The effects of habitat fragmentation on dispersal and social organisation in the Brown Antechinus. Fragmentation of native habitat continues to threaten Australian species, yet we have little understanding of processes leading to resulting extinctions. This study will characterise the effects of human-induced habitat fragmentation on social organisation and dispersal in Brown Antechinus. We will use a combination of genetic and demographic analyses to quantify and describe perturbation of social ....The effects of habitat fragmentation on dispersal and social organisation in the Brown Antechinus. Fragmentation of native habitat continues to threaten Australian species, yet we have little understanding of processes leading to resulting extinctions. This study will characterise the effects of human-induced habitat fragmentation on social organisation and dispersal in Brown Antechinus. We will use a combination of genetic and demographic analyses to quantify and describe perturbation of social structure and mating system within habitat fragments, and of dispersal among them. The patchwork of native vegetation within the Tumut pine plantation provides an ideal natural experimental study system and will produce data essential for rational management of landscapes in the face of human disturbance.Read moreRead less
National Macadamia Conservation Program. Macadamia is a national icon, and the only indigenous Australian plant food crop to be commercialised. However, it is vulnerable to extinction in the wild, needing conservation action. University, government, industry and community sectors will work together applying cutting edge research methodologies to produce a systematic conservation and recovery plan for Macadamia. This requires: Habitat modelling to predict past, contemporary and potential distribu ....National Macadamia Conservation Program. Macadamia is a national icon, and the only indigenous Australian plant food crop to be commercialised. However, it is vulnerable to extinction in the wild, needing conservation action. University, government, industry and community sectors will work together applying cutting edge research methodologies to produce a systematic conservation and recovery plan for Macadamia. This requires: Habitat modelling to predict past, contemporary and potential distributions for advising resource discovery and rehabilitation; Genetic variation modelling to assess quality and distinctness of native genetic resources and potential for rehabilitation by natural colonisation; and Developing a unifying statistical framework to support this work.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the biochemical fingerprint of Australian native plants for sustainable farm forestry and other applications. Dryland salinity is an issue of national significance due to its impact on primary industries which contribute billions of dollars to our economy. However, millions of hectares of arable land are now affected by salinity, with devastating effects on crops, native plants, water quality and wildlife. This project works with the rural community and exploits the unique gene poo ....Unravelling the biochemical fingerprint of Australian native plants for sustainable farm forestry and other applications. Dryland salinity is an issue of national significance due to its impact on primary industries which contribute billions of dollars to our economy. However, millions of hectares of arable land are now affected by salinity, with devastating effects on crops, native plants, water quality and wildlife. This project works with the rural community and exploits the unique gene pool of certain Australian salinity-tolerant plants for environmental benefits (revegetation, salinity control) and simultaneous economic returns through using these for timber and perennial fodder. The project thus addresses the national priorities of preventing the expansion of salinity, putting it to sustainable uses and preserving biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Population structure in the giant Australian cuttlefish - implications for management of a unique eco-tourism and fishery resource in regional Australia. A management strategy for the giant Australian cuttlefish in regional South Australia is required urgently because of potential conflict between ecotourism and fishery sectors. At present, development of a management strategy is stymied by lack of information on stock structure and movements. Analyses of variation in gene frequencies, morphom ....Population structure in the giant Australian cuttlefish - implications for management of a unique eco-tourism and fishery resource in regional Australia. A management strategy for the giant Australian cuttlefish in regional South Australia is required urgently because of potential conflict between ecotourism and fishery sectors. At present, development of a management strategy is stymied by lack of information on stock structure and movements. Analyses of variation in gene frequencies, morphometric and chemical trace element profiles in calcified structures among locations and years will enable the geographic extent of populations or stocks to be determined, including whether natal homing occurs. Such information is critical to sustainable management of the species and design of a marine protected area in the upper Spencer Gulf.Read moreRead less
Developing DNA tracking methods to identify illegally logged timber products from Africa. Illegal logging causes societal and environmental forest degradation, and is a high priority for international control. This project will produce a range of DNA methods that allow the tracing of the geographic source of origin for timber products from African tropical forests that will allow producers and consumers to better market and choose their products.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0452392
