Discovery of pathways to embryogenesis in pathogenic flatworm parasites using microdissection and transcriptomic technologies. The cost to Australia of flatworm parasites to animal production and human health is substantial (hundreds of millions of dollars per year). This research will give new insights into how flatworms reproduce and equip their progeny for survival, providing impetus for new vaccine or drug therapies to be developed. As these pathogens are more significant in Australia's ne ....Discovery of pathways to embryogenesis in pathogenic flatworm parasites using microdissection and transcriptomic technologies. The cost to Australia of flatworm parasites to animal production and human health is substantial (hundreds of millions of dollars per year). This research will give new insights into how flatworms reproduce and equip their progeny for survival, providing impetus for new vaccine or drug therapies to be developed. As these pathogens are more significant in Australia's near neighbours, this project will strengthen Australia's international leadership in this field. Our study will provide, for the first time for any helminth parasite, a freely available genetic database that profiles the gene expression repertoire of individual parasite tissues, a development likely to enhance the international effort in controlling these harmful diseases.Read moreRead less
Insect host/vector genetic responses to rhabdovirus infection. Rhabdoviruses cause important diseases in humans, animals and plants. These viruses are transmitted by insect vectors in which they persist and propagate, an intimate and specific association. Insect-rhabdovirus interactions will be studied at the molecular level using a planthopper-maize rhabdovirus model. Insect genes specifically induced by rhabdovirus infection as well as the viral genes themselves will be identified and characte ....Insect host/vector genetic responses to rhabdovirus infection. Rhabdoviruses cause important diseases in humans, animals and plants. These viruses are transmitted by insect vectors in which they persist and propagate, an intimate and specific association. Insect-rhabdovirus interactions will be studied at the molecular level using a planthopper-maize rhabdovirus model. Insect genes specifically induced by rhabdovirus infection as well as the viral genes themselves will be identified and characterized using genomics and bioinformatics tools. We will extend the same approaches to a comparative analysis of these planthopper genes with other insect-rhabdovirus systems under investigation in our institutes. Identification of viral genes expressed in insects, the insect genes that respond to virus infection, and interpretation of the roles of these genes in insects, may indicate new opportunities to control serious plant and animal diseases through control of virus transmission.Read moreRead less
Beyond the gene: Linking herbivore behaviour to plant defense gene expression. This collaborative project investigates insect herbivore avoidance of plant defence mechanisms. Our project is novel because it integrates changes in the plant at a number of different levels and links them to insect foraging behaviour. Researchers assume that insects respond to plant defences by changing their foraging behaviour. This has not been tested directly. We use the genetically well characterised plant Arabi ....Beyond the gene: Linking herbivore behaviour to plant defense gene expression. This collaborative project investigates insect herbivore avoidance of plant defence mechanisms. Our project is novel because it integrates changes in the plant at a number of different levels and links them to insect foraging behaviour. Researchers assume that insects respond to plant defences by changing their foraging behaviour. This has not been tested directly. We use the genetically well characterised plant Arabidopsis and the world-wide pest Helicoverpa (heliothis) as a model system. Damage caused to crops by insect herbivores is a direct function of behaviour. Understanding this behaviour will lead to improved pest management and reduced economic losses.Read moreRead less
Regulation of ion homeostasis by two-component signalling elements. Dryland salinity is continuously claiming Australian lands and is a serious threat to our agricultural industry, native flora and fauna, and infrastructure. Attempting to feed an increasing population whilst agricultural land is disappearing, places an ever-increasing burden on our remaining land. While there is no simple solution to this problem, understanding how plants regulate cellular ion concentrations will help to generat ....Regulation of ion homeostasis by two-component signalling elements. Dryland salinity is continuously claiming Australian lands and is a serious threat to our agricultural industry, native flora and fauna, and infrastructure. Attempting to feed an increasing population whilst agricultural land is disappearing, places an ever-increasing burden on our remaining land. While there is no simple solution to this problem, understanding how plants regulate cellular ion concentrations will help to generate plants that are suitable for restoration of damaged lands or crop plants that are more tolerant to saline soils. Furthermore, knowledge acquired from the proposed project will also be useful for generating healthier crop plants with enhanced levels of ions essential for the human diet. Read moreRead less
