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Feeding and digestion in tropical rock lobster phyllosoma larvae and its applications for culture. Provision of larval culture diets that provide optimal nutrition in a suitable presentation format is the major challenge for developing a rock lobster aquaculture industry. Tropical rock lobsters are likely contenders due to their faster growth rates and shorter larval phase than temperate species. This project will assess the ingestive and digestive capabilities of larvae during development, thro ....Feeding and digestion in tropical rock lobster phyllosoma larvae and its applications for culture. Provision of larval culture diets that provide optimal nutrition in a suitable presentation format is the major challenge for developing a rock lobster aquaculture industry. Tropical rock lobsters are likely contenders due to their faster growth rates and shorter larval phase than temperate species. This project will assess the ingestive and digestive capabilities of larvae during development, through an examination of mouthpart and gut structure and their types and concentration of digestive enzymes. Information will be used to formulate and test improved diets of appropriate size, texture and nutritional composition and will be the first comprehensive analysis of preferred larval diets on the basis of their biological and physiological characteristics.Read moreRead less
Conservation genomics of a critically endangered insect. This project aims to develop tools genotyping large animal genomes, focusing on the case of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, once thought to be extinct and now critically endangered. This project expects to generate molecular tools to monitor the genetic health the insect which has a large, complex and poorly understood genome. Expected outcomes include the development of a preservation and reintroduction strategy for the insect. This pr ....Conservation genomics of a critically endangered insect. This project aims to develop tools genotyping large animal genomes, focusing on the case of the Lord Howe Island stick insect, once thought to be extinct and now critically endangered. This project expects to generate molecular tools to monitor the genetic health the insect which has a large, complex and poorly understood genome. Expected outcomes include the development of a preservation and reintroduction strategy for the insect. This project will benefit ongoing conservation efforts, and is timely given the ongoing eradication of rats from Lord Howe Island where this species once lived. Read moreRead less
Bio-engineering Insect-Specific Flaviviruses for control of arboviruses. This project aims to study a family of commensal viruses of mosquitoes called insect-specific flaviviruses that are naturally found in mosquitoes and do not infect or cause disease in vertebrate hosts. Using an innovative approach, this project employs cutting-edge molecular virology approaches to modify these insect-specific flaviviruses to enhance their ability to block the replication of other pathogenic viruses in the m ....Bio-engineering Insect-Specific Flaviviruses for control of arboviruses. This project aims to study a family of commensal viruses of mosquitoes called insect-specific flaviviruses that are naturally found in mosquitoes and do not infect or cause disease in vertebrate hosts. Using an innovative approach, this project employs cutting-edge molecular virology approaches to modify these insect-specific flaviviruses to enhance their ability to block the replication of other pathogenic viruses in the mosquito vector. Expected outcome of this project is a bio-control strategy that is complementary to the Wolbachia approach. The anticipated benefits include the advancement of knowledge of insect-specific flaviviruses, and promotion of interdisciplinary research across the fields of Entomology and Virology.Read moreRead less
Do crayfish use the information carried by low-level electrical signals in the environment? Many vertebrates detect electric fields. Fish communicate electrically. No invertebrate has been shown to do so. We have evidence that crayfish change their behaviour following exposure to low-level, waterborne electrical signals. Crayfish behaviour is currently the preferred model for studying the neurobiology of social hierarchies in animals. Evidence that information is passing from either predators or ....Do crayfish use the information carried by low-level electrical signals in the environment? Many vertebrates detect electric fields. Fish communicate electrically. No invertebrate has been shown to do so. We have evidence that crayfish change their behaviour following exposure to low-level, waterborne electrical signals. Crayfish behaviour is currently the preferred model for studying the neurobiology of social hierarchies in animals. Evidence that information is passing from either predators or conspecifics through an undescribed electrosensory channel would fundamentally change the direction of that research. Behaviour modification using electrical signals could also prove to be a valuable tool in crustacean aquaculture. This is a proposal to discover the nature and behavioural implications of crayfish electroreception.Read moreRead less
Sugar transporters in coral symbiosis and origin of parasitism. We aim to identify how symbiotic algae feed sugar to their coral hosts. Corals need this algal sugar to exist, but no one knows how it is transferred, so understanding this crucial mechanism is hugely significant. The first benefit of this research will be a fundamental understanding about how two organisms (algae and coral) cooperate to build habitats like the Great Barrier Reef. We also aim to explore whether coral/algal coopera ....Sugar transporters in coral symbiosis and origin of parasitism. We aim to identify how symbiotic algae feed sugar to their coral hosts. Corals need this algal sugar to exist, but no one knows how it is transferred, so understanding this crucial mechanism is hugely significant. The first benefit of this research will be a fundamental understanding about how two organisms (algae and coral) cooperate to build habitats like the Great Barrier Reef. We also aim to explore whether coral/algal cooperation paved the way for the origin of parasitism. The second key outcome will be to identify the precise molecular mechanism that allowed parasitism to arise. This will benefit us through understanding the origins of important diseases such as human malaria and related infections of livestock and wildlife.
