Genetic architecture of species divergence and hybridisation in eucalypts. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and are of great economic and ecological significance to the nation. They are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world, but Australia is the centre of origin of most species and the custodian of this important native bioresource. Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this internationally significant genus is important for its long-term management a ....Genetic architecture of species divergence and hybridisation in eucalypts. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and are of great economic and ecological significance to the nation. They are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world, but Australia is the centre of origin of most species and the custodian of this important native bioresource. Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this internationally significant genus is important for its long-term management and conservation. This project links to large international initiatives currently underway for high-density mapping and sequencing of the eucalypt genome, to enhance the flow of information gained back to Australia for scientific, economic and environmental benefit.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary, macroecological and phylogenetic patterns in Australasian freshwater crayfish. This project connects Australian systematists to a worldwide project that involves all of the world's living experts on freshwater crayfish evolution in a coordinated effort to answer some very important evolutionary questions. It involves a group of invertebrate animals that are not only readily recognisable, but which in Australia includes the world's largest and the world's most terrestrial crayfish s ....Evolutionary, macroecological and phylogenetic patterns in Australasian freshwater crayfish. This project connects Australian systematists to a worldwide project that involves all of the world's living experts on freshwater crayfish evolution in a coordinated effort to answer some very important evolutionary questions. It involves a group of invertebrate animals that are not only readily recognisable, but which in Australia includes the world's largest and the world's most terrestrial crayfish species. Information gained from the project will contribute to the management of crayfish biodiversity, identification of threatened species and tools to identify these prominent and important members of Australian freshwater ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Revealing Enigma of Salt Bladders to Help Crops Cope with Salinity. In this project, the key transport systems mediating salt sequestration in halophytes are planned to be characterised and linked with cell genetic and metabolic profiles. Salinity is a major environmental hurdle affecting crop production around the world. Halophytes (naturally salt-loving plants) use specialised structures, called salt bladders, to sequester excessive salt outside their metabolically active parts. This feature i ....Revealing Enigma of Salt Bladders to Help Crops Cope with Salinity. In this project, the key transport systems mediating salt sequestration in halophytes are planned to be characterised and linked with cell genetic and metabolic profiles. Salinity is a major environmental hurdle affecting crop production around the world. Halophytes (naturally salt-loving plants) use specialised structures, called salt bladders, to sequester excessive salt outside their metabolically active parts. This feature is not utilised by crops however, and no information is available about the molecular mechanisms by which salt is pumped into bladder cells. This knowledge will allow breeders to utilise this, previously unexplored, trait to improve crop performance under conditions of salinity.Read moreRead less
Macrophage control of mammalian growth and development. The immediate postnatal period in mammals is crucial for survival, long term health and productivity. This project is an international collaboration that aims to investigate how cells of the innate immune system called macrophages control somatic growth and development of mature organ function in the early postnatal period. The project aims to build upon investment in new animals models and a novel discovery to generate significant new know ....Macrophage control of mammalian growth and development. The immediate postnatal period in mammals is crucial for survival, long term health and productivity. This project is an international collaboration that aims to investigate how cells of the innate immune system called macrophages control somatic growth and development of mature organ function in the early postnatal period. The project aims to build upon investment in new animals models and a novel discovery to generate significant new knowledge that will challenge current concepts of mammalian growth control. The outcomes will enhance Australia's international reputation in the fields of physiology, immunology and developmental biology. Read moreRead less
How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms. This project aims to identify novel and conserved mechanisms that drive the opening of stomata – plant pores that enable CO2 acquisition for photosynthesis. Stomatal movements strongly affect plant productivity and water use efficiency and have profoundly influenced the earth’s climate and terrestrial ecology. This project will address critical gaps in our understanding of how plants open stomata in response to their env ....How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms. This project aims to identify novel and conserved mechanisms that drive the opening of stomata – plant pores that enable CO2 acquisition for photosynthesis. Stomatal movements strongly affect plant productivity and water use efficiency and have profoundly influenced the earth’s climate and terrestrial ecology. This project will address critical gaps in our understanding of how plants open stomata in response to their environment and the evolutionary history of the genes controlling this fundamental process. A major expected outcome is knowledge of the diversity of stomatal opening pathways, which should ultimately lead to improved predictions of plant responses to environmental change and assist future targeted modification of plant growth.Read moreRead less