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$155,645.00
Summary
Australian Robotic Biobank Facility. The Australian Robotic Biobank Facility is envisaged as the national DNA extraction centre for generating archival-quality DNA. It will integrate with the existing Australian Plant DNA Bank to accelerate scientific discovery in biodiversity conservation and plant genetic improvement. The facility will augment Southern Cross University's extensive research collaborations with other Australian universities, institutions and agencies. It will provide the funda ....Australian Robotic Biobank Facility. The Australian Robotic Biobank Facility is envisaged as the national DNA extraction centre for generating archival-quality DNA. It will integrate with the existing Australian Plant DNA Bank to accelerate scientific discovery in biodiversity conservation and plant genetic improvement. The facility will augment Southern Cross University's extensive research collaborations with other Australian universities, institutions and agencies. It will provide the fundamental infrastructure to support research aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation management of Australia's genetic resources. The unique capacity to provide high quality archived DNA will be made possible by the precision instrumentation platform of the Australian Robotic Biobank Facility.Read moreRead less
The importance of DNA methylation in response to environmental changes. This project aims to investigate the importance of DNA methylation, a process whereby gene expression can be altered without changes in the DNA code, in regulating our responses to environmental challenges. It plans to do so using well-validated models of adult exposure to high fat diet or psychological stress in mice and tissue-specific (liver and brain) deletion of the major methylation enzymes. It aims to compare function ....The importance of DNA methylation in response to environmental changes. This project aims to investigate the importance of DNA methylation, a process whereby gene expression can be altered without changes in the DNA code, in regulating our responses to environmental challenges. It plans to do so using well-validated models of adult exposure to high fat diet or psychological stress in mice and tissue-specific (liver and brain) deletion of the major methylation enzymes. It aims to compare functional, gene expression and methylation status after such challenges in intact and methylase deleted animals to determine how vital this process really is. This work has major implications for our understanding of epigenetics, and the ways in which genes interact with the environment especially in times of change.Read moreRead less
Conservation genetics of humpback whales off Western Australia: Implications for the management of the Antarctic Group IV population. We will define the geographic structuring and gene flow of humpback whales comprising Antarctic Area Group IV, and which migrate off the coast of Western Australian. With this information we will develop guidelines for commonwealth, state, industry, and non-government organisations, for conserving and managing discrete (genetic) populations of humpback whales off ....Conservation genetics of humpback whales off Western Australia: Implications for the management of the Antarctic Group IV population. We will define the geographic structuring and gene flow of humpback whales comprising Antarctic Area Group IV, and which migrate off the coast of Western Australian. With this information we will develop guidelines for commonwealth, state, industry, and non-government organisations, for conserving and managing discrete (genetic) populations of humpback whales off Western Australia. We can then manage these cetaceans at the appropriate geographic scale, and assign conservation priority in relation to population genetic structure gained from this study.Read moreRead less
Investigating a new way in which diet impacts animal biology. This project aims to investigate the importance of a new way in which diet can alter animal biology. High fat or high sugar diets increase the binding of products of metabolism to chromosomes, which can completely alter the way that DNA is packaged and read. This project will use cell culture, rodent and fly models to identify the regions of the genome that are most affected by the new process. The project will also determine whether ....Investigating a new way in which diet impacts animal biology. This project aims to investigate the importance of a new way in which diet can alter animal biology. High fat or high sugar diets increase the binding of products of metabolism to chromosomes, which can completely alter the way that DNA is packaged and read. This project will use cell culture, rodent and fly models to identify the regions of the genome that are most affected by the new process. The project will also determine whether the cell is harmed, or in fact harnesses the process to control development or metabolism. This project has implications for our understanding of the ways in which genes interact with the environment especially in times of change.Read moreRead less
Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and dis ....Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and disease suppression, aimed at preventing extinction. It will strengthen ongoing conservation programs carried out by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program and will help publicise the plight of the devil both nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less