The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100011
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$346,439.00
Summary
Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages. Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages: This custom-built spinning disk confocal microscope with rotational stages will constitute an internationally unique platform. The system has the capability of rapidly monitoring cells in growing biological specimens under changing environments. It offers an integrated platform for multiple imaging strategies, including confocal and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. The ....Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages. Spinning disk confocal microscope with dual stages: This custom-built spinning disk confocal microscope with rotational stages will constitute an internationally unique platform. The system has the capability of rapidly monitoring cells in growing biological specimens under changing environments. It offers an integrated platform for multiple imaging strategies, including confocal and Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. The system will reside in core facilities with open access to a broad research community. The system may be used to monitor a wide variety of cells and molecules, and will offer capabilities that are of importance to understand cell trafficking, disease and signalling, plant biomass production, and climate change.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary genetics of bovid genomes over 60,000 years. This project will provide data critical for understanding the genetic background of modern cattle and bison, and how humans have shaped factors such as milk yield, growth rates and muscle mass. It will also reveal genes and genomic regions that were favoured in the domestication process, including those potentially linked to genes of commercial interest for future research. This pioneering ancient DNA approach will also be applicable to a ....Evolutionary genetics of bovid genomes over 60,000 years. This project will provide data critical for understanding the genetic background of modern cattle and bison, and how humans have shaped factors such as milk yield, growth rates and muscle mass. It will also reveal genes and genomic regions that were favoured in the domestication process, including those potentially linked to genes of commercial interest for future research. This pioneering ancient DNA approach will also be applicable to a variety of other domestic crops and animals. The unique temporal analysis of microevolution will provide crucial data for genetic research, and groundproof our attempts to analyse the timing and nature of human evolutionary history, major domestication events and inform conservation management.Read moreRead less
Using ancient DNA to understand Australia's past and manage its future. The aim of this program is to establish an ancient DNA research centre for Australia, and use long-term natural records to investigate the genetic responses of animals, plants, and micro-organisms to environmental change. By examining biological processes before, during, and after major changes (eg coral bleaching, salination) the evolution and selective pressures at important genetic loci will be identified, and related to ....Using ancient DNA to understand Australia's past and manage its future. The aim of this program is to establish an ancient DNA research centre for Australia, and use long-term natural records to investigate the genetic responses of animals, plants, and micro-organisms to environmental change. By examining biological processes before, during, and after major changes (eg coral bleaching, salination) the evolution and selective pressures at important genetic loci will be identified, and related to environmental change to enhance effected planning and future management of Australia's ecosystems, biodiversity and tourism. Key records will come from lake-beds, billabongs, coral reefs, rodent nests, megafaunal bones, and ancient human material.Read moreRead less
Using ancient DNA to investigate the environmental impacts of climate change and humans through time. This project will provide important information about how climate change and human impact have effected our environment over the past 50,000 years, removing many of the large mammals and altering the landscape. It is critical that the background to our current environment is properly understood if we are to predict the effects of on-going changes such as global warming. The research will concent ....Using ancient DNA to investigate the environmental impacts of climate change and humans through time. This project will provide important information about how climate change and human impact have effected our environment over the past 50,000 years, removing many of the large mammals and altering the landscape. It is critical that the background to our current environment is properly understood if we are to predict the effects of on-going changes such as global warming. The research will concentrate on the effects of climate change on large mammals in North and South America, New Zealand, Australia and Africa over this time period, and will examine the additional impact of humans in each location.Read moreRead less
