The origins of electroreception and nocturnality in the earliest known jawed vertebrates and their bearing on vertebrate diversification. This project aims to discover primary new data to pinpoint the timing, anatomical origins and phylogenetic significance when two key sensory systems first appeared in modern vertebrates: electroreception and specialised nocturnal vision. Such abilities today allow high diversity of vertebrates to co-exist within the same geographical range, for example on trop ....The origins of electroreception and nocturnality in the earliest known jawed vertebrates and their bearing on vertebrate diversification. This project aims to discover primary new data to pinpoint the timing, anatomical origins and phylogenetic significance when two key sensory systems first appeared in modern vertebrates: electroreception and specialised nocturnal vision. Such abilities today allow high diversity of vertebrates to co-exist within the same geographical range, for example on tropical reefs or rainforest communities, through careful temporal niche partitioning where reliance on other sensory systems takes over from vision and olfaction as the principal method of prey detection. This project aims to elucidate how the modern fish diversity was shaped by such significant early evolutionary events.Read moreRead less
Resolving evolutionary problems at the fish-tetrapod transition. The project aims to investigate very early Australian tetrapod trackways and conduct fieldwork to resolve the place of origin and timing of the evolution of the first tetrapods. The evolution of fishes to tetrapods was one of the key events in evolution. Studies on Northern Hemisphere fossils place an origin for the group around 380 million years ago. Australian fossils suggest a much older origin. New micro computed tomography dat ....Resolving evolutionary problems at the fish-tetrapod transition. The project aims to investigate very early Australian tetrapod trackways and conduct fieldwork to resolve the place of origin and timing of the evolution of the first tetrapods. The evolution of fishes to tetrapods was one of the key events in evolution. Studies on Northern Hemisphere fossils place an origin for the group around 380 million years ago. Australian fossils suggest a much older origin. New micro computed tomography data from Australian 3-D fossil fishes, combined with study of rare tetrapod gill arch bones, would enable us to determine the origins of tetrapod air-breathing and its ecological setting. The project may facilitate a rewriting of vertebrate evolution's most significant first step.Read moreRead less
Trade policy: maximising benefits for nutrition, food security, human health, and the economy. Depending on how it is done, trade can be good or bad for peoples' health and social well-being. This study will provide evidence to support the development of trade policy which combines economic as well as social and health goals. This will help improve global food security and human health, reduce poverty and support good international relations.
New models for the role of chromatin in controlling inducible gene expression. This proposal aims to test novel models of how packaging of DNA in the nucleus plays a fundamental role in gene expression. Understanding these concepts is important in the context of successful gene therapy where major hurdles need to be overcome. This work also has implications for somatic cell therapy since it is important to understand how genes are expressed in order to successfully reprogram cells. Both of these ....New models for the role of chromatin in controlling inducible gene expression. This proposal aims to test novel models of how packaging of DNA in the nucleus plays a fundamental role in gene expression. Understanding these concepts is important in the context of successful gene therapy where major hurdles need to be overcome. This work also has implications for somatic cell therapy since it is important to understand how genes are expressed in order to successfully reprogram cells. Both of these areas are important to the Biotechnology industry. Answering questions about higher order chromatin structure in gene transcription will provide cutting edge, innovative knowledge that will have international significance. Read moreRead less
HARMONIC ANALYSIS AND BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS FOR ELLIPTIC SYSTEMS. It is of the utmost necessity for Australia to develop the theoretical
expertise needed in the current era. The type of mathematics under
investigation here is closely allied to that needed in much of the
current boom in communication technology and medical research. The
training which would be provided to the research associates is
considerable, and would flow on to produce the expertise needed to
keep the coming gen ....HARMONIC ANALYSIS AND BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS FOR ELLIPTIC SYSTEMS. It is of the utmost necessity for Australia to develop the theoretical
expertise needed in the current era. The type of mathematics under
investigation here is closely allied to that needed in much of the
current boom in communication technology and medical research. The
training which would be provided to the research associates is
considerable, and would flow on to produce the expertise needed to
keep the coming generation involved in modern technological development. I will maintain my large collaborative effort with
leading mathematicians from the US, France and other countries, thus
