Recombination of mitochondrial genomes: what can we learn from chigger mites? This project will bring three benefits to Australia. First, it will enhance Australia's research capacity in the fields of organelle genomics and evolutionary biology. Second, it will yield highly skilled young researchers: a postdoctoral fellow (Shao), a PhD student and two BSc Honours students. Third, it will generate new knowledge about genome recombination in animal mitochondria. Recombination is a fundamental, yet ....Recombination of mitochondrial genomes: what can we learn from chigger mites? This project will bring three benefits to Australia. First, it will enhance Australia's research capacity in the fields of organelle genomics and evolutionary biology. Second, it will yield highly skilled young researchers: a postdoctoral fellow (Shao), a PhD student and two BSc Honours students. Third, it will generate new knowledge about genome recombination in animal mitochondria. Recombination is a fundamental, yet poorly understood issue in mitochondrial genomics and evolutionary biology. Knowledge from this project will also improve our understanding of other important issues that are associated with animal mitochondria; like the mechanisms of mitochondrial disease and ageing, and the evolution of modern humans and other animals.Read moreRead less
Organisation, expression and diversity of the sub-telomeric regions of the ancient eukaryote, Giardia duodenalis. We propose to extend our findings on the extreme plasticity of the structure and organisation of the sub-telomeric region of the complete genome of Giardia by more extensive chromosome walking, and comparison of different isolates. These regions are subject to gene conversion, transcriptional silencing, gene mobility, recombination, variable surface protein expression, subtelomeric i ....Organisation, expression and diversity of the sub-telomeric regions of the ancient eukaryote, Giardia duodenalis. We propose to extend our findings on the extreme plasticity of the structure and organisation of the sub-telomeric region of the complete genome of Giardia by more extensive chromosome walking, and comparison of different isolates. These regions are subject to gene conversion, transcriptional silencing, gene mobility, recombination, variable surface protein expression, subtelomeric instability and the insertion of transposable elements, a dynamic balance between structural conservation and rapid evolution. This is a rare opportunity to understand the forces at work in moulding eukaryotic sub-telomeric sequences because Giardia is not constrained by sexual homogenisation and the dynamic variability is retained.Read moreRead less
Co-evolution of the host pathogen interaction between Leptosphaeria maculans and Brassica species. Brassica canola is Australia's third largest export crop, producing 13% of the world's canola oil. However, blackleg disease, caused by the fungus Leptospheria maculans leads to annual yield losses of 15%, with 100% loss associated with breakdown of resistance. International investment has provided novel genome resources for Brassica and L. maculans. Applying these resources to understand the co-ev ....Co-evolution of the host pathogen interaction between Leptosphaeria maculans and Brassica species. Brassica canola is Australia's third largest export crop, producing 13% of the world's canola oil. However, blackleg disease, caused by the fungus Leptospheria maculans leads to annual yield losses of 15%, with 100% loss associated with breakdown of resistance. International investment has provided novel genome resources for Brassica and L. maculans. Applying these resources to understand the co-evolution of this plant-fungal interaction could prevent the current boom-bust cycle of canola production in Australia. This study will also provide a model and knowledge base for applications in other species, leading to enhanced crops with increased plant protection and robust, reliable productivity.Read moreRead less
Rnomics - The Role of Introns and Other Noncoding RNAs in the Evolution and Development of Complex Organisms. Approximately 98% of the transcriptional output of the human genome is noncoding RNA. The aims of the project are to (a) provide direct evidence that introns contain functional information and are part of an RNA-based regulatory network, (b) identify large numbers of new noncoding RNAs and substantiate the conclusion that noncoding RNAs genes are common in eukaryotic genomes, and (c) pr ....Rnomics - The Role of Introns and Other Noncoding RNAs in the Evolution and Development of Complex Organisms. Approximately 98% of the transcriptional output of the human genome is noncoding RNA. The aims of the project are to (a) provide direct evidence that introns contain functional information and are part of an RNA-based regulatory network, (b) identify large numbers of new noncoding RNAs and substantiate the conclusion that noncoding RNAs genes are common in eukaryotic genomes, and (c) provide supporting evidence that the higher eukaryotes have evolved a second tier of gene expression based on RNA. The project has the capacity to transform our understanding of genetic programming in the higher organisms, with considerable scientific and practical implications.Read moreRead less
Intron encoded RNA regulatory networks in yeast. This project has the capacity to transform our understanding of the evolution, development and genetic variation of complex organisms, as well as the self-organization of complex systems in general. The national and community benefits of the project will be to maintain Australian leadership in advanced genetics and genome-phenome informatics. It will provide a platform for many applications in biology and biotechnology, including new genetic diagn ....Intron encoded RNA regulatory networks in yeast. This project has the capacity to transform our understanding of the evolution, development and genetic variation of complex organisms, as well as the self-organization of complex systems in general. The national and community benefits of the project will be to maintain Australian leadership in advanced genetics and genome-phenome informatics. It will provide a platform for many applications in biology and biotechnology, including new genetic diagnostics and an informed basis for the engineering of complex traits in agriculture. The project will also provide insights into the structure of biological communication and control systems with applications in information science and the programming of integrated complex systems in other domains.Read moreRead less
Characterising genetic variation in Brassica napus. Applying the latest scientific advances supports society through promoting a knowledge based economy, as well as through securing agricultural productivity and biomedical applications. Establishing these methods places Australia at the forefront of genomics technology with direct applications for Australian agricultural, biomedical and biotechnology industries. Maintaining agricultural production in an unreliable environment remains a national ....Characterising genetic variation in Brassica napus. Applying the latest scientific advances supports society through promoting a knowledge based economy, as well as through securing agricultural productivity and biomedical applications. Establishing these methods places Australia at the forefront of genomics technology with direct applications for Australian agricultural, biomedical and biotechnology industries. Maintaining agricultural production in an unreliable environment remains a national challenge, both for rural and urban communities. This technology will provide a detailed understanding of crop genome variation in relation to agronomic traits and lead to the development of crops that are better suited to the Australian climate, supporting a sustainable agricultural industry.Read moreRead less