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Sociality and a sense of smell: receptor organ evolution in ants. This research provides novel insights into social recognition in insects by capitalising on a new technique to investigate the role of chemosensory detection of contact pheromones. The primary impact will be to ensure that Australia maintains its high research profile in this field, and by contributing to research training through supervising and mentoring research students. Finally, our research will contribute to our understand ....Sociality and a sense of smell: receptor organ evolution in ants. This research provides novel insights into social recognition in insects by capitalising on a new technique to investigate the role of chemosensory detection of contact pheromones. The primary impact will be to ensure that Australia maintains its high research profile in this field, and by contributing to research training through supervising and mentoring research students. Finally, our research will contribute to our understanding of the 'success' of major trans-global ant pest species, information that could prove useful in management strategies.Read moreRead less
Symbiotic partnership between algae and animals that powers coral reefs. This project aims to unlock the molecular basis of a partnership between a microscopic plant and an animal that powers coral growth. Most corals depend on microscopic algae living inside their bodies to nourish them. Most corals have to recruit new algae each time they reproduce, but only a particular strain of algae is accepted. This project aims to establish how anemones and corals identify and take in the right alga, how ....Symbiotic partnership between algae and animals that powers coral reefs. This project aims to unlock the molecular basis of a partnership between a microscopic plant and an animal that powers coral growth. Most corals depend on microscopic algae living inside their bodies to nourish them. Most corals have to recruit new algae each time they reproduce, but only a particular strain of algae is accepted. This project aims to establish how anemones and corals identify and take in the right alga, how the alga gives them food, and how the animal hosts regulate growth of their algae to optimise food production but avoid being overrun by algae. Understanding the partnership that drives reef growth and survival may better equip us to protect this threatened resource.Read moreRead less
Biosynthesis, folding and modification of conotoxins. Disulfide-rich peptides represent a diverse family of bioactive molecules which have been developed as drugs for the treatment of severe pain. This project seeks to understand their biosynthesis and how their functional diversity is generated. Such information will assist the translation of more of these novel peptides into new drugs.
What is the biological significance of electrosensitivity in crayfish? The finding that an Australian crayfish responds to low-level electrical signals in the surrounding water is the first report of electrosensitivity in an aquatic invertebrate. This project will investigate its unknown biological significance. The results will impact on behavioural studies in all aquatic invertebrates because they will now have to consider this factor. Some other decapod crustaceans will almost certainly be fo ....What is the biological significance of electrosensitivity in crayfish? The finding that an Australian crayfish responds to low-level electrical signals in the surrounding water is the first report of electrosensitivity in an aquatic invertebrate. This project will investigate its unknown biological significance. The results will impact on behavioural studies in all aquatic invertebrates because they will now have to consider this factor. Some other decapod crustaceans will almost certainly be found to be electrosensitive. Not only are these important subjects for behavioural analysis, many form the basis of important commercial aquaculture industries. The outcomes will enhance Australia's scientific standing and provide opportunities for students to become leaders in a new field. Read moreRead less
Coevolution of sundew bugs and sundews. This project aims to conduct a study of insect-plant interactions to determine if insects and plants coevolve or if they diversify by other evolutionary processes. Insect-plant coevolution is a hotly contested field in evolutionary biology. In Australia, a remarkable interaction exists between carnivorous plants and a group of bugs that steal the plant’s prey. This system offers a great opportunity to test competing coevolutionary theories through a combin ....Coevolution of sundew bugs and sundews. This project aims to conduct a study of insect-plant interactions to determine if insects and plants coevolve or if they diversify by other evolutionary processes. Insect-plant coevolution is a hotly contested field in evolutionary biology. In Australia, a remarkable interaction exists between carnivorous plants and a group of bugs that steal the plant’s prey. This system offers a great opportunity to test competing coevolutionary theories through a combination of historical and ecological approaches. The project expects to showcase the evolution and uniqueness of Australia’s native biota.Read moreRead less