Deciphering genome function in animal development. The normal development of an embryo depends on complex and finely tuned gene regulatory mechanisms. In this Fellowship, I will use sophisticated new technologies to discover which of our 30,000 genes is important for embryonic development, reveal the roles of these genes, and identify the control mechanisms that can go awry to cause birth defects. Our research will suggest new ways to diagnose and deal with these conditions, and will be applicab ....Deciphering genome function in animal development. The normal development of an embryo depends on complex and finely tuned gene regulatory mechanisms. In this Fellowship, I will use sophisticated new technologies to discover which of our 30,000 genes is important for embryonic development, reveal the roles of these genes, and identify the control mechanisms that can go awry to cause birth defects. Our research will suggest new ways to diagnose and deal with these conditions, and will be applicable to stem cell technologies, tissue regeneration, cancer biology, conservation, pest management and livestock breeding, thus delivering significant economic and social benefits to Australia. Read moreRead less
Climate change: adaptation and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Climate change poses a wide range of challenges to Australia's agricultural sector and for the management of natural ecosystems. These challenges are recognised in the National Research Priorities 1, An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, and 4, Safeguarding Australia. The potential economic costs of climate change to vital national assets such as the Murray-Darling Basin and the Great Barrier Reef, amount to billions of do ....Climate change: adaptation and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Climate change poses a wide range of challenges to Australia's agricultural sector and for the management of natural ecosystems. These challenges are recognised in the National Research Priorities 1, An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, and 4, Safeguarding Australia. The potential economic costs of climate change to vital national assets such as the Murray-Darling Basin and the Great Barrier Reef, amount to billions of dollars per year, and ecological costs are even more significant. Uncertainty about the rate at which climate change will take place and about effects in different regions is central to the problem. This project will explore adaptive management strategies that promote resilience in the face of uncertainty.
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Science for Sustainable Management of Coral Reef Biodiversity: a multi-disciplinary approach to global-scale processes and patterns. Hughes will lead an international team to undertake a multi-disciplinary program of research that will quantify the processes underlying biodiversity patterns on coral reefs, focussing on ecological and evolutionary mechanisms of these complex systems at multiple scales in space and time. A novel modelling component will provide the mechanistic link between multi-s ....Science for Sustainable Management of Coral Reef Biodiversity: a multi-disciplinary approach to global-scale processes and patterns. Hughes will lead an international team to undertake a multi-disciplinary program of research that will quantify the processes underlying biodiversity patterns on coral reefs, focussing on ecological and evolutionary mechanisms of these complex systems at multiple scales in space and time. A novel modelling component will provide the mechanistic link between multi-scale processes and regional-scale patterns. This research will cement Australia's leading contribution to coral reef science, and will guide the management, sustainable use and conservation of coral reef biodiversity across international boundaries.Read moreRead less
Integrative behaviour: a new synthesis. The research will use a uniquely integrative behavioural approach to a) analyse swarming in locusts, and b) apply powerful new models in nutrition to address key problems in biology, agriculture and human health. Outcomes will include i) an understanding of the molecular and environmental mechanisms controlling swarming in locusts, providing new management and control strategies; ii) insights into human obesity, with health policy recommendations; iii) new ....Integrative behaviour: a new synthesis. The research will use a uniquely integrative behavioural approach to a) analyse swarming in locusts, and b) apply powerful new models in nutrition to address key problems in biology, agriculture and human health. Outcomes will include i) an understanding of the molecular and environmental mechanisms controlling swarming in locusts, providing new management and control strategies; ii) insights into human obesity, with health policy recommendations; iii) new technologies for designing nutritional regimes for animal production; iv) an understanding of the responses of insect pests to changing environments; and v) insights into the flow of nutrients across trophic levels within terrestrial ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Ecology and evolution in dynamic systems: a new approach to conserving Australian biodiversity. Australia has different ecosystems and different species than the rest of the world, and we need a different approach to conserve and manage our unique animals. This project will develop a new, specifically Australian-oriented approach to conservation biology.