Bacterial Cell Division: Discovering how it begins and the network of protein interactions it requires. All cells must coordinate cell division with chromosome replication to ensure that the DNA is partitioned equally into newborn cells. We will establish the defect of a novel mutant blocked in the earliest stage of cell division in bacteria to obtain unique information about this vital regulatory step. We will use our newly discovered protein interaction network to establish what role protein i ....Bacterial Cell Division: Discovering how it begins and the network of protein interactions it requires. All cells must coordinate cell division with chromosome replication to ensure that the DNA is partitioned equally into newborn cells. We will establish the defect of a novel mutant blocked in the earliest stage of cell division in bacteria to obtain unique information about this vital regulatory step. We will use our newly discovered protein interaction network to establish what role protein interactions play in integrating cell division with other biological pathways in the cell to ensure its tight regulation. Our discoveries will facilitate the design of new antibiotics that target cell division to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bioterrorism organisms.Read moreRead less
Establishing how bacterial cells position the division site. Cell division is essential for life. It is required for bacterial infections and, if uncontrolled, causes diseases such as cancer. We will establish how bacterial cells position the division site precisely to ensure faithful production of newborn cells. We will use the latest technology in bacterial cell biology to provide novel, clear-cut information to maintain Australia at the leading edge of this important area of research. There i ....Establishing how bacterial cells position the division site. Cell division is essential for life. It is required for bacterial infections and, if uncontrolled, causes diseases such as cancer. We will establish how bacterial cells position the division site precisely to ensure faithful production of newborn cells. We will use the latest technology in bacterial cell biology to provide novel, clear-cut information to maintain Australia at the leading edge of this important area of research. There is an alarming increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria and an imminent threat of bioterrorism. This research allows the opportunity for the development of new antibiotics to protect Australia protected from these dangerous bacteria. Read moreRead less
Regulating the earliest step in bacterial cell division: Z ring assembly. Cell division is essential for survival. What are the cues that signal cells to divide at the right place and at the right time? How do cells ensure that when division occurs to produce two newborn cells, each one receives the correct amount of DNA? The answers to these questions are essential to understand how organisms reproduce and grow. But they remain unknown. This research addresses these questions in bacteria. Our d ....Regulating the earliest step in bacterial cell division: Z ring assembly. Cell division is essential for survival. What are the cues that signal cells to divide at the right place and at the right time? How do cells ensure that when division occurs to produce two newborn cells, each one receives the correct amount of DNA? The answers to these questions are essential to understand how organisms reproduce and grow. But they remain unknown. This research addresses these questions in bacteria. Our discoveries will have a significant impact on our understanding of the regulation of this vital process and will facilitate the design of novel antibiotics that target it.Read moreRead less
Learning and Teaching Genetics in a Biotechnological World: A Multidimensional Investigation of Conceptual Change. The aim of this research is to investigate students' and experts' understandings of fundamental concepts of genetics. The aim also is to investigate teaching strategies that will develop appropriate concepts for living in a biotechnological world. This is significant because genetics is critical content knowledge for general scientific literacy. This is the first research to investi ....Learning and Teaching Genetics in a Biotechnological World: A Multidimensional Investigation of Conceptual Change. The aim of this research is to investigate students' and experts' understandings of fundamental concepts of genetics. The aim also is to investigate teaching strategies that will develop appropriate concepts for living in a biotechnological world. This is significant because genetics is critical content knowledge for general scientific literacy. This is the first research to investigate how children's theories of genetics develop and it brings together two successful theoretical approaches. The outcomes of this qualitative research will be detailed descriptions and interpretations of what children already know about genetics, what they should know, and effective teaching strategies for conceptual change.Read moreRead less
Plasmid maintenance and interactions with the host cell and its genome. Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements that play a central role in the evolution of bacteria. They are the most dynamic component of the bacterial genome, augmenting the host chromosome by conferring a range of significant phenotypes that facilitate environmental adaptation. This project aims to elucidate fundamental aspects of the relationship between plasmids and their bacterial hosts. Significant outcomes include ....Plasmid maintenance and interactions with the host cell and its genome. Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements that play a central role in the evolution of bacteria. They are the most dynamic component of the bacterial genome, augmenting the host chromosome by conferring a range of significant phenotypes that facilitate environmental adaptation. This project aims to elucidate fundamental aspects of the relationship between plasmids and their bacterial hosts. Significant outcomes include understanding the molecular basis of efficient plasmid inheritance in bacterial populations, and exploration of the innovative hypothesis that plasmids modulate expression of the host chromosome, a possibility that would profoundly alter our view of how plasmids influence host phenotype.Read moreRead less
Investigating the Ability of Honey to Inhibit Bacterial Biofilms Found in Chronic Wounds. Chronic (non-healing) wounds are a serious health problem in Australia. One quarter of our institutionalized aged population have pressure ulcers. The difficulty in treating these wounds is that most contain communities of bacteria, called biofilms, that are not killed by conventional antibiotics. Special honeys from Australia and NZ that are effective in chronic wound treatment can eradicate these biofilms ....Investigating the Ability of Honey to Inhibit Bacterial Biofilms Found in Chronic Wounds. Chronic (non-healing) wounds are a serious health problem in Australia. One quarter of our institutionalized aged population have pressure ulcers. The difficulty in treating these wounds is that most contain communities of bacteria, called biofilms, that are not killed by conventional antibiotics. Special honeys from Australia and NZ that are effective in chronic wound treatment can eradicate these biofilms. This project will identify the components in honey that do this and determine how they do it, to provide a more effective chronic wound treatment. It will decrease the prevalence of these wounds in Australia and the associated personal trauma and health costs.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775587
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$532,000.00
Summary
Correlating Genomics and Proteomics for Systems Biology: integrating the '-omics'. Acquisition of the infrastructure requested will maintain and extend the expertise developed by researchers in NSW and will allow retention and attraction of leading researchers who can contribute to understanding how genes and proteins interact in the development of the organism - the central focus of systems biology. The enhancement of the facility will allow a better understanding of biomolecular interactions ....Correlating Genomics and Proteomics for Systems Biology: integrating the '-omics'. Acquisition of the infrastructure requested will maintain and extend the expertise developed by researchers in NSW and will allow retention and attraction of leading researchers who can contribute to understanding how genes and proteins interact in the development of the organism - the central focus of systems biology. The enhancement of the facility will allow a better understanding of biomolecular interactions in health and disease, providing both community and national benefits. The focus of this LIEF application is to provide infrastructure platforms for the study of the systems biology of organisms and additional capacity by the facility for the expected increased demand for this technology in this new area. Read moreRead less
Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes th ....Mechanistic characterisation of genotype x environment interactions in sorghum and arabidopsis. Sorghum is an economically important cereal crop for Australia. In Australia, sorghum is used as a staple animal feed and it is very important for the live stock industry. With the predicted changes of temperature and rainfall patterns due to climate change, negative effects on sorghum yield are expected, which can have adverse effects on Australian economy. Our studies will identify and mark genes that regulate flowering and seed production in sorghum in response to changes in temperature and light interactions. These studies will help to develop novel sorghum varieties with desirable characters through plant-breeding programmes.Read moreRead less