Nanotechnology in nature: the evolutionary significance of iridescent ultraviolet colouration in butterflies. Nanostructural colour is a novel and interesting biological phenomenon that has potential application in textile and paint industries. This research has the potential to uncover knowledge relevant to future genetic manipulation and/or artificial synthesis of this trait for industry. Fundamental benefits will include a contribution to our understanding of evolution and biological diversit ....Nanotechnology in nature: the evolutionary significance of iridescent ultraviolet colouration in butterflies. Nanostructural colour is a novel and interesting biological phenomenon that has potential application in textile and paint industries. This research has the potential to uncover knowledge relevant to future genetic manipulation and/or artificial synthesis of this trait for industry. Fundamental benefits will include a contribution to our understanding of evolution and biological diversity, enhancement of Australia's research profile, and the cultivation of new scientific expertise. This proposal also promises to benefit the Australian scientific community through the establishment of collaborative links with universities in the USA and UK, and to increase mainstream awareness of Australia's stunning natural resources.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100091
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,000.00
Summary
Traffic on DNA: interplay between RNA polymerases and DNA-bound proteins. The DNA inside the cell is not just a repository of information, but is an active player in how that information is used. Proteins bind to defined locations on the DNA to control which genes are active, and genes are expressed by RNA polymerases that track along the DNA. Collisions between RNA polymerases and DNA-bound proteins can remove the proteins or block the polymerase. How can these essential processes safely coexis ....Traffic on DNA: interplay between RNA polymerases and DNA-bound proteins. The DNA inside the cell is not just a repository of information, but is an active player in how that information is used. Proteins bind to defined locations on the DNA to control which genes are active, and genes are expressed by RNA polymerases that track along the DNA. Collisions between RNA polymerases and DNA-bound proteins can remove the proteins or block the polymerase. How can these essential processes safely coexist on the DNA? The project aims to integrate systematic experiments using well-defined genetic components and mathematical modelling to understand the 'design' features of DNA and proteins that minimise these traffic problems. A better understanding could inform new strategies for manipulation of gene expression.Read moreRead less
Investigating Hippo-regulated transcription at single molecule resolution. Signalling pathways operate throughout life to relay signals from the extracellular world to the cellular nucleus, to control transcription and elicit a response. This project aims to understand how the Hippo growth control pathway regulates transcription. Using a combination of biology, biophysics and computational biology, this project aims to quantify behaviour of the Hippo pathway transcription factors at sub-micron r ....Investigating Hippo-regulated transcription at single molecule resolution. Signalling pathways operate throughout life to relay signals from the extracellular world to the cellular nucleus, to control transcription and elicit a response. This project aims to understand how the Hippo growth control pathway regulates transcription. Using a combination of biology, biophysics and computational biology, this project aims to quantify behaviour of the Hippo pathway transcription factors at sub-micron resolution, and how Hippo signalling modulates their behaviour, interaction with the genome and function. We anticipate our discoveries will stimulate new research, e.g. testing of how other signaling pathways regulate transcription. Intended benefits are creation of jobs and new knowledge on fundamental principles of life.Read moreRead less
Road rules for traffic on DNA - gene regulation by encounters between transcribing RNA polymerases and DNA-bound proteins. This project addresses a widespread but poorly understood phenomenon in gene regulation. The work will support Australian industries by supplying new tools for manipulation of gene expression for industrial and medical applications and will provide unique opportunities for Australian students in this emerging field.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100234
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Enhancement of South Australian high-performance computing facilities. These facilities will enable the efficient use of high-performance computing and will more than double the capability provided by eResearch SA for South Australian researchers. They will support large-scale applications, running over many processors in parallel (high-performance computing) or large numbers of single processors (high-throughput computing).
Developing DNA tracking methods to identify illegally logged timber products from Africa. Illegal logging causes societal and environmental forest degradation, and is a high priority for international control. This project will produce a range of DNA methods that allow the tracing of the geographic source of origin for timber products from African tropical forests that will allow producers and consumers to better market and choose their products.
Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and dis ....Evolution, disease and extinction - using ancient and modern Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to investigate molecular evolution in the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil is Australia's largest living marsupial carnivore and one of Tasmania's key tourism icons. Extinction in the wild will have long-term impacts on Tasmanian native ecosystems and economy. This study will provide critical genetic data and tools to monitor and prioritise conservation strategies, including insurance populations and disease suppression, aimed at preventing extinction. It will strengthen ongoing conservation programs carried out by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program and will help publicise the plight of the devil both nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
The roles of relatedness and reproductive success in complex social systems of dolphins. Theories of the role of genetic relatedness and reproductive success in mammalian social behaviour have mostly been restricted to primates and carnivores. Coexisting alternative strategies within one population of bottlenose dolphins (Shark Bay WA) offer unprecedented opportunities for such investigations. The male alliances? complexity is unparalleled outside humans, and may require new theory. Some femal ....The roles of relatedness and reproductive success in complex social systems of dolphins. Theories of the role of genetic relatedness and reproductive success in mammalian social behaviour have mostly been restricted to primates and carnivores. Coexisting alternative strategies within one population of bottlenose dolphins (Shark Bay WA) offer unprecedented opportunities for such investigations. The male alliances? complexity is unparalleled outside humans, and may require new theory. Some female lineages show tool-use - rare outside humans, and virtually unknown in marine species. Our behavioural and genetic database has exceptional size, detail and duration for marine mammals, and is most valuable if continued while known individuals' offspring reach a stage where they can be sampled.Read moreRead less
Understanding how cells compact and segregate DNA in vertebrates. How a cell compacts and divides its DNA is still a major unanswered question in biology. This project will determine the way in which a cell compacts its DNA nearly ten thousand fold to allow the faithful and accurate segregation to daughter nuclei.