Marsupial germ cells and genes. Germ cells are the most fascinating cells in the body, since theirs is the unique responsibility for transmitting life from generation to generation. Studies in mice have suggested that position in the embryo determines their origin, but the early embryology of the mouse is so different from that of other mammals that the events need confirming and extending in another species. The simplified embryology of the tammar wallaby makes it ideal for studying one of the ....Marsupial germ cells and genes. Germ cells are the most fascinating cells in the body, since theirs is the unique responsibility for transmitting life from generation to generation. Studies in mice have suggested that position in the embryo determines their origin, but the early embryology of the mouse is so different from that of other mammals that the events need confirming and extending in another species. The simplified embryology of the tammar wallaby makes it ideal for studying one of the most fundamental questions in the whole of biology: what is the basis for the primal distinction between sex and soma?Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0561030
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$441,100.00
Summary
Developmental Imaging Facility. This application seeks to establish a facility to undertake expression profiling in vertebrate tissues on a genomic scale and at the highest resolution. Undertaking large scale projects of this nature requires specialised robotics and dedicated infrastructure for microscopy and tissue preparation. This facility will be the first of its type in Australia will permit researchers to perform genomic scale in situ screens, many as part of large international initiative ....Developmental Imaging Facility. This application seeks to establish a facility to undertake expression profiling in vertebrate tissues on a genomic scale and at the highest resolution. Undertaking large scale projects of this nature requires specialised robotics and dedicated infrastructure for microscopy and tissue preparation. This facility will be the first of its type in Australia will permit researchers to perform genomic scale in situ screens, many as part of large international initiatives in developmental and cellular biology. This large-scale, high-resolution expression profiling infrastructure is required to maintain international competitiveness and will dramatically improve our gene discovery, functional assessment and understanding of vertebrate development.Read moreRead less
Most eye diseases have a genetic contribution, whether rare disorders affecting children such as retinoblastoma or congenital cataracts through to common disorders of older people such as myopia, age-related macular degeneration or glaucoma. We will continue our successful research to find genes that cause these diseases and use this to improve patient care and prevent blindness. We will work out how families can use this genetic information to participate in trials to develop new treatments.
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354622
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the early embryo have major consequences for the development of individuals. The aim of this Network is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the previously distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to better understand developmental regulatory networks and how environmental factors impinge on them. The formation of such a Network ....Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the early embryo have major consequences for the development of individuals. The aim of this Network is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the previously distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to better understand developmental regulatory networks and how environmental factors impinge on them. The formation of such a Network is unique, timely and strategic in that it will generate new insights into the mechanisms by which events in early life determine the risk of adverse outcomes in perinatal and adult life.Read moreRead less
ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the developing organism have major consequences for the lifetime health of individuals. The primary objective of the Network in Genes and Environment in Development is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the currently distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to define key developmental regulatory ne ....ARC/NHMRC Research Network in Genes and Environment in Development. Interactions between the early environment and the genetic regulatory program of the developing organism have major consequences for the lifetime health of individuals. The primary objective of the Network in Genes and Environment in Development is to harness the resources of leading researchers from the currently distinct disciplines of developmental biology and developmental physiology to define key developmental regulatory networks and to address how environmental factors impinge on these regulatory networks. The formation of this National Research Network is unique, timely and strategic. It will generate new insights into the mechanisms by which events in early life determine the risk of adverse outcomes in perinatal and adult life.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of Eurl, A Novel Gene Implicated In The Etiology Of Abnormal Brain Development And Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,541.00
Summary
Intellectual disability affects around one per cent of Australians, and can arise from genetic abnormalities during fetal life, such as through abnormal regulation of gene expression. We have identified a novel gene, known as eurl, which controls brain assembly as well as the ability of neurons to form functional connections within the brain. We will investigate how this novel gene controls brain development, and characterise eurl as a potential therapeutic target for learning and memory.
Young Adult Myopia: Genetic And Environmental Associations
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$809,271.00
Summary
Myopia affects 80% of school leavers in the cities of East Asia, 45% of Asian Australian school leavers and is probably on the rise in European Australian adolescents. Increased levels of education and lack of time outdoors are known to increase the risk of myopia. We will examine 2,000 young adults to find the genes that interact with these risk factors. In addition to confirming when these risk factors are most important, identifying molecular pathways opens the avenue of new treatments.
Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) For Juvenile-onset Myopia And Its Component Measures To Identify Molecular Pathways To Prevent Myopia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$495,364.00
Summary
We will examine 2,000 young adults from the Western Australian Raine Cohort at the Lions Eye Institute / University of Western Australia. Ocular data will be collected relating to myopia (short-sightedness) and will be combined with extensive previous childhood and genetic research data collected on the Cohort, to investigate the genetic and environmental factors predisposing to myopia. This will assist in understanding the factors leading to myopia.
One of the current challenges in public health is to translate the progress from the Human Genome Project into reduced morbidity and mortality from disease. Once genetic defects are characterised, knowledge about the variability in severity of disease in mutation carriers, is important from a public health perspective. Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disorder of iron overload that results in a wide spectrum of disease, varying from non-specific symptoms to severe damage to l ....One of the current challenges in public health is to translate the progress from the Human Genome Project into reduced morbidity and mortality from disease. Once genetic defects are characterised, knowledge about the variability in severity of disease in mutation carriers, is important from a public health perspective. Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disorder of iron overload that results in a wide spectrum of disease, varying from non-specific symptoms to severe damage to liver, heart, pancreas and joints from iron deposition. It is easily treatable by regular blood donation, and population-based screening for HH has therefore been advocated. In this study we aim to address gaps in the existing data on HH regarding dietary and lifestyle factors that contribute to the variable clinical picture of HH. The study will be based on the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, a cohort of 31,500 men and women who have been followed for approximately 10 years. Information on dietary and lifestyle factors was collected at initial enrollment, along with a blood specimen. We will test all non-Southern European participants (31,176) for the common HH mutations in the HFE gene and then select a subgroup of 1150 people, including all people with the main genetic defect as well as a comparison group, for further clinical followup. Participants will have genetic counselling and informed consent will be obtained. Participants will complete a short questionnaire and give a blood sample for measurement of iron overload, liver function, and other relevant blood tests, then undergo a brief clinical examination. Results of all tests will be given at a followup visit by genetic counsellor or physician. This study will provide important data on natural history of HH risk factors that influence variability in clinical presentation and the association of HFE mutations with chronic diseases and all cause mortality.Read moreRead less
Regulation Of Neural Progenitor Cell Self-renewal By The RNA-binding Protein ZFP36L1 During Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,401.00
Summary
The timely differentiation of neural stem cells is critical during development, and the unrestrained proliferation of neural stem cells in the adult can lead to deadly brain cancers such as glioma. At present our understanding of the key molecules that regulate neural stem cell behaviour during these processes remains limited. In this proposal we will investigate the molecular determinants underpinning neural stem cell biology, both within the developing brain, and within glioma.