MitoGenomics of Key Pathogens - An International Research Co-operative. The national/community benefits are: (1) to develop a long-term, high quality scientific and technological program contributing to national objectives, including the maintenance of a strong capability in basic research, the development of new scientific concepts and the enhancement of international collaborative links; (2) to strengthen the links between basic and applied research; (3) to develop excellence in research by pr ....MitoGenomics of Key Pathogens - An International Research Co-operative. The national/community benefits are: (1) to develop a long-term, high quality scientific and technological program contributing to national objectives, including the maintenance of a strong capability in basic research, the development of new scientific concepts and the enhancement of international collaborative links; (2) to strengthen the links between basic and applied research; (3) to develop excellence in research by promoting collaborative research, resulting in a more efficient use of resources in a national and international context; (4) to enhance the skills-base in biology and biotechnology; (5) to substantially increase global visibility through quality research, leading to an increased investment in Australian science.Read moreRead less
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
Genomic and molecular characterisation of a novel Australian leishmania pathogen. Leishmaniasis is the second most serious protozoal disease after malaria. This project will help characterise the first Leishmania species identified in Australia providing molecular tools to monitor the pathogen and a detailed assessment of any potential risk to human health. Comparative analysis with more pathogenic species will help identify genes and mechanisms that determine the progression of human disease le ....Genomic and molecular characterisation of a novel Australian leishmania pathogen. Leishmaniasis is the second most serious protozoal disease after malaria. This project will help characterise the first Leishmania species identified in Australia providing molecular tools to monitor the pathogen and a detailed assessment of any potential risk to human health. Comparative analysis with more pathogenic species will help identify genes and mechanisms that determine the progression of human disease leading to the potential identification of new drug and vaccine targets. The methodologies and expertise developed will be used will be available to other research groups working on infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Insect age: an ecological genomics approach to understanding host-parasite interactions. The importance of insect age (or the age structure of a population of insects) in understanding relationships between insects and their abiotic and biotic environment has been stressed in many theoretical studies but seldom directly tested. This is because few tools exist that can accurately measure the age of a wild-caught insect with any accuracy. In this proposal we plan to use a genomics approach to deve ....Insect age: an ecological genomics approach to understanding host-parasite interactions. The importance of insect age (or the age structure of a population of insects) in understanding relationships between insects and their abiotic and biotic environment has been stressed in many theoretical studies but seldom directly tested. This is because few tools exist that can accurately measure the age of a wild-caught insect with any accuracy. In this proposal we plan to use a genomics approach to develop tools that can be used to efficiently determine the age of an insect and then apply these tools to better understand the relationship between insect age and the ability of an insect to transmit pathogens to humans, livestock or plants. These tools will also have future applicability in developing new approaches to control insect transmitted disease as well as provide methodology to determine the effectiveness of current control programs that seek to kill pest insect populations of agricultural or public health significance.Read moreRead less
Genetic and epigenetic control of developmental competence. Development is an important biological process of life and understanding development has important medical and economic benefits for Australia. This research aims to study development using a simple, easily manipulated and well established experimental organism, a fungus, as a model for development in other organisms, including humans. In addition, fungi directly impact on life at many levels. Fungi can be pathogens of humans, other ani ....Genetic and epigenetic control of developmental competence. Development is an important biological process of life and understanding development has important medical and economic benefits for Australia. This research aims to study development using a simple, easily manipulated and well established experimental organism, a fungus, as a model for development in other organisms, including humans. In addition, fungi directly impact on life at many levels. Fungi can be pathogens of humans, other animals or plants significantly affecting our health, agriculture and industry. Fungi are also beneficial to other organisms, especially to many plants, and are used to manufacture pharmaceuticals and enzymes used in the health and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Investigations of Australian Hematodinium species (sp.): a dinoflagellate parasite damaging major crustacean fisheries in Australia and worldwide. The dinoflagellate Hematodinium species (sp.) causes a deadly infection in crustaceans worldwide and a recent outbreak in Shark Bay, WA highlights its importance in Australian waters. This project will provide a first nationwide survey of commercially important crustacean stocks enabling the Australian