Defining the Brassica pan-genome and establishing methods for gene conversion based crop improvement. Gene content varies between individual varieties. The project aims to apply novel genomic tools to identify and characterise the fixed and variable gene content in the important crop canola and use this to understand genome evolution as well as develop tools to accelerate canola breeding. The project team have developed and used a high-resolution genotyping approach to demonstrate that gene conv ....Defining the Brassica pan-genome and establishing methods for gene conversion based crop improvement. Gene content varies between individual varieties. The project aims to apply novel genomic tools to identify and characterise the fixed and variable gene content in the important crop canola and use this to understand genome evolution as well as develop tools to accelerate canola breeding. The project team have developed and used a high-resolution genotyping approach to demonstrate that gene conversions, short recombination events which lead to the non-reciprocal exchange of genomic regions during meiosis, are abundant in crop genomes. The project aims to develop methods and resources to characterise gene conversion in canola and establish a basis for gene conversion based crop improvement.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100668
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
New Brassica crop species through evolutionary breeding. This projects aims to investigate natural mechanisms by which plants evolve into new species through hybridisation, using Brassica species (canola, cabbages and mustards) as a model. Understanding these processes will allow us to make new, widely adapted Brassica crop species for agricultural production.
Intron splicing regulates gene silencing in Arabidopsis. Defective gene regulation (i.e. how genes switch on and off) can cause severe genetic disease in both plants and animals, including humans. This project will use plants as a model to investigate a cause of defective gene expression, and should reveal possible avenues for therapeutic intervention to correct genetic defects in plants and animals.
ARC Centre in Bioinformatics. The Australian Centre for Genome-Phenome Bioinformatics will examine how the genome comes to life in the mammalian cell during differentiation and development. We will model, visualise and experimentally validate the complex cellular systems and regulatory networks that control the transformation of genomic information into biological structure and function. We will develop novel approaches and tools to improve health, optimise agricultural production and exploit ne ....ARC Centre in Bioinformatics. The Australian Centre for Genome-Phenome Bioinformatics will examine how the genome comes to life in the mammalian cell during differentiation and development. We will model, visualise and experimentally validate the complex cellular systems and regulatory networks that control the transformation of genomic information into biological structure and function. We will develop novel approaches and tools to improve health, optimise agricultural production and exploit new cell technologies. The Centre will build critical mass and national focus in bioinformatics to generate the human capital and intellectual property that Australia needs to compete in advanced bioscience and biotechnology.Read moreRead less
Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international effo ....Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international efforts in this area, via the development of statistical methods for segmenting genomes, classification of those segments, and study of the resulting classes. In the long term, enhanced understanding of eukaryotic cells will lead to breakthroughs in biology, and to medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural and scientific advances.Read moreRead less
Mutagenesis and combinatorial algorithms for sequencing problematic genomic regions. This project will develop a remarkable and original approach to DNA sequencing with potential to radically improve the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of existing sequencing technologies. It is especially useful for dealing with difficult-to-sequence genomic regions and has implications for all sequencing projects, including completion of the Human Genome Project. The approach involves generating, and wholly o ....Mutagenesis and combinatorial algorithms for sequencing problematic genomic regions. This project will develop a remarkable and original approach to DNA sequencing with potential to radically improve the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of existing sequencing technologies. It is especially useful for dealing with difficult-to-sequence genomic regions and has implications for all sequencing projects, including completion of the Human Genome Project. The approach involves generating, and wholly or partially sequencing, mutated copies of problematic regions of the target genome. Advanced combinatorial algorithms are then used to form highly probable alignments between strings and determine the unknown sequence. The approach has additional benefits in detecting single-nucleotide polymorphisms and sequencing errors.Read moreRead less
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
Perceptual suppression mechanisms in the Drosophila brain. This project will investigate common processes underlying three means to losing conscious perception: selective attention, sleep and general anaesthesia. By studying these suppression mechanisms in a genetic model, the fly Drosophila melanogaster, fundamental processes will be highlighted that are required in the brain for maintaining perception in general.
Discovery and characterization of new classes of small regulatory RNAs in mammals. The project will reaffirm and enhance Australian leadership in the most rapidly developing area of molecular biological and genetic research, by the application of ultra high-throughput sequencing technologies to discovery of regulatory RNAs, thereby to identify the characteristics of important regulatory pathways that underpin mammalian development, brain function and species diversity. The results of this resear ....Discovery and characterization of new classes of small regulatory RNAs in mammals. The project will reaffirm and enhance Australian leadership in the most rapidly developing area of molecular biological and genetic research, by the application of ultra high-throughput sequencing technologies to discovery of regulatory RNAs, thereby to identify the characteristics of important regulatory pathways that underpin mammalian development, brain function and species diversity. The results of this research will have wide implications and applications in biotechnology, genetic engineering, animal breeding, medical science and advanced informatics.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