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A shipload of consequences: studying the impact of Old World diseases on native South American populations via ancient DNA. This pioneering project will give the first real-time picture of the genetic changes induced by epidemics in human populations. This will reveal important new information about the likely impact of future epidemics on the genetic diversity of the immune system in modern human populations and will be of substantial use in building epidemiological models. By proposing to comb ....A shipload of consequences: studying the impact of Old World diseases on native South American populations via ancient DNA. This pioneering project will give the first real-time picture of the genetic changes induced by epidemics in human populations. This will reveal important new information about the likely impact of future epidemics on the genetic diversity of the immune system in modern human populations and will be of substantial use in building epidemiological models. By proposing to combine state-of-the-art science with global problems of humanity, we will address Australia's interests in expanding scientific expertise beyond its borders and place Australia at the leading edge of disease impact studies.Read moreRead less
Early evolutionary origins of mechanosensory transduction: structure, function and phylogenetic studies of the family of mechanosensitive channels in cell-walled organisms. The proposed project is based on the recent progress the applicants have made by (i) identifying a novel family of mechanosensitive (MS) channels in cell-walled organisms, which include Archaea and Bacteria (prokaryotes), as well as fungi and plants (eukaryotes), and (ii) determining basic aspects of the structural dynamics ....Early evolutionary origins of mechanosensory transduction: structure, function and phylogenetic studies of the family of mechanosensitive channels in cell-walled organisms. The proposed project is based on the recent progress the applicants have made by (i) identifying a novel family of mechanosensitive (MS) channels in cell-walled organisms, which include Archaea and Bacteria (prokaryotes), as well as fungi and plants (eukaryotes), and (ii) determining basic aspects of the structural dynamics of MscL, the prototype MS channel, using electronparamagnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations in combination with the patch clamp technique. The aim of the project is to elucidate the molecular principles underlying the function of MS channels, which is of fundamental importance for understanding of the biophysics and physiology of mechanosensory transduction throughout the biological world.Read moreRead less
Force from lipids: the role of the lipid bilayer in mechanosensory transduction. The proposed research will significantly contribute to a better understanding of the wide range of physiological processes underlying mechanosensory transduction in living cells. The direct benefit for Australian science consists of: (i) strengthening international links with leading overseas laboratories, and (ii) accessing the state-of-the-art expertise not available in Australia. The acquired knowledge will aid i ....Force from lipids: the role of the lipid bilayer in mechanosensory transduction. The proposed research will significantly contribute to a better understanding of the wide range of physiological processes underlying mechanosensory transduction in living cells. The direct benefit for Australian science consists of: (i) strengthening international links with leading overseas laboratories, and (ii) accessing the state-of-the-art expertise not available in Australia. The acquired knowledge will aid in developing and designing artificial tactile sensors inspired by their biological models studied in this project. Long-term, the project is expected to make an original contribution towards developing new technologies and novel medical applications, both of which promise to be of great national benefit.Read moreRead less
Conserving our native carnivores: the application of molecular genetics to the conservation management of quolls. Quolls, the largest native mammalian predators on mainland Australia, occupy a pivotal ecological niche. All species are declining and are threatened by a variety of interacting environmental processes. This program brings together seven wildlife agencies in a nationwide partnership for understanding and protecting quolls. We will provide new genetic data to test current populatio ....Conserving our native carnivores: the application of molecular genetics to the conservation management of quolls. Quolls, the largest native mammalian predators on mainland Australia, occupy a pivotal ecological niche. All species are declining and are threatened by a variety of interacting environmental processes. This program brings together seven wildlife agencies in a nationwide partnership for understanding and protecting quolls. We will provide new genetic data to test current population and conservation theories using four species of quolls as model taxa to inform us about past histories of populations and to measure parameters of importance to on-ground managers. Results of these projects will help guide management practices for both short- and long-term conservation of these species.Read moreRead less
Inbreeding and Amphibian Decline: from an Individual to a Global Perspective. Amphibian decline is not a phenomenon unique to overseas continents and countries. In the long line of research papers addressing this issue in the best science journals (e.g., Nature and Science), Australian frog decline has even been singled out for specific coverage. This project targets the interplay between habitat fragmentation, loss of genetic variation (inbreeding), and its effects on UV and pathogen resistance ....Inbreeding and Amphibian Decline: from an Individual to a Global Perspective. Amphibian decline is not a phenomenon unique to overseas continents and countries. In the long line of research papers addressing this issue in the best science journals (e.g., Nature and Science), Australian frog decline has even been singled out for specific coverage. This project targets the interplay between habitat fragmentation, loss of genetic variation (inbreeding), and its effects on UV and pathogen resistance in a laboratory model system. It integrates three disciplines (immunobiology, evolutionary genetics, and conservation biology) to resolve fundamental aspects of the drastic, ongoing disappearance of the most significant ecological indicator taxa known today (amphibians). Read moreRead less
