Evolutionary models and bioinformatic analyses of genetic variation in pathogens. The benefits of this project are better preparedness for the ever-present threat of infectious disease spread and the stimulation of bioinformatic research in Australia. Epidemics such as the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, which killed over 20 million people, highlight the need to understand and track pathogens that can potentially cause such devastation. Along with the development of molecular technologies, it is imp ....Evolutionary models and bioinformatic analyses of genetic variation in pathogens. The benefits of this project are better preparedness for the ever-present threat of infectious disease spread and the stimulation of bioinformatic research in Australia. Epidemics such as the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, which killed over 20 million people, highlight the need to understand and track pathogens that can potentially cause such devastation. Along with the development of molecular technologies, it is important to maintain active creation of analytical methods that appropriately apply to growing databases. These include methods to understand genetic variation in pathogens. This project will help to keep Australia at the forefront of research in theoretical biology.Read moreRead less
Sociogenomics of honeybees. From genes to society. This project will show how complex social behaviour of honeybees like dance communication and thermoregulation is genetically controlled. The complete sequence of the honeybee genome will be published in 2003, and a gene chip based on it will be created shortly afterwards. These new technologies will make our project technically feasible. By backcrossing, workers with different genetic tendencies to do a task can be generated within an otherwi ....Sociogenomics of honeybees. From genes to society. This project will show how complex social behaviour of honeybees like dance communication and thermoregulation is genetically controlled. The complete sequence of the honeybee genome will be published in 2003, and a gene chip based on it will be created shortly afterwards. These new technologies will make our project technically feasible. By backcrossing, workers with different genetic tendencies to do a task can be generated within an otherwise uniform background. Age-matched workers that perform a behaviour like thermoregulation can be compared to sisters that do not, and the genes that are switched on in the two groups compared.Read moreRead less
The importance of phenotypic plasticity in maintaining and introducing variation. This research is a synthesis of behaviour, natural and sexual selection, physiology, and natural and breeding ecology-important interactions that are rarely considered simultaneously in biology. It will contribute to our understanding of life-history decisions, and a long-neglected source of the variation that is the raw material for adaptation and for economically-important breeding programs . These results will h ....The importance of phenotypic plasticity in maintaining and introducing variation. This research is a synthesis of behaviour, natural and sexual selection, physiology, and natural and breeding ecology-important interactions that are rarely considered simultaneously in biology. It will contribute to our understanding of life-history decisions, and a long-neglected source of the variation that is the raw material for adaptation and for economically-important breeding programs . These results will have far-reaching implications for economically-important improvements to medicine, conservation, and crop and livestock production. This work will strengthen Australia's strong research profile in evolutionary genetics, physiology and ecology.Read moreRead less
Determinants of metabolic rate in animals. The metabolic rate of an animal represents its fundamental "cost of living" and varies dramatically (>100-fold) between different vertebrate species. We have proposed the "membrane pacemaker theory" to explain this variation and currently this is the only mechanistic explanation of metabolic variation between species. It has received significant international interest. A species metabolic rate and its maximum lifespan are connected but the precise mecha ....Determinants of metabolic rate in animals. The metabolic rate of an animal represents its fundamental "cost of living" and varies dramatically (>100-fold) between different vertebrate species. We have proposed the "membrane pacemaker theory" to explain this variation and currently this is the only mechanistic explanation of metabolic variation between species. It has received significant international interest. A species metabolic rate and its maximum lifespan are connected but the precise mechanistic link between them is unknown. We will investigate the mechanisms underlying the "membrane pacemaker theory" as an explanation of the metabolic rates of vertebrate species and its role in the determination of maximum lifespan.Read moreRead less
The genetics of social regulation of reproduction in honey bees. The aim is to characterise the genes that regulate worker reproduction in honeybees and to understand how the effects of these genes are regulated by the social environment. There is an inherent conflict between the interests of each worker (that can increase its biological fitness by laying eggs) and the collective workers (that are disadvantaged by their half sister's reproduction). How sterility is normally maintained in socia ....The genetics of social regulation of reproduction in honey bees. The aim is to characterise the genes that regulate worker reproduction in honeybees and to understand how the effects of these genes are regulated by the social environment. There is an inherent conflict between the interests of each worker (that can increase its biological fitness by laying eggs) and the collective workers (that are disadvantaged by their half sister's reproduction). How sterility is normally maintained in social insects remains an important unsolved mystery of biology. To solve this mystery we will use genomic techniques characterize the genes that control sterility and show how they are regulated by the social environment.Read moreRead less
