Molecular phylogeny and biodiversity of the plant family Rutaceae: evidence for Australian-New Caledonian biogeography. The results will contribute biological evidence for geological models of the evolution of New Caledonia and the Southwest Pacific region. Analyses will also contribute to improvement of methods and data interpretation in the field of historical biogeography. The molecular phylogeny will be the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian Rutaceae at the level ....Molecular phylogeny and biodiversity of the plant family Rutaceae: evidence for Australian-New Caledonian biogeography. The results will contribute biological evidence for geological models of the evolution of New Caledonia and the Southwest Pacific region. Analyses will also contribute to improvement of methods and data interpretation in the field of historical biogeography. The molecular phylogeny will be the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian Rutaceae at the level of tribes and genera. Improved phylogenetic classification underpins the delivery of biodiversity research, goods and services in Australia. Outcomes of improved taxonomy include species identification for ecological studies, identification of rare species, geographic areas of high conservation value and plants for horticulture.Read moreRead less
A predictive phylogenetic classification for Australian acacias and their tropical legume relatives worldwide. The results of this project will provide the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian acacias and their relatives, among tropical legumes. Improved phylogenetic classification will underpin the delivery of biodiversity research, goods and services in Australia and neighbouring tropical countries. Outcomes of improved taxonomy include species identification and spec ....A predictive phylogenetic classification for Australian acacias and their tropical legume relatives worldwide. The results of this project will provide the foundation for a new predictive classification of Australian acacias and their relatives, among tropical legumes. Improved phylogenetic classification will underpin the delivery of biodiversity research, goods and services in Australia and neighbouring tropical countries. Outcomes of improved taxonomy include species identification and species selection in various industries and environmental programs. Acacias and legumes are used in agro-forestry, as shade trees for crops, fuel wood, stock feed, nitrogen fixation, planting for land reclamation in arid and salinity-affected areas, and as new plantation timber products. Read moreRead less
Resolving the classification and evolutionary history of the eucalypts. This collaborative project addresses the need to achieve a stable classification of the eucalypts, Australia's most ecologically and commercially important trees. The industry partners are lead agencies with responsibility for classification and identification of biodiversity, delivering taxonomic knowledge for end-users. Despite molecular studies in the last decade, the phylogenetic relationships of a number of the major ....Resolving the classification and evolutionary history of the eucalypts. This collaborative project addresses the need to achieve a stable classification of the eucalypts, Australia's most ecologically and commercially important trees. The industry partners are lead agencies with responsibility for classification and identification of biodiversity, delivering taxonomic knowledge for end-users. Despite molecular studies in the last decade, the phylogenetic relationships of a number of the major subgroups of the eucalypts are unknown. We will sequence new regions of DNA and combine this with morphological data to resolve the relationships of the eucalypt lineages, and hence their classification. Phylogenetic analysis also aids identification of high-value areas for conservation of relictual species.Read moreRead less
Resolving the molecular phylogeny and classification of Australian acacias, a major biodiversity resource. This collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne will resolve the phylogeny of Australia's largest group of flowering plants, the acacias, to form the basis of a new classification. With more than 960 species, Australian acacias are a major biodiversity resource yet their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships are poorly known. We will determine the main taxonomic gro ....Resolving the molecular phylogeny and classification of Australian acacias, a major biodiversity resource. This collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne will resolve the phylogeny of Australia's largest group of flowering plants, the acacias, to form the basis of a new classification. With more than 960 species, Australian acacias are a major biodiversity resource yet their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships are poorly known. We will determine the main taxonomic groups and their relationships by sequencing the DNA of more than 300 species. Acacias are of ecological importance and of use in land reclamation, horticulture, and rural craftwood industries.