Range dynamics and demographics of spatially structured populations under global change. Why are particular species present in some locations, but not others? This is a simple, fundamental ecological question, yet surprisingly, our answers on this point remain far from complete. Using an integrated, systems-based approach, we will determine the interplay between: (i) birth, death and movement rates, (ii) species interactions, and (iii) the constraints of the physical environment (temperature, ra ....Range dynamics and demographics of spatially structured populations under global change. Why are particular species present in some locations, but not others? This is a simple, fundamental ecological question, yet surprisingly, our answers on this point remain far from complete. Using an integrated, systems-based approach, we will determine the interplay between: (i) birth, death and movement rates, (ii) species interactions, and (iii) the constraints of the physical environment (temperature, rainfall, soil type), which determine the limits of species' ranges. Our models will provide Australian conservation managers with a novel, validated toolbox to explore the trade-offs, and synergies, inherent in trying to adapt to climate change and other stressors on biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Planning for a transformed future: Modelling synergistic climate change and land use impacts on biodiversity. Climate change poses a dire threat to Australia's biodiversity and natural resources due to its all-encompassing reach and the speed at which human-driven changes are taking place in already heavily modified systems. The proposed research, on modelling the synergistic impacts of anthropogenic threats, will provide new knowledge and innovative solutions for protecting unique ecosystems fa ....Planning for a transformed future: Modelling synergistic climate change and land use impacts on biodiversity. Climate change poses a dire threat to Australia's biodiversity and natural resources due to its all-encompassing reach and the speed at which human-driven changes are taking place in already heavily modified systems. The proposed research, on modelling the synergistic impacts of anthropogenic threats, will provide new knowledge and innovative solutions for protecting unique ecosystems facing severe environmental challenges this century. The validation of these new methods, which aim to capture ecological responses to global change, will represent a major and timely addition to the national research capability on climate change adaptation, and add to Australia's reputation as a global leader in the field of ecology.Read moreRead less
The evolution of species traits and spread during biological invasions. Exotic species pose a dire threat to Australia's biodiversity and natural resources due to the speed at which non-indigenous pests spread and the ecological and environmental damage they are capable of causing. The proposed research, on identifying traits associated with the spread of exotic vertebrate species and modelling the reproductive and dispersal parameters among different populations, will provide new knowledge and ....The evolution of species traits and spread during biological invasions. Exotic species pose a dire threat to Australia's biodiversity and natural resources due to the speed at which non-indigenous pests spread and the ecological and environmental damage they are capable of causing. The proposed research, on identifying traits associated with the spread of exotic vertebrate species and modelling the reproductive and dispersal parameters among different populations, will provide new knowledge and aid in developing innovative solutions for arresting the spread of exotic species. The validation of current models of spread will represent a major and timely addition to the national research capability on exotic species, and add substantially to Australia's reputation as a global leader in evolutionary ecology.Read moreRead less
Reconstructing past population dynamics to understand human and climatic impacts in prehistory. More than 100 species have become extinct since humans first colonised Australia, and over 1000 are considered threatened. This research will determine the factors most strongly governing the interaction between humans and native fauna in Australia over the last 46 millennia. Our approach is powerful and novel because it will effectively draw together multidisciplinary evidence on natural resource exp ....Reconstructing past population dynamics to understand human and climatic impacts in prehistory. More than 100 species have become extinct since humans first colonised Australia, and over 1000 are considered threatened. This research will determine the factors most strongly governing the interaction between humans and native fauna in Australia over the last 46 millennia. Our approach is powerful and novel because it will effectively draw together multidisciplinary evidence on natural resource exploitation and habitat alteration by ancient people, and the influence of dramatic climatic shifts on the Australian biota. Information on past biological responses to environmental change is critical to properly contextualising the current impact, and long-term consequences of, threats such as global warming, habitat loss and invasive species.Read moreRead less
Meta-modelling of ecological, evolutionary and climatic systems dynamics. This project aims to improve forecasts of the response of biodiversity to future climate change and so improve on-ground conservation management. Using dynamic systems modelling, tested against field data from a wide variety of case studies, the project models will integrate a variety of biological and geophysical inputs to produce more realistic forecasts of change.
Systems modelling for synergistic ecological-climate dynamics. The project aims to improve forecasts of the response of biodiversity to future climate change and so improve on-ground conservation management. A systems modelling framework will be developed and tested against real-world data to integrate a wide variety of biological and geophysical inputs and so produce more realistic predictions.