New Approaches to the Control of Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets. In Australia, post?weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is a major constraint to efficient and profitable production. Increasing levels of resistance to dietary antibiotics by gut pathogens such as Escherichia coli, the bacterium implicated in PWD, is a major reason for this problem. This research will identify nutritional means of controlling PWD and increasing production after weaning. This will be achieved by strategic nutritio ....New Approaches to the Control of Post-Weaning Diarrhoea in Piglets. In Australia, post?weaning diarrhoea (PWD) in piglets is a major constraint to efficient and profitable production. Increasing levels of resistance to dietary antibiotics by gut pathogens such as Escherichia coli, the bacterium implicated in PWD, is a major reason for this problem. This research will identify nutritional means of controlling PWD and increasing production after weaning. This will be achieved by strategic nutritional interventions in the pre-weaning and (or) post-weaning periods targeted at reducing bacterial pathogens in the gut. A reduction in PWD will increase the overall efficiency of pig production in Australia and reduce antibiotic use.Read moreRead less
In vitro prediction tests of fertility of frozen semen of sheep and cattle. Variation in fertility after artificial insemination (AI) of frozen semen is high and leads to economic loss. Routine assessment of the quality of frozen semen relies on crude, simple tests of motility and morphology of sperm. More sophisticated sperm ultrastructural and function tests have recently been developed, but it is not known how these tests relate to fertility in the field. In this project we will test a ran ....In vitro prediction tests of fertility of frozen semen of sheep and cattle. Variation in fertility after artificial insemination (AI) of frozen semen is high and leads to economic loss. Routine assessment of the quality of frozen semen relies on crude, simple tests of motility and morphology of sperm. More sophisticated sperm ultrastructural and function tests have recently been developed, but it is not known how these tests relate to fertility in the field. In this project we will test a range of in vitro methods of assessment of motility and morphology of sperm and compare them with fertility of frozen semen samples after AI, leading to more objective methods of semen analysis.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101364
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,460.00
Summary
Securing future supplies of chicken-meat protein. This project aims to generate advanced knowledge in amino acid metabolism in poultry in order to reduce soybean inclusion in broiler diets. Chicken-meat is the dominant animal protein source in human diets in Australia. However, Australia chicken-meat industry will need to increase production by more than 40 per cent to meet population growth by 2050. Soybean meal is the major protein source in poultry diets but the sustainability of increased so ....Securing future supplies of chicken-meat protein. This project aims to generate advanced knowledge in amino acid metabolism in poultry in order to reduce soybean inclusion in broiler diets. Chicken-meat is the dominant animal protein source in human diets in Australia. However, Australia chicken-meat industry will need to increase production by more than 40 per cent to meet population growth by 2050. Soybean meal is the major protein source in poultry diets but the sustainability of increased soy production is problematic. The expected outcomes of this project will be an increase in our future capacity to produce affordable, healthy chicken-meat with humane animal welfare by novel dietary formulations. Chicken-meat production generates less greenhouse gases than its competitors but this project will contribute to the reduction of harmful environmental outputs and ensure food security for Australia.Read moreRead less
Manipulation of the growth potential and carcass composition of domestic animal species. Finding alternatives to repeated growth hormone(GH) injection to boost production efficiency and minimise carcass fatness remains an important target for animal research. This application exploits the two novel approaches to achieve this goal through: 1. the administration of the GH releasing peptides to the neonate to imprint an enhanced GH secretory pattern and feed conversion efficiency during growth ....Manipulation of the growth potential and carcass composition of domestic animal species. Finding alternatives to repeated growth hormone(GH) injection to boost production efficiency and minimise carcass fatness remains an important target for animal research. This application exploits the two novel approaches to achieve this goal through: 1. the administration of the GH releasing peptides to the neonate to imprint an enhanced GH secretory pattern and feed conversion efficiency during growth to maturity and 2. the development of an orally active form of these peptides by conjugation with VitB12 to facilitate intestinal absorption through the VitB12 transport mechanism for delivery to the hypothalamic/pituitary axis of animals nearing maturity.Read moreRead less
Targeting TGF-beta proteins to control animal reproduction. This project aims to develop a suite of novel biologics to control fertility in female mammals. This project expects to demonstrate that targeting a single class of ovarian proteins will enhance or inhibit egg production. The expected outcomes of this project are to (1) transform the breeding of livestock animals, which should provide significant benefits to the agricultural industry, through increased herd/flock sizes, and (2) provide ....Targeting TGF-beta proteins to control animal reproduction. This project aims to develop a suite of novel biologics to control fertility in female mammals. This project expects to demonstrate that targeting a single class of ovarian proteins will enhance or inhibit egg production. The expected outcomes of this project are to (1) transform the breeding of livestock animals, which should provide significant benefits to the agricultural industry, through increased herd/flock sizes, and (2) provide a non-surgical method of contraception in companion/feral species, which should address the large unmet need for fertility control in these animals.
