Turning water into carbon: a synthesis of plant water-use efficiency from leaf to globe. The efficiency with which plants use water to gain carbon is a fundamental aspect of plant growth that has been frequently measured but is poorly understood. Using our new theory to draw together major datasets, the project will make a dramatic advance in our ability to understand and predict this key aspect of ecosystem function.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561161
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,000.00
Summary
Joint Facility for Genome Analysis of Nutrient Transport Proteins. The joint facility for genome analysis of nutrient transport proteins is a new initiative between the University of Adelaide, the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, and the University of Western Australia to use a high throughput Xenopus oocyte expression system to screen plant cDNA/cRNA collections for genes encoding nutrient transport proteins. The facility will also provide a platform to rapidly accelerate our p ....Joint Facility for Genome Analysis of Nutrient Transport Proteins. The joint facility for genome analysis of nutrient transport proteins is a new initiative between the University of Adelaide, the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, and the University of Western Australia to use a high throughput Xenopus oocyte expression system to screen plant cDNA/cRNA collections for genes encoding nutrient transport proteins. The facility will also provide a platform to rapidly accelerate our present capacity for Xenopus oocyte expression analysis of nutrient transport proteins. This facility will greatly aid our current research quantum in this field and allow for new discoveries related to nutrient transport in plants.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100073
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,000.00
Summary
High-throughput sample preparation robotics to enable emerging large-scale plant genomics, metabolomics and proteomics research. Discovering and breeding plants that are best suited for new environmental conditions requires the analysis of many samples to discover the underlying genes, metabolites and proteins. The project will build two robotic instruments that will facilitate the rapid grinding and extraction of plant tissues to facilitate these discoveries across Australia.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101143
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
An electrophysiological insight into the role of chloroplasts in stomatal drought signalling. Drought implies a range of stresses with which plants have to cope. Drought is not only a domestic issue for Australian people who live in this dry continent but also significantly affects global food supply and drives climate change. Stomata guard cells exert major controls on global water and carbon cycles. Although the total stomatal pore area may be five per cent of a leaf surface, transpirational w ....An electrophysiological insight into the role of chloroplasts in stomatal drought signalling. Drought implies a range of stresses with which plants have to cope. Drought is not only a domestic issue for Australian people who live in this dry continent but also significantly affects global food supply and drives climate change. Stomata guard cells exert major controls on global water and carbon cycles. Although the total stomatal pore area may be five per cent of a leaf surface, transpirational water loss through the stomata contributes to 70 per cent of total agricultural water usage. As an environmental signal, drought regulates stomatal movements. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms of drought induced molecular retrograde signals and their regulation over stomata. The outcomes will aid the development of strategies for reducing water loss from crops.Read moreRead less
Tree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Recent evidence suggests that tree-mediated fluxes may be a significant, but overlooked source of methane to the atmosphere. This project aims to quantify the magnitude and drivers of tree-mediated methane fluxes from Australia’s dominant forest types. Innovatively, we will be using a novel combination of empirical field based measurements, gas tracer experiments, microbial ana ....Tree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Recent evidence suggests that tree-mediated fluxes may be a significant, but overlooked source of methane to the atmosphere. This project aims to quantify the magnitude and drivers of tree-mediated methane fluxes from Australia’s dominant forest types. Innovatively, we will be using a novel combination of empirical field based measurements, gas tracer experiments, microbial analysis and modelling methods. Expected outcomes are a mechanistic understanding of tree-mediated methane fluxes, helping to constrain regional, national and global methane budgets. The results of this study will help inform publicly funded greenhouse gas abatement strategies, ensuring a maximal return on investment.Read moreRead less
The role of the ammonium transport bHLHm1/AMF1 regulatory loci in plants. This project aims to investigate the role of a regulatory locus in the regulation of ammonium transport in plants and the interacting genetic and biochemical signalling promoting the interaction. Ammonium is an important nutrient source for plant growth and development. It has been recently identified that a new transport mechanism (AMF1 ) mediates ammonium transport across legume root nodule cellular membranes. AMF1 was i ....The role of the ammonium transport bHLHm1/AMF1 regulatory loci in plants. This project aims to investigate the role of a regulatory locus in the regulation of ammonium transport in plants and the interacting genetic and biochemical signalling promoting the interaction. Ammonium is an important nutrient source for plant growth and development. It has been recently identified that a new transport mechanism (AMF1 ) mediates ammonium transport across legume root nodule cellular membranes. AMF1 was identified through a transcriptional interaction with a membrane localised bHLHm1 transcription factor. Both bHLHm1 and AMF1 belong to a unique chromosomal regulatory locus common across sequenced dicot plant species.Read moreRead less
