Plant Genes Conferring Resistance to Ultraviolet Radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces DNA damage that can decrease plant growth and productivity. Our aim is to begin deciphering the mechanisms responsible for the UV resistance phenotype in plants by: 1) isolating genes that control processing of UV-induced DNA damage; 2) determining the influence of UV on gene activity; and 3) elucidating the functions and essential interactions of the gene products. The results of this study will help ....Plant Genes Conferring Resistance to Ultraviolet Radiation. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation induces DNA damage that can decrease plant growth and productivity. Our aim is to begin deciphering the mechanisms responsible for the UV resistance phenotype in plants by: 1) isolating genes that control processing of UV-induced DNA damage; 2) determining the influence of UV on gene activity; and 3) elucidating the functions and essential interactions of the gene products. The results of this study will help us understand how these genes operate to produce the UV resistance phenotype. This new knowledge will facilitate eventual engineering of plants to increase agricultural productivity by enhancing resistance to solar UV radiation.Read moreRead less
The role of dysregulated signalling by TORC1 in mitochondrial disease. The mitochondria are tiny subcellular compartments responsible for producing over 90 per cent of the cell's energy. Mitochondrial defects feature both in genetic diseases that directly affect the mitochondria and in most neurodegenerative diseases. These incurable diseases are expected to eclipse cancer as the second major cause of death worldwide by 2040. Using a simple model organism, Dictyostelium, previous research showed ....The role of dysregulated signalling by TORC1 in mitochondrial disease. The mitochondria are tiny subcellular compartments responsible for producing over 90 per cent of the cell's energy. Mitochondrial defects feature both in genetic diseases that directly affect the mitochondria and in most neurodegenerative diseases. These incurable diseases are expected to eclipse cancer as the second major cause of death worldwide by 2040. Using a simple model organism, Dictyostelium, previous research showed that dysregulated intracellular signalling by a cellular energy-sensing alarm protein is responsible for diverse cellular pathologies in mitochondrially diseased cells. This project will determine the role in these pathways of a second cellular stress-sensing protein complex, TORC1. New treatment possibilities may emerge.Read moreRead less
Evolution and ecology of integron gene cassettes: exploring the protein universe. Bacteria rapidly adapt to new conditions by sharing diverse genes via lateral genetic transfer, best illustrated by the spread of antibiotic resistance. This study will characterise mobile genes, discovering new gene families and proteins, and will expand existing knowledge of bacterial evolution.
Harnessing horizontal gene transfer for sustainable nitrogen fixation. This project aims to investigate natural deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) transfer from nitrogen-fixing bacteria to indigenous bacteria in Australian soils. This project expects to significantly expand our understanding of the molecular and genetic factors contributing to the evolution of ineffective symbiotic bacteria in these soils. An expected outcome of this project is support development of genetically stable bacterial inocul ....Harnessing horizontal gene transfer for sustainable nitrogen fixation. This project aims to investigate natural deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) transfer from nitrogen-fixing bacteria to indigenous bacteria in Australian soils. This project expects to significantly expand our understanding of the molecular and genetic factors contributing to the evolution of ineffective symbiotic bacteria in these soils. An expected outcome of this project is support development of genetically stable bacterial inoculants for use in agriculture. Inoculation of legumes with nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria is a cheap and environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical fertilisers and contributes $3-4 billion per annum to Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Molecular genetic analysis of genes controlling morphogenesis: Dimorphic switching in the fungus Penicillium marneffei. Fungi exist in two predominant growth forms; unicellular yeast and multicellular mould (filamentous hyphae). Some fungi can alternate between these two forms in response to environmental stimuli, a process known as dimorphic switching. The cells of these two forms have distinctive shapes and physiological capacities established by genome-wide expression patterns that are trigge ....Molecular genetic analysis of genes controlling morphogenesis: Dimorphic switching in the fungus Penicillium marneffei. Fungi exist in two predominant growth forms; unicellular yeast and multicellular mould (filamentous hyphae). Some fungi can alternate between these two forms in response to environmental stimuli, a process known as dimorphic switching. The cells of these two forms have distinctive shapes and physiological capacities established by genome-wide expression patterns that are triggered by signalling pathways. This research aims to understand the fundamental mechanisms controlling dimorphic switching using Penicillium marneffei, a model system. P. marneffei switches between yeast and filamentous forms in response to temperature. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms that control dimorphic switching has important implications for biotechnology and medicine.Read moreRead less
