The evolution of the alternation of generations in land plants. This project aims to investigate how a genetic system, comprised of a homeodomain protein encoding gene family controlling the haploid to diploid transition, has evolved during land plant evolution.
The project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the evolution of land plants from which our food and fibre are derived.
The intended outcomes include an elucidation of how an ancestral genetic network was elaborated during the e ....The evolution of the alternation of generations in land plants. This project aims to investigate how a genetic system, comprised of a homeodomain protein encoding gene family controlling the haploid to diploid transition, has evolved during land plant evolution.
The project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the evolution of land plants from which our food and fibre are derived.
The intended outcomes include an elucidation of how an ancestral genetic network was elaborated during the evolution of a multicelluar organism, including the retention of ancestral functions and the origins of new functions.
An anticipated benefit is the ability to manipulate the the growth and development of plants based on fundamental principles, which has broad agricultural implications.Read moreRead less
The origin and evolution of the land plant meristem. This project aims to identify the extent of overlap between the genetic determinants of the gametophyte and sporophyte shoot meristems.
The project expects to generate new knowledge of the evolution and development of land plants by applying comparative genomics and new technologies to a novel model genetic system.
Expected outcomes include an elucidation of the genetic basis for one of the key morphological adaptations for life on land.
Th ....The origin and evolution of the land plant meristem. This project aims to identify the extent of overlap between the genetic determinants of the gametophyte and sporophyte shoot meristems.
The project expects to generate new knowledge of the evolution and development of land plants by applying comparative genomics and new technologies to a novel model genetic system.
Expected outcomes include an elucidation of the genetic basis for one of the key morphological adaptations for life on land.
The ability to manipulate the growth and development of plants via the activity of meristems based on fundamental principles has broad agricultural implications.
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Inflammation as an early form of maternal-fetal signalling in pregnancy. The project aims to understand the role of inflammatory signalling in marsupial pregnancy. This project is expected to explain why inflammation, a processes normally confined to injury and infection, is a part of reproduction in live-bearing mammals. Outcomes of this project include robust measures of the capacity for, impact of, and evolution of, inflammatory signalling in marsupial pregnancy. The project will provide new ....Inflammation as an early form of maternal-fetal signalling in pregnancy. The project aims to understand the role of inflammatory signalling in marsupial pregnancy. This project is expected to explain why inflammation, a processes normally confined to injury and infection, is a part of reproduction in live-bearing mammals. Outcomes of this project include robust measures of the capacity for, impact of, and evolution of, inflammatory signalling in marsupial pregnancy. The project will provide new knowledge about the unique biology of Australia's marsupial fauna.This project will provide significant benefits, including enhanced capacity for reproduction research in Australia, new international collaborations between Melbourne and Yale, and a new explanation for the puzzling role of inflammation in pregnancy.Read moreRead less
Fins to Limbs: Investigating the Evolution of complex Limb Musculature. This application aims to investigates the basis of the fin-to-limb transition, an event that set the stage for the entire tetrapod radiation. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the natural history of vertebrates using a multidisciplinary approach that combines paleontology and embryology of unique Australian fauna. While the skeletal changes associated with the move from water to land have been investi ....Fins to Limbs: Investigating the Evolution of complex Limb Musculature. This application aims to investigates the basis of the fin-to-limb transition, an event that set the stage for the entire tetrapod radiation. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the natural history of vertebrates using a multidisciplinary approach that combines paleontology and embryology of unique Australian fauna. While the skeletal changes associated with the move from water to land have been investigated, little is known about the origin of tetrapod limb muscles. This proposal has as an expected outcome, a determination of how limb muscles arose during evolution. This knowledge should provide significant benefits by transforming our understanding of the origins of the tetrapod body plan and our own natural history.Read moreRead less
