Tree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Recent evidence suggests that tree-mediated fluxes may be a significant, but overlooked source of methane to the atmosphere. This project aims to quantify the magnitude and drivers of tree-mediated methane fluxes from Australia’s dominant forest types. Innovatively, we will be using a novel combination of empirical field based measurements, gas tracer experiments, microbial ana ....Tree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. Recent evidence suggests that tree-mediated fluxes may be a significant, but overlooked source of methane to the atmosphere. This project aims to quantify the magnitude and drivers of tree-mediated methane fluxes from Australia’s dominant forest types. Innovatively, we will be using a novel combination of empirical field based measurements, gas tracer experiments, microbial analysis and modelling methods. Expected outcomes are a mechanistic understanding of tree-mediated methane fluxes, helping to constrain regional, national and global methane budgets. The results of this study will help inform publicly funded greenhouse gas abatement strategies, ensuring a maximal return on investment.Read moreRead less
A Universal Power Law for Growth and Diversity of Dinosaur and Bird Beaks. Universal rules that govern how animals grow have tremendous power to explain the highly complex processes of growth and development. The project investigators have recently discovered a new rule of growth that controls how teeth, horns, claws and beaks are generated in animals. This project aims to use this new rule to examine the evolution and diversity of beaks in birds and dinosaurs. By combining 3D modelling, biomech ....A Universal Power Law for Growth and Diversity of Dinosaur and Bird Beaks. Universal rules that govern how animals grow have tremendous power to explain the highly complex processes of growth and development. The project investigators have recently discovered a new rule of growth that controls how teeth, horns, claws and beaks are generated in animals. This project aims to use this new rule to examine the evolution and diversity of beaks in birds and dinosaurs. By combining 3D modelling, biomechanics and genetic analysis of bird beak development with the study of dinosaur fossils, this project expects to reveal the underlying processes controlling the growth and evolution of beaks. The anticipated goal of this project is to show the power of new theoretical models to explain the diversity of life.Read moreRead less
The role of phosphoinositides in endosomal maturation dynamics. This project aims to investigate the regulation of an intracellular compartment within a cell called endosomes, which plays critical roles in cellular homeostasis, signalling and pathogen entry. New knowledge is expected to be generated in understanding endosome maturation and the signalling events that drive this process using a unique, multidisciplinary approach combining state of the art imaging techniques and high throughput pro ....The role of phosphoinositides in endosomal maturation dynamics. This project aims to investigate the regulation of an intracellular compartment within a cell called endosomes, which plays critical roles in cellular homeostasis, signalling and pathogen entry. New knowledge is expected to be generated in understanding endosome maturation and the signalling events that drive this process using a unique, multidisciplinary approach combining state of the art imaging techniques and high throughput protein analysis. The anticipated outcomes will be to define the molecular steps that govern the membrane-bound machinery on endosomes that directs endosomal maturation. This should provide significant benefits in delineating a process that is linked to almost all aspects of cell life.Read moreRead less
Manipulation of mitochondrial function by Legionella pneumophila. . The intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila co-evolved with eukaryotic hosts and has developed sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate human cell function – mitochondria in particular – by secreting >300 effector proteins through a specialised Type-IV system into the host cell. This research aims to understand the function of effector proteins targeted to mitochondria; delivering important new knowledge in host-pa ....Manipulation of mitochondrial function by Legionella pneumophila. . The intracellular bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila co-evolved with eukaryotic hosts and has developed sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate human cell function – mitochondria in particular – by secreting >300 effector proteins through a specialised Type-IV system into the host cell. This research aims to understand the function of effector proteins targeted to mitochondria; delivering important new knowledge in host-pathogen and mitochondrial biology and advanced cell biology tools. With most of the effector proteins yet to be characterised, benefits from the project will be to reveal specifically how these target mitochondria, and more broadly, how bacterial pathogens manipulate organelles for their survival.Read moreRead less
Skin in the game: biomimetics, fitness and the springtail cuticle. This project aims to examine the relationship between cuticle (skin) properties, water balance, and fitness in springtails, key players in soil systems. Springtail cuticles are diverse, responsive, and extremely resistant to wetting by water, alcohol and other substances. Their Australian diversity has not been well explored for biomimetic new materials. This project expects to explore options for new applications in materials sc ....Skin in the game: biomimetics, fitness and the springtail cuticle. This project aims to examine the relationship between cuticle (skin) properties, water balance, and fitness in springtails, key players in soil systems. Springtail cuticles are diverse, responsive, and extremely resistant to wetting by water, alcohol and other substances. Their Australian diversity has not been well explored for biomimetic new materials. This project expects to explore options for new applications in materials science and engineering by generalising the cuticle structure-function relationship. Expected outcomes are new information to harness for industry the diversity of nature’s self-cleaning, water repellent surfaces. Significant benefits lie in potential new biomimetic manufacturing options.Read moreRead less
