Exploring genetic diversity to identify new heat tolerance genes in wheat. This project aims to improve the selection and development of heat-tolerant wheat varieties. Heatwaves seriously reduce wheat yields worldwide, and the situation will worsen with climate variation. This project aims to apply a broad genetic scan to identify the main chromosome regions controlling heat tolerance at the sensitive flowering stage in Australian and European wheat varieties. It is expected that this knowledge ....Exploring genetic diversity to identify new heat tolerance genes in wheat. This project aims to improve the selection and development of heat-tolerant wheat varieties. Heatwaves seriously reduce wheat yields worldwide, and the situation will worsen with climate variation. This project aims to apply a broad genetic scan to identify the main chromosome regions controlling heat tolerance at the sensitive flowering stage in Australian and European wheat varieties. It is expected that this knowledge will deliver crucial breeders’ tools to select heat-tolerant varieties. The project also aims to identify genes most likely to control tolerance at these chromosome locations using gene expression profiling data, trait associations and knowledge of heat-tolerance genes from other species. It is expected that these genes will reveal molecular mechanisms of heat tolerance and create new opportunities to engineer superior levels of tolerance in cereals.Read moreRead less
Beyond the gene: Linking herbivore behaviour to plant defense gene expression. This collaborative project investigates insect herbivore avoidance of plant defence mechanisms. Our project is novel because it integrates changes in the plant at a number of different levels and links them to insect foraging behaviour. Researchers assume that insects respond to plant defences by changing their foraging behaviour. This has not been tested directly. We use the genetically well characterised plant Arabi ....Beyond the gene: Linking herbivore behaviour to plant defense gene expression. This collaborative project investigates insect herbivore avoidance of plant defence mechanisms. Our project is novel because it integrates changes in the plant at a number of different levels and links them to insect foraging behaviour. Researchers assume that insects respond to plant defences by changing their foraging behaviour. This has not been tested directly. We use the genetically well characterised plant Arabidopsis and the world-wide pest Helicoverpa (heliothis) as a model system. Damage caused to crops by insect herbivores is a direct function of behaviour. Understanding this behaviour will lead to improved pest management and reduced economic losses.Read moreRead less
Ecology, Physiology and Phylogeography: an integrated approach to the study of the invasive marine green macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia in Australia. The green marine macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia is one of the world's worst invasive species. In Australia 'exotic strains' of this alga are a listed pest species. Invasions in NSW and SA have caused environmental harm and managing them has cost $10 million since 2000. We propose to integrate ecology, physiology and genetic analyses to provide data to ....Ecology, Physiology and Phylogeography: an integrated approach to the study of the invasive marine green macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia in Australia. The green marine macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia is one of the world's worst invasive species. In Australia 'exotic strains' of this alga are a listed pest species. Invasions in NSW and SA have caused environmental harm and managing them has cost $10 million since 2000. We propose to integrate ecology, physiology and genetic analyses to provide data to better respond to this pest, potentially savings millions of dollars per year. We will produce the first empirical evidence of the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on this marine pest, in the context of increasing coastal human populations.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of zinc transport and homeostasis in plants. Zinc deficiency is a widespread factor limiting crop production and affects many soils of southern Australia and around the world. Genetic techniques can be used to identify zinc-efficient crop breeds able to grow well under zinc deficient conditions and able to efficiently deliver zinc to cereal grains to alleviate nutritional zinc-deficiency in humans. This project will identify new genes important in zinc transport and homeostasis in pla ....Mechanisms of zinc transport and homeostasis in plants. Zinc deficiency is a widespread factor limiting crop production and affects many soils of southern Australia and around the world. Genetic techniques can be used to identify zinc-efficient crop breeds able to grow well under zinc deficient conditions and able to efficiently deliver zinc to cereal grains to alleviate nutritional zinc-deficiency in humans. This project will identify new genes important in zinc transport and homeostasis in plants and will ultimately allow their role in zinc efficient crops to be assessed. This will contribute to more rapid and directed strategies in breeding zinc efficient crops.Read moreRead less
Discovery of the physiological and molecular modes of action of butenolides in promoting seed germination and vigour in plants. The Australian discovery of butenolides opens up a new scientific frontier and new opportunities for land management, plant conservation and agriculture. Butenolides will be used to promote seed germination and plant growth in land reclamation, in conservation of species, to break dormancy in weeds so that they can be eradicated, and to promote germination and vigour in ....Discovery of the physiological and molecular modes of action of butenolides in promoting seed germination and vigour in plants. The Australian discovery of butenolides opens up a new scientific frontier and new opportunities for land management, plant conservation and agriculture. Butenolides will be used to promote seed germination and plant growth in land reclamation, in conservation of species, to break dormancy in weeds so that they can be eradicated, and to promote germination and vigour in crops. Realising the full potential of butenolides demands that we understand how they work so that creative approaches can be developed that may not even require use of the chemical. Crucially by achieving these aims ahead of international competitors we can ensure that Australia gains maximum benefit.Read moreRead less
Defining biologically significant units in spinifex (Triodia spp.) for improved ecological restoration in arid Australia. This project will investigate composition and functioning of the iconic spinifex grasslands of arid Australia. The findings will increase the capacity to restore these landscapes after mining. Project outcomes directly address the national priority for sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity, particularly of vulnerable ecosystems.
