Genome dynamics following plastid endosymbiosis. Plastid endosymbiosis events (enslavement of an algal cell inside of a host cell to form a plastid) are difficult to pinpoint because the genomic data required for a broad array of species are rarely available. Furthermore, the classical method used to infer endosymbiotic gene transfers is being criticised. This project will elucidate the origin of chlorarachniophyte and dinoflagellate plastids and characterise the genome dynamics following endosy ....Genome dynamics following plastid endosymbiosis. Plastid endosymbiosis events (enslavement of an algal cell inside of a host cell to form a plastid) are difficult to pinpoint because the genomic data required for a broad array of species are rarely available. Furthermore, the classical method used to infer endosymbiotic gene transfers is being criticised. This project will elucidate the origin of chlorarachniophyte and dinoflagellate plastids and characterise the genome dynamics following endosymbiosis. It uses densely sampled genome data obtained with high-throughput sequencing technologies. Simulation studies will be used to evaluate methods for inferring endosymbiotic gene transfer and alignment-free methods will be used to improve phylogenomic pipelines.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100614
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,612.00
Summary
Evolutionary genomics and origin of the molluscan biomineralisation toolkit. The project aims to use new genomes from understudied lineages of Mollusca to identify the genes involved in shell formation (biomineralisation) and infer their function and evolutionary history. The ability of molluscs to biofabricate intricate and robust skeletal structures from sea water is encoded in their genomes. Understanding the ancestral biomineralisation toolkit is of great interest to materials science, which ....Evolutionary genomics and origin of the molluscan biomineralisation toolkit. The project aims to use new genomes from understudied lineages of Mollusca to identify the genes involved in shell formation (biomineralisation) and infer their function and evolutionary history. The ability of molluscs to biofabricate intricate and robust skeletal structures from sea water is encoded in their genomes. Understanding the ancestral biomineralisation toolkit is of great interest to materials science, which seeks to replicate molluscan biomineralisation in vitro for biomedical and other applications. Understanding the toolkit is an important first step toward synthetic biology techniques to 'print' structures like bones in vitro. Moreover, new genomic resources from molluscs will be of interest to researchers in numerous fields.Read moreRead less
Resolving insect evolution. Our poor understanding of the evolution of insects, life’s most successful group, is a huge gap in our knowledge of nature. By analysing genomic data the project will resolve the insect evolutionary tree and discover what drove insect evolution. This will expand our knowledge of how evolution works - a vital part of conserving our biological diversity.
Understanding specificity and flexibility in coral symbioses. This project aims to understand why some corals can switch algal partners while others remain faithful to a single strain. This is important because corals depend on their symbiotic algal partners for survival and because some algae provide greater resilience to environmental stress than others. This project will greatly enhance our understanding of the molecular and physiological factors governing flexibility and specificity in coral ....Understanding specificity and flexibility in coral symbioses. This project aims to understand why some corals can switch algal partners while others remain faithful to a single strain. This is important because corals depend on their symbiotic algal partners for survival and because some algae provide greater resilience to environmental stress than others. This project will greatly enhance our understanding of the molecular and physiological factors governing flexibility and specificity in coral-algal symbioses. It will provide much-needed knowledge required to identify associations most appropriate for specific conditions, prioritise populations for conservation, and assess the feasibility of new approaches to managing and restoring coral reefs.
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Ancestral state reconstruction and the evolution of Australian marsupials. This project aims to investigate the diversification and evolvability of Australian marsupials, by enabling genomes, ecology and 3D skeletal shape to synergistically inform evolutionary inference. This project expects to generate new knowledge of the processes that have promoted and maintained marsupial biodiversity, by tracing their evolution across a fossil gap that spans half of their history. Expected outcomes of this ....Ancestral state reconstruction and the evolution of Australian marsupials. This project aims to investigate the diversification and evolvability of Australian marsupials, by enabling genomes, ecology and 3D skeletal shape to synergistically inform evolutionary inference. This project expects to generate new knowledge of the processes that have promoted and maintained marsupial biodiversity, by tracing their evolution across a fossil gap that spans half of their history. Expected outcomes of this project include improved methods for merging fossils into the tree of life and for reconstructing the ecology and morphology of ancestors on phylogenetic trees. This should provide significant benefits, such as a coherent evolutionary context for informing research on marsupial biology, ecology and conservation.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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Novel genomic technologies to improve fertility in northern beef cattle. This project aims to develop new genomic technologies to enable accelerated improvement of cow fertility. Increased global demand for beef is driving northern Australian beef enterprises to develop innovative ways to increase productivity. A substantial industry challenge is poor fertility of cows, with weaning rates frequently less than 40%. The expected outcomes of this project are an improvement in weaning rates to enabl ....Novel genomic technologies to improve fertility in northern beef cattle. This project aims to develop new genomic technologies to enable accelerated improvement of cow fertility. Increased global demand for beef is driving northern Australian beef enterprises to develop innovative ways to increase productivity. A substantial industry challenge is poor fertility of cows, with weaning rates frequently less than 40%. The expected outcomes of this project are an improvement in weaning rates to enable accelerated genetic gain for fertility in these enterprises by delivering a low cost array, which assays thousands of DNA variants affecting fertility simultaneously. This should provide significant benefits such as a new genomic prediction method informed by gene expression data from a unique resource of Brahman cattle with exceptionally high fertility, generating significant industry benefits.Read moreRead less
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
Deciphering The Role Of Atypical DNA Methylation In Neuronal Genome Regulation And Neurological Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$773,484.00
Summary
This research will use a combination of genomic, biochemical and functional genomics approaches to investigate the role of the atypical mCH form of DNA methylation in neuronal genome regulation and function, and provide new insights into the role of the epigenome in healthy brain function and neural pathologies.