The co-expression of visual pigments in a single photoreceptor: environmental regulation and spectral tuning. The light sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the vertebrate retina contain filters (oil droplets) and visual pigments (opsins). These structures tune the incoming light and initiate the visual process, respectively. Exciting new research reveals that some vertebrates express more than one opsin within a single photoreceptor. We plan to examine the regulation of single and two co-express ....The co-expression of visual pigments in a single photoreceptor: environmental regulation and spectral tuning. The light sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the vertebrate retina contain filters (oil droplets) and visual pigments (opsins). These structures tune the incoming light and initiate the visual process, respectively. Exciting new research reveals that some vertebrates express more than one opsin within a single photoreceptor. We plan to examine the regulation of single and two co-expressed opsin genes by manipulating the light environment. We expect to determine the environmental triggers for visual pigment tuning and the effects of co-expression on colour vision.Read moreRead less
Environmental regulation of opsin expression and spectral tuning in the vertebrate retina. Exciting new evidence shows that the vertebrate visual system is extraordinarily plastic and that the colour and brightness of the ambient light regulates both the spatial and temporal expression of visual pigments (opsin) genes and the degree of spectral filtering in the retina. Based on findings that more than one visual pigment can be co-expressed in a single photoreceptor type, we plan to manipulate th ....Environmental regulation of opsin expression and spectral tuning in the vertebrate retina. Exciting new evidence shows that the vertebrate visual system is extraordinarily plastic and that the colour and brightness of the ambient light regulates both the spatial and temporal expression of visual pigments (opsin) genes and the degree of spectral filtering in the retina. Based on findings that more than one visual pigment can be co-expressed in a single photoreceptor type, we plan to manipulate the light environment in order to identify and quantify the effect of different lighting regimes by morphological, spectral and molecular techniques in a concerted effort to understand the regulation of opsin expression.Read moreRead less
The evolution of colour vision in vertebrates. Colour vision plays a crucial role in the lives of many animals including vertebrates. However, very little is known about the origins of colour vision and we aim to fill this gap. Photoreceptors (cone cells) with sensitivities to different colours mediate colour vision (humans possess blue, green and red cones). This study will examine the structure, physiological responses and molecular biology of these cells in the closest living relatives of the ....The evolution of colour vision in vertebrates. Colour vision plays a crucial role in the lives of many animals including vertebrates. However, very little is known about the origins of colour vision and we aim to fill this gap. Photoreceptors (cone cells) with sensitivities to different colours mediate colour vision (humans possess blue, green and red cones). This study will examine the structure, physiological responses and molecular biology of these cells in the closest living relatives of the early vertebrates. The underlying mechanisms for spectral tuning, the genetic rate of evolutionary change and the importance of colour in visual ecology will also be examined.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100755
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
Evolution of genome architecture. The project aims to understand how changes to genome architecture over evolutionary time are linked to the diversity of animal morphology. Our genome sequence is arranged into higher order structures that enable coordinated gene expression. The appropriate expression of genes in time and space is necessary to produce the multitude of cell types that make up a multicellular organism. Yet, to date, genome topology is poorly explored, especially between species. Th ....Evolution of genome architecture. The project aims to understand how changes to genome architecture over evolutionary time are linked to the diversity of animal morphology. Our genome sequence is arranged into higher order structures that enable coordinated gene expression. The appropriate expression of genes in time and space is necessary to produce the multitude of cell types that make up a multicellular organism. Yet, to date, genome topology is poorly explored, especially between species. The project involves comparisons of the 3D structure of genomes in divergent species. These findings are expected to inform the underlying principles of gene regulation in animals and species evolution.Read moreRead less
Physiological Thermoregulation and Cardiovascular Function in Reptiles. This project will be important in advancing the concept of physiological thermoregulation in reptiles from a descriptive to a mechanistic basis, thereby providing a better conceptual framework within which the evolutionary processes and selection pressures acting on modern animals and their ancestors can be evaluated.
Benefits of conducting this research will include:
maintaining the high international profile of Aust ....Physiological Thermoregulation and Cardiovascular Function in Reptiles. This project will be important in advancing the concept of physiological thermoregulation in reptiles from a descriptive to a mechanistic basis, thereby providing a better conceptual framework within which the evolutionary processes and selection pressures acting on modern animals and their ancestors can be evaluated.
Benefits of conducting this research will include:
maintaining the high international profile of Australian comparative physiology;
the training of post-graduate students, both Honours and Ph.D.s;
stimulating collaboration between two of Australia's research intensive universities (Sydney and Queensland);
and show-casing Australia's impressive reptilian fauna.