Understanding an exotic disease: Initiation of sex and infection by the sugarcane smut Ustilago scitaminea. Australian sugar exports generate almost $2 billion in annual sales, making the sugar industry a critical facet of the Australian economy. In 2006, Australia's primary sugar producing region came under threat when an outbreak of sugarcane smut caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea first appeared in Queensland. Management of this potentially devastating disease has focused on breeding pr ....Understanding an exotic disease: Initiation of sex and infection by the sugarcane smut Ustilago scitaminea. Australian sugar exports generate almost $2 billion in annual sales, making the sugar industry a critical facet of the Australian economy. In 2006, Australia's primary sugar producing region came under threat when an outbreak of sugarcane smut caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea first appeared in Queensland. Management of this potentially devastating disease has focused on breeding programmes aimed at developing resistant sugarcane cultivars, a complex process hampered by a lack of information about the mechanisms of smut resistance. Our research will provide key insight into the mechanisms by which U. scitaminea infects sugarcane, directing future breeding efforts and protecting this valuable industry against further outbreaks.Read moreRead less
Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already i ....Why do only some exotics become invasive? Combining ecological and genomic approaches to address alternative hypotheses in a recent Australian weed. This project will specifically test alternative hypotheses about how weeds become invasive. As invasive weeds affect both agricultural and native ecosystems equally, research on understanding the mechanisms of weed invasion is critical. Outcomes will benefit Australia by allowing better prioritisation of management against exotic plants already in the country by providing predictive tools to estimate likelihood of spread. For formal Pest Risk Analysis by regulators (eg Biosecurity Australia), our project will provide genomic tools by which the potential weediness of a regulated plant can be assessed through genetic screening, and forms part of an international effort to identify 'weedy genes'. Read moreRead less
The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture. The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will ....The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture. The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will identify environmental stressors that activate viral disease in Penaeus monodon. Outcomes will be incorporated into on-farm managerial regimes to minimize risk of crop loss to disease. Development of biomarkers as indicators of stress related risks may be commercialized.Read moreRead less
The sponge genome project and the evolution of multicellularity: using comparative genomics and developmental biology to reconstruct the first animals. Recently the entire genome from a living fossil - a sponge from the Great Barrier Reef - was sequenced (jointly supported by the ARC and US Department of Energy). As this genome is assembled and analysed, many of the fundamental biological processes that underlie the construction and evolution of all animals, including humans, will be revealed. ....The sponge genome project and the evolution of multicellularity: using comparative genomics and developmental biology to reconstruct the first animals. Recently the entire genome from a living fossil - a sponge from the Great Barrier Reef - was sequenced (jointly supported by the ARC and US Department of Energy). As this genome is assembled and analysed, many of the fundamental biological processes that underlie the construction and evolution of all animals, including humans, will be revealed. In addition, sponge genomics will fuel innovations in medicine and biotechnology. Specifically, sponges are renowned for their capacity to synthesise bioactive compounds used in drug development, and high-grade silica used for semi-conductor construction. This project will identify the gene networks controlling these biosynthetic processes.Read moreRead less
Alternative Splicing in the Mouse Transcriptome. Although the human genome completion is cause for excitement we do not have any firm indication of precisely how many protein-coding genes exist in a mammalian genome. We have even less indication of the extent to which these genes generate alternative gene products, through a process termed alternative splicing. The detection and sequencing of these full-length alternative gene products is the focus of this application. This application details t ....Alternative Splicing in the Mouse Transcriptome. Although the human genome completion is cause for excitement we do not have any firm indication of precisely how many protein-coding genes exist in a mammalian genome. We have even less indication of the extent to which these genes generate alternative gene products, through a process termed alternative splicing. The detection and sequencing of these full-length alternative gene products is the focus of this application. This application details the opportunity to participate in the identification of the full transcriptome of the mouse and is part of a collaborative effort with The RIKEN Genome Sciences Center in Japan.Read moreRead less
Integrating Immunity And Genetics In Follicular Lymphoma To Establish A Prognostic Score Fit For The Modern Era
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,377,174.00
Summary
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is divided into early and advanced stages. Early stage FL is frequently cured, but there is no way to identify who will be cured and who won't. By contrast advanced stage FL is incurable. Our unique access to well-annotated clinical trial and population based cohorts allows us to perform a detailed biological comparison of early and advanced FL, to gain a deeper understanding of the impediments to eradicating the disease, and to predict outcome to conventional therapy.