Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100085
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$414,864.00
Summary
Elucidating a novel mechanism for coping with harmful mutations. This project aims to improve our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms that increase genetic and phenotypic robustness. Survival of organisms depends on their ability to cope with genetic variation. A novel process of genetic compensation has recently been identified, producing a normal phenotype in a homozygous mutant, that would be expected to have deleterious effects. This project will reveal how compensation is ach ....Elucidating a novel mechanism for coping with harmful mutations. This project aims to improve our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms that increase genetic and phenotypic robustness. Survival of organisms depends on their ability to cope with genetic variation. A novel process of genetic compensation has recently been identified, producing a normal phenotype in a homozygous mutant, that would be expected to have deleterious effects. This project will reveal how compensation is achieved by examining the molecular pathways that are activated following genetic mutation. This project is expected to strengthen Australian reputation in evolutionary genetics, and in turn enhance our understanding of how organisms adapt to changing environments.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101728
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
The regulation and evolution of posttranscriptional gene networks. The ability of cells to regulate gene expression is key for organism development, adaptation to new environments and evolutionary changes that shape the diversity of life on Earth. This project studies the RNA binding proteins called PUFs which are central for gene expression in diverse organisms. Using cutting-edge new generation systems biology approaches, this project will study how PUF proteins regulate genes to enable metabo ....The regulation and evolution of posttranscriptional gene networks. The ability of cells to regulate gene expression is key for organism development, adaptation to new environments and evolutionary changes that shape the diversity of life on Earth. This project studies the RNA binding proteins called PUFs which are central for gene expression in diverse organisms. Using cutting-edge new generation systems biology approaches, this project will study how PUF proteins regulate genes to enable metabolic adaptation, differentiation of cell types and the evolution of new gene expression outputs in distinct biological species. The outcomes will include new insights into the regulation and evolution of posttranscriptional gene networks. Read moreRead less
The role of RNA editing by the brain-specific enzym ADAR3 in learning and memory. Higher-order cognition sets us apart from other species but how this is achieved is still under debate. The project will test the idea, strongly supported by recent genomic analyses, that subtle changes in the sequences of RNA in response to environmental stimuli underpin this extraordinary ability.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102763
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The contribution of histone post-translational modifications to eukaryotic evolution. By comparing the complete DNA sequence of closely related species, it is possible to identify changes in DNA that account for the diversity between these species. The project will use this approach to ask whether DNA changes that influence how DNA itself is packaged into cells have contributed to the evolution of new yeast species.
Resolving the steps in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. This project aims to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the evolution of grasses using the C4 biochemical pathway that enables plants to survive in hot, dry, high-light environments. The endemic Australian subtribe Neurachninae is the only known grass group that contains C4 species, species using the ancestral C3 pathway, as well as species using pathways intermediate to C3 and C4. Through a comparative approach employing ....Resolving the steps in the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. This project aims to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the evolution of grasses using the C4 biochemical pathway that enables plants to survive in hot, dry, high-light environments. The endemic Australian subtribe Neurachninae is the only known grass group that contains C4 species, species using the ancestral C3 pathway, as well as species using pathways intermediate to C3 and C4. Through a comparative approach employing high-throughput sequencing technologies, it is expected that the molecular changes underlying the transition from C3 to C4 will be identified. These results should define what is required to engineer plant varieties with increased yield and the ability to withstand climate change effects.Read moreRead less
The early marsupial embryo - a missing link in vertebrate development. Most of our knowledge of early development comes from one species, the mouse, but it is not known how similar it is to other mammals or even other vertebrates such as birds and reptiles. Using a marsupial model, the tammar wallaby, the project aims to identify mechanisms that are fundamental to mammals and those that are more evolutionarily plastic.
Exploiting Sexual Differences In Germline Biology To Resolve The Causes Of Germline Mutation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$315,914.00
Summary
Mutagenesis during the production of sex cells is a fundamental biological process and the cause of inherited human disorders. These disorders span the entire spectrum of diseases that have a genetic component, such as autoimmune diseases and cancers, therefore influencing all age groups. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this process is a priority since it is the essential knowledge required for understanding all of the factors that contribute to this array of debilitating dis ....Mutagenesis during the production of sex cells is a fundamental biological process and the cause of inherited human disorders. These disorders span the entire spectrum of diseases that have a genetic component, such as autoimmune diseases and cancers, therefore influencing all age groups. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this process is a priority since it is the essential knowledge required for understanding all of the factors that contribute to this array of debilitating diseases, and for devising effective preventative and diagnostic measures. To attain this understanding necessitates establishing the mechanistic origins of germline mutagenesis. Two basic approaches are employed to understand this process. The first assesses the incidence of mutation in pedigrees. This identifies the spectrum of risk mutations underlying the specific disease surveyed. Because other biological processes also influence these observations, the results from this approach do not reflect the underlying germline mutation spectra and are therefore not translatable between diseases. As mutations are rare events, it is prohibitive to obtain sufficient observations to resolve the underlying mechanisms. The second approach employs comparative genomic data, and uses differences in germline biology to estimate sex-biased effects. This comparative approach benefits from the accumulation of mutations over vast periods of time. The approach has not, however, been applied to diagnose the mechanistic origins of mutations. In this project, we will apply the enormous volume of comparative sequencing data to relate components of the mutagenic spectrum with sexual differences in germline biology. The project will differentiate between different types of mutations, and their association with specific processes will be established. The results will be a determination of the relative contributions of different mechanisms of mutation to germline mutagenesis.Read moreRead less
The role of toxin biosynthesis for marine dinoflagellates - an evolutionary ecological approach. Dinoflagellates are a group of microalgae that include coral symbionts and phytoplankton. Many species produce potent toxins that can be a problem in the aquaculture industry. This project will use novel genetic methods to investigate the evolution and ecology of toxin production in a variety of marine dinoflagellates.
Can lateral gene transfer lead to ecological innovation in eukaryotes? The role of saxitoxin in the diversification of Alexandrium. This project will determine the processes that led to the acquisition and diversification of the genetic basis for a potent neurotoxin, saxitoxin. This project will determine its impact on the evolution of the marine producing organisms and investigate novel genetic methods of toxin detection.