Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100946
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,561.00
Summary
410 million years of stomatal evolution: key innovations in the transition from passive valves to active pores. Central to the supremacy of seed plants was the evolution of active, metabolic control of the stomata; the pores that regulate both plant productivity and water loss. However, little is known about the transition from passive control of stomata in seedless plants to active stomatal control in seed plants. This project will identify the key physiological and genetic innovations that und ....410 million years of stomatal evolution: key innovations in the transition from passive valves to active pores. Central to the supremacy of seed plants was the evolution of active, metabolic control of the stomata; the pores that regulate both plant productivity and water loss. However, little is known about the transition from passive control of stomata in seedless plants to active stomatal control in seed plants. This project will identify the key physiological and genetic innovations that underpinned the evolution of stomatal control over the past 410 million years. Understanding these evolutionary innovations will offer important insights into stomatal function in seed plants, as well as informing models of global productivity and water use through time, with benefits for Australian agriculture and natural resource management.Read moreRead less
How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms. This project aims to identify novel and conserved mechanisms that drive the opening of stomata – plant pores that enable CO2 acquisition for photosynthesis. Stomatal movements strongly affect plant productivity and water use efficiency and have profoundly influenced the earth’s climate and terrestrial ecology. This project will address critical gaps in our understanding of how plants open stomata in response to their env ....How plants open up: revealing the evolution of stomatal opening mechanisms. This project aims to identify novel and conserved mechanisms that drive the opening of stomata – plant pores that enable CO2 acquisition for photosynthesis. Stomatal movements strongly affect plant productivity and water use efficiency and have profoundly influenced the earth’s climate and terrestrial ecology. This project will address critical gaps in our understanding of how plants open stomata in response to their environment and the evolutionary history of the genes controlling this fundamental process. A major expected outcome is knowledge of the diversity of stomatal opening pathways, which should ultimately lead to improved predictions of plant responses to environmental change and assist future targeted modification of plant growth.Read moreRead less
Regulation of photosynthesis by phosphorus in Australia’s C3 and C4 tropical grasses. Tropical grasses with distinctly different photosynthetic biochemistry (C3 and C4) dominate Australia's vast tropical grasslands. The soils of this ancient landscape are chronically low in the mineral nutrient phosphorus that plays a crucial role in regulating photosynthesis. The project will use an integrated experimental approach and novel techniques such as metabolomics to unravel and define the intricate ....Regulation of photosynthesis by phosphorus in Australia’s C3 and C4 tropical grasses. Tropical grasses with distinctly different photosynthetic biochemistry (C3 and C4) dominate Australia's vast tropical grasslands. The soils of this ancient landscape are chronically low in the mineral nutrient phosphorus that plays a crucial role in regulating photosynthesis. The project will use an integrated experimental approach and novel techniques such as metabolomics to unravel and define the intricate mechanisms by which phosphorus regulates the complex photosynthetic biochemistry of C4 grasses. The new scientific knowledge generated by the project will be used for pasture management models to ensure that successful strategies are implemented to reduce soil loss from our fragile grasslands.Read moreRead less
A novel signalling pathway in plant cells: the phospholipase-microtubule link. Plant development is closely linked to a dynamic network of microtubules and associated proteins. The network responds to a variety of hormonal and environmental signals, although the details of the signalling mechanism are unclear. Recently we made an outstanding discovery - a unique phospholipase D, a key signal-transducing enzyme that links the plasma membrane to the microtubule network. This project aims to def ....A novel signalling pathway in plant cells: the phospholipase-microtubule link. Plant development is closely linked to a dynamic network of microtubules and associated proteins. The network responds to a variety of hormonal and environmental signals, although the details of the signalling mechanism are unclear. Recently we made an outstanding discovery - a unique phospholipase D, a key signal-transducing enzyme that links the plasma membrane to the microtubule network. This project aims to define the molecular details of this novel signal-transduction pathway and establish how external signals modulate developmental events or initiate protective responses such as resistance to drought or pathogen attack.Read moreRead less
Root aquaporins as sensors and regulators of plant water transport. The knowledge we will gain will benefit Australia by allowing better management of plant water use. Because such large quantities of water move through aquaporins in membranes, our understanding of the pores could enable us to manipulate plants to conserve or use water depending on predicted climatic conditions. Molecular aspects of the project will reveal potential novel ways of controlling root water uptake by shoot and root m ....Root aquaporins as sensors and regulators of plant water transport. The knowledge we will gain will benefit Australia by allowing better management of plant water use. Because such large quantities of water move through aquaporins in membranes, our understanding of the pores could enable us to manipulate plants to conserve or use water depending on predicted climatic conditions. Molecular aspects of the project will reveal potential novel ways of controlling root water uptake by shoot and root manipulation. High calibre PhD and Honours students will also be educated to maintain the momentum of international excellence within Australia in the field of plant water relations.Read moreRead less