Regulation of nuclear localisation of the AreA transcription factor in Aspergillus nidulans. An understanding of the means by which the expression of genes is regulated is of fundamental significance. Changes in gene expression are central to the development, growth and viability of all cells and their response to environmental changes/stresses. This study uses the fungus Aspergillus nidulans as an excellent molecular genetic tool to investigate how a key regulatory protein controls gene expres ....Regulation of nuclear localisation of the AreA transcription factor in Aspergillus nidulans. An understanding of the means by which the expression of genes is regulated is of fundamental significance. Changes in gene expression are central to the development, growth and viability of all cells and their response to environmental changes/stresses. This study uses the fungus Aspergillus nidulans as an excellent molecular genetic tool to investigate how a key regulatory protein controls gene expression in response to nitrogen starvation stress. Our understanding of these dynamic processes informs our approaches to the development of cancer therapies, to commercial biotechnology application and to control of human, plant and animal pathogens in which the infectious process is triggered by environmental stress. Read moreRead less
Exploring and harnessing mobile DNA: Integrons and gene cassettes in natural populations of Bacteria. Bacteria respond rapidly to environmental change by acquiring new genes via lateral gene transfer. The integron/gene cassette system is important in this process as it is found in an increasingly broad range of bacteria. As well as being common, we have shown that the system is associated with an unprecedented amount of genetic novelty. Here we explore the limits of this novelty and its con ....Exploring and harnessing mobile DNA: Integrons and gene cassettes in natural populations of Bacteria. Bacteria respond rapidly to environmental change by acquiring new genes via lateral gene transfer. The integron/gene cassette system is important in this process as it is found in an increasingly broad range of bacteria. As well as being common, we have shown that the system is associated with an unprecedented amount of genetic novelty. Here we explore the limits of this novelty and its contribution to bacterial evolution. In so doing we have the potential to identify new commercially important genes and develop enabling technologies. These discoveries could produce beneficial outcomes for exploitation by a wide range of Australian industries.Read moreRead less
Molecular Genetic Analysis of Genes Regulating Metabolism in the Fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Filamentous fungi can use a wide variety of sources of carbon and nitrogen. In order to grow on these compounds metabolism is adjusted in response to changes in nutrient availability. Patterns of genome expression are altered by signalling to global regulatory genes which control the transcription of genes producing enzymes appropriate to the substrates available. This is of fundamental significance to ....Molecular Genetic Analysis of Genes Regulating Metabolism in the Fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Filamentous fungi can use a wide variety of sources of carbon and nitrogen. In order to grow on these compounds metabolism is adjusted in response to changes in nutrient availability. Patterns of genome expression are altered by signalling to global regulatory genes which control the transcription of genes producing enzymes appropriate to the substrates available. This is of fundamental significance to the physiology and development of fungi which include devastating pathogens and species used in industrial microbiology. This project aims to use the excellent molecular genetics of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans to investigate the strategies employed and the mechanisms involved.Read moreRead less
Metabolic engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for higher value fermentation products. This project will provide an opportunity to revolutionise the Australian chemical and sugar industries. Unlike the traditional methods of the petrochemical industry, bioconversion of carbohydrates to chemicals such as succinic acid via fermentation is cosiderably environmental friendly. For the sugar industry this project will provide an opportunity to produce not only conventional sugar products but also high val ....Metabolic engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for higher value fermentation products. This project will provide an opportunity to revolutionise the Australian chemical and sugar industries. Unlike the traditional methods of the petrochemical industry, bioconversion of carbohydrates to chemicals such as succinic acid via fermentation is cosiderably environmental friendly. For the sugar industry this project will provide an opportunity to produce not only conventional sugar products but also high value commodities via the process integration of succinic acid production using agricultural residues such as bagasse. This will contribute to significant levels of job creation in Australia, and further benefits will be that such products will be important both for import replacement and export potential.Read moreRead less
Metabolic engineering to develop recombinant Zymomonas mobilis for the production of fuel ethanol and fermentation chemicals. This project will provide an opportunity to revolutionise the Australian chemical and sugar industries. Unlike the traditional methods of the petrochemical industry, bioconversion of carbohydrates to chemicals, such as succinic acid via fermentation is more considerably environmentally friendly. For the sugar industry this project will provide an opportunity to produce no ....Metabolic engineering to develop recombinant Zymomonas mobilis for the production of fuel ethanol and fermentation chemicals. This project will provide an opportunity to revolutionise the Australian chemical and sugar industries. Unlike the traditional methods of the petrochemical industry, bioconversion of carbohydrates to chemicals, such as succinic acid via fermentation is more considerably environmentally friendly. For the sugar industry this project will provide an opportunity to produce not only conventional sugar products but also high value commodities via the process integration of succinic acid production using agricultural residues, such as bagasse. This will contribute to significant levels of job creation in Australia, with the further benefit that such products will be important for both import replacement and export potential.Read moreRead less