Evolution of the dermomyotome in vertebrates. The project seeks to understand how different muscle populations within the embryo form and have evolved within the vertebrate phylogeny. All amniote muscles, except that of the head, derive from a transient embryonic structure termed the dermomyotome. The formation of muscle from the dermomyotome of amniotes uses a highly conserved mechanism that is distinct from that deployed by bony fish and amphibians. How the dermomyotome evolved to generate th ....Evolution of the dermomyotome in vertebrates. The project seeks to understand how different muscle populations within the embryo form and have evolved within the vertebrate phylogeny. All amniote muscles, except that of the head, derive from a transient embryonic structure termed the dermomyotome. The formation of muscle from the dermomyotome of amniotes uses a highly conserved mechanism that is distinct from that deployed by bony fish and amphibians. How the dermomyotome evolved to generate the distinct types of locomotor systems we see deployed throughout the vertebrate phylogeny remains unresolved. This project aims to contribute to an understanding of how different locomotor strategies deployed at important evolutionary transitions were generated.Read moreRead less
Fins to Limbs: Investigating the Evolution of complex Limb Musculature. This application aims to investigates the basis of the fin-to-limb transition, an event that set the stage for the entire tetrapod radiation. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the natural history of vertebrates using a multidisciplinary approach that combines paleontology and embryology of unique Australian fauna. While the skeletal changes associated with the move from water to land have been investi ....Fins to Limbs: Investigating the Evolution of complex Limb Musculature. This application aims to investigates the basis of the fin-to-limb transition, an event that set the stage for the entire tetrapod radiation. This project expects to generate new knowledge concerning the natural history of vertebrates using a multidisciplinary approach that combines paleontology and embryology of unique Australian fauna. While the skeletal changes associated with the move from water to land have been investigated, little is known about the origin of tetrapod limb muscles. This proposal has as an expected outcome, a determination of how limb muscles arose during evolution. This knowledge should provide significant benefits by transforming our understanding of the origins of the tetrapod body plan and our own natural history.Read moreRead less
Evolution and function of colour vision in mammals. The project aims to investigate colour vision in marsupials and monotremes (echidna and platypus) with differing phylogenies and biogeographic histories. Improving knowledge of the molecular structure of opsin genes mediating colour vision will be crucial to the understanding of evolution and function of this key mammalian (including human) sensory capacity. Understanding species colour discrimination will contribute to protective measures of ....Evolution and function of colour vision in mammals. The project aims to investigate colour vision in marsupials and monotremes (echidna and platypus) with differing phylogenies and biogeographic histories. Improving knowledge of the molecular structure of opsin genes mediating colour vision will be crucial to the understanding of evolution and function of this key mammalian (including human) sensory capacity. Understanding species colour discrimination will contribute to protective measures of Australia's unique fauna, presenting social and economic assets for the local and national community, and will set a standard that should be applied world-wide. Close international links and intellectual exchange will be invaluable to the Australian science community, including students.
