Sequencing and assembling microbial community metagenomes in real-time. This project aims to assemble metagenomes directly from environmental samples using nanopore sequencing. Short-read approaches to metagenomics cannot assemble mixed genomes from an environmental sample, so focus on describing which species and genes are present. Long-read nanopore sequencing enables the assembly of full genomes of multiple species in a sample. Assembling complete genomes in important resources such as water ....Sequencing and assembling microbial community metagenomes in real-time. This project aims to assemble metagenomes directly from environmental samples using nanopore sequencing. Short-read approaches to metagenomics cannot assemble mixed genomes from an environmental sample, so focus on describing which species and genes are present. Long-read nanopore sequencing enables the assembly of full genomes of multiple species in a sample. Assembling complete genomes in important resources such as water and soil should lead to deeper understanding of the dynamics, variation and transfer of genetic material within these resources’ microbial communities, strategies to manage microbial diversity, and improved productivity and long-term sustainability for these resources.Read moreRead less
National Macadamia Conservation Program. Macadamia is a national icon, and the only indigenous Australian plant food crop to be commercialised. However, it is vulnerable to extinction in the wild, needing conservation action. University, government, industry and community sectors will work together applying cutting edge research methodologies to produce a systematic conservation and recovery plan for Macadamia. This requires: Habitat modelling to predict past, contemporary and potential distribu ....National Macadamia Conservation Program. Macadamia is a national icon, and the only indigenous Australian plant food crop to be commercialised. However, it is vulnerable to extinction in the wild, needing conservation action. University, government, industry and community sectors will work together applying cutting edge research methodologies to produce a systematic conservation and recovery plan for Macadamia. This requires: Habitat modelling to predict past, contemporary and potential distributions for advising resource discovery and rehabilitation; Genetic variation modelling to assess quality and distinctness of native genetic resources and potential for rehabilitation by natural colonisation; and Developing a unifying statistical framework to support this work.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0452392
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$155,645.00
Summary
Australian Robotic Biobank Facility. The Australian Robotic Biobank Facility is envisaged as the national DNA extraction centre for generating archival-quality DNA. It will integrate with the existing Australian Plant DNA Bank to accelerate scientific discovery in biodiversity conservation and plant genetic improvement. The facility will augment Southern Cross University's extensive research collaborations with other Australian universities, institutions and agencies. It will provide the funda ....Australian Robotic Biobank Facility. The Australian Robotic Biobank Facility is envisaged as the national DNA extraction centre for generating archival-quality DNA. It will integrate with the existing Australian Plant DNA Bank to accelerate scientific discovery in biodiversity conservation and plant genetic improvement. The facility will augment Southern Cross University's extensive research collaborations with other Australian universities, institutions and agencies. It will provide the fundamental infrastructure to support research aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation management of Australia's genetic resources. The unique capacity to provide high quality archived DNA will be made possible by the precision instrumentation platform of the Australian Robotic Biobank Facility.Read moreRead less
Conservation genetics of humpback whales off Western Australia: Implications for the management of the Antarctic Group IV population. We will define the geographic structuring and gene flow of humpback whales comprising Antarctic Area Group IV, and which migrate off the coast of Western Australian. With this information we will develop guidelines for commonwealth, state, industry, and non-government organisations, for conserving and managing discrete (genetic) populations of humpback whales off ....Conservation genetics of humpback whales off Western Australia: Implications for the management of the Antarctic Group IV population. We will define the geographic structuring and gene flow of humpback whales comprising Antarctic Area Group IV, and which migrate off the coast of Western Australian. With this information we will develop guidelines for commonwealth, state, industry, and non-government organisations, for conserving and managing discrete (genetic) populations of humpback whales off Western Australia. We can then manage these cetaceans at the appropriate geographic scale, and assign conservation priority in relation to population genetic structure gained from this study.Read moreRead less
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.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100443
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Landscape genomics to make an endangered community resilient. This project aims to use landscape genomic techniques to assess how key species of the critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland community migrate and adapt under changing environmental conditions. Changing climate and land use threaten ecological communities, and alter environments at alarming rates. When species are pushed beyond their environmental tolerances, they will migrate, adapt or face local extinction. This alteration o ....Landscape genomics to make an endangered community resilient. This project aims to use landscape genomic techniques to assess how key species of the critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland community migrate and adapt under changing environmental conditions. Changing climate and land use threaten ecological communities, and alter environments at alarming rates. When species are pushed beyond their environmental tolerances, they will migrate, adapt or face local extinction. This alteration of the community structure affects the stability and function of the ecosystem. Expected outcomes include efficient use of limited conservation resources, ensuring the long term persistence of the endangered community.Read moreRead less
Fire, bees and other disturbances: the basis for variation in genetic diversity in long-lived plants. An understanding of processes generating temporal and spatial patterns of genetic diversity in perennial plants must underpin successful conservation. Our long-term study will exploit systems in the family Proteaceae in which we have completed foundation studies. We will develop and extend molecular techniques to measure (i) genetic changes from seed to adult, (ii) gene flow by different pollina ....Fire, bees and other disturbances: the basis for variation in genetic diversity in long-lived plants. An understanding of processes generating temporal and spatial patterns of genetic diversity in perennial plants must underpin successful conservation. Our long-term study will exploit systems in the family Proteaceae in which we have completed foundation studies. We will develop and extend molecular techniques to measure (i) genetic changes from seed to adult, (ii) gene flow by different pollinator classes, and (iii) genetic contamination by foreign gene pools, in systems affected by introduced pollinators and natural and cultivar hybridization. Most importantly, we will use fire as an accelerant of generational change and test fitness consequences of changes in genotypic diversity.Read moreRead less