Placental nutrient transport shows how complex traits evolve. This project aims to use amino acid transport in the vertebrate placenta as a model to demonstrate how genes are recruited and modified to produce a major organ. Using an innovative combination of a new technology, selected reaction monitoring, and transcriptomic and molecular approaches, plus carefully selected Australian species pairs, this project will study the evolution of a complex trait (placental amino acid transport). The pr ....Placental nutrient transport shows how complex traits evolve. This project aims to use amino acid transport in the vertebrate placenta as a model to demonstrate how genes are recruited and modified to produce a major organ. Using an innovative combination of a new technology, selected reaction monitoring, and transcriptomic and molecular approaches, plus carefully selected Australian species pairs, this project will study the evolution of a complex trait (placental amino acid transport). The project will provide fundamental advances in our knowledge of the nutrient transport during pregnancy that is required to produce a healthy baby.Read moreRead less
The genetics of adaptation: changing developmental trajectories in eucalypts. During their life cycles, many animals and plants undergo genetically programmed changes in form. Such changes may be dramatic and rapid as seen in insect metamorphoses or plant heteroblasty, and may have ecological, evolutionary and even economic consequences. The project aims to identify the genes controlling such transitions in Australia's eucalypts.
A novel regulator of growth signalling in Drosophila. This project aims to increase understanding of how growth is regulated by growth factor hormones. In animals, growth is controlled by signalling pathways that are activated by secreted peptide hormones. A new regulator of growth in the fruitfly Drosophila, the membrane attack complex/perforin-like (MACPF) protein Torso-like, has been identified. The project aims to unravel how Torso-like functions to regulate growth, thus throwing light on th ....A novel regulator of growth signalling in Drosophila. This project aims to increase understanding of how growth is regulated by growth factor hormones. In animals, growth is controlled by signalling pathways that are activated by secreted peptide hormones. A new regulator of growth in the fruitfly Drosophila, the membrane attack complex/perforin-like (MACPF) protein Torso-like, has been identified. The project aims to unravel how Torso-like functions to regulate growth, thus throwing light on the role this protein family may play in all animals. The findings are expected to provide key insights into the modification of growth factor activity, which is often dysregulated in human cancers and growth disorders, and may enable the design of new strategies for interfering with insect development for pest control.Read moreRead less
Genetic architecture of species divergence and hybridisation in eucalypts. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and are of great economic and ecological significance to the nation. They are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world, but Australia is the centre of origin of most species and the custodian of this important native bioresource. Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this internationally significant genus is important for its long-term management a ....Genetic architecture of species divergence and hybridisation in eucalypts. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and are of great economic and ecological significance to the nation. They are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world, but Australia is the centre of origin of most species and the custodian of this important native bioresource. Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this internationally significant genus is important for its long-term management and conservation. This project links to large international initiatives currently underway for high-density mapping and sequencing of the eucalypt genome, to enhance the flow of information gained back to Australia for scientific, economic and environmental benefit.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary, macroecological and phylogenetic patterns in Australasian freshwater crayfish. This project connects Australian systematists to a worldwide project that involves all of the world's living experts on freshwater crayfish evolution in a coordinated effort to answer some very important evolutionary questions. It involves a group of invertebrate animals that are not only readily recognisable, but which in Australia includes the world's largest and the world's most terrestrial crayfish s ....Evolutionary, macroecological and phylogenetic patterns in Australasian freshwater crayfish. This project connects Australian systematists to a worldwide project that involves all of the world's living experts on freshwater crayfish evolution in a coordinated effort to answer some very important evolutionary questions. It involves a group of invertebrate animals that are not only readily recognisable, but which in Australia includes the world's largest and the world's most terrestrial crayfish species. Information gained from the project will contribute to the management of crayfish biodiversity, identification of threatened species and tools to identify these prominent and important members of Australian freshwater ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Transitions between modes of sex-determination in a changing