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The developmental and evolutionary origins of vertebrate fins and limbs. This project aims to investigate the origin of paired appendages, a major event in early vertebrate history that changed ecological opportunity and fuelled the radiation of jawed vertebrates. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the mechanism that drove this innovation, which despite over a century of debate, remains one
of the great unknowns of comparative vertebrate evolution. Expected outcomes of this projec ....The developmental and evolutionary origins of vertebrate fins and limbs. This project aims to investigate the origin of paired appendages, a major event in early vertebrate history that changed ecological opportunity and fuelled the radiation of jawed vertebrates. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the mechanism that drove this innovation, which despite over a century of debate, remains one
of the great unknowns of comparative vertebrate evolution. Expected outcomes of this project include uncovering the anatomical changes underpinning the origin of the vertebrate appendicular system. This should provide significant benefits as it will inform our own natural history and provide a paradigm for studying gene network
conservation, phylogenetic modifications, and the acquisition of novel structures.Read moreRead less
Investigating a new paradigm for plant-pathogen interactions; Identification of host-selective toxin proteins in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Stagonospora nodorum is a fungus that causes leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat. This disease alone causes $55 million dollars in yield losses per annum. Traditional breeding methods have yielded crops that are only mildly resistant leaving control of the disease to be worryingly reliant on fungicides. This project aims to identify and char ....Investigating a new paradigm for plant-pathogen interactions; Identification of host-selective toxin proteins in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Stagonospora nodorum is a fungus that causes leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat. This disease alone causes $55 million dollars in yield losses per annum. Traditional breeding methods have yielded crops that are only mildly resistant leaving control of the disease to be worryingly reliant on fungicides. This project aims to identify and characterise proteins that the fungus secretes to cause disease on wheat. By identifying these proteins, it is anticipated that strategies, both traditional and modern, could be employed to enable better control of the disease. This in turn would help provide a long term and secure supply of wheat and wheat based products to the community.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Capsid Protein Nucleolar Localisation In Chikungunya Virus: Implications For Vaccine Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,520.00
Summary
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a globally widespread mosquito-borne alphavirus capable of causing considerable human morbidity and mortality. With no CHIKV vaccine or antiviral available this proposal aims to develop a live attenuated CHIKV vaccine, rationally designed by investigating the host cell nucleolar trafficking of CHIKV capsid protein. This vaccine has the potential to provide cross-protection against additional arthritogenic alphaviruses endemic to Australia such as Ross River virus.
Arbovirus Activation And Modulation Of NLRP3 Inflammasome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$779,720.00
Summary
This project aims to establish how mosquito borne viruses such as Ross River and dengue viruses interacts with the human host to cause disease, including how the virus evades the host’s immune response to persist and cause disease for prolonged periods. Knowing how differences in the virus and the host’s immune system interplay to cause asymptomatic to severely disabling disease will assist in devising new treatments and prevention programs to lessen the impact of these diseases in Australia.
LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evi ....LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evidence that one group of fungal pathogens is particularly adept at acquiring new genes that enable them to cause new diseases. We will determine the mechanism and frequency of gene transfer in this group. The work had fundamental significance in evolutionary biology, in the emergence of new diseases and in the use of genetically-modified organisms.Read moreRead less
Seeing without eyes: the evolution of non-visual photoreceptors in vertebrates. Australia's underwater biodiversity is second to none with endemic species representing the earliest stages in vertebrate evolution, many of them relying heavily on vision for survival. Tracing the evolution of light detection and image formation will provide crucial information about the lifestyles of our vertebrate ancestors, the environmental selection pressures driving speciation and colour communication. Charact ....Seeing without eyes: the evolution of non-visual photoreceptors in vertebrates. Australia's underwater biodiversity is second to none with endemic species representing the earliest stages in vertebrate evolution, many of them relying heavily on vision for survival. Tracing the evolution of light detection and image formation will provide crucial information about the lifestyles of our vertebrate ancestors, the environmental selection pressures driving speciation and colour communication. Characterisation of optimal light environments and extra-ocular light detection will also help protect and manage endemic species in wild and captive environments. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100284
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,547.00
Summary
Adaptation potential of Australia’s coral reefs to a changing climate. Oceans are changing. Coral reefs are wonders of high socio-economic value threatened by climate extremes. This project aims to identify reefs that support the most fundamental biological processes for ecosystem-scale resilience: dispersal, symbioses, and adaptation. To urgently prepare against extinction, this project expects to deliver ground-breaking estimates of coral evolution by integrating genomics and innovative diseas ....Adaptation potential of Australia’s coral reefs to a changing climate. Oceans are changing. Coral reefs are wonders of high socio-economic value threatened by climate extremes. This project aims to identify reefs that support the most fundamental biological processes for ecosystem-scale resilience: dispersal, symbioses, and adaptation. To urgently prepare against extinction, this project expects to deliver ground-breaking estimates of coral evolution by integrating genomics and innovative disease models. Expected outcomes include the discovery of reefs that can survive extremes and repopulate other reefs, providing benefits in optimized capabilities to protect resilient and vulnerable reefs to sustain future ecosystem services and boosting Australia as a global leader in the conservation genomics revolution.Read moreRead less