helping to keep Australia at the forefront of a significant field of
research.Read moreRead less
HARMONIC ANALYSIS OF ELLIPTIC SYSTEMS ON RIEMANNIAN MANIFOLDS. It is of the utmost necessity for Australia to develop the theoretical expertise needed in the current era. The type of mathematics under investigation here is closely allied to that needed in much of the current boom in communication technology and medical research. The training which would be provided to the research associates is considerable, and would flow on to produce the expertise needed to keep the coming generation invol ....HARMONIC ANALYSIS OF ELLIPTIC SYSTEMS ON RIEMANNIAN MANIFOLDS. It is of the utmost necessity for Australia to develop the theoretical expertise needed in the current era. The type of mathematics under investigation here is closely allied to that needed in much of the current boom in communication technology and medical research. The training which would be provided to the research associates is considerable, and would flow on to produce the expertise needed to keep the coming generation involved in modern technological development. I will maintain my active collaborative effort with leading mathematicians from the US, France and other countries, thus helping to keep Australia at the forefront of a significant field of research.Read moreRead less
Physics of Risk: new tools to survey the Australian market and beyond. The lives of most Australians depend on the dynamics of financial markets that affects investments, savings, business, employment, growth, wealth and -ultimately- the daily functioning of our society. Understanding, monitoring and managing the dynamics of financial markets is of crucial importance to policy-makers, financial institutions and businesses that are increasingly faced with managing risk, planning strategies and ta ....Physics of Risk: new tools to survey the Australian market and beyond. The lives of most Australians depend on the dynamics of financial markets that affects investments, savings, business, employment, growth, wealth and -ultimately- the daily functioning of our society. Understanding, monitoring and managing the dynamics of financial markets is of crucial importance to policy-makers, financial institutions and businesses that are increasingly faced with managing risk, planning strategies and taking decisions in an increasingly complex market-place. The project is also of importance to the continued evolution of physics in this country contributing to the emergence of a strong new area of statistical physics concerned with the ?real world? in a manner hitherto unknown.Read moreRead less
HARMONIC ANALYSIS, BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS, AND MAXWELL'S EQUATIONS IN LIPSCHITZ DOMAINS. Boundary value problems for partial differential equations arise naturally when physical problems are expressed in mathematical terms. This project concerns the systematic development of the harmonic analysis of partial differential operators, and of the corresponding boundary integrals in order to solve such problems on irregular regions. Particular emphasis is given to studying the behaviour of electrom ....HARMONIC ANALYSIS, BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS, AND MAXWELL'S EQUATIONS IN LIPSCHITZ DOMAINS. Boundary value problems for partial differential equations arise naturally when physical problems are expressed in mathematical terms. This project concerns the systematic development of the harmonic analysis of partial differential operators, and of the corresponding boundary integrals in order to solve such problems on irregular regions. Particular emphasis is given to studying the behaviour of electromagnetic waves both inside and outside irregularly shaped surfaces, and their propagation through it.Read moreRead less
Harmonic analysis of differential operators in Banach spaces. This proposal aims to develop harmonic analysis (the mathematical tools used in digital music and photography) in new contexts. It focuses on boundary value problems (the theory behind medical or geological imaging) and stochastic equations (which describe phenomena with random components such as the behaviour of financial markets).
Epigenetic silencing in vertebrates: evolution and function from the bottom-up. The primary benefits are contribution to Australia's knowledge base and raising the profile of functional genomics in Australia, with the research priority of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and priority goals in Breakthrough Science and Frontier Technologies. This project focuses on important biological questions surrounding gene regulation and sex chromosome evolution. Inte ....Epigenetic silencing in vertebrates: evolution and function from the bottom-up. The primary benefits are contribution to Australia's knowledge base and raising the profile of functional genomics in Australia, with the research priority of Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries and priority goals in Breakthrough Science and Frontier Technologies. This project focuses on important biological questions surrounding gene regulation and sex chromosome evolution. International attention has already resulted in genome characterization of Australian icons (wallaby, Tasmanian devil and platypus), more research on these, and other Australian animals, will further highlight the importance of Australian fauna and impact positively on our scientific profile.Read moreRead less