Spatially integrated estimates of landscape water fluxes at several contrasting sites. Woodlands transpire large amounts (> 80 % of rainfall) of water into the atmosphere and this water is lost from the catchment. Australia experiences large annual and seasonal variations in rainfall. Water and catchment managers need to estimate how much water is transpired, especially as climate and land-use practices change, as this determines how much water is available for drinking, use in mining, forestr ....Spatially integrated estimates of landscape water fluxes at several contrasting sites. Woodlands transpire large amounts (> 80 % of rainfall) of water into the atmosphere and this water is lost from the catchment. Australia experiences large annual and seasonal variations in rainfall. Water and catchment managers need to estimate how much water is transpired, especially as climate and land-use practices change, as this determines how much water is available for drinking, use in mining, forestry, irrigation, and for ecosystem health purposes. This project is the first to combine the use of scintillometry to compare spatially averaged rates of water use with development of a model to predict landscape water use. By using 4 contrasting ecosystems we shall provide a deep understanding of the controls of vegetation water use.Read moreRead less
A mathematical model relating neural activity to cerebral blood flow. An ageing population is increasingly prone to neurodegenerative disease and the associated mental impairment can severely disrupt the lives of both the sufferers and the carers. Non-invasive brain imaging techniques are used to both diagnose and supervise treatment of such disease, but at present a lack of understanding of the underlying physiology leaves these methods open to criticism. The construction of a detailed quanti ....A mathematical model relating neural activity to cerebral blood flow. An ageing population is increasingly prone to neurodegenerative disease and the associated mental impairment can severely disrupt the lives of both the sufferers and the carers. Non-invasive brain imaging techniques are used to both diagnose and supervise treatment of such disease, but at present a lack of understanding of the underlying physiology leaves these methods open to criticism. The construction of a detailed quantitative model of the basic processes underlying this imaging will enable precise interpretation of such brain scans and increase their usefulness both as a research and as a therapeutic tool.Read moreRead less
A mathematical model of calcium signalling in single cells and in multicellular systems. Calcium released from stores inside cells plays a vital signalling role in living organisms. It initiates cell division after fertilization, mediates communication and learning in the nervous system, causes contraction in the muscular walls of arteries and plays an important but as yet poorly understood role in the information processing that occurs in systems of coupled glial cells. We will construct a uni ....A mathematical model of calcium signalling in single cells and in multicellular systems. Calcium released from stores inside cells plays a vital signalling role in living organisms. It initiates cell division after fertilization, mediates communication and learning in the nervous system, causes contraction in the muscular walls of arteries and plays an important but as yet poorly understood role in the information processing that occurs in systems of coupled glial cells. We will construct a unified mathematical model of calcium signalling in multicellular systems, starting from the known processes in single cells, and use it to gain insight into the functioning and possible dysfunctioning of calcium-mediated intercellular communication.Read moreRead less
The mathematics of stochastic transport and signalling in cells. The project aims to develop new stochastic mathematical models of the dynamics of protein transport and cell signalling. The mathematics will link macro scale biological observations to micro scale molecular movements to characterise the relative role that different components and processes play. Expected outcomes are robust mathematical analyses of the transient dynamics of closed, finite capacity queueing networks and biological ....The mathematics of stochastic transport and signalling in cells. The project aims to develop new stochastic mathematical models of the dynamics of protein transport and cell signalling. The mathematics will link macro scale biological observations to micro scale molecular movements to characterise the relative role that different components and processes play. Expected outcomes are robust mathematical analyses of the transient dynamics of closed, finite capacity queueing networks and biological insight into the major control mechanisms in cellular insulin signalling. The project should provide significant benefits via the delivery of new mathematical tools and analysis for stochastic networks, impacting our understanding of metabolic transport, and providing interdisciplinary research training.Read moreRead less
New mathematics for lipids and cells: structured models for atherosclerosis. The project aims to create new mathematical theory for immune cell behaviour which leads to heart attacks and strokes. This includes formulation and analysis of new types of mathematical models for atherosclerotic plaque development, leading to the creation of new mathematical tools to investigate cell fate in plaques and to generate new hypotheses for experimental research. Expected outcomes of this project include po ....New mathematics for lipids and cells: structured models for atherosclerosis. The project aims to create new mathematical theory for immune cell behaviour which leads to heart attacks and strokes. This includes formulation and analysis of new types of mathematical models for atherosclerotic plaque development, leading to the creation of new mathematical tools to investigate cell fate in plaques and to generate new hypotheses for experimental research. Expected outcomes of this project include powerful and reliable mathematical models ready for application, and national and international collaborations with scientists and mathematicians. This should provide significant benefits including increased capacity to use mathematical models in vascular biology and training young researchers in interdisciplinary methods.Read moreRead less
Space, time and boundary conditions: Mathematics for evolving plaques. This project aims to create new mathematical theory to model the morphology of atherosclerotic plaques, which cause heart attacks and strokes, as plaques grow or regress. The project expects to devise new mathematical tools for formulating novel spatial models for cellular processes inside the plaque. These should give a new window into plaque growth and spatial structures . Expected outcomes include powerful and reliable mat ....Space, time and boundary conditions: Mathematics for evolving plaques. This project aims to create new mathematical theory to model the morphology of atherosclerotic plaques, which cause heart attacks and strokes, as plaques grow or regress. The project expects to devise new mathematical tools for formulating novel spatial models for cellular processes inside the plaque. These should give a new window into plaque growth and spatial structures . Expected outcomes include powerful and reliable mathematical models, new tools to understand plaque evolution, and national and international collaborations with scientists and mathematicians. This should provide significant benefits including increased capacity to use mathematical models in vascular biology and training young researchers in interdisciplinary methods.
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ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture. The ARC CoE for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture will discover the adaptive strategies underpinning productivity and resilience in diverse plants and deepen knowledge of the genetic and physiological networks driving key traits. Using novel quantitative and computational approaches, the Centre will link gene networks with traits across biological levels, giving breeders an unparalleled predictive capacity. The Centre wi ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture. The ARC CoE for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture will discover the adaptive strategies underpinning productivity and resilience in diverse plants and deepen knowledge of the genetic and physiological networks driving key traits. Using novel quantitative and computational approaches, the Centre will link gene networks with traits across biological levels, giving breeders an unparalleled predictive capacity. The Centre will accelerate technologies to transfer successful networks into crops and build legal frameworks to secure this knowledge. With a uniquely multidisciplinary team, the Centre will deliver new strategies to address the problems of food security and climate change, establishing Australia as a global leader in these areas.Read moreRead less