The Origin and Evolution of the Animal Phyla inferred from Analysis of Multiple-Gene Data. Australia has recently begun an extensive research programme in the genomics of our flora and fauna. The enormous amounts of data that emerge from such research are highly complex, but they hold the key to understanding how biological organisms change over time. Our research will untangle that data to answer fundamental, unanswered questions in modern science: How did the animal groups originate? How are ....The Origin and Evolution of the Animal Phyla inferred from Analysis of Multiple-Gene Data. Australia has recently begun an extensive research programme in the genomics of our flora and fauna. The enormous amounts of data that emerge from such research are highly complex, but they hold the key to understanding how biological organisms change over time. Our research will untangle that data to answer fundamental, unanswered questions in modern science: How did the animal groups originate? How are they related to each other? How is biodiversity changing? The answers to these questions and the new analytical tools we will develop will put Australia firmly on the international "map" of Bioinformatics.Read moreRead less
New phylogenetic approaches for understanding evolution at the genome scale. This project aims to use genome data to improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, including the forces that shape evolution on a whole-genome scale. The project plans to create a curated database of genome sequences and a comprehensive framework for evolutionary analyses of genomes. The new approach is designed to be used to analyse patterns of evolutionary rate variation to identify the key features of gen ....New phylogenetic approaches for understanding evolution at the genome scale. This project aims to use genome data to improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, including the forces that shape evolution on a whole-genome scale. The project plans to create a curated database of genome sequences and a comprehensive framework for evolutionary analyses of genomes. The new approach is designed to be used to analyse patterns of evolutionary rate variation to identify the key features of genome evolution. In addition, the development of a genome-scale approach to molecular dating will improve estimates of the timescale of the Tree of Life. This project is expected to yield useful insights into molecular evolution and to provide a valuable guide for future evolutionary analyses of genomes.Read moreRead less
Analysing and modelling molecular rate variation among nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. My research will have important practical benefits for bioinformaticians and evolutionary biologists, because existing analytical methods will be rigorously tested and new tools will be developed. Australia has a comparatively high concentration of researchers in this field, so my research will foster domestic collaboration and import international expertise. The research will provide important insights int ....Analysing and modelling molecular rate variation among nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. My research will have important practical benefits for bioinformaticians and evolutionary biologists, because existing analytical methods will be rigorously tested and new tools will be developed. Australia has a comparatively high concentration of researchers in this field, so my research will foster domestic collaboration and import international expertise. The research will provide important insights into the rates and patterns of genetic changes associated with domestication, and into variation in evolutionary rates among the primate ancestors of humans. In addition to developing new software, which will be made publicly available, I will develop new evolutionary models to supplement existing software packages. Read moreRead less
Directed evolution of ancestral bacterial flagellar motors. This project aims to produce new knowledge concerning the adaptation of bacterial species to wide environmental changes. The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is a motor 40 nanometers in diameter that builds itself into bacterial membranes, rotates five times faster than a Formula One engine, and switches directions in milliseconds. . This project will combine ancestral reconstruction of ancient motor components with protein engineering t ....Directed evolution of ancestral bacterial flagellar motors. This project aims to produce new knowledge concerning the adaptation of bacterial species to wide environmental changes. The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is a motor 40 nanometers in diameter that builds itself into bacterial membranes, rotates five times faster than a Formula One engine, and switches directions in milliseconds. . This project will combine ancestral reconstruction of ancient motor components with protein engineering to understand how the different ion channels that power the BFM in different species are selective for different positive ions. It will inspire and inform future manufacturing in bionanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Estimating evolutionary time-scales using genomic sequence data: exploiting opportunities and meeting challenges. Genomic data are being produced at a phenomenal rate, enabling detailed investigations of various biological questions. This project will exploit the new opportunities for improving the estimation of evolutionary time-scales, and develop methods and software to address the new challenges that have surfaced.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100755
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
Evolution of genome architecture. The project aims to understand how changes to genome architecture over evolutionary time are linked to the diversity of animal morphology. Our genome sequence is arranged into higher order structures that enable coordinated gene expression. The appropriate expression of genes in time and space is necessary to produce the multitude of cell types that make up a multicellular organism. Yet, to date, genome topology is poorly explored, especially between species. Th ....Evolution of genome architecture. The project aims to understand how changes to genome architecture over evolutionary time are linked to the diversity of animal morphology. Our genome sequence is arranged into higher order structures that enable coordinated gene expression. The appropriate expression of genes in time and space is necessary to produce the multitude of cell types that make up a multicellular organism. Yet, to date, genome topology is poorly explored, especially between species. The project involves comparisons of the 3D structure of genomes in divergent species. These findings are expected to inform the underlying principles of gene regulation in animals and species evolution.Read moreRead less
Improving access to phylogenomic resources for under-resourced species: a new look at existing tools. This project will have an impact on our understanding of how to most effectively use existing genomic resources to benefit a wider range of species and to better design new genomic resources. By doing so, improved access to genomic resources will be provided to species that currently have few options.
Rerunning the evolution of an ancient bacterial propeller. This project aims to measure how the propeller which drives bacterial swimming originated and then evolved. This project expects to generate new knowledge in molecular evolution using interdisciplinary techniques in synthetic biology and biophysics to resurrect ancient proteins and test how they can be directed to evolve in a contemporary host. Expected outcomes include the development of new types of flagellar motor for applied uses in ....Rerunning the evolution of an ancient bacterial propeller. This project aims to measure how the propeller which drives bacterial swimming originated and then evolved. This project expects to generate new knowledge in molecular evolution using interdisciplinary techniques in synthetic biology and biophysics to resurrect ancient proteins and test how they can be directed to evolve in a contemporary host. Expected outcomes include the development of new types of flagellar motor for applied uses in synbio and microfluidics, and new methods to resurrect ancient proteins and evolve their function for purpose. This should provide significant benefits by delivering a de novo molecular motor for custom applications and galvanise public interest in how this iconic molecular complex originated and evolved.Read moreRead less
Real-time phylogenetics for food-borne outbreak surveillance. The project aims to introduce, for the first time, real-time evolutionary analysis of agricultural pathogens so that outbreaks affecting crops and the food supply can be managed precisely and rapidly. An expert team will implement a large-scale data analytics framework in user-friendly software that integrates Australian infectious disease genomics data with global data. Underpinning this work are new theory and algorithms that apply ....Real-time phylogenetics for food-borne outbreak surveillance. The project aims to introduce, for the first time, real-time evolutionary analysis of agricultural pathogens so that outbreaks affecting crops and the food supply can be managed precisely and rapidly. An expert team will implement a large-scale data analytics framework in user-friendly software that integrates Australian infectious disease genomics data with global data. Underpinning this work are new theory and algorithms that apply Sequential Monte Carlo to update phylogenetic analyses continuously as new data arrives. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of statistical algorithms for evolutionary analysis, relevant to biological disciplines beyond infectious disease; and enhanced capacity for infectious disease analysis. Read moreRead less
Can lateral gene transfer lead to ecological innovation in eukaryotes? The role of saxitoxin in the diversification of Alexandrium. This project will determine the processes that led to the acquisition and diversification of the genetic basis for a potent neurotoxin, saxitoxin. This project will determine its impact on the evolution of the marine producing organisms and investigate novel genetic methods of toxin detection.