Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,103.00
Summary
Exploring the evolution and ecology of non-photosynthetic Cyanobacteria. This project aims to contribute and expand our rudimentary understanding of non-photosynthetic Cyanobacteria by obtaining representative genome sequences using metagenomics. The dogma that all Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic has recently been challenged by the discovery of non-photosynthetic lineages. This project expects to obtain representative genome sequences using metagenomics to predict surface structures. The expect ....Exploring the evolution and ecology of non-photosynthetic Cyanobacteria. This project aims to contribute and expand our rudimentary understanding of non-photosynthetic Cyanobacteria by obtaining representative genome sequences using metagenomics. The dogma that all Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic has recently been challenged by the discovery of non-photosynthetic lineages. This project expects to obtain representative genome sequences using metagenomics to predict surface structures. The expected outcomes from this project includes providing insights into the function and evolution of non-photosynthetic Cyanobacteria and their viruses, and pure or enriched cultures to enable future studies.Read moreRead less
Discovery of Novel Bacteriophage with the Capacity to Modulate Gut Bacteria. This project aims to experimentally validate the largest ever collection of bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) within the gut microbiome. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of bacteriophage biology and genomics by using the innovative approaches of wet-lab and bioinformatic genome analyses. Expect outcomes of this project include the discovery of novel phages using bioinformatics, wet-lab validat ....Discovery of Novel Bacteriophage with the Capacity to Modulate Gut Bacteria. This project aims to experimentally validate the largest ever collection of bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) within the gut microbiome. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of bacteriophage biology and genomics by using the innovative approaches of wet-lab and bioinformatic genome analyses. Expect outcomes of this project include the discovery of novel phages using bioinformatics, wet-lab validation of their activity and characterisation of their potential to contribute new bacterial host metabolism. This should provide benefits, such as advancement to our understanding of bacteriophages, improved bioinformatic software, and a characterised collection of commercially valuable bacterial strains and phages.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102166
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Identification and characterisation of anti-viral immune response genes in mosquitoes. Emerging viral diseases, transmitted by mosquito bite, present an increasing public health risk globally. Most research to date has neglected the infection dynamic in the insect vector. This project aims to characterise the defensive response of mosquitoes to viral infection, a potentially crucial factor in the epidemiology of vector-borne disease.
Decoding regulatory RNA function in bacteria. All complex biological processes in bacterial cells appear to utilise regulatory small RNAs to control gene expression, but we lack a systems-level understanding of their functions and mechanisms of control. This proposal aims to address this fundamental knowledge gap using machine learning and cutting-edge, systems-level techniques to determine how small RNA sequence and structure determines function. Small RNAs have been found to control a broad ra ....Decoding regulatory RNA function in bacteria. All complex biological processes in bacterial cells appear to utilise regulatory small RNAs to control gene expression, but we lack a systems-level understanding of their functions and mechanisms of control. This proposal aims to address this fundamental knowledge gap using machine learning and cutting-edge, systems-level techniques to determine how small RNA sequence and structure determines function. Small RNAs have been found to control a broad range of traits including metabolism, biofilm formation, antibiotic tolerance, and virulence. The work proposed here will enhance our ability to predict and control bacterial gene expression with potential future impacts on bioproduction, synthetic biology, and veterinary and medical microbiology.Read moreRead less
The adaptive evolution of key methane-utilising microorganisms. This project aims to characterise the evolutionary adaptations of a group of microorganisms with a key role in mitigating the release of methane into the atmosphere. Innovative molecular and visualisation-based approaches will be applied to uncover their metabolic diversity and evolutionary history. An important outcome of this study will be the comprehensive understanding of the contribution and impact these microorganisms have on ....The adaptive evolution of key methane-utilising microorganisms. This project aims to characterise the evolutionary adaptations of a group of microorganisms with a key role in mitigating the release of methane into the atmosphere. Innovative molecular and visualisation-based approaches will be applied to uncover their metabolic diversity and evolutionary history. An important outcome of this study will be the comprehensive understanding of the contribution and impact these microorganisms have on the global carbon cycle, which will importantly inform accurate climate change models. This has clear benefits for society, given the precision of such models is essential in our ability to minimise the impact and associated cost of global warming.Read moreRead less
