Maternal effects and sex allocation: an integrated approach. This project will produce research of a high international standard combining a number of key fields in evolution and ecology. The team we have assembled provides a link between Australian-based researchers and leading overseas theoreticians facilitating integration between evolutionary theory and empirical research on the unique Australian fauna. Furthermore, while climate change is identified as a priority area for research, Australi ....Maternal effects and sex allocation: an integrated approach. This project will produce research of a high international standard combining a number of key fields in evolution and ecology. The team we have assembled provides a link between Australian-based researchers and leading overseas theoreticians facilitating integration between evolutionary theory and empirical research on the unique Australian fauna. Furthermore, while climate change is identified as a priority area for research, Australia typically lacks the history of long-term phenological monitoring that is required to understand climate change impacts. This project takes an important step towards addressing this shortcoming.Read moreRead less
Epigenetic Biomarker Discovery For Cardiovascular Disease Risk Stratification Of Women Following Preeclampsia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,275,101.00
Summary
Those women whom have suffered from severe complications during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing heart disease. This increased risk may be due to epigenetic changes during pregnancy that alter the expression of specific genes. These epigenetic changes persist after birth and increase heart disease risk for these women. This project seeks to evaluate those epigenetic changes associated with severe pregnancy complications predicting heart disease in a large group of Australian women.
From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect thei ....From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect their underlying genetic mechanism. Furthermore, we can also assess how these animals survive and reproduce in relation to how quickly they age, which can be measured by assessing the shortening of telomeres per unit time. Thus, this collaboration provides an opportunity to train Australian researchers and in that process generate very high profile research.Read moreRead less
Genetic architecture of species divergence and hybridisation in eucalypts. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and are of great economic and ecological significance to the nation. They are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world, but Australia is the centre of origin of most species and the custodian of this important native bioresource. Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this internationally significant genus is important for its long-term management a ....Genetic architecture of species divergence and hybridisation in eucalypts. Eucalypts are an icon of Australia and are of great economic and ecological significance to the nation. They are the most widely planted hardwood trees in the world, but Australia is the centre of origin of most species and the custodian of this important native bioresource. Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape diversity in this internationally significant genus is important for its long-term management and conservation. This project links to large international initiatives currently underway for high-density mapping and sequencing of the eucalypt genome, to enhance the flow of information gained back to Australia for scientific, economic and environmental benefit.Read moreRead less
Climate change and ocean acidification: will southern ocean coccolithophorids be winners or losers? Implications for the global carbon pump. This proposal brings skills on morphotaxonomy, microalgal culturing, physiology and biogeochemistry into the flurry of international activity focusing on consequences of ocean acidification. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to reduce calcification in the phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi, notably in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, hi ....Climate change and ocean acidification: will southern ocean coccolithophorids be winners or losers? Implications for the global carbon pump. This proposal brings skills on morphotaxonomy, microalgal culturing, physiology and biogeochemistry into the flurry of international activity focusing on consequences of ocean acidification. Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is predicted to reduce calcification in the phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi, notably in the Southern Ocean. In contrast, higher CO2 may stimulate photosynthesis and enhanced stratification may also select for E. huxleyi. These changes will affect foodwebs and the ability of the ocean to absorb CO2. Predicting the future success of this key organism is vital to understand the consequences of global change in Australian and Southern Ocean waters and to set targets for carbon emissions.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary history and impact of adeno-associated viruses in Australia. Recently accrued evidence identifies Australia as an ideal closed-model system in which to elucidate the evolutionary history of a group of non-pathogenic viruses, known as adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). This project aims to trace back the evolutionary history of AAVs for tens of millions of years via molecular fossil imprints left behind by ancient viral invasions of Australian marsupial genomes. Concurrently, the poten ....Evolutionary history and impact of adeno-associated viruses in Australia. Recently accrued evidence identifies Australia as an ideal closed-model system in which to elucidate the evolutionary history of a group of non-pathogenic viruses, known as adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). This project aims to trace back the evolutionary history of AAVs for tens of millions of years via molecular fossil imprints left behind by ancient viral invasions of Australian marsupial genomes. Concurrently, the potential impact that these viral invasions had on the evolutionary development of their ancestral hosts will be investigated. This could facilitate previously unattainable insights into both AAV and marsupial evolution, with broader implications relevant to the advancement of the fields of virology and mammalian evolution.Read moreRead less
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
Selection and deployment of browsing resistant Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus nitens. Marsupial browsing is a significant problem for eucalypt plantation establishment in Australia. To date, browsing control has relied on the use of 1080 pesticide, but through political and social pressure this will cease in Tasmanian State Forests by December 2005. To develop new approaches to integrated pest management, we will explore the use of natural plant resistance to marsupial browsers. We will dete ....Selection and deployment of browsing resistant Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus nitens. Marsupial browsing is a significant problem for eucalypt plantation establishment in Australia. To date, browsing control has relied on the use of 1080 pesticide, but through political and social pressure this will cease in Tasmanian State Forests by December 2005. To develop new approaches to integrated pest management, we will explore the use of natural plant resistance to marsupial browsers. We will determine the genetic and chemical basis of seedling resistance in Eucalyptus globulus and E. nitens, and investigate the stability of resistance though tree development and across different sites. Resistant germplasm will be identified and tested in operational plantings.Read moreRead less
Assessing the risk of genetic pollution from Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia plantations. We will provide the biological information necessary to assess the risk of genetic pollution of native eucalypt forest from plantations of Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia torelliana. Key biological factors that can act as barriers to hybridisation including flowering time, pollen and seed dispersal distances, crossability, hybrid fitness and the potential for backcrossing will be identified and used to de ....Assessing the risk of genetic pollution from Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia plantations. We will provide the biological information necessary to assess the risk of genetic pollution of native eucalypt forest from plantations of Eucalyptus globulus and Corymbia torelliana. Key biological factors that can act as barriers to hybridisation including flowering time, pollen and seed dispersal distances, crossability, hybrid fitness and the potential for backcrossing will be identified and used to develop strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution. The molecular differentiation between populations of the E. globulus complex, including plantations, will be studied to provide a genetic framework for the management of the genepool of this most important hardwood plantation species.Read moreRead less
Genetic impacts on eucalypt forest biodiversity. Australia is the centre of origin for most of the world's eucalypt genetic resources. This project will provide the research required to develop management strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution of this important genetic resource from the expanding eucalypt plantings in Australia. It will provide leading-edge science to better assess the risk and impact of genetic pollution not only on the native eucalypt gene pools per se but also on ....Genetic impacts on eucalypt forest biodiversity. Australia is the centre of origin for most of the world's eucalypt genetic resources. This project will provide the research required to develop management strategies to reduce the risk of genetic pollution of this important genetic resource from the expanding eucalypt plantings in Australia. It will provide leading-edge science to better assess the risk and impact of genetic pollution not only on the native eucalypt gene pools per se but also on the structure and biodiversity of the fungi, insect and vertebrate communities that are dependent on the eucalyptsRead moreRead less