Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101962
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Functional epigenomics interrogation of DNA methylation dynamics during vertebrate development and evolution. DNA methylation (mC) is an epigenetic signal essential for the maintenance of correct gene expression patterns. To investigate the causal relationships between mC and transcription during vertebrate embryonic development and evolution, this project will perform high-resolution mC profiling at different stages of teleost, amphibian and mammalian development. Highly conserved and syntenic, ....Functional epigenomics interrogation of DNA methylation dynamics during vertebrate development and evolution. DNA methylation (mC) is an epigenetic signal essential for the maintenance of correct gene expression patterns. To investigate the causal relationships between mC and transcription during vertebrate embryonic development and evolution, this project will perform high-resolution mC profiling at different stages of teleost, amphibian and mammalian development. Highly conserved and syntenic, methylated sequences will then be used as baits in proteomics screens to identify novel 5mC 'readers'. The generation of genomic profiles of mC 'readers' and their integration with developmental mC maps will reveal transient epigenome dynamics during vertebrate embryogenesis and provide new insights into the conservation of these crucial developmental mechanisms.Read moreRead less
The behaviour-genetics of NAPLAN data: Increasing power for complex analyses. This longitudinal behaviour-genetic study of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results at Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 will continue to document the influence of genes and environmental factors on individual differences in school achievement. It aims to strengthen the longitudinal aspects of the data, allowing the project to identify sources of stability and change across the seven school years o ....The behaviour-genetics of NAPLAN data: Increasing power for complex analyses. This longitudinal behaviour-genetic study of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results at Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 will continue to document the influence of genes and environmental factors on individual differences in school achievement. It aims to strengthen the longitudinal aspects of the data, allowing the project to identify sources of stability and change across the seven school years of the NAPLAN. It also aims to increase numbers in the low and high tails of the score distributions, creating a clearer picture of deficits like dyslexia and dyscalculia, and allow for firmer identification of gene-by-environment interactions. The project aims to further illuminate any differential effectiveness of schools and teachers on student outcomes, a topic of high public interest.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100002
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,040,000.00
Summary
Distributed Memory Cluster for the Intersect consortium of universities. Distributed memory cluster:
This project aims to establish a new supercomputing facility. The NSW research community has used high performance computing (HPC) to achieve major breakthroughs across a diverse range of disciplines including astrophysics, bioinformatics, environmental science, information technology and engineering. As the use of HPC increases, the application-specific needs of the research community become mo ....Distributed Memory Cluster for the Intersect consortium of universities. Distributed memory cluster:
This project aims to establish a new supercomputing facility. The NSW research community has used high performance computing (HPC) to achieve major breakthroughs across a diverse range of disciplines including astrophysics, bioinformatics, environmental science, information technology and engineering. As the use of HPC increases, the application-specific needs of the research community become more diverse, requiring greater flexibility as well as higher performance. The present facility is no longer internationally competitive, and is hampering progress in cutting edge research. The new cluster is designed to provide a greater than 10-fold increase in computing capability.Read moreRead less
Bacterial innovation and evolution: Molecular prospecting by targeting integrons and gene cassettes. Bacteria can respond rapidly to environmental change by acquiring new genes via lateral gene transfer. A DNA element called the integron can capture, mobilise and express genes, thereby playing a role in the transfer process. We have discovered that integrons are surprisingly abundant in the environment and are associated with a hitherto unsuspected diversity of novel genes. In this study we will ....Bacterial innovation and evolution: Molecular prospecting by targeting integrons and gene cassettes. Bacteria can respond rapidly to environmental change by acquiring new genes via lateral gene transfer. A DNA element called the integron can capture, mobilise and express genes, thereby playing a role in the transfer process. We have discovered that integrons are surprisingly abundant in the environment and are associated with a hitherto unsuspected diversity of novel genes. In this study we will assess the diversity of environmental integrons and examine their contribution to bacterial evolution. Further, we aim to use integron systems to prospect for novel genes and contract new enzyme pathways by directed evolution.
