From genotype to phenotype: Molecular photofitting for criminal investigations. DNA found at crime scenes has the potential to provide a physical description of the donor in the same way as an eyewitness statement can be used to make a facial reconstruction. This project will investigate those physical traits which can be derived from the analysis of DNA present in samples collected in relation to criminal activities.
Translating genomic discoveries into improved commercial outcomes for the South Sea pearl industry. The purpose of this project is to understand the relationship between gene expression and pearl quality. By identifying the relationship between genes and pearls this project will determine the best conditions to grow selected pearl oyster stocks for the Australian South Sea pearl industry.
Evaluation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57 as a probiotic in livestock using animal nutrition studies and metagenomics. To improve animal production, gene sequencing will unravel how microbial communities in the rumen of sheep and cattle and the gastro intestinal tract of poultry respond to feed quality and probiotic bacteria. The animal nutrition trials will also measure weight gain and feed utilisation efficiency, particularly for nitrogen, protein and energy.
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
Redirecting Carbon Flow through Mesophyll and Bundle Sheath Cells of Sugarcane to Produce Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate. This project is part of the National Priorities "Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries." Using innovative plant metabolic engineering technologies combined with sophisticated computer modeling we are generating green plants that produce renewable, biodegradable, bioplastics possessing properties such that they are suitable replacements for petrol ....Redirecting Carbon Flow through Mesophyll and Bundle Sheath Cells of Sugarcane to Produce Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate. This project is part of the National Priorities "Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries." Using innovative plant metabolic engineering technologies combined with sophisticated computer modeling we are generating green plants that produce renewable, biodegradable, bioplastics possessing properties such that they are suitable replacements for petroleum-derived products in many applications. During the course of these studies, we are increasing our basic level of understanding of plant metabolism of important bioenergy crops. The production of renewable, bioplastics in sugarcane will help to diversify the Australian sugarcane industry by providing a value-added product with significant world-wide markets.Read moreRead less
Fertility crisis: harnessing the genomic tension behind pollen fertility in sorghum. Hybrid sorghum varieties yield more grain than inbred varieties but the production seed for farmers can be difficult. This project will identify the genes responsible for a trait that makes hybrid seed production possible and this knowledge will help raise sorghum yields in Australian and in some of the world’s poorest countries.
The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture. The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will ....The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture. The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will identify environmental stressors that activate viral disease in Penaeus monodon. Outcomes will be incorporated into on-farm managerial regimes to minimize risk of crop loss to disease. Development of biomarkers as indicators of stress related risks may be commercialized.Read moreRead less
Optimising barramundi production through early prediction of thermal tolerance and growth. Aquaculture is Australia's fastest growing primary industry and is increasingly becoming an important employer in regional Australia. Consequently, positive growth in this sector linked to productivity gains through R&D will result in improved socioeconomic prosperity of regional communities. This project will allow barramundi farmers to identify highly productive families early on in the culture process, ....Optimising barramundi production through early prediction of thermal tolerance and growth. Aquaculture is Australia's fastest growing primary industry and is increasingly becoming an important employer in regional Australia. Consequently, positive growth in this sector linked to productivity gains through R&D will result in improved socioeconomic prosperity of regional communities. This project will allow barramundi farmers to identify highly productive families early on in the culture process, thereby improving their efficiency of farming and increasing their international competitiveness in the rapidly expanding global market. The project will also establish Australia at the forefront of biotechnological research and its applications to aquaculture.Read moreRead less
The role of neurohormones in the regulation of appetite and successful sea water transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cultured Atlantic salmon spend the first part of their life in freshwater and then following a physiological adaption phase called smoltification, the fish (now termed smolts) are transferred to sea cages for growout. A proportion of smolts fail to thrive after transfer, show slow or no growth and usually die some months later. This project will investigate the role that the neuro ....The role of neurohormones in the regulation of appetite and successful sea water transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cultured Atlantic salmon spend the first part of their life in freshwater and then following a physiological adaption phase called smoltification, the fish (now termed smolts) are transferred to sea cages for growout. A proportion of smolts fail to thrive after transfer, show slow or no growth and usually die some months later. This project will investigate the role that the neurohomones that control both appetite and physiological stress in fish have in stimulating the resumption of feeding after sea water transfer.The basic knowledge generated will be used directly in development of strategies for minimising smolt failure in Atlantic salmon aquaculture.Read moreRead less
Aquaculture of the tropical abalone: identifying and selecting for factors promoting high settlement, survival and growth. There is a growing demand worldwide for the 'cocktail'-sized tropical abalone Haliotis asinina. We have developed a full set of hatchery and grow-out procedures that Queensland Sea Scallops Pty Ltd will test on a commercial scale. At QSS, we will propagate and growout Haliotis asinina to determine the factors controlling settlement, survival, growth and health. We will do ....Aquaculture of the tropical abalone: identifying and selecting for factors promoting high settlement, survival and growth. There is a growing demand worldwide for the 'cocktail'-sized tropical abalone Haliotis asinina. We have developed a full set of hatchery and grow-out procedures that Queensland Sea Scallops Pty Ltd will test on a commercial scale. At QSS, we will propagate and growout Haliotis asinina to determine the factors controlling settlement, survival, growth and health. We will do this by combining breeding experiments with microarray gene profiling and other advanced gene expression studies. This knowledge will enhance the development of this new aquaculture industry in tropical Australia and our understanding of abalone aquaculture in general.Read moreRead less