Comparative eco-physiology of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands in Central Australia: hydrological niche separation and ecosystem resilience. This proposal addresses two fundamental questions: how do co-occurring species co-exist and why do Australian ecosystems have larger ecosystem water-use-efficiencies than those in the USA? This proposal will: determine the resilience of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands; compare variation in hydraulic-related plant traits across co-existing species; an ....Comparative eco-physiology of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands in Central Australia: hydrological niche separation and ecosystem resilience. This proposal addresses two fundamental questions: how do co-occurring species co-exist and why do Australian ecosystems have larger ecosystem water-use-efficiencies than those in the USA? This proposal will: determine the resilience of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands; compare variation in hydraulic-related plant traits across co-existing species; and, determine the relative contribution of changes in assimilation and stomatal conductance to variation (across species and time) in water-use-efficiency. Outcomes of this work include a mechanistic understanding of the behaviour of water-limited woodlands in current and future climates. This is significant because such biomes are globally important and are home to two billion people. Read moreRead less
Impacts of groundwater extraction on ecophysiology of Australian trees. The aim of this project is to determine the response of trees to the extraction of shallow groundwater. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems rely on a supply of groundwater to maintain ecosystem health, structure and function, and excessive depletion of groundwater resources has a negative impact on these ecosystems. The project intends to combine a field-scale experimental depletion of groundwater resources simultaneously with ....Impacts of groundwater extraction on ecophysiology of Australian trees. The aim of this project is to determine the response of trees to the extraction of shallow groundwater. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems rely on a supply of groundwater to maintain ecosystem health, structure and function, and excessive depletion of groundwater resources has a negative impact on these ecosystems. The project intends to combine a field-scale experimental depletion of groundwater resources simultaneously with alterations in rainfall input and measurements of tree responses. The results of the project are intended to inform industry regulators and the water supply industry on how to improve management of both groundwater and vegetation resources.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC170100008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,459,672.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production. The ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production aims to tackle challenges to wine production through innovative, multi-disciplinary research. Australia’s grape and wine industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, yet in some areas profitability is low. Reasons include extreme weather events, soil salinity and diseases, inefficient practices, a low level of technological innovation and high input costs. New technologies and process effic ....ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production. The ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production aims to tackle challenges to wine production through innovative, multi-disciplinary research. Australia’s grape and wine industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, yet in some areas profitability is low. Reasons include extreme weather events, soil salinity and diseases, inefficient practices, a low level of technological innovation and high input costs. New technologies and process efficiencies developed as part of this project will reduce environmental impact, drive production costs down and profits and employment up. The project will mount a suite of industry-led projects to deliver outcomes to boost Australia’s competitiveness as a supplier of sustainably-produced premium branded wine to the world.Read moreRead less
Exploiting natural variation to discover tools to increase crop plant yield. This project aims to identify the specific biochemical and underlying molecular modifications that contributed to the evolution of the C4 pathway by studying C3, C4 and C3-C4 intermediate Flaveria species. Most land plants use C3 or C4 photosynthesis to assimilate CO2. Plants using the C4 pathway evolved from C3 ancestors in multiple plant lineages, and show higher rates of photosynthesis and conversion of solar radiati ....Exploiting natural variation to discover tools to increase crop plant yield. This project aims to identify the specific biochemical and underlying molecular modifications that contributed to the evolution of the C4 pathway by studying C3, C4 and C3-C4 intermediate Flaveria species. Most land plants use C3 or C4 photosynthesis to assimilate CO2. Plants using the C4 pathway evolved from C3 ancestors in multiple plant lineages, and show higher rates of photosynthesis and conversion of solar radiation to biomass in arid, high-light and saline environments, which are expanding due to global climate change. The outcomes of this project could define what is required to engineer plant varieties with increased yield and the ability to withstand effects of climate shift, and contribute to our understanding of convergent evolutionary processes.Read moreRead less