Novel computational tools for the analysis of sympathetic nervous system activity. This project will investigate electrical signals from the heart, resulting in novel tools for the assessment of sympathetic nervous system activity. The findings will contribute to advancing Australia's international leading position in health technology and improve community health.
Common synaptic inputs to human upper airway muscles. Changes in the activity of upper airway muscles at sleep onset contribute to the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. The aim of this project is to investigate how the brain controls upper airway muscles during wakefulness and sleep and to identify the pathological processes that lead to the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
Potential of gene drives to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii. This project aims to test the efficacy and evolutionary stability of different types of gene drives, and model whether gene drives can be used to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii into Australia. It is now possible to use genome editing technology to alter populations of organisms using ‘gene drives’. Multiple strategies have been conceived with a major distinction between those that aim to eliminate populations ver ....Potential of gene drives to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii. This project aims to test the efficacy and evolutionary stability of different types of gene drives, and model whether gene drives can be used to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii into Australia. It is now possible to use genome editing technology to alter populations of organisms using ‘gene drives’. Multiple strategies have been conceived with a major distinction between those that aim to eliminate populations versus those that aim to modify populations. This project will examine these strategies in two fly species, the model, Drosophila melanogaster and the devastating pest of horticulture, Drosophila suzukii. The project expects to assess a gene drive strategy to control the invasive pest that threatens the Australian soft-skinned fruit industries.Read moreRead less
Cell wall structure and dynamics in emerging fungal pathogens of crops. The project aims to understand the role of fungal cell wall biosynthetic enzymes in cell wall stability. The fungal cell wall is a dynamic structure whose composition constantly changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and at different developmental stages. The devastating fungal crop pathogen Fusarium graminearum is responsible for the head blight disease in cereals. The project aims to understand the molecular ev ....Cell wall structure and dynamics in emerging fungal pathogens of crops. The project aims to understand the role of fungal cell wall biosynthetic enzymes in cell wall stability. The fungal cell wall is a dynamic structure whose composition constantly changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and at different developmental stages. The devastating fungal crop pathogen Fusarium graminearum is responsible for the head blight disease in cereals. The project aims to understand the molecular events that govern metabolism and dynamics of the cell wall of F. graminearum. The project also plans to characterise the molecular interactions involved in plant defence against fungal pathogens and fungal responses to plant immune factors called defensins. Expected long-term outcomes include the development of novel strategies for disease control and crop protection.Read moreRead less
Identification of Biological pathways regulated by circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a, recently discovered molecule. circRNAs are highly abundant and expressed in a tissue and disease specific manner. Yet, currently the understanding of how circRNAs regulate biological processes is very poor. This project aims to use pooled shRNA libraries to screen a large panel of cell lines and systematically identify cellular activities that are regulated by circRNAs. The expected outcome of this ....Identification of Biological pathways regulated by circular RNAs. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a, recently discovered molecule. circRNAs are highly abundant and expressed in a tissue and disease specific manner. Yet, currently the understanding of how circRNAs regulate biological processes is very poor. This project aims to use pooled shRNA libraries to screen a large panel of cell lines and systematically identify cellular activities that are regulated by circRNAs. The expected outcome of this study will be a catalogue of functionally active circRNAs. Over the past decades, the wealth of knowledge on the function of linear mRNAs has had a significant impact on medicine and agriculture. Similarly understanding how circRNAs regulate cellular activities may have an analogous impact on humans.Read moreRead less
Re-purposing shelved 'antibiotics' in the search for new herbicides. This project aims to identify target-specific herbicidal compounds that inhibit amino acid biosynthesis pathways to tackle herbicide resistance. This project expects to validate a novel herbicide discovery strategy by exploiting the similarity between bacterial and plant enzymes in these pathways to re-purpose failed 'antibiotics'. Expected outcomes include advances in our knowledge of the structure, function and inhibition of ....Re-purposing shelved 'antibiotics' in the search for new herbicides. This project aims to identify target-specific herbicidal compounds that inhibit amino acid biosynthesis pathways to tackle herbicide resistance. This project expects to validate a novel herbicide discovery strategy by exploiting the similarity between bacterial and plant enzymes in these pathways to re-purpose failed 'antibiotics'. Expected outcomes include advances in our knowledge of the structure, function and inhibition of novel herbicide targets, and the identification of compounds with herbicidal activity. This should lay the foundations for long-term benefits related to improving the quantity and quality of Australia’s crops to ensure our food security.Read moreRead less
The genetic regulation of organogenesis: endoderm development in the Drosophila embryo. Embryonic development is an important research field in biology, not only for its extraordinary complexity but also because of the insights it provides into molecular processes that underpin a variety of diseases. This project aims to discover genes and molecules that regulate the normal development of one of the most important organs, the gut.
Building bio-inspired smart nanochannels for virus detection. This project aims to harness high-precision silicon nanofabrication methods to create the next generation of bio-inspired viral biosensors. The new technology would enable prompt, cost-efficient, and accurate detection of virus contamination of our water and food supplies. The project plans to fabricate arrays of parallel double-layered nanochannels in silicon via templated etching, with surface functionalisation to display receptors. ....Building bio-inspired smart nanochannels for virus detection. This project aims to harness high-precision silicon nanofabrication methods to create the next generation of bio-inspired viral biosensors. The new technology would enable prompt, cost-efficient, and accurate detection of virus contamination of our water and food supplies. The project plans to fabricate arrays of parallel double-layered nanochannels in silicon via templated etching, with surface functionalisation to display receptors. These nanochannels are designed to act as size-selective filters for electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence sensing. The project plans to explore innovative signal amplification and multiplexing capabilities for ultrasensitive detection of norovirus and bacteriophages.Read moreRead less
Investigating social, built and physical environment factors for remote Indigenous communities, and their relationships with cardiometabolic outcomes. This study with 74 remote Indigenous communities will be the first to evaluate features of their social, built and physical environments in relation to cardiometabolic risks and diseases. Policy-relevant results will identify features of environments to be targeted to assist reducing chronic diseases for Indigenous peoples in remote communities.