Toward novel approaches for the control of parasitic nematodes via genomics/phenomics. The control of economically important parasitic worms of livestock relies heavily on the use of chemical compounds (anthelmintics). Their excessive and uncontrolled use has led to serious anthelmintic resistance problems in parasites, so that many treatments are no longer effective, and also to residue problems in meat, milk and the environment. We will use 'cutting edge' technologies to provide unique insight ....Toward novel approaches for the control of parasitic nematodes via genomics/phenomics. The control of economically important parasitic worms of livestock relies heavily on the use of chemical compounds (anthelmintics). Their excessive and uncontrolled use has led to serious anthelmintic resistance problems in parasites, so that many treatments are no longer effective, and also to residue problems in meat, milk and the environment. We will use 'cutting edge' technologies to provide unique insights into the molecular processes of parasite growth and reproduction, to develop safe and sustainable intervention strategies for parasites. The project will provide a unique technology platform and a skills base in parasite genomics and will generate significant intellectual property.Read moreRead less
Elucidating a key developmental switch in Haemonchus contortus using a massively parallel picolitre reactor sequencing-coupled genomic and bioinformatic platform. The national/community benefits of this project include enhanced focus on animal and human health biotechnology through the development of safe anti-parasite compounds/vaccines; improved and sustainable control of key parasites with decreased risk of induction of drug resistance; increased profitability of agricultural animal productio ....Elucidating a key developmental switch in Haemonchus contortus using a massively parallel picolitre reactor sequencing-coupled genomic and bioinformatic platform. The national/community benefits of this project include enhanced focus on animal and human health biotechnology through the development of safe anti-parasite compounds/vaccines; improved and sustainable control of key parasites with decreased risk of induction of drug resistance; increased profitability of agricultural animal production; consolidation of a technology platform for further applications in genomics and post-genomics of pathogens of global significance and construction of a pipeline for the validation of drug targets; capturing the benefits from fundamental research and strengthening links between fundamental and applied research; and increasing the quality and quantity of scientifically skilled people in biotechnology.Read moreRead less
Discovery of early developmental events in the transition to parasitism in the hookworm Ancylostoma caninum using genomic technologies. The national/community benefits are: (1) to develop a long-term, high quality scientific and technological program contributing to national objectives, including the maintenance of a strong capability in basic research, the development of new scientific concepts and the enhancement of international collaborative links; (2) to strengthen the links between basic a ....Discovery of early developmental events in the transition to parasitism in the hookworm Ancylostoma caninum using genomic technologies. The national/community benefits are: (1) to develop a long-term, high quality scientific and technological program contributing to national objectives, including the maintenance of a strong capability in basic research, the development of new scientific concepts and the enhancement of international collaborative links; (2) to strengthen the links between basic and applied research; (3) to develop excellence in research by promoting collaborative research, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; (4) to enhance the skills-base in biology and biotechnology; (5) to substantially increase global visibility through quality research, leading to an increased investment in Australian science.Read moreRead less
Targeted mining for new drugs against parasitic nematodes of animals - a synergy of integrated, frontier technologies and a committed partnership with industry. This project will: develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, re ....Targeted mining for new drugs against parasitic nematodes of animals - a synergy of integrated, frontier technologies and a committed partnership with industry. This project will: develop a quality scientific and technological program in national priority areas, leading to a strong basic research, new concepts and the enhanced international collaborative links; strengthen links between basic and applied research, and academia and industry; develop excellence via pan-Australian collaborations, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; enhance the skills-base in biology, biotechnology and bioinformatics; increase global visibility with increased investment in Australian science; improved animal welfare and production via better control of infectious diseases; commercial products with benefits to agricultural producers in regional and rural communities.Read moreRead less
The Role of High-Frequency Antigenic Variation in The Pathogenesis of Mycoplasma infection. The main goal of the proposed project is to understand the molecular mechanisms of phase/antigenic variation and its effects on mycoplasma pathogenesis. In this context I will use the well-characterised Mycoplasma synoviae haemagglutinin, MSPA, to establish the role of its phase-variable expression in the type and extent of M. synoviae disease. Additionally, the relationship between MSPA phase variation a ....The Role of High-Frequency Antigenic Variation in The Pathogenesis of Mycoplasma infection. The main goal of the proposed project is to understand the molecular mechanisms of phase/antigenic variation and its effects on mycoplasma pathogenesis. In this context I will use the well-characterised Mycoplasma synoviae haemagglutinin, MSPA, to establish the role of its phase-variable expression in the type and extent of M. synoviae disease. Additionally, the relationship between MSPA phase variation and gene rearrangements in the MSPB-encoding gene will be elucidated. The results will contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis of bacterial disease and of the evolution of pathogenic mechanisms in bacterial pathogens.Read moreRead less