Diversity out of a hybrid zone: the interplay of reinforcement and sexual selection in the formation of new species. How are there so many different species? Understanding how new species arise is a fundamental question because it explains current biodiversity and reveals the processes that will continue to give rise to new species in the future. An integral part of any animal species is who they choose to mate with, but how mate choice evolves to create new species remains poorly understood. He ....Diversity out of a hybrid zone: the interplay of reinforcement and sexual selection in the formation of new species. How are there so many different species? Understanding how new species arise is a fundamental question because it explains current biodiversity and reveals the processes that will continue to give rise to new species in the future. An integral part of any animal species is who they choose to mate with, but how mate choice evolves to create new species remains poorly understood. Here I will be studying the processes that affect the evolution of mate choice in an Australian rainforest frog hybrid zone. This system is uniquely suitable for providing internationally important insights into the evolutionary processes that form new species.Read moreRead less
The roles of relatedness and reproductive success in complex social systems of dolphins. Theories of the role of genetic relatedness and reproductive success in mammalian social behaviour have mostly been restricted to primates and carnivores. Coexisting alternative strategies within one population of bottlenose dolphins (Shark Bay WA) offer unprecedented opportunities for such investigations. The male alliances? complexity is unparalleled outside humans, and may require new theory. Some femal ....The roles of relatedness and reproductive success in complex social systems of dolphins. Theories of the role of genetic relatedness and reproductive success in mammalian social behaviour have mostly been restricted to primates and carnivores. Coexisting alternative strategies within one population of bottlenose dolphins (Shark Bay WA) offer unprecedented opportunities for such investigations. The male alliances? complexity is unparalleled outside humans, and may require new theory. Some female lineages show tool-use - rare outside humans, and virtually unknown in marine species. Our behavioural and genetic database has exceptional size, detail and duration for marine mammals, and is most valuable if continued while known individuals' offspring reach a stage where they can be sampled.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the mechanisms by which Scribble, Discs Large and Lethal Giant Larvae regulate epithelial polarity. Discs Large (Dlg) and Scribble are proteins that regulate cell shape by concentrating at particular regions within the cell and recruiting other proteins to that region. It is thought that the two proteins interact with each other, and with other proteins involved in protein trafficking and cell architecture, but it is not known how these events coordinate to produce a net outcome on ....Elucidating the mechanisms by which Scribble, Discs Large and Lethal Giant Larvae regulate epithelial polarity. Discs Large (Dlg) and Scribble are proteins that regulate cell shape by concentrating at particular regions within the cell and recruiting other proteins to that region. It is thought that the two proteins interact with each other, and with other proteins involved in protein trafficking and cell architecture, but it is not known how these events coordinate to produce a net outcome on cell shape. To answer these questions, the dynamic events involved in localization of Dlg, Scribble, and associated proteins will be determined, in mammalian cells and in whole organs of the vinegar fly.Read moreRead less
Zinc finger domains as scaffolds for protein engineering. While great advances have been made in pharmaceutical design and discovery, it is clear that new types of drugs are needed for the better management of a wide range of diseases (e.g. cancers, autoimmune diseases, viral infections). Many of these diseases arise from inappropriate interactions between intracellular biological macromolecules. My aim is to develop a range of novel therapeutic proteins based on naturally existing zinc-binding ....Zinc finger domains as scaffolds for protein engineering. While great advances have been made in pharmaceutical design and discovery, it is clear that new types of drugs are needed for the better management of a wide range of diseases (e.g. cancers, autoimmune diseases, viral infections). Many of these diseases arise from inappropriate interactions between intracellular biological macromolecules. My aim is to develop a range of novel therapeutic proteins based on naturally existing zinc-binding protein domains with the goal of selectively blocking these inappropriate interactions. Additionally, these engineered proteins have potential uses as biochemical tools such as to help delineate the functions of natural proteins with no known functions.Read moreRead less
Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific commun ....Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific community and will be disseminated back to the scientific community, to the humanities and to the Australian public. The project will bring to Australia the strengths of the applicant's existing collaborations with leading research centres in this field in the USA, UK and Canada.Read moreRead less