Cultivating numerically significant soil bacteria. The vast majority of soil bacteria have not been able to be studied in the laboratory because they cannot be grown outside the soil. They are therefore termed unculturable. Most of these belong to groups that are completely unstudied. Advances made in the Janssen lab have overcome this impediment to laboratory cultivation of numerically abundant and globally distributed soil bacteria. This project will develop these advances to generate simple a ....Cultivating numerically significant soil bacteria. The vast majority of soil bacteria have not been able to be studied in the laboratory because they cannot be grown outside the soil. They are therefore termed unculturable. Most of these belong to groups that are completely unstudied. Advances made in the Janssen lab have overcome this impediment to laboratory cultivation of numerically abundant and globally distributed soil bacteria. This project will develop these advances to generate simple and widely applicable methods to enable many of the previously unculturable soil bacteria to be studied. This will allow assessments of their ecological roles and biotechnological potentials to be made.Read moreRead less
Nuclear structure and function in the nucleated planctomycete bacterium Gemmata obscuriglobus: a third cell plan for living organisms? The project will contribute knowledge of how cells such as those of animals and plants evolved from bacterial components. Origins of cell nuclei and pores in nuclear membranes will be studied via the simple eukaryote-like nucleus of the planctomycete Gemmata obscuriglobus, from Australian freshwater. Simple nuclear pore-like structures of G. obscuriglobus will he ....Nuclear structure and function in the nucleated planctomycete bacterium Gemmata obscuriglobus: a third cell plan for living organisms? The project will contribute knowledge of how cells such as those of animals and plants evolved from bacterial components. Origins of cell nuclei and pores in nuclear membranes will be studied via the simple eukaryote-like nucleus of the planctomycete Gemmata obscuriglobus, from Australian freshwater. Simple nuclear pore-like structures of G. obscuriglobus will help understanding nucleus function in animal cells, and such pores will give insight into 'minimal' composition needed for cell nuclei, and allow design of biological nanopores. The origin of the nucleus is a major problem in biology, and an Australian contribution to its solution will achieve international recognition. Read moreRead less
The evolution of bacterial pathogenesis: a genomic approach. The outcome of this research will be a better understanding of the genes involved with adaptation to particular pathogenic lifestyles. Specifically, genes that are rapidly evolving in selected bacterial pathogens of medical and veterinary importance will be identified using a bioinformatics approach that exploits the existence of multiple closely-related genome sequences. Such genes encode potential new targets for therapeutic interv ....The evolution of bacterial pathogenesis: a genomic approach. The outcome of this research will be a better understanding of the genes involved with adaptation to particular pathogenic lifestyles. Specifically, genes that are rapidly evolving in selected bacterial pathogens of medical and veterinary importance will be identified using a bioinformatics approach that exploits the existence of multiple closely-related genome sequences. Such genes encode potential new targets for therapeutic intervention that provide alternatives in the face of emerging antibiotic resistance. Importantly, the methodology developed in this project is broadly applicable to the study of evolution of bacterial pathogenesis in any background: medical, agricultural or horticultural.Read moreRead less
Quantum Dot Nanocrystals: Smart Materials for Microbiology. Quantum dots were originally developed for computers but have many advantages over fluorescent dyes currently in use. They can be coupled to larger structures and a excitation with a laser allows simultaneous multiple analyses ("multiplexing"). We propose to adapt these structures for use in microbial ecology because this field is one of the least understood areas in biology. The technology we will develop will have far broader uses, a ....Quantum Dot Nanocrystals: Smart Materials for Microbiology. Quantum dots were originally developed for computers but have many advantages over fluorescent dyes currently in use. They can be coupled to larger structures and a excitation with a laser allows simultaneous multiple analyses ("multiplexing"). We propose to adapt these structures for use in microbial ecology because this field is one of the least understood areas in biology. The technology we will develop will have far broader uses, and will create new diagnostic tools for monitoring and understanding microbial ecosystems would be invaluable in a number of fields. Examples are medical diagnostics, waste-water treatment, bioremediation, food and agriculture, bioprotection and biodiscovery.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354702
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australian Microbial Resources Research Network. The Australian Microbial Resources Research Network will provide integrated access to Australian collections of microorganisms and electronic access to bioinformation databases to meet national strategic needs for microbiological resources and to support the competitive development of the life sciences and biotechnology industries in Australia. The network will promote collaborative interactions and accelerate the discovery of Australian microorg ....Australian Microbial Resources Research Network. The Australian Microbial Resources Research Network will provide integrated access to Australian collections of microorganisms and electronic access to bioinformation databases to meet national strategic needs for microbiological resources and to support the competitive development of the life sciences and biotechnology industries in Australia. The network will promote collaborative interactions and accelerate the discovery of Australian microorganisms and microbial genomic information for innovative biotechnology and create new opportunities for bioindustries. The Network will link researchers and foster the discovery and exploitation of Australian microbial resources and make these resources and associated information available for applications in research, industry and education.Read moreRead less