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Assembling the building blocks in the blueprint of the embryonic head. This project aims to profile and impute the genome activity and validate the cellular and molecular mechanism underpinning the generation, in time and space, of diverse types of tissues that constitute the building blocks of the embryonic head. The knowledge gain enriches our understanding of the early steps of head formation during embryogenesis in the context of the niche conditions associated with the acquisition of progen ....Assembling the building blocks in the blueprint of the embryonic head. This project aims to profile and impute the genome activity and validate the cellular and molecular mechanism underpinning the generation, in time and space, of diverse types of tissues that constitute the building blocks of the embryonic head. The knowledge gain enriches our understanding of the early steps of head formation during embryogenesis in the context of the niche conditions associated with the acquisition of progenitor state, enhancement of lineage propensity, and driving early lineage differentiation. Expected outcome of this research on the developmental biology of a model organism provides a framework of the mechanism of establishing a blueprint of development that may be conserved across multiple mammalian species.Read moreRead less
Complex trait analyses based on genome-wide approaches. This project aims to develop whole genome approaches that can improve the estimation and prediction power by using information from the dynamic genetic architecture of complex traits (i.e. the changes of genetic characteristics and effects when varying effective population size and genetic backgrounds). The project intends to deliver advanced statistical models, efficient algorithms and design by combining data from close relatives, populat ....Complex trait analyses based on genome-wide approaches. This project aims to develop whole genome approaches that can improve the estimation and prediction power by using information from the dynamic genetic architecture of complex traits (i.e. the changes of genetic characteristics and effects when varying effective population size and genetic backgrounds). The project intends to deliver advanced statistical models, efficient algorithms and design by combining data from close relatives, population samples or from different populations (e.g. multi-ethnicities or multi-breeds). The expected outcome is to better understand the dynamic architecture of complex traits and develop methods with improved power, precision and accuracy in genomic analyses.Read moreRead less
Structural domains of beta-tubulin and their role in microtubule dynamics and transport. This study aims to obtain a fundamental understanding of how the structural domains of the cytoskeletal protein beta-tubulin are involved in microtubule structures during cell division and vesicular transport. Using gene-editing technology and coupling this with cell biological approaches and high-resolution cell imaging will enable detailed analysis of the role of beta-tubulin domains in these important cel ....Structural domains of beta-tubulin and their role in microtubule dynamics and transport. This study aims to obtain a fundamental understanding of how the structural domains of the cytoskeletal protein beta-tubulin are involved in microtubule structures during cell division and vesicular transport. Using gene-editing technology and coupling this with cell biological approaches and high-resolution cell imaging will enable detailed analysis of the role of beta-tubulin domains in these important cellular processes. The outcomes will include fundamental new knowledge in cell biology and lead to the development of unique biological models that can be used to understand disease.Read moreRead less
Charting the human epi-transcriptome. This project aims to use Oxford nanopore technologies and phage display technologies, to obtain quantitative, single-nucleotide resolution maps for any RNA modification of choice. This will allow systematic mapping of RNA modifications for which we currently lack transcriptome-wide maps, as well as investigate the roles, regulation and impact of RNA modifications in proper cellular functioning and cell differentiation. The project will provide significant be ....Charting the human epi-transcriptome. This project aims to use Oxford nanopore technologies and phage display technologies, to obtain quantitative, single-nucleotide resolution maps for any RNA modification of choice. This will allow systematic mapping of RNA modifications for which we currently lack transcriptome-wide maps, as well as investigate the roles, regulation and impact of RNA modifications in proper cellular functioning and cell differentiation. The project will provide significant benefits, such as to the economy by offering a cost-effective alternative to sequencing methods currently used to map DNA and RNA modifications.Read moreRead less
The control of chromosome division during female meiosis. Mammalian eggs are stored life-long and finally mature in the hours before ovulation. This project examines how the chromosomes in the egg are separated properly so as to produce a mature egg capable of being fertilized by a sperm. Often in eggs chromosome division is imprecisely executed, and this project will help us understand why this occurs.
Improving the efficiency of CRISPR gene editing in cells. Human red blood cells are well-characterised and the globin gene locus is a model system for the study of gene regulation. Gene editing technologies and delivery tools are evolving rapidly and the globin gene locus is the perfect model for gene editing optimisation. This collaboration between UNSW Sydney and CSL aims to bring together our combined expertise and new technologies to develop an optimal platform for genetic modification in a ....Improving the efficiency of CRISPR gene editing in cells. Human red blood cells are well-characterised and the globin gene locus is a model system for the study of gene regulation. Gene editing technologies and delivery tools are evolving rapidly and the globin gene locus is the perfect model for gene editing optimisation. This collaboration between UNSW Sydney and CSL aims to bring together our combined expertise and new technologies to develop an optimal platform for genetic modification in a red blood cell line. Simultaneously, this project aims to generate fundamental insights into mechanisms of human gene regulation. The technological and biological outcomes of this project will be of benefit for future gene editing applications.Read moreRead less