Dissecting the Indigo Pathway in Natural Indigo Producing Plants: Intricate Pathway Engineering for the Generation of Blue-Fibre Cotton. Australian cotton growers must maintain a sustained competitive advantage in the future to compete within the global cotton market by commanding higher margins for specialty cotton lint over and above current revenues. Development, via biotechnology, of naturally-colored, 'blue' lint cottons is the technical goal, where novel environmentally-benign textile prod ....Dissecting the Indigo Pathway in Natural Indigo Producing Plants: Intricate Pathway Engineering for the Generation of Blue-Fibre Cotton. Australian cotton growers must maintain a sustained competitive advantage in the future to compete within the global cotton market by commanding higher margins for specialty cotton lint over and above current revenues. Development, via biotechnology, of naturally-colored, 'blue' lint cottons is the technical goal, where novel environmentally-benign textile products could be produced without the use of toxic synthetic dyes or caustic dyeing processes. Success will provide a unique opportunity to re-establish an Australian cotton/textile industry by allowing direct participation in the development, branding and marketing of novel Australian textile products, generating potential revenue upwards of $10B/year. Read moreRead less
Molecular basis of the antimicrobial activity of the floral defensin, NaD1, for the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Filamentous fungi are responsible for many major plant diseases that result in devastating crop losses and food spoilage world wide. Currently there are no resistant cultivars or adequate chemical controls for many of these diseases. The plant defensin, NaD1, stops the growth of many pathogens, including the recalcitrant fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea, and has bee ....Molecular basis of the antimicrobial activity of the floral defensin, NaD1, for the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Filamentous fungi are responsible for many major plant diseases that result in devastating crop losses and food spoilage world wide. Currently there are no resistant cultivars or adequate chemical controls for many of these diseases. The plant defensin, NaD1, stops the growth of many pathogens, including the recalcitrant fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea, and has been shown to protect transgenic cotton against fungal infection in glasshouse and field trials. NaD1 has potential application for durable, broad spectrum fungal disease control in crops. This will lead to both environmental and economic benefits to Australia. Read moreRead less