Brains frozen in time: vertebrate neural adaptations to invading land . The evolution of terrestrial animals from fish was one of the most significant events in our evolution, yet little is known about how the brain evolved during this transition. This project aims to investigate the major novelties acquired in the evolution of the early vertebrate brain in order to determine the functional reasons for such changes, as well as identifying the timing and environmental factors driving such changes ....Brains frozen in time: vertebrate neural adaptations to invading land . The evolution of terrestrial animals from fish was one of the most significant events in our evolution, yet little is known about how the brain evolved during this transition. This project aims to investigate the major novelties acquired in the evolution of the early vertebrate brain in order to determine the functional reasons for such changes, as well as identifying the timing and environmental factors driving such changes. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the anatomy of the vertebrate brain with improved methods for reconstructing fossil brains to better understand our own neurological evolution. Expected outcomes include enhanced institutional collaborations within Australia, and between Australia, Canada and the USA.Read moreRead less
Mapping the integration of T cell fate control across time and space. This project aims to apply new methods to determine how coordination of signalling complexes impacts upon the fate of cells of the adaptive immune system. It expects to determine how the context of signallng orchestrates cell fates such as differentiation, death and proliferation. The project is expected to yield an experimental and analytical platform for further investigations into a broad range of biological questions, and ....Mapping the integration of T cell fate control across time and space. This project aims to apply new methods to determine how coordination of signalling complexes impacts upon the fate of cells of the adaptive immune system. It expects to determine how the context of signallng orchestrates cell fates such as differentiation, death and proliferation. The project is expected to yield an experimental and analytical platform for further investigations into a broad range of biological questions, and to provide new knowledge of this fundamental problem. This platform should support further work that ultimately provides new models for tissue and immune cell regeneration, and new manufacturing platforms for therapies for humans and livestock, among other benefits.Read moreRead less
A balancing act: Resolving coastal wetland water, carbon and solute fluxes. Coastal wetlands offer an impressive capacity to regulate the Earth’s climate by altering the way carbon dioxide is extracted from the atmosphere and stored while simultaneously influencing the water cycle, thus providing ecosystem services such as carbon storage, abating flood waters, improving water quality and protecting the coastline from sea level rise. This project aims to address the current gaps in understanding .... A balancing act: Resolving coastal wetland water, carbon and solute fluxes. Coastal wetlands offer an impressive capacity to regulate the Earth’s climate by altering the way carbon dioxide is extracted from the atmosphere and stored while simultaneously influencing the water cycle, thus providing ecosystem services such as carbon storage, abating flood waters, improving water quality and protecting the coastline from sea level rise. This project aims to address the current gaps in understanding the critical exchanges of water and greenhouse gases (GHGs) combining field methodologies and hydrological models, under different climatic conditions. The intended outcomes will benefit management of GHG emissions, coastal flooding and vulnerable groundwater dependent habitats.Read moreRead less
Understanding how cells regulate self eating during starvation and stress. This project aims to investigate how autophagosomes are built during autophagy by using advanced multi-modal imaging and unique gene-edited human cell lines. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how a family of evolutionary conserved proteins regulate autophagosome formation during starvation and stress conditions. Expected outcomes include the development of frontier imaging technologies that can be subseque ....Understanding how cells regulate self eating during starvation and stress. This project aims to investigate how autophagosomes are built during autophagy by using advanced multi-modal imaging and unique gene-edited human cell lines. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how a family of evolutionary conserved proteins regulate autophagosome formation during starvation and stress conditions. Expected outcomes include the development of frontier imaging technologies that can be subsequently utilised for the advancement of any field of cell biology. This should provide significant benefits by placing Australia at the forefront of cell biology technologies and increasing our understanding of how plant and human cells can protect themselves during starvation and stress.
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A general theory for ecological trait-strategy dimensions. This project aims to bridge the gap in understanding of ecological strategies between plant and animal ecology, globally, using ants. It will test how environmental change influences the success of species, based on ecological strategies, and the consequences for ecosystem function. This project is expected to make a significant contribution to generality and prediction in ecology. Expected outcomes of this project include theory deve ....A general theory for ecological trait-strategy dimensions. This project aims to bridge the gap in understanding of ecological strategies between plant and animal ecology, globally, using ants. It will test how environmental change influences the success of species, based on ecological strategies, and the consequences for ecosystem function. This project is expected to make a significant contribution to generality and prediction in ecology. Expected outcomes of this project include theory development and application and enhanced global networks of trait researchers. Intended benefits include improved ecological theory, an enhanced capacity to predict how global change will affect organisms and increased understanding of the cascading effects of changes for ecosystem function.Read moreRead less