Dissecting natural variation in sexually dimorphic gene expression. This project aims to understand the origins of sex differences by dissecting heritable variation in sexually dimorphic gene expression. Sexual dimorphism constitutes a large fraction of phenotypic diversity and arises mainly from sex differences in gene expression that permit males and females of a species to escape sexual conflict caused by a shared genome. The project uses multi-population quantitative genetics and allele-spec ....Dissecting natural variation in sexually dimorphic gene expression. This project aims to understand the origins of sex differences by dissecting heritable variation in sexually dimorphic gene expression. Sexual dimorphism constitutes a large fraction of phenotypic diversity and arises mainly from sex differences in gene expression that permit males and females of a species to escape sexual conflict caused by a shared genome. The project uses multi-population quantitative genetics and allele-specific expression assays to merge the studies of sex-specific local adaptation and sexually dimorphic regulatory variation. The project will help to understand how cis- and trans- regulatory factors can affect natural variation differently in males and females, shaping their phenotypic similarities and differences.Read moreRead less
Why does the genetic nearly-null subspace exist? This project aims to determine why nearly-null genetic subspaces exist by simultaneously measuring the input of new mutational variance in these nearly-null subspaces and the selection that acts on these new mutations to result in the observed low levels of standing genetic variance. The ability of organisms to evolve in response to human disturbance, translocation to new environments, or climate variation is governed by the availability of geneti ....Why does the genetic nearly-null subspace exist? This project aims to determine why nearly-null genetic subspaces exist by simultaneously measuring the input of new mutational variance in these nearly-null subspaces and the selection that acts on these new mutations to result in the observed low levels of standing genetic variance. The ability of organisms to evolve in response to human disturbance, translocation to new environments, or climate variation is governed by the availability of genetic variation. Recent advances in multivariate genetic analysis have demonstrated that a substantial proportion of a phenotype described by quantitative traits has very little genetic variance associated with it, and will therefore tend to be subjected to evolutionary limitsRead moreRead less
A new universal mechanism controlling body proportions in animals. This project aims to establish that a recently-discovered mechanism, the inhibitory cascade, determines the basic proportions of appendages and body segments in a diverse range of animal groups, particularly vertebrates and arthropods. The goals of the project are to reveal the molecular mechanisms in mice and insects, and build computer simulations to show how to manipulate the control of development by the inhibitory cascade. T ....A new universal mechanism controlling body proportions in animals. This project aims to establish that a recently-discovered mechanism, the inhibitory cascade, determines the basic proportions of appendages and body segments in a diverse range of animal groups, particularly vertebrates and arthropods. The goals of the project are to reveal the molecular mechanisms in mice and insects, and build computer simulations to show how to manipulate the control of development by the inhibitory cascade. The project should benefit bioengineering by establishing control mechanisms for the manipulation and regeneration of teeth and limbs.Read moreRead less
Evolution and role of neo-sex chromosomes in mitonuclear co-evolution. This project aims to characterize the evolution of novel, extended sex chromosomes in an Australian bird, then elucidate their role in climate-associated adaptive evolution. The species falls into two lineages bearing distinct mitochondrial genomes and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes carried on sex chromosomes. The project aims to test whether this extraordinary genome arrangement is splitting the species into two forms: ....Evolution and role of neo-sex chromosomes in mitonuclear co-evolution. This project aims to characterize the evolution of novel, extended sex chromosomes in an Australian bird, then elucidate their role in climate-associated adaptive evolution. The species falls into two lineages bearing distinct mitochondrial genomes and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes carried on sex chromosomes. The project aims to test whether this extraordinary genome arrangement is splitting the species into two forms: one adapted to hotter, drier environments, one to milder ones. This would be tackled using an innovative combination of genomics, cytogenetics, and metabolic data. Understanding the mechanisms at play would represent a major advance in ecology and evolution, with potential implications for conservation management.Read moreRead less
Can mitochondrial and nuclear co-evolution drive climate adaptation? This project aims to reveal whether co-evolution between the mitochondrial genome of a wild bird and partner nuclear genes is causing the species to split into two forms, one adapted to inland environments and one to coastal conditions. Mitochondrial-nuclear co-evolution has great potential to illuminate new modes of climate adaptation and lineage divergence. This understanding will provide significant benefits, with implicatio ....Can mitochondrial and nuclear co-evolution drive climate adaptation? This project aims to reveal whether co-evolution between the mitochondrial genome of a wild bird and partner nuclear genes is causing the species to split into two forms, one adapted to inland environments and one to coastal conditions. Mitochondrial-nuclear co-evolution has great potential to illuminate new modes of climate adaptation and lineage divergence. This understanding will provide significant benefits, with implications for conservation management.Read moreRead less