Discovery of the molecular mode of action of karrikins in plants. Karrikins are a newly-discovered family of naturally-occurring plant growth regulators that stimulate seed germination and seedling vigour. They were discovered in smoke and while they are centrally important in fire ecology they have far wider significance since species from non-fire-prone regions also respond to karrikins. Our research will discover how karrikins work at the molecular level in plant cells. Our discoveries will b ....Discovery of the molecular mode of action of karrikins in plants. Karrikins are a newly-discovered family of naturally-occurring plant growth regulators that stimulate seed germination and seedling vigour. They were discovered in smoke and while they are centrally important in fire ecology they have far wider significance since species from non-fire-prone regions also respond to karrikins. Our research will discover how karrikins work at the molecular level in plant cells. Our discoveries will be applied to improve growth of crop plants, to stimulate germination of weeds so that they can be eradicated, and in restoration ecology to revegetate degraded land such as minesites. Australia's world-leading position in this new important research area will be enhanced.Read moreRead less
Devising ecologically sustainable restoration programs for degraded rural landscapes by integrating landscape ecology, genetics and ecophysiology. Concern about tree decline in rural landscape is widespread, and disturbingly climate change is predicted to exacerbate this problem. Past ill-considered tree plantings have proven to be economically wasteful, achieved limited ecological resilience and negligible improvement of biodiversity values. Using Tasmania as a 'model system', we will advance t ....Devising ecologically sustainable restoration programs for degraded rural landscapes by integrating landscape ecology, genetics and ecophysiology. Concern about tree decline in rural landscape is widespread, and disturbingly climate change is predicted to exacerbate this problem. Past ill-considered tree plantings have proven to be economically wasteful, achieved limited ecological resilience and negligible improvement of biodiversity values. Using Tasmania as a 'model system', we will advance this problem by undertaking research to determine how seedling establishment, tree growth, carbon storage and water use are influenced by landscape setting, management history, climate change, species type and local varieties. This research will provide a much needed evidence to devise ecologically sustainable tree-plantings in southern Australia.Read moreRead less
Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes th ....Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes that regulate flowering and seed production in sorghum in response to changes in temperature and light interactions. These studies will help to develop novel sorghum varieties with desirable characters through plant-breeding programmes.Read moreRead less
Functional genomics of light stress resistance in the model organism Chlamydomonas: combining molecular genetics, transcriptome and proteome analysis. This project aims at combining molecular genetics, transcriptome and proteome analysis to identify genes and pathways underlying high light stress tolerance in previously isolated mutants of the chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Comprehensive profiles of transcriptome-proteome linkage will be constructed without the complications of multicel ....Functional genomics of light stress resistance in the model organism Chlamydomonas: combining molecular genetics, transcriptome and proteome analysis. This project aims at combining molecular genetics, transcriptome and proteome analysis to identify genes and pathways underlying high light stress tolerance in previously isolated mutants of the chlorophyte Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Comprehensive profiles of transcriptome-proteome linkage will be constructed without the complications of multicellularity for this unicellular photosynthetic model organism. We will establish a public proteome reference database and provide new microarrays and molecular markers beneficial for research in Chlamydomonas. We expect to advance understanding of high light resistance mechanisms so that it will eventually be applicable to improve productivity in crop plants growing under various environmental stress conditions.Read moreRead less