Identification of Biological pathways regulated by circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a, recently discovered molecule. circRNAs are highly abundant and expressed in a tissue and disease specific manner. Yet, currently the understanding of how circRNAs regulate biological processes is very poor. This project aims to use pooled shRNA libraries to screen a large panel of cell lines and systematically identify cellular activities that are regulated by circRNAs. The expected outcome of this ....Identification of Biological pathways regulated by circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a, recently discovered molecule. circRNAs are highly abundant and expressed in a tissue and disease specific manner. Yet, currently the understanding of how circRNAs regulate biological processes is very poor. This project aims to use pooled shRNA libraries to screen a large panel of cell lines and systematically identify cellular activities that are regulated by circRNAs. The expected outcome of this study will be a catalogue of functionally active circRNAs. Over the past decades, the wealth of knowledge on the function of linear mRNAs has had a significant impact on medicine and agriculture. Similarly understanding how circRNAs regulate cellular activities may have an analogous impact on humans.Read moreRead less
The transcriptional control of lymphatic vessel development. Lymphatic vessels are a vital, but often overlooked, component of the cardiovascular system. These specialised vessels return tissue fluid to the bloodstream, absorb dietary lipids and transport cells of the immune system throughout the body. Defects in the growth and development of lymphatic vessels result in disorders including lymphedema, obesity, inflammatory diseases and cancer. This project aims to define how transcription factor ....The transcriptional control of lymphatic vessel development. Lymphatic vessels are a vital, but often overlooked, component of the cardiovascular system. These specialised vessels return tissue fluid to the bloodstream, absorb dietary lipids and transport cells of the immune system throughout the body. Defects in the growth and development of lymphatic vessels result in disorders including lymphedema, obesity, inflammatory diseases and cancer. This project aims to define how transcription factors program lymphatic vessel identity and control the development of lymphatic vessel valves. This knowledge will provide new insight into the fundamental mechanisms by which the lymphatic vasculature is constructed during development.Read moreRead less
HEN1 is a regulator of piRNA metabolism, transcriptional regulation and mammalian male fertility. This project is to define the biochemistry of a previously uncharacterized protein in male fertility using a unique mouse model and innovative DNA and protein technologies. This project will define a novel, and essential, pathway for male fertility and may ultimately have relevance to the maintenance of health or improving fertility.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775778
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$196,000.00
Summary
A microarray platform for gene expression analysis and genotyping in biological systems. This technology has substantial benefits for basic science and biotechnology. The ability to rapidly study changes in gene expression in living organisms will benefit agriculture, animal and biomedical science and biotechnology. The Affymetrix platform creates opportunities for new avenues of research, such as studying epigenetic (DNA and protein modifications) mechanisms in development, ageing and disease. ....A microarray platform for gene expression analysis and genotyping in biological systems. This technology has substantial benefits for basic science and biotechnology. The ability to rapidly study changes in gene expression in living organisms will benefit agriculture, animal and biomedical science and biotechnology. The Affymetrix platform creates opportunities for new avenues of research, such as studying epigenetic (DNA and protein modifications) mechanisms in development, ageing and disease. The project falls within the designated national research priority areas of 'promoting and maintaining good health" and the priority goals of "a healthy start to life", "aging well", "aging productively" and "preventative health care."Read moreRead less
Ageing and the muscle stem cell niche. Adult stem cells are critical for repair and maintenance of tissues and ageing tissues show reduced stem cell function. This project will focus on how ageing leads to disruption of communication between muscle stem cells and their niche. The project aims to identify new therapeutic targets for age-related muscle wasting and reduced mobility in the elderly.
The genetic regulation of organogenesis: endoderm development in the Drosophila embryo. Embryonic development is an important research field in biology, not only for its extraordinary complexity but also because of the insights it provides into molecular processes that underpin a variety of diseases. This project aims to discover genes and molecules that regulate the normal development of one of the most important organs, the gut.
Genetic control of spermatogenesis: defining the role of SOX3 in spermatogonial progenitor cells. The transcription factor (TF) SOX3 is a key regulator of neural stem/progenitor cells. Recently, this project has also shown that SOX3 is active in sperm progenitors (spermatogonia) and is required for spermatogenesis. Using our Sox3 KO mouse model and extensive expertise in spermatogonial cell culture, ChIP-seq technology and bioinformatics, this project will investigate crucial aspects of SOX3 fun ....Genetic control of spermatogenesis: defining the role of SOX3 in spermatogonial progenitor cells. The transcription factor (TF) SOX3 is a key regulator of neural stem/progenitor cells. Recently, this project has also shown that SOX3 is active in sperm progenitors (spermatogonia) and is required for spermatogenesis. Using our Sox3 KO mouse model and extensive expertise in spermatogonial cell culture, ChIP-seq technology and bioinformatics, this project will investigate crucial aspects of SOX3 function in the testes including stem versus progenitor cell activity and genome-wide target gene regulation. These studies will uncover the molecular and cellular mechanism by which SOX3 controls spermatogenesis and provide unique insight into how a single TF controls context-dependent differentiation in sperm versus brain progenitor cells.Read moreRead less
Developing DNA tracking methods to identify illegally logged timber products from Africa. Illegal logging causes societal and environmental forest degradation, and is a high priority for international control. This project will produce a range of DNA methods that allow the tracing of the geographic source of origin for timber products from African tropical forests that will allow producers and consumers to better market and choose their products.
Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and dis ....Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and disease suppression, aimed at preventing extinction. It will strengthen ongoing conservation programs carried out by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program and will help publicise the plight of the devil both nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Investigating differences in decision-making ability in older adults. This project aims to investigate how healthy ageing impacts decision making and its associated neural circuits using computation modelling and neurogenetic methods. Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive ability, allowing us to choose the best course of action. This project will investigate the relationship between genes and decision-making performance across the adult lifespan. Expected outcomes include a deeper understan ....Investigating differences in decision-making ability in older adults. This project aims to investigate how healthy ageing impacts decision making and its associated neural circuits using computation modelling and neurogenetic methods. Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive ability, allowing us to choose the best course of action. This project will investigate the relationship between genes and decision-making performance across the adult lifespan. Expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of how decision-making evolves in healthy ageing, and a tool based on genetic scores and computational modelling to predict an individual's trajectory of cognitive function. This could help identify individuals who are at risk for cognitive decline, which could then inform better interventions.Read moreRead less