Pioneering seed solutions for the industrial hemp industry. This project aims to develop the next generation of elite industrial hemp cultivars, grown for their seed with high protein and oil contents, that are drought resistant and make minimal THC, teamed with research into their feminisation to provide a safer and better method of producing premium female seed to supply to growers. Project outcomes will include increased fundamental knowledge of drought tolerance, cannabinoid biosynthesis and ....Pioneering seed solutions for the industrial hemp industry. This project aims to develop the next generation of elite industrial hemp cultivars, grown for their seed with high protein and oil contents, that are drought resistant and make minimal THC, teamed with research into their feminisation to provide a safer and better method of producing premium female seed to supply to growers. Project outcomes will include increased fundamental knowledge of drought tolerance, cannabinoid biosynthesis and the feminisation process, converted to practical ways to manipulate these important agronomic traits. This will derisk the industrial hemp industry, encouraging increased cultivation of a nutritionally and economically valuable crop in Australia and create valuable intellectual property applicable globally.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL180100139
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,973,547.00
Summary
Processes of plant growth that impact agriculture and horticulture. The project aims to discover the genes and processes that control plant shoot architecture, which is a major driver of yield in field, horticultural and forestry crops. Shoot branching is the result of the complex interplay of genes, environment and crop management. By investigating cellular processes governing growth and development, as well as physiology and molecular genetics, this project will enhance Australian capacity and ....Processes of plant growth that impact agriculture and horticulture. The project aims to discover the genes and processes that control plant shoot architecture, which is a major driver of yield in field, horticultural and forestry crops. Shoot branching is the result of the complex interplay of genes, environment and crop management. By investigating cellular processes governing growth and development, as well as physiology and molecular genetics, this project will enhance Australian capacity and multidisciplinary innovation. An improved understanding of shoot branching and how it may be manipulated will improve our knowledge of plant sciences that could contribute to agricultural expansion and food security in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach. This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity could regulate pollen germination, elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruit and seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Research has established that CWIN-mediated sugar metabolis ....Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach. This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity could regulate pollen germination, elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruit and seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Research has established that CWIN-mediated sugar metabolism and signaling may play crucial roles in pollen growth and fruit set under heat stress. The intended outcome is the generation of critical knowledge that will advance understanding on reproductive development under heat stress, thereby providing significant benefits, such as novel ideas and solutions for improving crop yield.Read moreRead less
Crosstalk between branching and flowering regulatory pathways in shoot development. This project will explore how a newly discovered plant hormone communicates with other plant and environmental signals to regulate shoot branching. Understanding this process is an important step towards enhancing the yield, productivity and sustainability of commercially important plant species.
The Role of Sugar Demand in Apical Dominance: Branching in a New Direction. For centuries, people around the world have made use of the knowledge that pruning the growing tips of shoots causes buds on the stem below to grow out into branches. Yields in crop, horticulture and forestry industries depend on shoot architecture. Since the discovery of auxin in the 1930s, shoot branching has been thought to be regulated by plant hormones. However, in this project we propose a new theory whereby shoot ....The Role of Sugar Demand in Apical Dominance: Branching in a New Direction. For centuries, people around the world have made use of the knowledge that pruning the growing tips of shoots causes buds on the stem below to grow out into branches. Yields in crop, horticulture and forestry industries depend on shoot architecture. Since the discovery of auxin in the 1930s, shoot branching has been thought to be regulated by plant hormones. However, in this project we propose a new theory whereby shoot tip demand for sugar is predominant in apical dominance; enhanced sucrose, a mobile sugar, is necessary and sufficient for the initial growth of buds. This project aims to expand this theory, revealing underlying components involved in sucrose action and describe how the network of sugar demand and hormones acts to control shoot architecture.Read moreRead less
Strigolactone, a new plant hormone: its regulation, role and potential for plant improvement. This Project will investigate a new plant hormone, one of only 10 or so discovered to date in plants. This hormone regulates shoot number, water and nutrient uptake and the ability of shoots to generate roots and develop wood. The Project will produce genetic tools and describe new processes for applications in sustainable plant improvement.
The new plant hormone controlling shoot branching. This project will create genetic tools and knowledge on the control of a new plant growth hormone that affects a diverse number of plant properties. These important traits include shoot number, water and nutrient uptake, wood production, the ability to generate roots and the ability to stimulate particular potentially devastating parasitic weeds.
New plant development discoveries stem from strigolactone research. This project involves a new plant hormone, strigolactone, and the way it controls wood and root formation in above-ground parts of plants. It will identify new plant genes involved in these processes and provide greater understanding of how plant hormones interact to control these important traits.
A new signalling component in shoot architecture: trehalose 6-phosphate. This project aims to investigate the role of a new signalling pathway involved in shoot branching. New knowledge is expected on how plants regulate shoot branching via sugar or hormone levels and/or signalling. The aims to build on recent finding that trehalose 6-phosphate (Tre6P) promotes shoot branching and to investigate whether sucrose acts via Tre6P and what role sucrose and Tre6P have compared with plant hormones. S ....A new signalling component in shoot architecture: trehalose 6-phosphate. This project aims to investigate the role of a new signalling pathway involved in shoot branching. New knowledge is expected on how plants regulate shoot branching via sugar or hormone levels and/or signalling. The aims to build on recent finding that trehalose 6-phosphate (Tre6P) promotes shoot branching and to investigate whether sucrose acts via Tre6P and what role sucrose and Tre6P have compared with plant hormones. Significant benefits may include new genetic or management strategies to modify shoot architecture.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,000.00
Summary
Systems biology: New generation DNA sequencing to functional analysis. The technique of DNA sequencing (or 'reading' the lines of the four repeating letters that make up the genetic code) illustrates how technological developments have become the main drivers in exploring the roles of genetic factors across a spectrum of research activities. Funding provided through this ARC grant will allow the purchase of the latest DNA sequencing platform, the Illumina Solexa, as well as equipment that will b ....Systems biology: New generation DNA sequencing to functional analysis. The technique of DNA sequencing (or 'reading' the lines of the four repeating letters that make up the genetic code) illustrates how technological developments have become the main drivers in exploring the roles of genetic factors across a spectrum of research activities. Funding provided through this ARC grant will allow the purchase of the latest DNA sequencing platform, the Illumina Solexa, as well as equipment that will be used to understand the biological function of the DNA sequencing results that are obtained. The equipment will allow Australian researchers to compete on an equal footing with the international leaders in understanding the roles played by genes in plants, microorganisms, animals and humans.Read moreRead less