Functional characterisation of the necrotrophic effector proteins Tox1 and Tox3 from the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Fungal pathogens cost the Australian agricultural industry over one billion dollars per year. This project will build upon recent key advances to provide a fundamental basis on how fungal pathogens cause disease. The results from this study will promote future advances in disease management with the aim of securing Australian wheat supplies.
Cell wall invertase regulates fruit and seed development through sugar signals, sugar transporters and plasmodesmal gating. This project seeks to understand the molecular and cellular events controlling carbohydrate allocation in fruit and seed by focusing the coupling between sugar metabolism and transport using tomato as a model. The information generated may provide technological opportunities to improve fruit and seed development hence, crop yield.
Mechanisms regulating plant cell expansion: assessing the role of aquaporins and sugar signalling. This project seeks to understand the role of water channel genes in controlling water flow into expanding plant cells by using cotton fibre as a model cell. Water flow plays critical roles in plant growth, hence yield. The information generated may provide technological opportunities for improving water flow and utilization, hence, crop yield.
How SEP-like genes determine cereal inflorescence architecture. This project aims to understand the morphological diversity of inflorescence architecture between cereal crop species. To do so, this project will identify functions and analyse the regulatory networks of conserved SEPALLATA genes (SEPs). This will enable them to determine cereal inflorescence morphogenesis of rice (branching) and barley (non-branching), representing the most important cereals. Identifying and understanding rice and ....How SEP-like genes determine cereal inflorescence architecture. This project aims to understand the morphological diversity of inflorescence architecture between cereal crop species. To do so, this project will identify functions and analyse the regulatory networks of conserved SEPALLATA genes (SEPs). This will enable them to determine cereal inflorescence morphogenesis of rice (branching) and barley (non-branching), representing the most important cereals. Identifying and understanding rice and barley SEPs, their direct targets and interactors, and how they regulate inflorescence branches and spikelets in both species is expected to provide evolutionary and developmental insights and targets to improve for crop yield. A molecular understanding of the regulatory network that underpins inflorescence shape and grain number will advance fundamental biology, and could form the basis for significant yield improvements by manipulating key points in the developmental pathway.Read moreRead less
The role of plant hormones in legume symbioses. Soil microbes can give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients through symbioses. Legumes are unique as they form symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This proposal will investigate the role of the plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these symbiotic relationships across legume genera. An insight into the commo ....The role of plant hormones in legume symbioses. Soil microbes can give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients through symbioses. Legumes are unique as they form symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This proposal will investigate the role of the plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these symbiotic relationships across legume genera. An insight into the common and divergent roles of hormones in these symbioses is essential to provide researchers and breeders with new tools to maximise nutrient acquisition by legumes, important crops contributing an estimated one billion Australian dollars per year to the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Identifying novel salinity tolerance mechanisms by spatial and temporal analysis of lipids in barley. Agrifood production faces the dual challenges of an increasing world population and the threats of abiotic stresses arising from climate change and the erosion of arable land. Cereals, the major food crops, are poorly adapted to tolerate most abiotic stresses, including salinity. This project applies new technologies investigating spatial and temporal biochemical mechanisms a model cereal, Horde ....Identifying novel salinity tolerance mechanisms by spatial and temporal analysis of lipids in barley. Agrifood production faces the dual challenges of an increasing world population and the threats of abiotic stresses arising from climate change and the erosion of arable land. Cereals, the major food crops, are poorly adapted to tolerate most abiotic stresses, including salinity. This project applies new technologies investigating spatial and temporal biochemical mechanisms a model cereal, Hordeum vulgare (barley), utilises to adapt and tolerate salinity. The aims are to investigate the role of specifically plasma membrane lipids modulating either signalling pathways or membrane fluidity that impacts on adaptation during salinity. The results will provide new leads for the development of cereal germplasm with increased salt tolerance.Read moreRead less
Discovering the activity of novel CLE peptide hormones that regulate legume nodulation. This project aims to functionally characterise novel peptide hormones that regulate the number of nitrogen-fixing root nodules that legumes form. Findings will enhance the current nodulation model and could help to alleviate our reliance on expensive, often polluting, nitrogen-fertilisers by helping to optimise the nodulation process in agriculture.
Discovery of the systemic regulator of legume nodulation. This project aims to discover the novel, shoot-derived factor that legumes produce to regulate the number of nitrogen-fixing root nodules they form. Outcomes will enhance the current nodulation model and could help optimise the process in agriculture, which would help alleviate current reliance on nitrogen-fertilisers that are expensive and pollute.
Isolation and functional characterisation of a pathogen meta effector able to inhibit detection of multiple disease effectors by resistant plants. The rust fungi are a major economic threat to crop production in Australia. This project will investigate the molecular mechanism used by a rust fungus to prevent detection of multiple disease-inducing proteins by resistant plants and generate knowledge that will lead to the development of new and more effective disease control strategies.
Decoding the signals in legume symbioses: investigating the role of plant hormones. Plants form intimate relationships with soil microbes that give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients. Legumes are major Australian crops for fodder, grain and nutrients, and are unique in forming symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This project aims to determine the role of plant hormones (small, mobile, potent ....Decoding the signals in legume symbioses: investigating the role of plant hormones. Plants form intimate relationships with soil microbes that give plants access to previously unavailable but essential nutrients. Legumes are major Australian crops for fodder, grain and nutrients, and are unique in forming symbioses with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria and with mycorrhizal fungi that supply nutrients such as phosphate. This project aims to determine the role of plant hormones (small, mobile, potent growth regulators) in the formation of these relationships. In particular, the role of interactions between hormones and other novel plant signals will be determined. An insight into the common and divergent roles of hormones in these symbioses is essential to provide new tools to maximise nutrient acquisition.Read moreRead less