Leaves in 3D: photosynthesis and water-use efficiency. This project aims to develop leaf anatomical ideotypes with improved photosynthesis and water-use efficiency for wheat, rice, chickpea and cotton using novel three dimensional imaging and modelling techniques. This project expects to generate new understanding of the role of leaf anatomy on leaf function. Expected outcomes of this project include the world's first 3D spatially-explicit, anatomically accurate model of leaves of crop plants to ....Leaves in 3D: photosynthesis and water-use efficiency. This project aims to develop leaf anatomical ideotypes with improved photosynthesis and water-use efficiency for wheat, rice, chickpea and cotton using novel three dimensional imaging and modelling techniques. This project expects to generate new understanding of the role of leaf anatomy on leaf function. Expected outcomes of this project include the world's first 3D spatially-explicit, anatomically accurate model of leaves of crop plants to allow virtual experiments identifying optimized anatomy for improved photosynthetic performance. Benefits to the agricultural industry include increased crop productivity and water-use efficiency to meet future global food demand and to make the most of Australia's limited water resourcesRead moreRead less
Rubisco for all climates: unlocking the enzyme's structure-function relations for more efficient photosynthesis. This projects biotechnological research will identify structural features in the carbon dioxide (CO2)-capturing enzyme from plants that improve its performance, particularly at warmer temperatures. This knowledge is vital for predicting the influence of climate change on crop productivity and paving the way for supercharging photosynthesis to boost crop performance.
Leaf respiration under drought: a global perspective. Predicting future net carbon exchange is necessary for better management of vegetation resources by Australia. Incorporating the responses of plant respiration to drought and temperature is crucial for predicting future rates of net carbon exchange. Using laboratory and field studies, this research will develop an understanding of how water availability and temperature impact on plant respiration of a broad range of economically important and ....Leaf respiration under drought: a global perspective. Predicting future net carbon exchange is necessary for better management of vegetation resources by Australia. Incorporating the responses of plant respiration to drought and temperature is crucial for predicting future rates of net carbon exchange. Using laboratory and field studies, this research will develop an understanding of how water availability and temperature impact on plant respiration of a broad range of economically important and ecologically relevant plant species. Equations will be formulated that will improve how modellers calculate drought-dependent variations in plant respiration (and thus plant productivity), thereby improving predictions for a future, warmer world.Read moreRead less
Oxygen isotope discrimination during C4 photosynthesis. Plants with the C4 photosynthetic pathway, like sugarcane and pasture grasses, are vital to Australian agriculture and natural ecosystems. This project will use novel laser spectroscopy to measure oxygen isotope discrimination during photosynthesis and quantify the influence of C4 plants on isotopic signatures of atmospheric CO2.
Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach. This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity could regulate pollen germination, elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruit and seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Research has established that CWIN-mediated sugar metabolis ....Improving plant reproductive success under heat stress: A sweet approach. This project aims to determine how genetic manipulation of cell wall invertase (CWIN) activity could regulate pollen germination, elongation and fruit set under heat stress using tomato as a model. Plant reproductive processes are highly susceptible to heat stress, which often leads to pollination failure and fruit and seed abortion, hence irreversible yield loss. Research has established that CWIN-mediated sugar metabolism and signaling may play crucial roles in pollen growth and fruit set under heat stress. The intended outcome is the generation of critical knowledge that will advance understanding on reproductive development under heat stress, thereby providing significant benefits, such as novel ideas and solutions for improving crop yield.Read moreRead less
Salinity tolerance along an aridity gradient: linking physiological processes with morphological constraints on leaf function in mangroves. The proposed research will provide insight into the physiological and morphological features that control the productivity of mangrove forests across broad gradients in salinity and aridity. Central to this is this identification of plant traits that increase salt and drought tolerance, which will assist in the development of plant varieties suited to Austra ....Salinity tolerance along an aridity gradient: linking physiological processes with morphological constraints on leaf function in mangroves. The proposed research will provide insight into the physiological and morphological features that control the productivity of mangrove forests across broad gradients in salinity and aridity. Central to this is this identification of plant traits that increase salt and drought tolerance, which will assist in the development of plant varieties suited to Australian conditions. The results will also contribute to development of process-based models to better predict the response of mangrove vegetation to changing climate. A deep understanding of the processes that influence the growth and survival of mangroves is of fundamental importance to sustainable fisheries and protection of wildlife reliant on coastal ecosystems. Read moreRead less
Avoiding coral bleaching: investigation into the repair of damaged photosynthetic machinery in symbiotic algae (symbiodinium) within corals. Photosynthesis in symbiotic algae within corals is essential for a healthy alga-coral symbiotic relationship. This project will provide new insights into how symbiotic algae maintain higher photosynthetic performance in corals through elucidating the mechanism associated with the repair of photodamaged photosynthetic machinery.
Can altered sugar sensing improve crop productivity? This project aims at genetically manipulating sugar sensing pathways in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis, and at replacing sugar sensors in the model C3 crop Oryza sativa (rice) with those from S. viridis. This project expects to elucidate the impact of altered sugar perception on crop photosynthesis and yield. Expected outcomes includes advancing a novel “pull” approach to improve yield in C3 crops by using C4-like sugar sensors to reduce f ....Can altered sugar sensing improve crop productivity? This project aims at genetically manipulating sugar sensing pathways in the model C4 grass Setaria viridis, and at replacing sugar sensors in the model C3 crop Oryza sativa (rice) with those from S. viridis. This project expects to elucidate the impact of altered sugar perception on crop photosynthesis and yield. Expected outcomes includes advancing a novel “pull” approach to improve yield in C3 crops by using C4-like sugar sensors to reduce feedback regulation of photosynthesis which in turn limits productivity. This is in contrast to previous ‘push’ approaches aimed at directly increasing photosynthesis. Hence, this project provides significant benefits by contributing to the next green revolution needed to lift agricultural yields.Read moreRead less
AirLIFT – an airborne active chlorophyll fluorescence sensing system for assessment of photosynthetic activity in plant canopies. Assessment of plant health and productivity is vital to ensure future food security of the global population under a changing climate. Chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), a signal emitted by green plants, can reveal this information. Although CF has revolutionised photosynthetic research, current measurements are limited to individual plants. Remote sensing of canopy CF is ....AirLIFT – an airborne active chlorophyll fluorescence sensing system for assessment of photosynthetic activity in plant canopies. Assessment of plant health and productivity is vital to ensure future food security of the global population under a changing climate. Chlorophyll fluorescence (CF), a signal emitted by green plants, can reveal this information. Although CF has revolutionised photosynthetic research, current measurements are limited to individual plants. Remote sensing of canopy CF is required for efficient management of agricultural crops, forests, and natural ecosystems and is crucial for accurate estimation of plant carbon assimilation and production. This project will deliver remote sensing technology to bridge the gap between leaf and canopy productivity and pave the way for understanding both artificial and solar induced canopy CF measured from space.Read moreRead less
The use of molecular sponges to inhibit small Ribonucleic acid activity in plants. The deletion of gene activity is the most powerful way to understand gene function; however for genes encoding small Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) no current methodology can efficiently achieve this. Here, we aim to develop a gene silencing technology for small RNA encoding genes, which can be utilised to determine their function and used for biotechnological applications.