Unique plant hormone responses: the key to nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project aims to build a model of the signals that regulate root nodule formation, unique root organs formed by some plants that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is often limited in the soil and agriculture relies on nitrogen fertiliser. Sustainable sources of plant nutrients are required to ensure food security and minimise the environmental impact of intensive farming. This project will provide fundamental informati ....Unique plant hormone responses: the key to nitrogen-fixing nodules. This project aims to build a model of the signals that regulate root nodule formation, unique root organs formed by some plants that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is often limited in the soil and agriculture relies on nitrogen fertiliser. Sustainable sources of plant nutrients are required to ensure food security and minimise the environmental impact of intensive farming. This project will provide fundamental information on why some species can form nitrogen-fixing nodules by examining the role of plant hormones. This will build the knowledge base required to potentially expand this symbiosis into non-legumes, harnessing the huge advantage nodule forming species have in staple crops.Read moreRead less
Connecting soil nitrogen and plant uptake for greener agriculture. This project will use synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, root and rhizosphere biology and rhizosphere modelling to establish detailed mechanistic knowledge of the nitrogen (N) transport and uptake processes at the soil-root interface to develop new, efficient urease and nitrification inhibitors for reliable provision of N to the plant/root system. The reduction of excessive N fertilisation has significant environmental be ....Connecting soil nitrogen and plant uptake for greener agriculture. This project will use synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, root and rhizosphere biology and rhizosphere modelling to establish detailed mechanistic knowledge of the nitrogen (N) transport and uptake processes at the soil-root interface to develop new, efficient urease and nitrification inhibitors for reliable provision of N to the plant/root system. The reduction of excessive N fertilisation has significant environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. This project will lead to a breakthrough for the triple challenge of food security, environmental degradation and climate change, while improving plant productivity and increasing the profitability of agriculture through lower fertiliser costs.Read moreRead less
The key to making root nodules - new tricks for old hormones. This project aims to use and develop new chemical and microscopy-based tools to test whether the cell-type specific plant hormone changes induced by rhizobia in legumes can be triggered in non-legumes. Most crop plants rely on fossil fuel-derived nitrogen fertilisers, while legumes benefit from biologically-fixed nitrogen through a symbiosis with rhizobia bacteria that initiate nodules. It is not understood why non-legumes cannot form ....The key to making root nodules - new tricks for old hormones. This project aims to use and develop new chemical and microscopy-based tools to test whether the cell-type specific plant hormone changes induced by rhizobia in legumes can be triggered in non-legumes. Most crop plants rely on fossil fuel-derived nitrogen fertilisers, while legumes benefit from biologically-fixed nitrogen through a symbiosis with rhizobia bacteria that initiate nodules. It is not understood why non-legumes cannot form this symbiosis. This project aims to apply detailed knowledge of nodulation in model legumes to a phylogenetically diverse range of nodulating and non-nodulating plant species. This is expected to give new insight into the evolution of nodulation and advance the long held goal of extending nodulation to non-legumes.Read moreRead less
Using Arabidopsis mutants to discover the role of guard cell chloroplasts in the stomatal response to light. This project will use novel molecular approaches to study how guard cells on the surface of leaves regulate plant water loss and CO2 uptake. This will provide new molecular tools for improving plant water use in agricultural species and aid process based modelling of CO2 and water exchange needed for predicting climate change.
Proteome Analysis of Plant Response Pathways to Microbial Signals in the Model Legume, Medicago truncatula. This project will investigate plant responses to soil microbes in the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to provide fundamental information needed to design crops with improved abilities to interact beneficially with soil microbes. Plant development and performance are significantly influenced by soil microbes, but it is largely unknown how the information contained in microbial signalling ....Proteome Analysis of Plant Response Pathways to Microbial Signals in the Model Legume, Medicago truncatula. This project will investigate plant responses to soil microbes in the model legume, Medicago truncatula, to provide fundamental information needed to design crops with improved abilities to interact beneficially with soil microbes. Plant development and performance are significantly influenced by soil microbes, but it is largely unknown how the information contained in microbial signalling molecules is relayed to plants. Proteome analysis and immunocytochemistry will be combined to identify and localise differentially expressed proteins in roots treated with specific microbial signal molecules. Annotated Proteome databases will be generated to strengthen and complement an international project on M. truncatula genome analysis.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis seeks to develop and harness advances in photosynthesis research, crop bioengineering, plant phenomics and computational tools to realise increased and sustainable crop yields, opening new routes to achieving the next revolution in plant productivity. It will deliver improved yield by undertaking a continuum of fundamental and applied photosynthesis research and targeting proj ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis seeks to develop and harness advances in photosynthesis research, crop bioengineering, plant phenomics and computational tools to realise increased and sustainable crop yields, opening new routes to achieving the next revolution in plant productivity. It will deliver improved yield by undertaking a continuum of fundamental and applied photosynthesis research and targeting projects with a high probability of producing increased yield. Links with national and international institutions, consortia and breeding companies will enhance the prospects of translating genetic improvements into crops such as wheat, rice and sorghum for improved yield.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE120100044
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,000.00
Summary
New facilities for multiplex gas-exchange (MGX) measurements of plant performance during climate-controlled growth. Precise study of oxygen and carbon dioxide gas exchange can quantify the underlying factors responsible for plant growth. This dedicated facility will increase the scope and accuracy of Australian research into plant productivity thereby allowing improved understanding of factors affecting plants' adaptability to environmental change and plant competition or pathogen effects.
Environmental regulation of root architecture by a gene controlling auxin transport. This project will study the function of a gene that we found to control root branching in response to the availability of nutrients in the environment. This could lead to new strategies for breeding of crop plants with improved ability to withstand environmental change.
Temperature response and thermal acclimation of mesophyll conductance. Photosynthetic rate and efficiency depend on diffusion of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into leaf mesophyll cells. Carbon dioxide diffusion is affected by temperature, but we lack knowledge of how this varies between plant species. Stable isotope methodology will be used to characterise the temperature response of this carbon dioxide diffusion step. Plants from contrasting climates will be grown in different temperature ....Temperature response and thermal acclimation of mesophyll conductance. Photosynthetic rate and efficiency depend on diffusion of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into leaf mesophyll cells. Carbon dioxide diffusion is affected by temperature, but we lack knowledge of how this varies between plant species. Stable isotope methodology will be used to characterise the temperature response of this carbon dioxide diffusion step. Plants from contrasting climates will be grown in different temperature regimes to reveal the extent of variation in adaptation and acclimation to temperature. This will provide new insights towards modifying photosynthesis to increase crop yield and it will also improve forecasting of global atmospheric carbon dioxide fluxes derived from the analysis of atmospheric isotope data.Read moreRead less
New approaches to unravelling post-translational controls operating on the cyanobacterial carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism. Marine blue-green algae contribute to global primary productivity but their carbon dioxide acquisition processes are poorly understood. The project will employ mutagenesis and genome sequencing to discover the controls that regulate carbon dioxide uptake processes required for efficient photosynthesis and use this data to aid in engineering crop plants that use less w ....New approaches to unravelling post-translational controls operating on the cyanobacterial carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism. Marine blue-green algae contribute to global primary productivity but their carbon dioxide acquisition processes are poorly understood. The project will employ mutagenesis and genome sequencing to discover the controls that regulate carbon dioxide uptake processes required for efficient photosynthesis and use this data to aid in engineering crop plants that use less water.Read moreRead less