Development of molecular markers for resistance to blackleg disease (Leptosphaeria maculans) in canola. Canola (Brassica napus) is a valuable oil seed crop grown in many parts of the world and contributes annually $A450 million to the Australian economy. The overall aim of this project is to develop molecular markers for blackleg resistance using Australian germplasm along with evaluation in Australian disease nurseries which are regarded worlwide to develop the highest levels of disease pressu ....Development of molecular markers for resistance to blackleg disease (Leptosphaeria maculans) in canola. Canola (Brassica napus) is a valuable oil seed crop grown in many parts of the world and contributes annually $A450 million to the Australian economy. The overall aim of this project is to develop molecular markers for blackleg resistance using Australian germplasm along with evaluation in Australian disease nurseries which are regarded worlwide to develop the highest levels of disease pressure. Once molecular marker systems are developed and evaluated, they will be applied to facilitate the selection of Nugrain's (Industry Partner) canola breeding programs. Any molecular markers and QTL developed for Australian cultivars would find commercial application in breeding programmes.Read moreRead less
Protecting the Australian chickpea industry through knowledge of the current Ascochyta rabiei fungal population and risk to resistance breeding strategies. Australian chickpea is highly vulnerable to epidemics of Ascochyta blight, which may cause total crop failure. This project will help to maintain Australia's position as a major global chickpea producer through maximising the life span of current resistance genes to A. rabiei. and determining the applicability of other potential resistance so ....Protecting the Australian chickpea industry through knowledge of the current Ascochyta rabiei fungal population and risk to resistance breeding strategies. Australian chickpea is highly vulnerable to epidemics of Ascochyta blight, which may cause total crop failure. This project will help to maintain Australia's position as a major global chickpea producer through maximising the life span of current resistance genes to A. rabiei. and determining the applicability of other potential resistance sources. The knowledge that will be generated regarding the pathogen's potential to overcome host resistance is imperative for developing future disease management strategies, especially since more aggressive isolates exist outside Australia. The project findings will feed directly into the National Australian Chickpea Breeding Program.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of antifungal resistance in blackleg disease of canola. This project aims to determine how fungicide resistance evolves in the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, the major pathogen of the oilseed crop canola. Global food production has become more reliant on the use of antifungal agents to protect crops, however these advances are now threatened by the emergence of drug-resistant microbes. The knowledge generated by this project will be used to reduce the risk of resistance evolving in po ....Mechanisms of antifungal resistance in blackleg disease of canola. This project aims to determine how fungicide resistance evolves in the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, the major pathogen of the oilseed crop canola. Global food production has become more reliant on the use of antifungal agents to protect crops, however these advances are now threatened by the emergence of drug-resistant microbes. The knowledge generated by this project will be used to reduce the risk of resistance evolving in populations of the blackleg fungus. This will have economic benefits through ensuring increased canola yields, while providing health and environmental benefits through minimisation of use of fungicides.Read moreRead less
Enhancement of Novel Flower Colours. The demand for novel colours and varieties of cutflowers is the most important driver for the floriculture industry. This project will increase the understanding of the factors that regulate flower colour and produce flowers with novel colours. This novelty is a consumer trait, and is likely to translate into increased sales and revenue to the Industry Partner, with income from these worldwide sales translating directly into the employment of research and dev ....Enhancement of Novel Flower Colours. The demand for novel colours and varieties of cutflowers is the most important driver for the floriculture industry. This project will increase the understanding of the factors that regulate flower colour and produce flowers with novel colours. This novelty is a consumer trait, and is likely to translate into increased sales and revenue to the Industry Partner, with income from these worldwide sales translating directly into the employment of research and development staff in Australia. This project will maintain Australian expertise in the production of horticultural commodities and provide research training to a post-graduate student with industry experience.Read moreRead less
