Enhancing Grain Yield Potential and Quality of Lupin. Sustainability of wheat production in Western Australia depends on the continued use of legumes, specifically lupins, in farming systems. The low returns to growers for lupins has jeopardised these sustainable systems. This project aims to gather new information to develop novel genetic strategies to increase yield potential and modify seed composition in lupins, enhancing their commercial worth.
A sustainable cellular factory for the production of antibiotics by photosynthetic bacteria. The range and rate of natural product discovery is the limiting factor in developing new pharmaceuticals. Traditional methods for the screening of these compounds or for their chemical synthesis are rapidly becoming inadequate as an increasing number of specific therapies, for cancers and infectious diseases for instance, are required. The research proposed will enable the design and production of "unnat ....A sustainable cellular factory for the production of antibiotics by photosynthetic bacteria. The range and rate of natural product discovery is the limiting factor in developing new pharmaceuticals. Traditional methods for the screening of these compounds or for their chemical synthesis are rapidly becoming inadequate as an increasing number of specific therapies, for cancers and infectious diseases for instance, are required. The research proposed will enable the design and production of "unnatural" products, including novel antibiotics, via combinatorial biosynthesis in photosynthetic microorgansims. The outcomes include graduate student training and Australian innovation in an enormous global market that is awaiting the next generation of medicines and associated pharmaceutical production technologies.Read moreRead less
Pre-clinical evaluation of snake venom proteins with therapeutic potential. Australia harbors some of the most toxic snakes in the world. Their venoms contain a range of substances that are designed to rapidly immobilize and kill their prey. These include agents that lead to enhanced blood clotting; excess bleeding. We have isolated and characterized a large number of the components involved over the last several years. The aim here is to carry out pre-clinical trials in animal models to test th ....Pre-clinical evaluation of snake venom proteins with therapeutic potential. Australia harbors some of the most toxic snakes in the world. Their venoms contain a range of substances that are designed to rapidly immobilize and kill their prey. These include agents that lead to enhanced blood clotting; excess bleeding. We have isolated and characterized a large number of the components involved over the last several years. The aim here is to carry out pre-clinical trials in animal models to test the efficacy of three proteins as anti-bleeding agents and investigate several other novel components. The ultimate outcome will be the development of novel drugs that will have application in the treatment of human disorders. Read moreRead less
Clean fuels for the future: Scale up and optimisation of microalgal oil production and biodiesel synthesis. The development of renewable carbon-neutral fuels is an urgent challenge facing our society. This project aims to develop an innovative system for biodiesel production from local Australian algae species. If cultivated under the right conditions, microalgae are very efficient near-continuous producers of biodiesel and are likely the only renewable source of fuel that could match our curren ....Clean fuels for the future: Scale up and optimisation of microalgal oil production and biodiesel synthesis. The development of renewable carbon-neutral fuels is an urgent challenge facing our society. This project aims to develop an innovative system for biodiesel production from local Australian algae species. If cultivated under the right conditions, microalgae are very efficient near-continuous producers of biodiesel and are likely the only renewable source of fuel that could match our current and future demand without competing for arable land and food production. Such systems couple the national/community benefits of energy generation, carbon-capture, biodiesel production and the clean-up of wastewater. Successful outcomes from this project will bring this innovative technology closer to commercial reality. Read moreRead less
Second generation biofuels: developing environmentally friendly high-efficiency microalgae for biofuel production. The development of CO2-neutral (biodiesel) and CO2-free (hydrogen) fuels is an urgent challenge facing our society to combat climate change and protect against oil price shocks. Successful outcomes from this project will bring this innovative technology closer to commercial reality. The solar-powered microalgal systems being developed, offer a number of national/community benefits ....Second generation biofuels: developing environmentally friendly high-efficiency microalgae for biofuel production. The development of CO2-neutral (biodiesel) and CO2-free (hydrogen) fuels is an urgent challenge facing our society to combat climate change and protect against oil price shocks. Successful outcomes from this project will bring this innovative technology closer to commercial reality. The solar-powered microalgal systems being developed, offer a number of national/community benefits including
1. A high-efficiency frontier-technology for clean fuel production for the Australian and international market
2. A new process to desalinate water
3. Frontier technology to sequester atmospheric CO2
4. Frontier technologies for wealth generation in drought- or salinity-affected and naturally arid regionsRead moreRead less