Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101536
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,000.00
Summary
How does mitochondrial biogenesis regulate seed germination in plants? This project aims to develop a better understanding of seed germination to enable the generation of cereal seeds with optimised rates of germination for agricultural production. Seed germination is a fundamental phase of the plant life cycle. Every year, alterations in the rate of germination cause significant crop loss in rice and other cereals. Mitochondria are emerging as essential signalling hubs in the regulation of seed ....How does mitochondrial biogenesis regulate seed germination in plants? This project aims to develop a better understanding of seed germination to enable the generation of cereal seeds with optimised rates of germination for agricultural production. Seed germination is a fundamental phase of the plant life cycle. Every year, alterations in the rate of germination cause significant crop loss in rice and other cereals. Mitochondria are emerging as essential signalling hubs in the regulation of seed germination. The project aims to combine the latest technologies and molecular approaches with genetics to understand how mitochondria regulate seed germination and the rate of germination progression in rice. The project also plans to investigate and confirm the interplay between oxygen signalling, phytohormones and mitochondrial biogenesis.Read moreRead less
Genomics of temperature response in plants. Climate change is predicted to have negative impacts on Australian agriculture. This project will use genomic tools to uncover biological mechanisms for plant response to temperature that will help design crop varieties that are more tolerant to higher temperatures.
Mitochondrial Retrograde Signalling in Plants – New Models and Analytical Approaches. Mitochondria are essential organelles involved in energy production and various metabolic and biosynthetic pathways in plant cells. Signals from mitochondria act to regulate nuclear gene expression to coordinate mitochondrial activity with cellular activity, which is called mitochondrial retrograde signalling (MRS). To date our knowledge of the pathways and components involved in MRS is limited to a single mode ....Mitochondrial Retrograde Signalling in Plants – New Models and Analytical Approaches. Mitochondria are essential organelles involved in energy production and various metabolic and biosynthetic pathways in plant cells. Signals from mitochondria act to regulate nuclear gene expression to coordinate mitochondrial activity with cellular activity, which is called mitochondrial retrograde signalling (MRS). To date our knowledge of the pathways and components involved in MRS is limited to a single model system. This proposal seeks to identify additional MRS pathways, characterise components of these pathways and the signals involved. This new knowledge can be used in translational research as a basis to breed plants with altered stress and growth properties.Read moreRead less
Functional analysis of alternative splicing in plants. Higher temperatures affect flowering and seed set in plants. How plants sense and respond to temperature is currently unclear. Here we study alternative splicing, one of the processes affected by temperature. These studies will advance our knowledge and help develop crops that can withstand negative effects of climate change.
Mediator: a new concept for controlled gene expression in plant biotechnology. The Mediator protein complex is a new control point for the activation of all genes in higher organisms and the purpose of this project is to understand how three Mediator subunits regulate disease resistance in plants. The outcomes provide a new concept to direct natural gene expression towards robust crop plants able to cope with climatic variations.
A novel link between plant pathogen defence and DNA repair capability. Plants and plant-based industries are essential for the provision of food, clothing and building materials and underpin the economies of rural communities. Plant yield and quality and the biodiversity of natural systems are dramatically reduced by disease. The fundamental knowledge gained from our research will enable manipulation of the factors that enhance disease resistance resulting in a significant benefit to Australian ....A novel link between plant pathogen defence and DNA repair capability. Plants and plant-based industries are essential for the provision of food, clothing and building materials and underpin the economies of rural communities. Plant yield and quality and the biodiversity of natural systems are dramatically reduced by disease. The fundamental knowledge gained from our research will enable manipulation of the factors that enhance disease resistance resulting in a significant benefit to Australian agriculture and protection of our natural resources. The current reliance for disease control on chemicals that damage the environment will be reduced and our research will contribute directly to the provision of cheaper, simpler and more effective methods of control.
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