Understanding the role of a newly recognised retrovirus in the induction of cancer and immunosuppressive disease in koalas. Leukaemia, lymphoma and opportunistic infections are major causes of mortality in both captive and wild koala populations. It is our hypothesis that a recently discovered retrovirus is responsible for these disease syndromes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this project will determine viral parameters that correlate with the disease status of koalas and lead to improvem ....Understanding the role of a newly recognised retrovirus in the induction of cancer and immunosuppressive disease in koalas. Leukaemia, lymphoma and opportunistic infections are major causes of mortality in both captive and wild koala populations. It is our hypothesis that a recently discovered retrovirus is responsible for these disease syndromes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this project will determine viral parameters that correlate with the disease status of koalas and lead to improvements in diagnosis and management of disease in koala populations. The planned research will also provide some insight into cross-species transmission of retroviruses.Read moreRead less
Microbial Ecology and Control of Foaming in Anaerobic Digesters. One of the world's most common treatments of biosolids (product of wastewater treatment), anaerobic digestion often suffers from accumulation of biological foam. This foam hinders treatment, personnel health and safety, legal requirements for environmental protection are jeopardised and attempts to control digester foaming are costly. There is a clear lack of knowledge about the organisms involved and causes, therefore no informe ....Microbial Ecology and Control of Foaming in Anaerobic Digesters. One of the world's most common treatments of biosolids (product of wastewater treatment), anaerobic digestion often suffers from accumulation of biological foam. This foam hinders treatment, personnel health and safety, legal requirements for environmental protection are jeopardised and attempts to control digester foaming are costly. There is a clear lack of knowledge about the organisms involved and causes, therefore no informed solutions exist. Molecular DNA techniques, 16SrDNA sequencing and DGGE, will assist in deciphering causes and organisms involved. Research outcomes will present environmental, legal and economical acceptable control strategies for digester foaming to the waste management and water industries.Read moreRead less
Molecular Cell Biology and Comparative Genomics Of Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia In Relation To Evolution Of Cytoskeletal Proteins and Membrane-bounded Compartments. Planctomycetes and verrucomicrobia are evolutionarily distinct groups of bacteria which possess unusual cell structure and which share some significant genes important in cell biology with eukaryotes e.g. in verrucomicrobia the cytoskeleton protein tubulin. These bacteria are important for understanding the transition from no ....Molecular Cell Biology and Comparative Genomics Of Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia In Relation To Evolution Of Cytoskeletal Proteins and Membrane-bounded Compartments. Planctomycetes and verrucomicrobia are evolutionarily distinct groups of bacteria which possess unusual cell structure and which share some significant genes important in cell biology with eukaryotes e.g. in verrucomicrobia the cytoskeleton protein tubulin. These bacteria are important for understanding the transition from non-nucleated cells with simple cell division to nucleated cells with chromosome separation via cytoskeletal protein movement.The project will compare genomes of of planctomycetes and verrucomicrobia to determine their relationship, determine whether the tubulin homolog of verrucomicrobia can form cytoskeleton structures, and characterize the cytoskeleton of ammonium-oxidizing planctomycetes used in wastewater treatment.Read moreRead less
Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laborator ....Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laboratory techniques and DNA identification methods to provide a template for determining ground water diversity and food web dynamics throughout Australia. This project will lead to a better understanding of how to manage ground water in a sustainable manner.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0344009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
South Australian Regional Facility for Molecular Evolution and Ecology. Adelaide and Flinders Universities and their partners, the South Australian Museum and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, seek to enhance the throughput and efficiency of molecular genotyping for the large amount of research undertaken in Adelaide in the general areas of molecular evolution and ecology, and to enhance long-term storage and accessibility of the valuable biological materials used for geno ....South Australian Regional Facility for Molecular Evolution and Ecology. Adelaide and Flinders Universities and their partners, the South Australian Museum and the South Australian Research and Development Institute, seek to enhance the throughput and efficiency of molecular genotyping for the large amount of research undertaken in Adelaide in the general areas of molecular evolution and ecology, and to enhance long-term storage and accessibility of the valuable biological materials used for genotyping. This will be achieved by developing a new fully integrated, jointly managed regional facility, that serves all relevant research groups in South Australia.Read moreRead less