Of birds and bees: membrane lipids and the determination of maximum lifespan. The underlying mechanisms that determine why different animals have different maximum lifespans are unknown. Why do queen bees live for years but the genetically-identical workers bees live for only weeks? Similarly, to understand why birds live much longer than similar-sized mammals will give immense insight into the processes that cause ageing. Understanding the aging process in animals will have significant implicat ....Of birds and bees: membrane lipids and the determination of maximum lifespan. The underlying mechanisms that determine why different animals have different maximum lifespans are unknown. Why do queen bees live for years but the genetically-identical workers bees live for only weeks? Similarly, to understand why birds live much longer than similar-sized mammals will give immense insight into the processes that cause ageing. Understanding the aging process in animals will have significant implications for human health as the biggest risk factor for most diseases is age. Such understanding will help to cope with the worldwide problems of an aging population.Read moreRead less
Investigating the "membrane pacemaker" theory of aging. All animals age and die but the basis of the aging process is still not completely understood. Recent Australian research into the basis of the metabolism in different animals has suggested that the fatty acid composition of biological membranes may be the final part of the puzzle. Understanding why different species have such different lifespans will give profound insight into the aging process. Because it is such a fundamental biological ....Investigating the "membrane pacemaker" theory of aging. All animals age and die but the basis of the aging process is still not completely understood. Recent Australian research into the basis of the metabolism in different animals has suggested that the fatty acid composition of biological membranes may be the final part of the puzzle. Understanding why different species have such different lifespans will give profound insight into the aging process. Because it is such a fundamental biological process, understanding how aging occurs and what determines lifespan will have obvious benefits to understanding the basis of many aging-associated diseases. Understanding the role of dietary fats in influencing lifespan will also be of benefit to the community, both national and international. Read moreRead less
Choosing when to be sexual: clonal and sexual reproduction in a population of honey bees. Sex is costly. There is the cost of finding a mate and the genome of offspring must be shared with the mating partner. Despite these costs, sex is common in animals, so the benefits of sex must be substantial. Benefits may include the prevention of inbreeding and generating variable offspring. Exploring the trade off between sex and cloning requires a model system where individuals can choose to reproduce ....Choosing when to be sexual: clonal and sexual reproduction in a population of honey bees. Sex is costly. There is the cost of finding a mate and the genome of offspring must be shared with the mating partner. Despite these costs, sex is common in animals, so the benefits of sex must be substantial. Benefits may include the prevention of inbreeding and generating variable offspring. Exploring the trade off between sex and cloning requires a model system where individuals can choose to reproduce sexually or asexually. This project will explore a population of honey bees where a genetic mutation allows queens to clone themselves or reproduce sexually. We will reveal the unusual genetic mechanisms behind this ability and show how they are used by queens and workers to increase their reproductive success.Read moreRead less
Targeting TGF-beta proteins to control animal reproduction. This project aims to develop a suite of novel biologics to control fertility in female mammals. This project expects to demonstrate that targeting a single class of ovarian proteins will enhance or inhibit egg production. The expected outcomes of this project are to (1) transform the breeding of livestock animals, which should provide significant benefits to the agricultural industry, through increased herd/flock sizes, and (2) provide ....Targeting TGF-beta proteins to control animal reproduction. This project aims to develop a suite of novel biologics to control fertility in female mammals. This project expects to demonstrate that targeting a single class of ovarian proteins will enhance or inhibit egg production. The expected outcomes of this project are to (1) transform the breeding of livestock animals, which should provide significant benefits to the agricultural industry, through increased herd/flock sizes, and (2) provide a non-surgical method of contraception in companion/feral species, which should address the large unmet need for fertility control in these animals.
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Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have consider ....Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have considerable economic potential as well. The knowledge gained during the project will also substantially aid the development and management of the commercial use of stingless bees, which will have both ecological and economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less