Comparative biosecurity informatics to anticipate invasive species threats. Invasive species cause billions in economic damages to Australia, but we do not have effective means to identify dangerous species before they arrive and cause harm. This project aims to overcome this challenge using the latest techniques in machine learning combined with genetic, ecological, and functional datasets for thousands of species. This project expects to generate a novel framework that allows us to identify an ....Comparative biosecurity informatics to anticipate invasive species threats. Invasive species cause billions in economic damages to Australia, but we do not have effective means to identify dangerous species before they arrive and cause harm. This project aims to overcome this challenge using the latest techniques in machine learning combined with genetic, ecological, and functional datasets for thousands of species. This project expects to generate a novel framework that allows us to identify and rank dangerous invasive species in an unbiased way, helping to safeguard Australia's unique biological community. Expected outcomes include improved methods for detecting ecologically and functionally similar species, providing substantial economic efficiency benefits to Australian biosecurity.Read moreRead less
Eco-evolutionary drivers of niche dynamics in invasive weeds. The project aims to understand how and why invasive species become invasive. Many exotic species are known to expand their ecological niches in their novel range, exploiting habitats that ancestral populations never used. Using a unique approach that combines field transplant and quantitative genetics experiments, this study will identify the drivers of niche expansion in invasive Australian capeweed, and predict if the invasive popul ....Eco-evolutionary drivers of niche dynamics in invasive weeds. The project aims to understand how and why invasive species become invasive. Many exotic species are known to expand their ecological niches in their novel range, exploiting habitats that ancestral populations never used. Using a unique approach that combines field transplant and quantitative genetics experiments, this study will identify the drivers of niche expansion in invasive Australian capeweed, and predict if the invasive populations are likely to further expand their niches. By delivering key insights into mechanisms of adaptive evolution in invasive species, this research should benefit efforts to effectively limit the spread of invasive plants that threaten the native environment. Read moreRead less
How a ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects protects against pathogens. The project intends to determine the mechanism that underpins pathogen protection in insects. Insects harbour microbial communities in their cells and guts and confer a range of benefits on their hosts. One bacterium, Wolbachia, protects insects against co-infecting pathogens. The release of Wolbachia into mosquito populations is currently being tested as a means to reduce dengue virus transmission to humans. Using innovative e ....How a ubiquitous endosymbiont of insects protects against pathogens. The project intends to determine the mechanism that underpins pathogen protection in insects. Insects harbour microbial communities in their cells and guts and confer a range of benefits on their hosts. One bacterium, Wolbachia, protects insects against co-infecting pathogens. The release of Wolbachia into mosquito populations is currently being tested as a means to reduce dengue virus transmission to humans. Using innovative evolutionary and genetic approaches, the project proposes to elucidate the mechanism of pathogen blocking and ascertain its broader consequences for the host. This knowledge may be critical for maintaining the effectiveness of the biocontrol approach in the field by informing the development of resistance management strategies.Read moreRead less
The evolution of host-parasite interactions during a biological invasion. This project aims to elucidate how host organisms and their parasites adapt to each other, exploiting the fact that a biological invasion imposes novel evolutionary challenges. This project expects to generate new knowledge about how the interaction between host and parasite species is affected when the system is exposed to powerful new selective forces. Expected outcomes of this project include development of theory, trai ....The evolution of host-parasite interactions during a biological invasion. This project aims to elucidate how host organisms and their parasites adapt to each other, exploiting the fact that a biological invasion imposes novel evolutionary challenges. This project expects to generate new knowledge about how the interaction between host and parasite species is affected when the system is exposed to powerful new selective forces. Expected outcomes of this project include development of theory, training of students in an emerging field, and a nuanced understanding of this important topic. This should provide significant benefits, such as an enhanced ability for wildlife managers to predict the impact of parasites on species of wildlife that are extending their geographic ranges.Read moreRead less
Genomic diversity, tolerance and ecology of wildlife disease. This project aims to understand the regulation of viral disease by vertebrate hosts. Viruses are rapidly evolving threats to humans, agriculture and wildlife and understanding of these threats can be transformed by combining the latest genomic, ecological and immune-pathological approaches. This project expects to reveal how hosts manage the bad effects of viruses in natural populations and fill gaps in fundamental knowledge of virus- ....Genomic diversity, tolerance and ecology of wildlife disease. This project aims to understand the regulation of viral disease by vertebrate hosts. Viruses are rapidly evolving threats to humans, agriculture and wildlife and understanding of these threats can be transformed by combining the latest genomic, ecological and immune-pathological approaches. This project expects to reveal how hosts manage the bad effects of viruses in natural populations and fill gaps in fundamental knowledge of virus-host evolution. Anticipated benefits include improved management, risk assessment and decision-making for animal disease and biosecurity in Australia and globally.Read moreRead less