fisheries authorities to assess the full scale ....Investigations of Australian Hematodinium species (sp.): a dinoflagellate parasite damaging major crustacean fisheries in Australia and worldwide. The dinoflagellate Hematodinium species (sp.) causes a deadly infection in crustaceans worldwide and a recent outbreak in Shark Bay, WA highlights its importance in Australian waters. This project will provide a first nationwide survey of commercially important crustacean stocks enabling the Australian fisheries authorities to assess the full scale of the problem. Also, we will develop a simple, easy-to-use tool for diagnosis and management of Hematodinium sp. This project will expand the diversity of parasites studied in Australia by including this relatively poorly studied but damaging group. This project will also foster interdisciplinary collaborations within Australia, and internationally.Read moreRead less
Novel control strategies for mosquitoes threatening Australia. Increased global transport and human mobility have led to the spread and establishment of potential disease vectors and pathogens of public health importance in many parts of the world from which these were absent or had been eradicated. Aversion of this risk can be more effective when applying area-wide rather than focal (e.g. insecticide) control efforts. We will further the development of genetic and biological control tactics. We ....Novel control strategies for mosquitoes threatening Australia. Increased global transport and human mobility have led to the spread and establishment of potential disease vectors and pathogens of public health importance in many parts of the world from which these were absent or had been eradicated. Aversion of this risk can be more effective when applying area-wide rather than focal (e.g. insecticide) control efforts. We will further the development of genetic and biological control tactics. We aim to reduce the risks posed by two important dengue-vectoring mosquitoes: the yellow fever and the Asian tiger mosquito. This will lead to environmentally friendly and sustainable mosquito control and protect the Australian population and its regional neighbours against the threats of mosquito-borne disease.Read moreRead less
Dispersal and colonisation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The problem of pest or disease organisms for humanity is fundamentally a problem of unwanted colonisation. For example, colonisation of the surfaces of human tissues by bacterial biofilms is responsible for up to 70% of bacterial infections; colonisation of the surfaces of boat hulls by marine organisms costs the marine shipping industry > $5 billion per year. This proposal will generate fundamental information on the ability of both bac ....Dispersal and colonisation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The problem of pest or disease organisms for humanity is fundamentally a problem of unwanted colonisation. For example, colonisation of the surfaces of human tissues by bacterial biofilms is responsible for up to 70% of bacterial infections; colonisation of the surfaces of boat hulls by marine organisms costs the marine shipping industry > $5 billion per year. This proposal will generate fundamental information on the ability of both bacteria and higher organisms to disperse and colonise surfaces, allowing for the development of novel technologies for the prevention of unwanted colonisation of surfaces. Read moreRead less
Porous Silica-Based Nanocapsules for Targeted and Controlled Release of Biocides. The project will lead to significant advances in nanotechnology and agrichemical biocide applications. A highly efficient insect control technology will be developed, that will be cost-effective with the ability for targeted control and release of biocides. The encapsulation technology will reduce the total usage and costs of biocides thus benefit the environment in terms of reduced environment pollution and enhanc ....Porous Silica-Based Nanocapsules for Targeted and Controlled Release of Biocides. The project will lead to significant advances in nanotechnology and agrichemical biocide applications. A highly efficient insect control technology will be developed, that will be cost-effective with the ability for targeted control and release of biocides. The encapsulation technology will reduce the total usage and costs of biocides thus benefit the environment in terms of reduced environment pollution and enhanced ecological safety.Read moreRead less
New approaches for screening cereal germplasm for enhanced microbial pathogen resistance and desirable grain texture. The trait of grain hardness (texture) is of significance to the Australian infrastructure, as exports of hard wheat contribute over 5 billion dollars per year on average to the national economy and hard wheats are also important for domestic usage. The genes responsible for grain texture also impart resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens which can cause extensive damage. ....New approaches for screening cereal germplasm for enhanced microbial pathogen resistance and desirable grain texture. The trait of grain hardness (texture) is of significance to the Australian infrastructure, as exports of hard wheat contribute over 5 billion dollars per year on average to the national economy and hard wheats are also important for domestic usage. The genes responsible for grain texture also impart resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens which can cause extensive damage. However, the Australian gene pool has very limited genetic diversity in grain textures and thus possibly in pathogen resistance. The project will work out the science behind these two traits and identify lines with new variants of textures and pathogen resistances, thus greatly benefiting the national infrastructure and local primary industries.Read moreRead less