Cell wall invertase regulates fruit and seed development through sugar signals, sugar transporters and plasmodesmal gating. This project seeks to understand the molecular and cellular events controlling carbohydrate allocation in fruit and seed by focusing the coupling between sugar metabolism and transport using tomato as a model. The information generated may provide technological opportunities to improve fruit and seed development hence, crop yield.
Mechanisms regulating plant cell expansion: assessing the role of aquaporins and sugar signalling. This project seeks to understand the role of water channel genes in controlling water flow into expanding plant cells by using cotton fibre as a model cell. Water flow plays critical roles in plant growth, hence yield. The information generated may provide technological opportunities for improving water flow and utilization, hence, crop yield.
Wall ingrowth formation in plant transfer cells - discovering regulatory transcription factor cascades. This project will discover how specialised plant 'transfer cells', designed for optimum transport of nutrients, develop complex wall ingrowths. Discovering the genes which regulate wall ingrowth deposition in these cells will generate opportunities to improve crop yield and therefore contribute to addressing global food security.
Comparative eco-physiology of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands in Central Australia: hydrological niche separation and ecosystem resilience. This proposal addresses two fundamental questions: how do co-occurring species co-exist and why do Australian ecosystems have larger ecosystem water-use-efficiencies than those in the USA? This proposal will: determine the resilience of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands; compare variation in hydraulic-related plant traits across co-existing species; an ....Comparative eco-physiology of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands in Central Australia: hydrological niche separation and ecosystem resilience. This proposal addresses two fundamental questions: how do co-occurring species co-exist and why do Australian ecosystems have larger ecosystem water-use-efficiencies than those in the USA? This proposal will: determine the resilience of two contrasting arid-zone woodlands; compare variation in hydraulic-related plant traits across co-existing species; and, determine the relative contribution of changes in assimilation and stomatal conductance to variation (across species and time) in water-use-efficiency. Outcomes of this work include a mechanistic understanding of the behaviour of water-limited woodlands in current and future climates. This is significant because such biomes are globally important and are home to two billion people. Read moreRead less
Carbon flux and its regulation in metabolic networks. Allocation of photo-assimilates throughout metabolic networks are central to a plants ability to cope with changes in its environment. This project will combine the use of quantitative molecular, chemical and imaging techniques to characterise the flux of resources and its regulation through metabolic networks of Australian native and crop plants.
ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Wall Biology. The ARC Centre for Plant Cell Wall Biology will define the regulatory mechanisms that control molecular, enzymic and cellular processes involved in the synthesis, deposition, re-modelling and depolymerisation of cell wall polysaccharides of cereals and grasses. Plant cell walls represent the world's largest renewable carbon resource, but the regulatory mechanisms responsible for their synthesis and assembly are not understood. Key distinguishi ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Wall Biology. The ARC Centre for Plant Cell Wall Biology will define the regulatory mechanisms that control molecular, enzymic and cellular processes involved in the synthesis, deposition, re-modelling and depolymerisation of cell wall polysaccharides of cereals and grasses. Plant cell walls represent the world's largest renewable carbon resource, but the regulatory mechanisms responsible for their synthesis and assembly are not understood. Key distinguishing features of the Centre will be the international, integrative, and multidisciplinary approach towards addressing major questions in plant biology, its strategy to leverage ARC funding, and its linkages with potential national and international end-users of the fundamental scientific discoveries.Read moreRead less
Transport systems that underpin nitrogen efficient maize. This project aims to define the nitrogen transport network involved in the uptake, storage and redistribution of inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) over the developmental life cycle of maize. This information will provide novel insight into the genetic control of nitrogen use in maize and other cereal crops.
Plant transfer cells: discovering regulatory mechanisms directing assembly of their ingrowth walls. Specialised transfer cells facilitate nutrient transport within plants which is essential for their growth. This project will explore how structural and functional changes are regulated to form a transfer cell. The results of this research will contribute to scientific knowledge applicable to increasing crop yield.
Oxygen isotope discrimination during C4 photosynthesis. Plants with the C4 photosynthetic pathway, like sugarcane and pasture grasses, are vital to Australian agriculture and natural ecosystems. This project will use novel laser spectroscopy to measure oxygen isotope discrimination during photosynthesis and quantify the influence of C4 plants on isotopic signatures of atmospheric CO2.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100133
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,000.00
Summary
Expansion and Upgrade of the Newcastle Plant Growth Facility. Expansion and upgrade of the Newcastle plant growth facility: The project will upgrade and expand the Newcastle plant growth facility to ensure a continuous supply of high quality plant material required for competitively-funded research programs. This outcome will be achieved by replacing plant growth cabinets that have passed their built-in 15 year redundancy by many years, and the addition of specialist cabinets for Arabidopsis res ....Expansion and Upgrade of the Newcastle Plant Growth Facility. Expansion and upgrade of the Newcastle plant growth facility: The project will upgrade and expand the Newcastle plant growth facility to ensure a continuous supply of high quality plant material required for competitively-funded research programs. This outcome will be achieved by replacing plant growth cabinets that have passed their built-in 15 year redundancy by many years, and the addition of specialist cabinets for Arabidopsis research housed in a renovated PC2 space. Together, the infrastructure additions will enhance the productivity and excellence of core areas of plant biology research in plant development and nutrient transport, which are both areas of research that will be critical to address issues of food security in the future.Read moreRead less