Mechanisms of zinc transport and homeostasis in plants. Zinc deficiency is a widespread factor limiting crop production and affects many soils of southern Australia and around the world. Genetic techniques can be used to identify zinc-efficient crop breeds able to grow well under zinc deficient conditions and able to efficiently deliver zinc to cereal grains to alleviate nutritional zinc-deficiency in humans. This project will identify new genes important in zinc transport and homeostasis in pla ....Mechanisms of zinc transport and homeostasis in plants. Zinc deficiency is a widespread factor limiting crop production and affects many soils of southern Australia and around the world. Genetic techniques can be used to identify zinc-efficient crop breeds able to grow well under zinc deficient conditions and able to efficiently deliver zinc to cereal grains to alleviate nutritional zinc-deficiency in humans. This project will identify new genes important in zinc transport and homeostasis in plants and will ultimately allow their role in zinc efficient crops to be assessed. This will contribute to more rapid and directed strategies in breeding zinc efficient crops.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775503
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$255,000.00
Summary
Robotics for plant genomics: Increasing throughput in plant genetic analyses. Plant genomics has direct benefit to crop improvement, especially as focussed in the applicants' laboratories. Thus, the Australian agri-food sector will benefit substantially from the acceleration in plant functional genomics that will arise from the installation of the robotics equipment described in the current application, by both underpinning more applied research and also being used directly in crop improvement p ....Robotics for plant genomics: Increasing throughput in plant genetic analyses. Plant genomics has direct benefit to crop improvement, especially as focussed in the applicants' laboratories. Thus, the Australian agri-food sector will benefit substantially from the acceleration in plant functional genomics that will arise from the installation of the robotics equipment described in the current application, by both underpinning more applied research and also being used directly in crop improvement programs such as are based at the Waite Campus. The outputs will include crops with increased tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, a reduced dependence on chemical inputs such as fertilisers and improved food quality, with consequent benefits to the environment and human health and nutrition.Read moreRead less
Left-right patterning of the heart. This project aims to investigate how the heart responds to left-right (LR) signals, which tissue is dominant in this response; determine tissue intrinsic factors at play, and determine whether we can manipulate this. Expected outcomes include fundamental information about how organs are patterned.
The molecular control of lymphatic vascular differentiation. This project aims to improve our understanding of how a new vascular system forms and the molecules that control this process. Lymphatic vasculature plays roles in fluid drainage, inflammation, obesity, metastasis and tissue repair, yet we cannot readily promote or inhibit lymphatic vessel formation. This project aims to build new knowledge that is expected to improve our ability to generate lymphatic vessels for stem cell application ....The molecular control of lymphatic vascular differentiation. This project aims to improve our understanding of how a new vascular system forms and the molecules that control this process. Lymphatic vasculature plays roles in fluid drainage, inflammation, obesity, metastasis and tissue repair, yet we cannot readily promote or inhibit lymphatic vessel formation. This project aims to build new knowledge that is expected to improve our ability to generate lymphatic vessels for stem cell applications, tissue engineering, tissue repair and regeneration. This project will use zebrafish embryos, new genomic datasets and novel tools to uncover the genetic control of this process, and should have implications in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, repair and regeneration.Read moreRead less
Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes th ....Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes that regulate flowering and seed production in sorghum in response to changes in temperature and light interactions. These studies will help to develop novel sorghum varieties with desirable characters through plant-breeding programmes.Read moreRead less
Neurovascular pericytes in development and brain regeneration. The brain is responsible for a quarter of the body’s metabolism and is thus perfused by an extensive network of blood vessels. Pericytes surround these vessels and interact with neurons, glia, immune cells and neural stem cells of the neurovascular unit. Pericytes influence brain development, function and regeneration but remain enigmatic. This project investigates molecular control of pericyte development, functional coupling of per ....Neurovascular pericytes in development and brain regeneration. The brain is responsible for a quarter of the body’s metabolism and is thus perfused by an extensive network of blood vessels. Pericytes surround these vessels and interact with neurons, glia, immune cells and neural stem cells of the neurovascular unit. Pericytes influence brain development, function and regeneration but remain enigmatic. This project investigates molecular control of pericyte development, functional coupling of pericytes with adjacent cells and pericyte function in tissue regeneration. We aim to produce new fundamental knowledge in brain development, structure, function and evolution. New knowledge generated here may lead to future approaches in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, regeneration and ageing of the brain. Read moreRead less