Uncovering new microbial players and processes in the global methane cycle. This project aims to utilise multiple analytical strategies (including metagenomics and metatranscriptomics) to substantially expand our understanding of the key microorganisms, metabolic strategies, and interspecies relationships involved in the formation and consumption of methane. The global methane cycle is controlled by microorganisms that produce and consume this important greenhouse gas, however it is now recognis ....Uncovering new microbial players and processes in the global methane cycle. This project aims to utilise multiple analytical strategies (including metagenomics and metatranscriptomics) to substantially expand our understanding of the key microorganisms, metabolic strategies, and interspecies relationships involved in the formation and consumption of methane. The global methane cycle is controlled by microorganisms that produce and consume this important greenhouse gas, however it is now recognised that there are many as-yet undiscovered methane-metabolising microorganisms in the environment. The project will lead to a greater understanding of the contribution of these novel microorganisms to global carbon cycling and their links to climate change. This will directly benefit modelling efforts to understand future climate change scenarios.Read moreRead less
Illuminating the microbial world using genome-based fluorescence microscopy. Our understanding of microbial diversity on Earth has been fundamentally changed by metagenomic characterisation of natural ecosystems. Traditional approaches for visualising microbial communities are time-consuming and provide limited information about the identity of specific microorganisms. The proposed research aims to combine single cell genomics and super resolution microscopy for novel, high-throughput, genome-b ....Illuminating the microbial world using genome-based fluorescence microscopy. Our understanding of microbial diversity on Earth has been fundamentally changed by metagenomic characterisation of natural ecosystems. Traditional approaches for visualising microbial communities are time-consuming and provide limited information about the identity of specific microorganisms. The proposed research aims to combine single cell genomics and super resolution microscopy for novel, high-throughput, genome-based techniques to visualise microorganisms, plasmids and viruses, with strain level specificity. The application of these highly scalable approaches will provide comprehensive and unprecedented insight into the fine-scale dynamics and evolution of environmentally and biotechnologically important microbial communities.Read moreRead less
Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. Cannabidiol (CBD) comes from a set of naturally occurring compounds, with a range of applications in mainstream culture. We have recently reported that CBD has excellent antimicrobial properties, with the ability to kill bacteria. This project aims to understand how CBD works by examining CBD-bacterial interactions at a genetic and molecular level. By understanding how CBD acts on and within bacterial cells, we can create ....Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. Cannabidiol (CBD) comes from a set of naturally occurring compounds, with a range of applications in mainstream culture. We have recently reported that CBD has excellent antimicrobial properties, with the ability to kill bacteria. This project aims to understand how CBD works by examining CBD-bacterial interactions at a genetic and molecular level. By understanding how CBD acts on and within bacterial cells, we can create fundamental new knowledge that could lead to the design of improved analogs of CBD to that can treat bacterial infections. As a much-needed completely new antibiotic class, this will lead to significant benefits, supporting Australia's National Strategy to combat the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance.Read moreRead less
Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. This project aims to understand how the compound cannabidiol is able to kill bacteria by examining its interactions with bacteria from a genetic and molecular level. This research is critical, because future development of cannabidiol and design of improved analogs is predicated on knowing how it works. Expected outcomes include the first detailed understanding of how cannabidiol interacts with bacteria. This should lead ....Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. This project aims to understand how the compound cannabidiol is able to kill bacteria by examining its interactions with bacteria from a genetic and molecular level. This research is critical, because future development of cannabidiol and design of improved analogs is predicated on knowing how it works. Expected outcomes include the first detailed understanding of how cannabidiol interacts with bacteria. This should lead to significant benefits, including high impact publications, additional collaborations with industrial partner Botanix, and a new class of antibiotics to overcome antibiotic resistance.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100248
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,600.00
Summary
Annotating unknown microbial gene functions with organic matter change. This project intends to develop a new method for determining the function of microbial genomes. Microbes are all pervasive on Earth. It is now possible to routinely sequence microbial genomes. However, the function of most genes encoded on these genomes remains elusive, severely limiting our understanding of most ecosystems. This project seeks to develop new methods to assign function to uncharacterised genes, by correlating ....Annotating unknown microbial gene functions with organic matter change. This project intends to develop a new method for determining the function of microbial genomes. Microbes are all pervasive on Earth. It is now possible to routinely sequence microbial genomes. However, the function of most genes encoded on these genomes remains elusive, severely limiting our understanding of most ecosystems. This project seeks to develop new methods to assign function to uncharacterised genes, by correlating changes in metabolite abundance with gene expression in a model permafrost thaw peatland. Determining the function of uncharacterised genes has widespread implications for microbial ecology and its numerous real-world applications, from determining soil greenhouse gas emissions to understanding human intestinal flora.Read moreRead less