Australia's freshwater ecosystems: how microbial diversity and functionality influence harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a constant threat to safe drinking water supplies. A bloom is a poorly understood interaction between many species and the environment. This project will investigate the entire microbial population and their physiologies present in a bloom event in order to identify potential targets for their management.
Adaptive ecotyping of the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii to predict its invasive capacity. We change the world while other organisms adapt to these new conditions. Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) increasingly dominate water bodies that were previously free of these harmful blooms. To minimise the spread of these algae, this project will study the genetic basis that determines how rapidly they can evolve and adapt to a changing planet.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101604
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Novel role for the universal signalling molecule nitric oxide within biofilm communities and across a biofilm-host interface. Biofilms on wet surfaces and tissues cause major problems by resisting antimicrobials. This project aims at exploiting how natural host response control systems alleviate biofilm build up and can be used to control biofilms in a non-toxic fashion. Countless environmental and clinical applications will benefit from reduced usage of antibiotics.
Colonisation by alien microbiota: identifying key ecological processes. This project aims to determine key ecological and molecular mechanisms that regulate microbial colonisation of new environments and their functional consequences. Microbial communities are important yet unseen contributors to the functioning of ecosystems, driving key ecological and economically important processes such as carbon and nutrient cycling. The project will provide a unifying framework for characterising colonisat ....Colonisation by alien microbiota: identifying key ecological processes. This project aims to determine key ecological and molecular mechanisms that regulate microbial colonisation of new environments and their functional consequences. Microbial communities are important yet unseen contributors to the functioning of ecosystems, driving key ecological and economically important processes such as carbon and nutrient cycling. The project will provide a unifying framework for characterising colonisation success of alien species across different scales, habitats, ecosystem types and environmental disturbance such as climate change.Read moreRead less
Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulati ....Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulating toxin production in cyanobacteria and algae.Read moreRead less
Antimicrobial defences in the evolution of sociality. Disease microorganisms were probably important selective agents during the evolution of most species. Social insects, the ants, bees, wasps and termites, may have been especially vulnerable because their colonies contain large numbers of closely related individuals living in close proximity; ideal conditions for contagious diseases. We will explore the evolution of antimicrobial defences in social insects and related groups. Social insects ....Antimicrobial defences in the evolution of sociality. Disease microorganisms were probably important selective agents during the evolution of most species. Social insects, the ants, bees, wasps and termites, may have been especially vulnerable because their colonies contain large numbers of closely related individuals living in close proximity; ideal conditions for contagious diseases. We will explore the evolution of antimicrobial defences in social insects and related groups. Social insects are important ecologically and economically and understanding their relationships with microbial diseases will facilitate their conservation and control. Knowledge of these interactions may also prove useful to human societies becoming increasingly vulnerable to disease.Read moreRead less
Antimicrobial Defences and Evolution of Sociality. Microbial diseases threaten all societies, human or otherwise. Insect societies present ideal conditions for contagious disease, specifically crowding of closely related individuals. We propose a gradient in the strength and breadth of antimicrobial defences from the solitary to the social condition and this is correlated with increasing crowding and decreasing genetic diversity. To test this hypothesis, we compare the microbial environments o ....Antimicrobial Defences and Evolution of Sociality. Microbial diseases threaten all societies, human or otherwise. Insect societies present ideal conditions for contagious disease, specifically crowding of closely related individuals. We propose a gradient in the strength and breadth of antimicrobial defences from the solitary to the social condition and this is correlated with increasing crowding and decreasing genetic diversity. To test this hypothesis, we compare the microbial environments of nests and colonies, and the antimicrobial mechanisms, of solitary, semi-social and social insects. Outcomes from this research on disease regulation will inform the use, management and conservation of these economically and ecologically important animals.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,402,903.00
Summary
Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop ....Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop new bioinformatics tools to identify and analyse highly divergent genome sequences through studying meta-transcriptomic data from diverse animal phyla, from prokaryotes and basal eukaryotes, from iconic native mammalian species and their major invasive pests. The benefits provided will include determining the viromes of native and invasive species and enhancing the efforts to protect iconic Australian species from infectious disease.Read moreRead less
Defining the links between climate change, marine disease and food security. This project will deliver critical new knowledge on the causes of marine pathogen outbreaks that threaten Australia’s $1.6 billion aquaculture industry. Several members of the same genus of bacteria have been implicated in recent mass mortality events in aquaculture species, as well as human illness in consumers of seafood, yet the triggers for unprecedented outbreaks of these pathogens are unknown. By coupling a suite ....Defining the links between climate change, marine disease and food security. This project will deliver critical new knowledge on the causes of marine pathogen outbreaks that threaten Australia’s $1.6 billion aquaculture industry. Several members of the same genus of bacteria have been implicated in recent mass mortality events in aquaculture species, as well as human illness in consumers of seafood, yet the triggers for unprecedented outbreaks of these pathogens are unknown. By coupling a suite of sophisticated molecular biological tools and physiological measurements, this research will resolve the role of environmental disturbances including marine heat waves, floods and plastic pollution in stimulating marine pathogen outbreaks, thereby informing efforts to safeguard Australia’s food security and food safety.Read moreRead less
New tools to decipher, predict and manage pacific oyster mortality episodes. This project aims to unite cutting-edge genomic and molecular biological tools with novel quantitative modelling analyses to identify the mechanisms behind oyster disease events. Oyster farming contributes almost $100 million to the Australian economy each year and is a cornerstone of coastal communities, but has been decimated by diseases that threaten this important primary industry. While some causative pathogens hav ....New tools to decipher, predict and manage pacific oyster mortality episodes. This project aims to unite cutting-edge genomic and molecular biological tools with novel quantitative modelling analyses to identify the mechanisms behind oyster disease events. Oyster farming contributes almost $100 million to the Australian economy each year and is a cornerstone of coastal communities, but has been decimated by diseases that threaten this important primary industry. While some causative pathogens have been identified, the environmental catalysts of oyster disease remain a mystery. The expected outcome of this project is an innovative coupling of tools that provides new capacity to forecast disease events, delivering the Australian oyster industry a powerful platform to predict, manage and prevent costly disease outbreaks. By identifying environmental thresholds and oyster disease danger periods, an expected outcome of this project is the development of new oyster farming strategies aimed at avoiding multi-million dollar losses associated with disease outbreaks.Read moreRead less