....Characterising structural variation in the canola genome. Characterising structural variation in the canola genome. This project aims to develop and apply genomic tools to identify and characterise structural genome variation in canola, a major Australian export crop, to better understand genome evolution and accelerate canola breeding. Advances in DNA sequencing revolutionise our understanding of crop genomes, their evolution and impact on the inheritance on agronomic traits. Variation of genome structure between individuals could be important in the inheritance of important agronomic traits. Recent advances in technology permit the detailed characterisation of structural variation on a previously unfeasible scale. Anticipated outcomes are enhanced global food security, supporting rural Australian economies, and accelerating the improvement of other major crops.Read moreRead less
Complexities of the mitochondrial transcriptome. This project aims to understand mitochondrial gene expression and energy production. Energy production is important for living things to grow and develop. In mammals, the mitochondria, the energy producing “powerhouses of the cell”, contain their own genetic assembly instructions. This project aims to understand these genetic instructions, revealing how genes control energy production. This project will characterise the genetic instructions, the m ....Complexities of the mitochondrial transcriptome. This project aims to understand mitochondrial gene expression and energy production. Energy production is important for living things to grow and develop. In mammals, the mitochondria, the energy producing “powerhouses of the cell”, contain their own genetic assembly instructions. This project aims to understand these genetic instructions, revealing how genes control energy production. This project will characterise the genetic instructions, the mitochondrial transcriptome and the proteins that control them. These advances are expected to provide a mechanistic understanding of how gene expression responds to changes in cellular energy demands. This knowledge will generate new biotechnological tools for Australian science and will have important long-term implications for improving agriculture and medicineRead moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100398
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,365.00
Summary
The Life And Death Of Plant Genes. My recent work has demonstrated that in contrast to animal genes, many plant genes show presence/absence variation within a species, with associated trait variation. In this project, I will explore models of gene birth and death by comparing genomes of Brassicaceae, including the model Arabidopsis and Brassica crop species. By comparing many genomes I will learn how new genes were born. I will build models that predict the likelihood of gene loss based on a gen ....The Life And Death Of Plant Genes. My recent work has demonstrated that in contrast to animal genes, many plant genes show presence/absence variation within a species, with associated trait variation. In this project, I will explore models of gene birth and death by comparing genomes of Brassicaceae, including the model Arabidopsis and Brassica crop species. By comparing many genomes I will learn how new genes were born. I will build models that predict the likelihood of gene loss based on a gene’s physical environment, function, and expression. The project will build on our understanding of plant genetic diversity. Expected outcomes of this research include the identification of key genomic elements in gene birth and loss and support strategies to improve plant cultivars.Read moreRead less
Evolution and functional impact of gene silencing by hairpin derived RNAs. This project aims to study RNA-mediated gene silencing in genome evolution. RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used as an experimental tool since its Nobel Prize-winning discovery in 1998, but little is known about endogenous RNAi or its evolution. This project uses bioinformatics, high-throughput sequencing and molecular approaches to study hpRNAs, a class of small interfering RNAs, their adaptive evolution across f ....Evolution and functional impact of gene silencing by hairpin derived RNAs. This project aims to study RNA-mediated gene silencing in genome evolution. RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used as an experimental tool since its Nobel Prize-winning discovery in 1998, but little is known about endogenous RNAi or its evolution. This project uses bioinformatics, high-throughput sequencing and molecular approaches to study hpRNAs, a class of small interfering RNAs, their adaptive evolution across fly species and vertebrates, and their functional effect on testis morphogenesis and distortion of female/male sex-ratio. The project also studies splicing-dependent small RNAs and miRNA-target interaction. This research could have applications from animal development to human pathology.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100234
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Enhancement of South Australian high-performance computing facilities. These facilities will enable the efficient use of high-performance computing and will more than double the capability provided by eResearch SA for South Australian researchers. They will support large-scale applications, running over many processors in parallel (high-performance computing) or large numbers of single processors (high-throughput computing).