world. Sex-determination controls the largest variation within animals—the division into males and females. While the different systems of sex-determination—involving genetic or environmental control—are fairly well understood, transitions between these systems remain enigmatic in evolutionary biology. This project aims to address this gap by revealing the molecular change required to transition between systems, using one of only two k ....Transitions between modes of sex-determination in a changing world. Sex-determination controls the largest variation within animals—the division into males and females. While the different systems of sex-determination—involving genetic or environmental control—are fairly well understood, transitions between these systems remain enigmatic in evolutionary biology. This project aims to address this gap by revealing the molecular change required to transition between systems, using one of only two known lizard species exhibiting both genetic and temperature control of sex. This knowledge will have important implications for species conservation, facilitating predictions of highly biased sex ratios under climate change, plus potential commercial applications for species where production of one sex is favoured.Read moreRead less
Evolution. Morphodynamics and History of the Younghusband Peninsula. This project will examine the history and evolution of the Sir Richard-Younghusband Peninsula (SRYP) complex barrier in SA. The aims are to derive a understanding of how the influences of relative sea-level changes, neotectonics, and sediment supply, can produce remarkably different responses in barrier development. No complex barrier (i.e. foredune ridges in one portion, transgressive dunefields in another) has ever been compr ....Evolution. Morphodynamics and History of the Younghusband Peninsula. This project will examine the history and evolution of the Sir Richard-Younghusband Peninsula (SRYP) complex barrier in SA. The aims are to derive a understanding of how the influences of relative sea-level changes, neotectonics, and sediment supply, can produce remarkably different responses in barrier development. No complex barrier (i.e. foredune ridges in one portion, transgressive dunefields in another) has ever been comprehensively drilled, dated, modelled, or examined in the context of indigenous occupation and oral histories in Australia. The study provides excellent analogues for barrier and dune response, and shoreline translation to varying rates of sea level rise, paralleling pressures facing all coastlines today.Read moreRead less
Function and evolution of insect odorant receptors. This project aims to shed light on how insect odorant receptors function by using comparative genomic studies between the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster and a pest species, the Australian sheep blowfly. This project expects to generate knowledge of how specific chemicals activate specific receptors in order to excite sensory neurons and drive behaviour, which is not well understood. Expected outcomes include increased understandin ....Function and evolution of insect odorant receptors. This project aims to shed light on how insect odorant receptors function by using comparative genomic studies between the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster and a pest species, the Australian sheep blowfly. This project expects to generate knowledge of how specific chemicals activate specific receptors in order to excite sensory neurons and drive behaviour, which is not well understood. Expected outcomes include increased understanding of olfaction in insects, increased national and international collaboration, and outstanding graduate student training. This research will be of significant future benefit in deriving methods to modify the behaviour of insects of agricultural or medical importance, for example the sheep blowfly. Read moreRead less
Synergistic interactions between reactive oxygen species, free fatty acids and neurotoxins as the fish-killing mechanism of Australian gymnodinioid dinoflagellates. Provide the scientific basis for sound management and mitigation strategies to prevent algal bloom impacts on aquaculture, fisheries and the environment.
Community-level selection: Empirical tests in a microbial system. Given the profile of the question of community-level selection as a long-running controversy, the main benefit of the proposed work, which will critically test the idea in an empirical system, will be to increase recognition of Australia's position as a research nation in evolutionary biology. In exploring mechanisms of floc formation, a key component of wastewater treatment, the work will establish important foundations for impro ....Community-level selection: Empirical tests in a microbial system. Given the profile of the question of community-level selection as a long-running controversy, the main benefit of the proposed work, which will critically test the idea in an empirical system, will be to increase recognition of Australia's position as a research nation in evolutionary biology. In exploring mechanisms of floc formation, a key component of wastewater treatment, the work will establish important foundations for improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment. Improvement in performance of only a few percent will bring important economic savings. This is evidenced by recent commitment of >$US 230 billion to improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment in Germany, Italy and Spain over 5 years.Read moreRead less