Macrophage control of mammalian growth and development. The immediate postnatal period in mammals is crucial for survival, long term health and productivity. This project is an international collaboration that aims to investigate how cells of the innate immune system called macrophages control somatic growth and development of mature organ function in the early postnatal period. The project aims to build upon investment in new animals models and a novel discovery to generate significant new know ....Macrophage control of mammalian growth and development. The immediate postnatal period in mammals is crucial for survival, long term health and productivity. This project is an international collaboration that aims to investigate how cells of the innate immune system called macrophages control somatic growth and development of mature organ function in the early postnatal period. The project aims to build upon investment in new animals models and a novel discovery to generate significant new knowledge that will challenge current concepts of mammalian growth control. The outcomes will enhance Australia's international reputation in the fields of physiology, immunology and developmental biology. 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
Sport as a Communications Platform for Environmental Issues. This pioneering project aims to investigate the range of environmental and sustainability messages communicated by sport media, and how these messages negotiate the dilemma of promoting environmental awareness through events and activities that also generate adverse ecological impacts. By engaging sport media professionals, environmental claims-makers, policy-makers and journalists, this project seeks to deliver valuable knowledge that ....Sport as a Communications Platform for Environmental Issues. This pioneering project aims to investigate the range of environmental and sustainability messages communicated by sport media, and how these messages negotiate the dilemma of promoting environmental awareness through events and activities that also generate adverse ecological impacts. By engaging sport media professionals, environmental claims-makers, policy-makers and journalists, this project seeks to deliver valuable knowledge that informs industry decision-making, policy formulation and environmental awareness. The intended societal benefit is a new understanding of how environmental issues are communicated through popular media to large-scale publics, including how tensions in the communication of environmental change are negotiated.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
De-tabooing depression and anxiety: Mental health communication in old age. This project aims to uncover how older Australians talk about and understand depression and anxiety, and it seeks to raise awareness of these debilitating conditions via new media. There has been much medical research in this area, and while language has been identified as highly relevant for recovery, little is known of how people express their experiences around mental well-being. The research gap is even wider for the ....De-tabooing depression and anxiety: Mental health communication in old age. This project aims to uncover how older Australians talk about and understand depression and anxiety, and it seeks to raise awareness of these debilitating conditions via new media. There has been much medical research in this area, and while language has been identified as highly relevant for recovery, little is known of how people express their experiences around mental well-being. The research gap is even wider for the worst affected in the population — older adults. These illnesses are shrouded in taboo, and symptoms often go undetected. The expected outcomes of the project are improved communication about mental well-being and the celebration of the lives and stories of older Australians — an integral but vulnerable segment of society.Read moreRead less
Turning back the clock on brain cell aging. This proposal aims to determine the role of fundamental epigenetic mechanisms in the process of aging and whether modulation of the epi-genome underpins an improvement in cognitive function. It combines the fields of epigenetics, neurosciences and mathematics to delineate the dynamics of DNA methylation and histone modification marking on the transcriptome during normal, healthy aging. The outcomes will provide significant new knowledge of the variable ....Turning back the clock on brain cell aging. This proposal aims to determine the role of fundamental epigenetic mechanisms in the process of aging and whether modulation of the epi-genome underpins an improvement in cognitive function. It combines the fields of epigenetics, neurosciences and mathematics to delineate the dynamics of DNA methylation and histone modification marking on the transcriptome during normal, healthy aging. The outcomes will provide significant new knowledge of the variable cognitive decline that occurs in healthy aging and why some populations age less successfully than others do. Better understanding of the impact of environmental change on the biology of aging has potential community benefits.Read moreRead less
Engaging residents and families in aged care facilities. This project aims to investigate resident and family engagement in communicating about medicines that affect the mind, emotions and behaviour, by developing and testing creative strategies in aged care facilities. This project expects to generate new knowledge about resident and family communication within a dynamic context of sociocultural, environmental and interpersonal challenges and opportunities. Expected outcomes of this project inc ....Engaging residents and families in aged care facilities. This project aims to investigate resident and family engagement in communicating about medicines that affect the mind, emotions and behaviour, by developing and testing creative strategies in aged care facilities. This project expects to generate new knowledge about resident and family communication within a dynamic context of sociocultural, environmental and interpersonal challenges and opportunities. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capacity to enable resident and family participation in bridging communication gaps. This should provide significant benefits, in terms of increased understandings about how and under what circumstances, medicines decision making can occur with residents and families in diverse situations.Read moreRead less
Microfluidic models of the CNS: Understanding cells, circuits & synapses. Aims: We aim to develop new cell culture platforms to form defined networks of brain cells. These platforms will be used to determine the critical mechanisms underpinning central nervous system function.
Significance: The devices developed will enable an unprecedented capacity to monitor changes throughout a network, with analysis at the level of the synapse, cell and circuit.
Expected outcomes: We will advance knowledge ....Microfluidic models of the CNS: Understanding cells, circuits & synapses. Aims: We aim to develop new cell culture platforms to form defined networks of brain cells. These platforms will be used to determine the critical mechanisms underpinning central nervous system function.
Significance: The devices developed will enable an unprecedented capacity to monitor changes throughout a network, with analysis at the level of the synapse, cell and circuit.
Expected outcomes: We will advance knowledge regarding the function of the CNS and deliver complex human cellular systems, that have both discovery and commercial applications.
Benefit: These platforms will have subsequent application revealing the mechanisms underlying numerous neurological diseases, with capacity to upscale for rapid drug screening.
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Remote presence for guidance on physical tasks. This project aims to transform remote collaboration on physical tasks. Current systems for remote collaboration on physical tasks are not as effective as working face-to-face. This could be overcome by sharing non-verbal cues, designing systems to account for cultural issues, and using a new model of communication. This project will develop theories and interaction methods for remote guidance based on natural non-verbal communication cues and cultu ....Remote presence for guidance on physical tasks. This project aims to transform remote collaboration on physical tasks. Current systems for remote collaboration on physical tasks are not as effective as working face-to-face. This could be overcome by sharing non-verbal cues, designing systems to account for cultural issues, and using a new model of communication. This project will develop theories and interaction methods for remote guidance based on natural non-verbal communication cues and cultural issues. This project is expected to benefit industries with widely distributed multi-cultural workforces such as mining, defence and medicine.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100040
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,127.00
Summary
Unravelling the genetics of Kangaroo paws for climate-resilient gardens. The project will produce the first DNA-anchored plant lineage map of Kangaroo paws and gain novel insights into their resilient growth characteristics. Using novel genome and data-driven strategies, this project addresses the knowledge gap around the genetic heirloom of more than 200 iconic Kangaroo paw varieties to speed up the breeding of new varieties with enticing leaf patterns and flower colour combinations. While unra ....Unravelling the genetics of Kangaroo paws for climate-resilient gardens. The project will produce the first DNA-anchored plant lineage map of Kangaroo paws and gain novel insights into their resilient growth characteristics. Using novel genome and data-driven strategies, this project addresses the knowledge gap around the genetic heirloom of more than 200 iconic Kangaroo paw varieties to speed up the breeding of new varieties with enticing leaf patterns and flower colour combinations. While unravelling the inheritability and breeding barriers, immediate industry adoption will boost horticultural breeding programs long-term. This project uses cutting-edge science to enhance industry capacity for providing new Kangaroo paws for climate-resilient urban green spaces on the national and international market.Read moreRead less