Epigenetic Regulation Of Male Fetal Germ Cell Development.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,176.00
Summary
Men’s health has declined over recent decades, but the causes remain unknown. Non-genetic (epigenetic) mechanisms affecting formation and function of the male germ cells (which produce sperm) may play an important role. We will determine the role of a key epigenetic modifier on the formation and function of male germ cells, including germ cell tumours. This study will provide fundamental insights into male germ cell epigenetics, and significantly contribute to understanding men's health.
Identifying The Pathological Mechanism Of PCDH19-Girls Clustering Epilepsy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$523,988.00
Summary
Changes in the PCDH19 gene are a relatively common cause of epilepsy. To better understand the basis of this disorder, we have developed unique mouse models that mimic the genetic changes and symptoms of this condition. We will perform careful analysis of brain development in these models to determine the primary cause of this condition. These experiments will create greater understanding of how changes in PCDH19 cause epilepsy in girls and facilitate the development of new treatments.
The genetic basis of leaf lamina establishment and growth. This study will help reveal how the development of leaves is coordinated by tissue patterning genes and the plant growth hormone auxin. All plants grow in this way, and the findings, made using a model laboratory plant, will be applicable to crop species as well.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100190
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$388,600.00
Summary
Tracing the Evolutionary History of Plant Developmental Mechanisms. Knowledge of the evolutionary history of genes involved in developmental processes provides a foundation for understanding how genetic networks were established and how their manipulation may influence plant growth and form. Genetic programs that direct growth and development in response to light will be examined functionally in Marchantia, a liverwort. Liverworts hold a key position in plant evolution as the sister group to all ....Tracing the Evolutionary History of Plant Developmental Mechanisms. Knowledge of the evolutionary history of genes involved in developmental processes provides a foundation for understanding how genetic networks were established and how their manipulation may influence plant growth and form. Genetic programs that direct growth and development in response to light will be examined functionally in Marchantia, a liverwort. Liverworts hold a key position in plant evolution as the sister group to all other land plants and possess many attributes reminiscent of the ancestral land plant. This project is expected to reveal some of the ancestral mechanisms for how light regulates plant form via the hormone auxin and could, in the future, aid the precise design of plants for diverse agricultural applications.Read moreRead less
Understanding the evolution of the alternation of generations in the land plant life cycle. This project will investigate the genetic basis and evolution of the land plant life cycle, in which both haploid and diploid phases consist of complex multicellular bodies. The project's findings, which will be made using two model laboratory plants, will be applicable to all plants and will help understand important processes such as pollen and seed production.
Molecular mechanisms that generate muscle cell type diversity. The general aim of this project is to exploit the advantages of the zebrafish system and our access to the embryology of Australian shark species to generate an understanding of the basis for muscle fibre diversity and evolution. While there is some understanding of the fundamental genetic basis of how to make an individual muscle cell from a nascent myoblast there is far less knowledge on how individual muscle cells generate mature ....Molecular mechanisms that generate muscle cell type diversity. The general aim of this project is to exploit the advantages of the zebrafish system and our access to the embryology of Australian shark species to generate an understanding of the basis for muscle fibre diversity and evolution. While there is some understanding of the fundamental genetic basis of how to make an individual muscle cell from a nascent myoblast there is far less knowledge on how individual muscle cells generate mature muscle types and patterns. The intended outcome of this research is to generate understanding of the complex molecular basis of muscle patterning in the simple paradigm of the zebrafish myotome that could be applied across the vertebrate phylogeny.Read moreRead less
Development and evolution of land plant shoots. How do plants grow and develop their wonderful diversity of forms, from cereal crops to eucalypt forests? The project aims to understand basic mechanisms of plant development via comparative studies using the model angiosperm, Arabidopsis, and the liverwort, Marchantia, which possesses a simplified genome. Comparative studies of the genetic basis of the body plan, branching, and hormonal action could unlock their evolutionary elaboration from the s ....Development and evolution of land plant shoots. How do plants grow and develop their wonderful diversity of forms, from cereal crops to eucalypt forests? The project aims to understand basic mechanisms of plant development via comparative studies using the model angiosperm, Arabidopsis, and the liverwort, Marchantia, which possesses a simplified genome. Comparative studies of the genetic basis of the body plan, branching, and hormonal action could unlock their evolutionary elaboration from the simpler liverworts to more complex flowering plants. The project may generate new understanding of the principles of how genes and hormones control the architecture of plant shoot systems, and support the targeted selection of new agricultural plants.Read moreRead less
Genetic regulation of wing reduction in the emu. This project aims to examine the genetic mechanisms that generate limb diversity, using wing reduction in the emu as a model. A hot topic in biology at present is evolutionary developmental biology, or how genes control morphological diversity. This project will explore the functions of two novel genes implicated in wing reduction. The project expects to expand knowledge in the area of developmental biology, and limb morphogenesis specifically. It ....Genetic regulation of wing reduction in the emu. This project aims to examine the genetic mechanisms that generate limb diversity, using wing reduction in the emu as a model. A hot topic in biology at present is evolutionary developmental biology, or how genes control morphological diversity. This project will explore the functions of two novel genes implicated in wing reduction. The project expects to expand knowledge in the area of developmental biology, and limb morphogenesis specifically. It will bear upon the phylogeny of flightlessness among birds. It also has potential implications for studying human limb deformities. Overall, the project will enhance our understanding of how genes control the great diversity that we see in nature.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100306
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Does spurious maternal-fetal signalling support the evolution of a placenta. This project aims to test a model that explains how the placenta has evolved as a new organ more than 100 times in fishes, reptiles, and mammals including our own ancestors. The project will assess whether regulatory components of the placenta evolve as a result of spurious maternal-fetal signalling following egg retention and eggshell loss in viviparous reptiles. Expected outcomes of this project include a new understa ....Does spurious maternal-fetal signalling support the evolution of a placenta. This project aims to test a model that explains how the placenta has evolved as a new organ more than 100 times in fishes, reptiles, and mammals including our own ancestors. The project will assess whether regulatory components of the placenta evolve as a result of spurious maternal-fetal signalling following egg retention and eggshell loss in viviparous reptiles. Expected outcomes of this project include a new understanding of how complex organs originate and evolve in animals. This will benefit society through a broader depth of understanding of our own evolutionary history and provides a framework for future studies to investigate the origin and evolution of organs more broadly in animals.Read moreRead less
The integration of physical and genetic signals in cardiac development. The patterning of the heart is a highly complicated process. This project will investigate how blood flow through the heart, as a result of heart function, is important in stimulating the formation of structures within the heart and changes in the shape of the heart as it grows.