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Understanding the role of a newly recognised retrovirus in the induction of cancer and immunosuppressive disease in koalas. Leukaemia, lymphoma and opportunistic infections are major causes of mortality in both captive and wild koala populations. It is our hypothesis that a recently discovered retrovirus is responsible for these disease syndromes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this project will determine viral parameters that correlate with the disease status of koalas and lead to improvem ....Understanding the role of a newly recognised retrovirus in the induction of cancer and immunosuppressive disease in koalas. Leukaemia, lymphoma and opportunistic infections are major causes of mortality in both captive and wild koala populations. It is our hypothesis that a recently discovered retrovirus is responsible for these disease syndromes. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this project will determine viral parameters that correlate with the disease status of koalas and lead to improvements in diagnosis and management of disease in koala populations. The planned research will also provide some insight into cross-species transmission of retroviruses.Read moreRead less
Life and environments of the Lower Cretaceous Winton Formation, western Queensland: The Winton Dinosaur Project. This proposal is for research into vertebrate assemblages from newly discovered fossil sites in the Winton Formation, western Queensland. These sites indicate that the Winton Formation is one of the most palaeontologically productive Lower Cretaceous continental sequences in Australia. Within it are preserved vertebrates (including several new types of dinosaurs, crocodilians, turtles ....Life and environments of the Lower Cretaceous Winton Formation, western Queensland: The Winton Dinosaur Project. This proposal is for research into vertebrate assemblages from newly discovered fossil sites in the Winton Formation, western Queensland. These sites indicate that the Winton Formation is one of the most palaeontologically productive Lower Cretaceous continental sequences in Australia. Within it are preserved vertebrates (including several new types of dinosaurs, crocodilians, turtles, lungfish and freshwater sharks), invertebrates, plants and trace-fossils of a restricted biome over a relatively short time span. Research into these new sites will provide us with our first-ever detailed window on northern Australia's Lower Cretaceous lowland and coastal environments during the final break-up of Gondwana.Read moreRead less
Cretaceous marine reptiles from the Eromanga Sea - a research project focussing on the fossils of Outback Queensland. The Eromanga Sea covered large tracts of north and central Australia between 140 and 95 million years ago. Major faunal components of this inland-sea were marine reptiles, such as plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and sea turtles. North Qld has extensive marine fossil deposits remaining to be systematically explored. Many world-significant specimens from these strata are housed in the Au ....Cretaceous marine reptiles from the Eromanga Sea - a research project focussing on the fossils of Outback Queensland. The Eromanga Sea covered large tracts of north and central Australia between 140 and 95 million years ago. Major faunal components of this inland-sea were marine reptiles, such as plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and sea turtles. North Qld has extensive marine fossil deposits remaining to be systematically explored. Many world-significant specimens from these strata are housed in the Australian, Queensland and Richmond Marine Fossil museums. This project intends to resolve fundamental questions concerning the evolution, environment, lifestyle and distribution of Cretaceous marine reptiles by improving their fossil record and analysing newly discovered Australian specimens, including the world's first plesiosaur embryo.Read moreRead less
Molecular identification of blowflies of forensic importance and thermal effects on their behaviour: tools to enhance forensic entomology in Australia. In suspicious deaths in which a body is found three or more days post-mortem, carrion-breeding blowflies provide time since death estimates. These estimates are currently slow and relatively broad due to (a) an inability to adequately distinguish immatures morphologically, and (b) insufficient information on the biological responses of different ....Molecular identification of blowflies of forensic importance and thermal effects on their behaviour: tools to enhance forensic entomology in Australia. In suspicious deaths in which a body is found three or more days post-mortem, carrion-breeding blowflies provide time since death estimates. These estimates are currently slow and relatively broad due to (a) an inability to adequately distinguish immatures morphologically, and (b) insufficient information on the biological responses of different species to temperature. We will develop rapid molecular assays to distinguish blowfly species, and comprehensively chart the behavioural effects of temperature on the most forensically important blowflies. Molecular and adult morphological data will also be used to examine the evolution of the carrion-breeding blowflies.Read moreRead less
Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laborator ....Development and implementation of biodiversity information for sustainable management of South Australian groundwater. Clean potable water is one of the most important resources for human health and a successful economy. Increasingly, subterranean aquifers are used for storage and recovery of water. These aquifers contain dynamic ecosystems, but little is known about species composition or about the importance of the presence of various species for water quality. We will use the latest laboratory techniques and DNA identification methods to provide a template for determining ground water diversity and food web dynamics throughout Australia. This project will lead to a better understanding of how to manage ground water in a sustainable manner.Read moreRead less
Microbial Ecology and Control of Foaming in Anaerobic Digesters. One of the world's most common treatments of biosolids (product of wastewater treatment), anaerobic digestion often suffers from accumulation of biological foam. This foam hinders treatment, personnel health and safety, legal requirements for environmental protection are jeopardised and attempts to control digester foaming are costly. There is a clear lack of knowledge about the organisms involved and causes, therefore no informe ....Microbial Ecology and Control of Foaming in Anaerobic Digesters. One of the world's most common treatments of biosolids (product of wastewater treatment), anaerobic digestion often suffers from accumulation of biological foam. This foam hinders treatment, personnel health and safety, legal requirements for environmental protection are jeopardised and attempts to control digester foaming are costly. There is a clear lack of knowledge about the organisms involved and causes, therefore no informed solutions exist. Molecular DNA techniques, 16SrDNA sequencing and DGGE, will assist in deciphering causes and organisms involved. Research outcomes will present environmental, legal and economical acceptable control strategies for digester foaming to the waste management and water industries.Read moreRead less