Root-to-shoot: modeling the salt stress response of a plant vascular system. Salt and drought are the two major abiotic stresses affecting crop plant health, growth and development. We aim to understand salt and water transport in plants and the physiological effects of soil salinity. Using biophysical models, we will quantify the movement of salt through plant organs, tissues and cells, from root to leaf. We aim to answer the question of how salt moves across the different tissues and major org ....Root-to-shoot: modeling the salt stress response of a plant vascular system. Salt and drought are the two major abiotic stresses affecting crop plant health, growth and development. We aim to understand salt and water transport in plants and the physiological effects of soil salinity. Using biophysical models, we will quantify the movement of salt through plant organs, tissues and cells, from root to leaf. We aim to answer the question of how salt moves across the different tissues and major organs, how salt accumulates in root, leaf and shoot cells, and how movement and accumulation is controlled by the diversity of transport mechanisms operating in plants. We aim to quantify tissue tolerance, osmotic tolerance and ionic tolerance and discover new mechanisms by which plants can stave off the effect of salt stress.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101133
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,067.00
Summary
The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival. This project aims to identify genes that control plant responses to low air humidity, which enhance drought survival by restricting water loss. Most plant water loss occurs through pores called stomata. This project expects to identify the genes that close stomata within minutes of decreased humidity by determining the molecular changes that occur over this timeframe and testing candidate genes for a critical role. Divers ....The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival. This project aims to identify genes that control plant responses to low air humidity, which enhance drought survival by restricting water loss. Most plant water loss occurs through pores called stomata. This project expects to identify the genes that close stomata within minutes of decreased humidity by determining the molecular changes that occur over this timeframe and testing candidate genes for a critical role. Diverse land plant models will be examined to ensure broad applicability of results. A major expected outcome is new knowledge of genes that minimise plant water loss, which would ultimately benefit plant-based industries through new targets for breeding improved, drought-adapted varieties for food security in a drying climate.Read moreRead less
Global differentiation of the conifer flora. Conifers are among the most widely recognised and well-loved group of plants. This project will place a global perspective on the evolutionary significance of the southern conifers. Furthermore conifers such as the Wollemi Pine, bunyas, kauris and huon pine are of considerable ecotourism value, and this project will provide a basis for interpretation of these important plants.
The role of atmospheric carbon dioxide in fostering hyperdiversity in Australian conifer palaeofloras. Human intervention into atmospheric processes appears to have triggered an excursion in atmospheric CO2 to levels unknown for millennia. Our ability to predict the environmental implications of such a change will play a major role in ameliorating the social and financial impact upon Australia. This project examines the ecology and function of forests that grew under CO2 levels considerably high ....The role of atmospheric carbon dioxide in fostering hyperdiversity in Australian conifer palaeofloras. Human intervention into atmospheric processes appears to have triggered an excursion in atmospheric CO2 to levels unknown for millennia. Our ability to predict the environmental implications of such a change will play a major role in ameliorating the social and financial impact upon Australia. This project examines the ecology and function of forests that grew under CO2 levels considerably higher than present, and will provide an invaluable insight into how future biological systems will function. The evidence produced by this project has potential economic flow-ons, particularly for long-term planning of softwood versus hardwood plantation forestry.Read moreRead less
Development and regulation of thermogenesis in thermoregulating flowers. Flowers of certain primitive plants produce enough heat to raise their temperatures up to 40 C above the air, and regulate it at a nearly constant level. Like warm-blooded mammals, the flowers increase heat production as environmental temperature falls. However, they thermoregulate on a cellular level, unlike mammals with their complex nervous system. We aim to elucidate the mechanisms involved in regulation of heat-prod ....Development and regulation of thermogenesis in thermoregulating flowers. Flowers of certain primitive plants produce enough heat to raise their temperatures up to 40 C above the air, and regulate it at a nearly constant level. Like warm-blooded mammals, the flowers increase heat production as environmental temperature falls. However, they thermoregulate on a cellular level, unlike mammals with their complex nervous system. We aim to elucidate the mechanisms involved in regulation of heat-production, with molecular, biochemical and stable isotope techniques. We will investigate spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression and activity of putative regulatory enzymes. The results will have implications for human physiology and agriculture.Read moreRead less