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Sex preselection of stallion spermatozoa. This study will develop novel techniques that will maintain and optimise the fertility of sex-sorted stallion semen before and after processing through a flow cytometer. Ultimately, spermatozoa obtained from ejaculation or from the testes sperm storage site (epididymes) at the time of castration will be sorted into X- (female) or Y- (male) populations and used to inseminate mares and thus, enable horse breeders to predetermine the sex of their foal at th ....Sex preselection of stallion spermatozoa. This study will develop novel techniques that will maintain and optimise the fertility of sex-sorted stallion semen before and after processing through a flow cytometer. Ultimately, spermatozoa obtained from ejaculation or from the testes sperm storage site (epididymes) at the time of castration will be sorted into X- (female) or Y- (male) populations and used to inseminate mares and thus, enable horse breeders to predetermine the sex of their foal at the time of insemination. The introduction of sex-sorted semen into the Australian horse industry (worth some $6.2 billion) will ensure that Australia leads the world in equine reproductive technology.Read moreRead less
Marker assisted selection of honey bees. The project will develop new molecular markers for commercially relevant trait of honey bees and ways of using these to implement marker-assisted selection for honey bee genetic improvement. Beekeepers need to use genetically improved stock to remain competitive. Honey production needs to be improved, and new ways of identifying disease resistant bees are needed. Unfortunately, breeding bees is very difficult. This project will use modern molecular gen ....Marker assisted selection of honey bees. The project will develop new molecular markers for commercially relevant trait of honey bees and ways of using these to implement marker-assisted selection for honey bee genetic improvement. Beekeepers need to use genetically improved stock to remain competitive. Honey production needs to be improved, and new ways of identifying disease resistant bees are needed. Unfortunately, breeding bees is very difficult. This project will use modern molecular genetic techniques to help find new efficient ways to breed better bees. The benefits will be a more viable beekeeping sector, a keystone industry that provides pollination services essential to many horticultural industriesRead moreRead less
Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have consider ....Trade-offs underlying the evolution of female mating strategies. Multiple mating by females (polyandry) is a fundamental problem in behavioural ecology. The project will utilise an Australian species of stingless bee to quantify both the costs and the most probable benefits of polyandry. This will provide insight into the trade-offs underlying the evolution of mating strategies in this species and in general. Stingless bees are important members of many Australian ecosystems and have considerable economic potential as well. The knowledge gained during the project will also substantially aid the development and management of the commercial use of stingless bees, which will have both ecological and economic benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101832
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,941.00
Summary
Mechanisms of immune protection for infectious laryngotracheitis virus. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms of immune protection against infectious laryngotracheitis virus. This will be achieved by investigating the role of local and systemic immunity and the immune cells associated with long-term protection against disease. The mechanisms of protection against this virus remain unknown which impairs the development of efficacious vaccines. Expected outcomes of this project are a mor ....Mechanisms of immune protection for infectious laryngotracheitis virus. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms of immune protection against infectious laryngotracheitis virus. This will be achieved by investigating the role of local and systemic immunity and the immune cells associated with long-term protection against disease. The mechanisms of protection against this virus remain unknown which impairs the development of efficacious vaccines. Expected outcomes of this project are a more rational approach to vaccination resulting in the generation of more effective and safer vaccination strategies that should benefit our important poultry industry. Additionally, the new methodologies and knowledge on mucosal immune markers could be utilised for the study of other pathogens.Read moreRead less
Use of quinone adducted peptides in the regulation of fertility. This project describes a novel strategy for the non-surgical induction of sterility in male and female mammals with applications in the fields of biotechnology, veterinary medicine and the humane control of pest animal species. The approach is dependent upon the known sensitivity of the germ line to oxidative stress. The strategy rests upon the demonstration that quinone-adducted peptides will selectively bind to non-renewable cel ....Use of quinone adducted peptides in the regulation of fertility. This project describes a novel strategy for the non-surgical induction of sterility in male and female mammals with applications in the fields of biotechnology, veterinary medicine and the humane control of pest animal species. The approach is dependent upon the known sensitivity of the germ line to oxidative stress. The strategy rests upon the demonstration that quinone-adducted peptides will selectively bind to non-renewable cell types in the ovary and testis and redox cycle at the cell surface generating a highly localised state of oxidative stress. This stress will then recapitulate the impact of radiation on reproductive tissues by selectively compromising the viability of the germ line, inducing a state of sterility.Read moreRead less