Function and evolution of insect odorant receptors. This project aims to shed light on how insect odorant receptors function by using comparative genomic studies between the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster and a pest species, the Australian sheep blowfly. This project expects to generate knowledge of how specific chemicals activate specific receptors in order to excite sensory neurons and drive behaviour, which is not well understood. Expected outcomes include increased understandin ....Function and evolution of insect odorant receptors. This project aims to shed light on how insect odorant receptors function by using comparative genomic studies between the genetic model insect Drosophila melanogaster and a pest species, the Australian sheep blowfly. This project expects to generate knowledge of how specific chemicals activate specific receptors in order to excite sensory neurons and drive behaviour, which is not well understood. Expected outcomes include increased understanding of olfaction in insects, increased national and international collaboration, and outstanding graduate student training. This research will be of significant future benefit in deriving methods to modify the behaviour of insects of agricultural or medical importance, for example the sheep blowfly. Read moreRead less
Synergistic interactions between reactive oxygen species, free fatty acids and neurotoxins as the fish-killing mechanism of Australian gymnodinioid dinoflagellates. Provide the scientific basis for sound management and mitigation strategies to prevent algal bloom impacts on aquaculture, fisheries and the environment.
Creating new stochastic models to understand the evolution of gene families. This project aims to extend stochastic modelling techniques in order to develop mathematically rigorous and biologically relevant models for the evolution of gene families. The project expects to model evolutionary processes such as gene retention, duplication and loss, and the generation of new gene functions. The duplication and subsequent re-purposing of genes is thought to be a key mechanism for generating evolution ....Creating new stochastic models to understand the evolution of gene families. This project aims to extend stochastic modelling techniques in order to develop mathematically rigorous and biologically relevant models for the evolution of gene families. The project expects to model evolutionary processes such as gene retention, duplication and loss, and the generation of new gene functions. The duplication and subsequent re-purposing of genes is thought to be a key mechanism for generating evolutionary novelty. By applying these models to genome data, the project expects to be able to quantify the importance of these different evolutionary mechanisms. The project will strengthen collaborative links between researchers in stochastic modelling and molecular evolutionary biology.Read moreRead less
Algebraically informed models of biological sequence evolution. To make sense of the patterns they see in the natural world, biologists across fields as diverse as genetics, epidemiology and biogeography need an accurate picture of evolutionary history. DNA sequences provide an exciting means to establish this picture of the past, but to decode it successfully requires mathematical models of how DNA evolves. Mathematical inconsistencies have been identified with current approaches. In particular ....Algebraically informed models of biological sequence evolution. To make sense of the patterns they see in the natural world, biologists across fields as diverse as genetics, epidemiology and biogeography need an accurate picture of evolutionary history. DNA sequences provide an exciting means to establish this picture of the past, but to decode it successfully requires mathematical models of how DNA evolves. Mathematical inconsistencies have been identified with current approaches. In particular, understanding the effect of natural selection in different parts of the tree of life requires models that behave robustly in the face of shifting evolutionary processes. This project aims to use insights from algebraic methods to construct mathematically consistent models of wide biological utility.Read moreRead less
Contribution of hybridisation to genetic diversity and adaptation in Eucalyptus. The eucalypt gene pool is an outstandingly important bioresource for Australia. Its effective future management will be based on understanding the extent, causes and significance of genetic variation in eucalypt species. This project investigates a currently overlooked, but potentially important, source of genetic diversity and adaptation in Eucalyptus. The knowledge gained will contribute substantially to our un ....Contribution of hybridisation to genetic diversity and adaptation in Eucalyptus. The eucalypt gene pool is an outstandingly important bioresource for Australia. Its effective future management will be based on understanding the extent, causes and significance of genetic variation in eucalypt species. This project investigates a currently overlooked, but potentially important, source of genetic diversity and adaptation in Eucalyptus. The knowledge gained will contribute substantially to our understanding of eucalypt biology, and will inform decision-making for conservation, revegetation, and sustainable use of seed resources. Through addressing fundamental questions, the project will also provide a uniquely Australian contribution to world research in forest molecular genetics.Read moreRead less