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From Periphery to Central: the Politics of China's Central Banking Reform and the Building of a Financial Infrastructure in an Age of Transition. China's rapid economic growth and gradual integration with the international system, in particular the increasingly strong economic links between Australia and China, means Australia now has a big stake in China's financial and economic stability. By explaining the dynamics of China's central banking reform, monetary policy and banking reform since 197 ....From Periphery to Central: the Politics of China's Central Banking Reform and the Building of a Financial Infrastructure in an Age of Transition. China's rapid economic growth and gradual integration with the international system, in particular the increasingly strong economic links between Australia and China, means Australia now has a big stake in China's financial and economic stability. By explaining the dynamics of China's central banking reform, monetary policy and banking reform since 1979, this project will significantly enhance our capacity to interpret monetary policy management and financial development in China, to support our commitment to states in the Asia Pacific region that are dealing with economic reforms and transition, and more importantly, to exert influence on the desired direction of change in China through engagement with the Chinese monetary authority.Read moreRead less
Radical right populist parties. This project aims to explain why some radical right-wing populists in Western democracies enter governmental alliances with mainstream parties while others remain isolated. The emergence, spread and electoral success of radical right populists is a problem facing liberal democracy in the twenty-first century. While these parties’ policies, ideologies and rhetoric are similar, their relationships with mainstream parties are different. By examining explanatory facto ....Radical right populist parties. This project aims to explain why some radical right-wing populists in Western democracies enter governmental alliances with mainstream parties while others remain isolated. The emergence, spread and electoral success of radical right populists is a problem facing liberal democracy in the twenty-first century. While these parties’ policies, ideologies and rhetoric are similar, their relationships with mainstream parties are different. By examining explanatory factors that Political Science studies have so far been neglected, this project seeks to explain this variation and explore its implications for coalition theory.Read moreRead less
Healing the Achilles Heel: the Politics of China's Banking Reform since 1997. China's rapid economic growth and gradual integration with the international system, in particular the increasingly strong economic links between Australia and China, means Australia now has a big stake in China's financial and economic stability, especially under the current global financial crisis. By examining the path and process of China's banking and regulatory reform, this project will significantly enhance our ....Healing the Achilles Heel: the Politics of China's Banking Reform since 1997. China's rapid economic growth and gradual integration with the international system, in particular the increasingly strong economic links between Australia and China, means Australia now has a big stake in China's financial and economic stability, especially under the current global financial crisis. By examining the path and process of China's banking and regulatory reform, this project will significantly enhance our capacity to interpret macroeconomic and financial development in China, to support our commitment to states in the Asia Pacific region that are dealing with economic reforms and transition, and more importantly, to exert influence on the desired direction of change in China through engagement with the Chinese polity.Read moreRead less
A Genomic Dissection of Natural Adaptation in Mate Recognition. Adaptation is a fundamental area of evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly little about its underlying genetic basis. As a process, adaptation poses several challenges for Australian society including bacterial evolution of resistance to antibiotics, HIV resistance to antiviral medications and the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests. This study will use a model system and genomic tools to test theoretical ....A Genomic Dissection of Natural Adaptation in Mate Recognition. Adaptation is a fundamental area of evolutionary biology but we know surprisingly little about its underlying genetic basis. As a process, adaptation poses several challenges for Australian society including bacterial evolution of resistance to antibiotics, HIV resistance to antiviral medications and the evolution of pesticide resistance in agricultural pests. This study will use a model system and genomic tools to test theoretical models of the genetic basis of adaptation. This integrative approach will enhance Australia's research profile in genomics and evolutionary biology. The project will provide emerging scientists with skills in areas including genomics, molecular biology, evolutionary biology and agricultural genetics.Read moreRead less
Maximising knowledge from dense SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data using multi-locus analysis. The genomics revolution has made it possible to measure thousands of DNA variants in individuals. This information can be used in many ways, including to find genes that cause variation between individuals in a population and to estimate the size of the population in the past. Our study will lead an analysis method that will extract more information out of such data. This will improve the effi ....Maximising knowledge from dense SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) data using multi-locus analysis. The genomics revolution has made it possible to measure thousands of DNA variants in individuals. This information can be used in many ways, including to find genes that cause variation between individuals in a population and to estimate the size of the population in the past. Our study will lead an analysis method that will extract more information out of such data. This will improve the efficiency of gene mapping methods, including applications in humans for traits related to productive ageing and a healthy start to life, will allow the estimation of genetic relatedness and genetic variation in natural populations, and will lead to more efficient selection programs in agricultural populations.Read moreRead less