Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes th ....Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes that regulate flowering and seed production in sorghum in response to changes in temperature and light interactions. These studies will help to develop novel sorghum varieties with desirable characters through plant-breeding programmes.Read moreRead less
Salinity tolerance and long-distance transport in cereals. The aim of this program is to alter shoot accumulation of solutes in cereals by exploiting novel transgenic technology to manipulate processes in specific cell types in the roots. The primary objective is the generation of cereals which have increased tolerance of saline soils. This is clearly of much agricultural significance in Australia. More general outcomes include the generation of plants with altered concentrations of a range of n ....Salinity tolerance and long-distance transport in cereals. The aim of this program is to alter shoot accumulation of solutes in cereals by exploiting novel transgenic technology to manipulate processes in specific cell types in the roots. The primary objective is the generation of cereals which have increased tolerance of saline soils. This is clearly of much agricultural significance in Australia. More general outcomes include the generation of plants with altered concentrations of a range of nutrients in both leaves and grain. This will be of wide agricultural and nutritional benefit, as well as providing an understanding of principles underlying the long-distance co-ordination of processes in plants.Read moreRead less
Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop plants: Functional analysis of high-affinity ammonium transport in plant lines altered in ammonium transport capacity. Improving nitrogen fertiliser use in crop species will benefit Australia and world agriculture by reducing nitrogen-linked environmental pollution. Nitrogen fertilisers can be leached from soils and result in the pollution of ground water, rivers, estuaries and oceans. Using model plant systems we are dissecting the genes and their encod ....Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop plants: Functional analysis of high-affinity ammonium transport in plant lines altered in ammonium transport capacity. Improving nitrogen fertiliser use in crop species will benefit Australia and world agriculture by reducing nitrogen-linked environmental pollution. Nitrogen fertilisers can be leached from soils and result in the pollution of ground water, rivers, estuaries and oceans. Using model plant systems we are dissecting the genes and their encoded proteins responsible for ammonium nitrogen uptake into plants. Identifying the in planta function of these genes will allow new breeding approaches to specifically target genes that will improve the efficiency of ammonium uptake and lessen the reliance on the supply of nitrogen fertilizers in modern agricultural crop production.Read moreRead less
Using defined biotic and abiotic stimuli to dissect patterns of gene expression and protein accumulation that specify root architecture. Root morphogenesis is fundamental to agriculture and valuable for investigating the informational networks of genes, proteins and metabolites that control root growth and plant development. Root systems vary widely both within and between species. Root morphology is directed by a basic genetic program that is influenced by environmental factors to provide an e ....Using defined biotic and abiotic stimuli to dissect patterns of gene expression and protein accumulation that specify root architecture. Root morphogenesis is fundamental to agriculture and valuable for investigating the informational networks of genes, proteins and metabolites that control root growth and plant development. Root systems vary widely both within and between species. Root morphology is directed by a basic genetic program that is influenced by environmental factors to provide an enormous "phenotypic plasticity". This project will use two model plant systems to investigate how different external signals are "translated" by the plant into different developmental regimes. This knowledge is crucial to understanding how the plasticity of root development is modulated in response to changing environmental factors.Read moreRead less
The regulation and role of dual targeted proteins in plant cells. Plant cells are the factories that provide the food we eat, the air we breath, play a critical role in a balanced environment and provide energy in a sustainable manner. The varied use of plants and plant products is underpinned by an understanding of biochemistry that takes place in plant cells. This proposal is aimed at understanding how some proteins function in more than one location in the multi-compartmentalised plant cell b ....The regulation and role of dual targeted proteins in plant cells. Plant cells are the factories that provide the food we eat, the air we breath, play a critical role in a balanced environment and provide energy in a sustainable manner. The varied use of plants and plant products is underpinned by an understanding of biochemistry that takes place in plant cells. This proposal is aimed at understanding how some proteins function in more than one location in the multi-compartmentalised plant cell biochemical factory. The knowledge that is generated from this research can be used to underpin innovative use of plants within Australia's plant based industries. Furthermore it provides a rich intellectual training environment for students and postdoctoral researchers.Read moreRead less