Defining the origin of a cell lineage that surrounds and cleans the brain . The vertebrate brain is responsible for up to a quarter of the body’s metabolism, a metabolic load that produces large amounts of tissue waste and requires an efficient cleaning system. A recent discovery in zebrafish and preliminary data has uncovered a cell type surrounding the brain that derives from vasculature. These cells play fundamental roles in scavenging and clearing tissue wastes. The project aims to investiga ....Defining the origin of a cell lineage that surrounds and cleans the brain . The vertebrate brain is responsible for up to a quarter of the body’s metabolism, a metabolic load that produces large amounts of tissue waste and requires an efficient cleaning system. A recent discovery in zebrafish and preliminary data has uncovered a cell type surrounding the brain that derives from vasculature. These cells play fundamental roles in scavenging and clearing tissue wastes. The project aims to investigate the origins and control of this cell type in zebrafish and mouse brains. This will produce new knowledge in brain development, cellular composition, structure, function and evolution. Outcomes are expected to generate new approaches in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, regeneration and ageing of the brain.Read moreRead less
A novel regulator of growth signalling in Drosophila. This project aims to increase understanding of how growth is regulated by growth factor hormones. In animals, growth is controlled by signalling pathways that are activated by secreted peptide hormones. A new regulator of growth in the fruitfly Drosophila, the membrane attack complex/perforin-like (MACPF) protein Torso-like, has been identified. The project aims to unravel how Torso-like functions to regulate growth, thus throwing light on th ....A novel regulator of growth signalling in Drosophila. This project aims to increase understanding of how growth is regulated by growth factor hormones. In animals, growth is controlled by signalling pathways that are activated by secreted peptide hormones. A new regulator of growth in the fruitfly Drosophila, the membrane attack complex/perforin-like (MACPF) protein Torso-like, has been identified. The project aims to unravel how Torso-like functions to regulate growth, thus throwing light on the role this protein family may play in all animals. The findings are expected to provide key insights into the modification of growth factor activity, which is often dysregulated in human cancers and growth disorders, and may enable the design of new strategies for interfering with insect development for pest control.Read moreRead less
Differentiation of effector and tissue regulatory T cells . Regulatory T cells (Tregs) populate almost every organ of the body and play a central role in preventing inflammation and maintaining health. To exercise these functions, Tregs undergo a developmental program, the details of which are poorly known. This project will utilize newly developed biological tools and state-of-the-art technology to uncover the molecular mechanisms that govern Treg development and function. The project will gene ....Differentiation of effector and tissue regulatory T cells . Regulatory T cells (Tregs) populate almost every organ of the body and play a central role in preventing inflammation and maintaining health. To exercise these functions, Tregs undergo a developmental program, the details of which are poorly known. This project will utilize newly developed biological tools and state-of-the-art technology to uncover the molecular mechanisms that govern Treg development and function. The project will generate basic scientific knowledge and new intellectual property that will afford new opportunities for research and development. The outcomes of this project will help to devise strategies to treat diseases such as autoimmunity, cancer and metabolic syndrome, and will thus benefit veterinary and human health.Read moreRead less
Understanding the differentiation of the endocardium. The project aims to understand the genetic regulation of endocardial development. The heart is essential for survival, its beat the indicator of life. The endocardium, the heart’s inner lining, is required for signalling during heart development and is a major component of the valves, septa and trabeculae. Despite its indispensable role, little is known about how it forms or develops. This project integrates two complementary approaches that ....Understanding the differentiation of the endocardium. The project aims to understand the genetic regulation of endocardial development. The heart is essential for survival, its beat the indicator of life. The endocardium, the heart’s inner lining, is required for signalling during heart development and is a major component of the valves, septa and trabeculae. Despite its indispensable role, little is known about how it forms or develops. This project integrates two complementary approaches that have identified the earliest marker of endocardial differentiation and devised the method to make endocardium from stem cells. Knowledge from this work will inform future research into growing and regenerating damaged tissue.Read moreRead less