Alternative Splicing in the Mouse Transcriptome. Although the human genome completion is cause for excitement we do not have any firm indication of precisely how many protein-coding genes exist in a mammalian genome. We have even less indication of the extent to which these genes generate alternative gene products, through a process termed alternative splicing. The detection and sequencing of these full-length alternative gene products is the focus of this application. This application details t ....Alternative Splicing in the Mouse Transcriptome. Although the human genome completion is cause for excitement we do not have any firm indication of precisely how many protein-coding genes exist in a mammalian genome. We have even less indication of the extent to which these genes generate alternative gene products, through a process termed alternative splicing. The detection and sequencing of these full-length alternative gene products is the focus of this application. This application details the opportunity to participate in the identification of the full transcriptome of the mouse and is part of a collaborative effort with The RIKEN Genome Sciences Center in Japan.Read moreRead less
Statistical methods and tools for integrative microarray analysis. Tools used for biological and medical research have been evolving and there has been an increase in high-throughput technologies such as genome sequencing and DNA microarray. The growing number of entries and the increasing availability of public microarray repositories and other sequence databases have generated the new challenge of developing tools to efficiently integrate data by different research groups. This research provi ....Statistical methods and tools for integrative microarray analysis. Tools used for biological and medical research have been evolving and there has been an increase in high-throughput technologies such as genome sequencing and DNA microarray. The growing number of entries and the increasing availability of public microarray repositories and other sequence databases have generated the new challenge of developing tools to efficiently integrate data by different research groups. This research provides new statistical methods to integrate different data sets. Its application in the biomedical field will allow researchers to effectively interpret the myriad of data generated within the community.Read moreRead less
Classification of Microarray Gene-Expression Data. The broad aim is to provide statistical methodology for the classification of microarray gene-expression data. Microarrays are part of a new biotechnology that allows the monitoring of expression levels for thousands of genes simultaneously. The explosion in microarrays has produced massive quantities of data that require new statistical techniques for analysis in order to exploit their enormous scientific potential. One of the main uses of ....Classification of Microarray Gene-Expression Data. The broad aim is to provide statistical methodology for the classification of microarray gene-expression data. Microarrays are part of a new biotechnology that allows the monitoring of expression levels for thousands of genes simultaneously. The explosion in microarrays has produced massive quantities of data that require new statistical techniques for analysis in order to exploit their enormous scientific potential. One of the main uses of the methodology to be developed is to expedite the discovery of new subclasses of diseases. Another is to provide prediction rules for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.Read moreRead less
The transcriptional co-repressor C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP) in metabolic control. This project will provide insights into the genes that regulate the storage of fat. We will learn about basic biology but will also discover mechanisms that may be used to influence fat storage in human health. We will also consolidate Australia's expertise in the use of the genetic model organism, the worm C. elegans, and validate the findings in mammalian systems. Finally, the process of training young sci ....The transcriptional co-repressor C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP) in metabolic control. This project will provide insights into the genes that regulate the storage of fat. We will learn about basic biology but will also discover mechanisms that may be used to influence fat storage in human health. We will also consolidate Australia's expertise in the use of the genetic model organism, the worm C. elegans, and validate the findings in mammalian systems. Finally, the process of training young scientists in these modern systems, will also equip future researchers to make additional contributions to Australia's research output.Read moreRead less
RNA splicing: factors and mechanisms. Most primary gene transcripts must have their noncoding intronic sequences spliced out before the mRNA can be translated. Moreover, alternative splicing enables cells to generate a far more proteins than there are genes in the nucleus. Based on our proven success with ZNF265 we will isolate novel RNA interactors and their partners, colocalize these in intranuclear compartments, and elucidate their effect on pre-mRNA splicing. This will provide timely spin-of ....RNA splicing: factors and mechanisms. Most primary gene transcripts must have their noncoding intronic sequences spliced out before the mRNA can be translated. Moreover, alternative splicing enables cells to generate a far more proteins than there are genes in the nucleus. Based on our proven success with ZNF265 we will isolate novel RNA interactors and their partners, colocalize these in intranuclear compartments, and elucidate their effect on pre-mRNA splicing. This will provide timely spin-offs to the Human genome Project and EST sequence information, where the finding of only approx. 30,000 genes in our genome highlights the important role of alternative splicing in generating the large proteome repertoire of cells. This will bring considerable benefits to science, society, and the biotech industry.Read moreRead less