The biology of integrons and their role in bacterial adaptation. Bacteria evolve in ways that animals and plants do not. One of the tools available is the ability to share genes amongst individuals in a community. One example of this is the very rapid spread of antibiotic resistance genes in pathogens. Here we will be studying a genetic element that greatly contributes to this horizontal spread of genes. This will lead to a better understanding of how bacteria work, the direct benefits of whic ....The biology of integrons and their role in bacterial adaptation. Bacteria evolve in ways that animals and plants do not. One of the tools available is the ability to share genes amongst individuals in a community. One example of this is the very rapid spread of antibiotic resistance genes in pathogens. Here we will be studying a genetic element that greatly contributes to this horizontal spread of genes. This will lead to a better understanding of how bacteria work, the direct benefits of which includes the discovery of new pathways and genes for the biotechnology industry and greater understanding of how bacteria cause disease in us, other animals and in commercial crops.Read moreRead less
A functional genomic approach for understanding metal ion adaptation in marine cyanobacteria. Unicellular marine cyanobacteria constitute 20-40% of total marine chlorophyll biomass and carbon fixation, and hence significantly impact the global carbon cycle and are very relevant to combating global warming. This research will reveal some of the major mechanisms by which marine cyanobacteria have adapted to metal levels in coastal and oligotrophic environments. Thus these results will help us und ....A functional genomic approach for understanding metal ion adaptation in marine cyanobacteria. Unicellular marine cyanobacteria constitute 20-40% of total marine chlorophyll biomass and carbon fixation, and hence significantly impact the global carbon cycle and are very relevant to combating global warming. This research will reveal some of the major mechanisms by which marine cyanobacteria have adapted to metal levels in coastal and oligotrophic environments. Thus these results will help us understand the distribution and diversity of these organisms in relation to global primary productivity. They will also lead to the development of more robust biomarkers for metal stress and pollution in coastal environments.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis And Treponema Denticola Interactions In The Development Of A Pathogenic Biofilm
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$566,200.00
Summary
Gum disease (periodontitis) is an inflammatory disease caused by bacterial pathogens that is the major cause of tooth loss in adults. It is also associated with systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In this study we will determine the mechanisms by which two bacterial species work together to produce the pathogenic dental plaque that causes disease.
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
A novel process for removing phosphorus microbiologically from wastewater. Australia is a water limited continent, and its rivers and lakes are priceless assets, but because of climatic conditions, these are especially sensitive to blooms of 'blue green algae'. Some are highly toxic, and water containing them is unsuitable for most purposes. Current technology for P removal requires constructing complex plant configurations, and most of these operate unpredictably and unreliably. This project ....A novel process for removing phosphorus microbiologically from wastewater. Australia is a water limited continent, and its rivers and lakes are priceless assets, but because of climatic conditions, these are especially sensitive to blooms of 'blue green algae'. Some are highly toxic, and water containing them is unsuitable for most purposes. Current technology for P removal requires constructing complex plant configurations, and most of these operate unpredictably and unreliably. This project will develop and fully evaluate a revolutionarily different alternative with a fully aerobic system, capable of being added onto the end of a conventional treatment plant, making protection of rivers and streams simpler and more feasible. Read moreRead less
Biocontrol of foaming in activated sludge plants with bacteriophages. Activated sludge systems are the most widely used processes for treating wastewater in Australia. Yet most eventually suffer from episodes of bulking and foaming, where high levels of biosolids leave the plant with the treated waste, representing serious pollution hazards. Attempts to solve these problems have met with limited success.The highly novel biocontrol method proposed here will provide a specific, environmentally fri ....Biocontrol of foaming in activated sludge plants with bacteriophages. Activated sludge systems are the most widely used processes for treating wastewater in Australia. Yet most eventually suffer from episodes of bulking and foaming, where high levels of biosolids leave the plant with the treated waste, representing serious pollution hazards. Attempts to solve these problems have met with limited success.The highly novel biocontrol method proposed here will provide a specific, environmentally friendly and safe method to protect our rivers, streams and oceans form the harmful consequences of these problemsRead moreRead less
Robust Bioinformatics For Predicting Bacterial Pathogens From Microbiome Sequencing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$644,151.00
Summary
We propose to develop new methods for the identification of microbial pathogens using High Throughput DNA Sequencing (HTS). Study of the microbiome - the genes encoded by the assemblage of microbial species present in an environment - using HTS technologies is revolutionising our understanding of human-microbe interactions. Our proposed work includes fundamental computational and theoretical advances and applying these techniques to solve critical problems in pathogen detection.
The costs and consequences of resistance to stress in microbial systems. The coexistence of antibiotic resistant and sensitive bacteria in microbial communities represents a paradox. Combining novel ecological models and competition experiments, this project aims to investigate how the pulsing of antibiotics and resources affects the coexistence of resistant and sensitive bacteria. This project expects to generate new knowledge into how the complex non-equilibrium dynamics of natural systems fee ....The costs and consequences of resistance to stress in microbial systems. The coexistence of antibiotic resistant and sensitive bacteria in microbial communities represents a paradox. Combining novel ecological models and competition experiments, this project aims to investigate how the pulsing of antibiotics and resources affects the coexistence of resistant and sensitive bacteria. This project expects to generate new knowledge into how the complex non-equilibrium dynamics of natural systems feeds back to regulate the spread of antibiotic resistance in microbial communities. This should advance our fundamental understanding of microbial competition, and provide a foundation for the development of new ecologically-aware strategies for managing resistance.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100373
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,320.00
Summary
The role of resource fluctuations in structuring microbial communities. The flow of nutrients through ecological systems fluctuates through time and yet the impact this variability has on the maintenance of biodiversity is poorly understood. Drawing on emerging theory and a tight integration of modelling and experiments in a model microbial system, this project aims to investigate the impact of modified nutrient regimes on the structure and stability of ecological communities. This project expec ....The role of resource fluctuations in structuring microbial communities. The flow of nutrients through ecological systems fluctuates through time and yet the impact this variability has on the maintenance of biodiversity is poorly understood. Drawing on emerging theory and a tight integration of modelling and experiments in a model microbial system, this project aims to investigate the impact of modified nutrient regimes on the structure and stability of ecological communities. This project expects to generate new knowledge at the forefront of research into diversity maintenance, ecosystem functioning and higher-order interactions. The outcomes should provide a deep mechanistic understanding of microbial community dynamics, with applications from animal health to environmental flows and insect pest management.Read moreRead less
Microbiology of Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digester (ATAD) Systems for Biosolids Disposal in Wastewater Treatment Systems. The disposal of biosolids from wastewater treatment plants is expensive and troublesome. ATAD systems utilise microbes and are claimed to overcome many of the problems of more conventional disposal methods. Two have been installed in plants in central Victoria. However, virtually nothing is known about their microbiology. The study will determine which microbial popula ....Microbiology of Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digester (ATAD) Systems for Biosolids Disposal in Wastewater Treatment Systems. The disposal of biosolids from wastewater treatment plants is expensive and troublesome. ATAD systems utilise microbes and are claimed to overcome many of the problems of more conventional disposal methods. Two have been installed in plants in central Victoria. However, virtually nothing is known about their microbiology. The study will determine which microbial populations are present and responsible for biosolids digestion, how these populations might change with changing operational conditions, and whether these changes in populations relate to production of odors. This information will enable these digesters to be better managed and operated.Read moreRead less