Pathophysiological mechanisms in equine dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis). Dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis) is a developmental orthopaedic disease of horses, which causes significant wastage within the Thoroughbred racing industry. The disease affects growth cartilage beneath joint surfaces in such a way that cartilage fails to be replaced by bone, resulting in defects in the joint surface and lameness. This project will identify differences in gene expression between normal cartilage and ea ....Pathophysiological mechanisms in equine dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis). Dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis) is a developmental orthopaedic disease of horses, which causes significant wastage within the Thoroughbred racing industry. The disease affects growth cartilage beneath joint surfaces in such a way that cartilage fails to be replaced by bone, resulting in defects in the joint surface and lameness. This project will identify differences in gene expression between normal cartilage and early dyschondroplastic lesions, in order to identify the sequence of molecular events leading to induction of disease. The basic understanding of joint development obtained from this work will assist in the development of strategies to prevent and diagnose dyschondroplasia in horses.Read moreRead less
Novel biological and genetic disease control tools for the barley industry. This project places Australian barley breeders at the forefront of disease resistance by providing them with novel tools to develop varieties with enhanced protection against fungal diseases. The aims are to produce fungal strains with multiple virulence genes for fast and cost-effective testing of barley lines, untangle the fungal/host gene interaction for resistance breeding and identify new sources of resistance. The ....Novel biological and genetic disease control tools for the barley industry. This project places Australian barley breeders at the forefront of disease resistance by providing them with novel tools to develop varieties with enhanced protection against fungal diseases. The aims are to produce fungal strains with multiple virulence genes for fast and cost-effective testing of barley lines, untangle the fungal/host gene interaction for resistance breeding and identify new sources of resistance. The outcomes will lead to the commercialisation by Australian breeding companies of barley varieties with durable fungal resistance. This will benefit the Australian economy by providing sustainability and protection for barley breeding thereby significantly reducing crop losses for this important global agricultural commodity.Read moreRead less
Flavour enhancing functional feeds for farmed Barramundi. This project aims to improve the flavour quality of Australian farmed barramundi through developing novel functional feeds. The project expects to expand our fundamental knowledge of flavour enhancement, whilst providing practical benefits with respect to final product quality. The project will enable industry to achieve higher product quality benchmarks, towards the ultimate goal of improving the marketability of barramundi both locally ....Flavour enhancing functional feeds for farmed Barramundi. This project aims to improve the flavour quality of Australian farmed barramundi through developing novel functional feeds. The project expects to expand our fundamental knowledge of flavour enhancement, whilst providing practical benefits with respect to final product quality. The project will enable industry to achieve higher product quality benchmarks, towards the ultimate goal of improving the marketability of barramundi both locally and overseas. This project will provide significant benefits to the Australian barramundi industry by increasing product values, thereby facilitating an economically sustainable growth of this important regional industry.Read moreRead less
The roles viruses play in the decline of terrestrial orchids in Australia’s hotspot of global biodiversity. Plant viruses play both positive and negative roles in native plant health and population viability. This study will use deep sequencing and plant physiology approaches to elucidate how threatened terrestrial orchids respond to infection by exotic and indigenous viruses, allowing more informed management of critically-important ecosystems.
Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. This project aims to develop healthy new beverages, by studying the effect of chemistry and physical interactions of insoluble dietary fibre with other food ingredients. Insoluble fibre reduces the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This project will research how insoluble-fibre linked phytochemicals behave in complex matrices and contribute to malodorous flavours; and design adv ....Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. Insoluble-fibre enriched beverages. This project aims to develop healthy new beverages, by studying the effect of chemistry and physical interactions of insoluble dietary fibre with other food ingredients. Insoluble fibre reduces the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. This project will research how insoluble-fibre linked phytochemicals behave in complex matrices and contribute to malodorous flavours; and design advanced experimental protocols to prevent undesirable sensory characteristics in liquid systems.Read moreRead less
Novel methods for the production of micronutrient-enriched rice. The increasingly productive Australian rice industry generated AUD$1 billion revenue in 2012. By targeting a rice gene that we recently identified as a key regulator of iron uptake and transport, this project will produce high value, micronutrient-enriched rice grain to improve the nutritional health of people in Australia and throughout the world.