Living on air: how do bacteria scavenge atmospheric trace gases? This project aims to determine the molecular and cellular basis of atmospheric trace gas oxidation by bacteria. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to adapt to resource limitation and environmental change by entering dormant states. Our research has shown they survive in this state by using atmospheric hydrogen and carbon monoxide as energy sources. This interdisciplinary project will determine how bacteria achieve this by elucidati ....Living on air: how do bacteria scavenge atmospheric trace gases? This project aims to determine the molecular and cellular basis of atmospheric trace gas oxidation by bacteria. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to adapt to resource limitation and environmental change by entering dormant states. Our research has shown they survive in this state by using atmospheric hydrogen and carbon monoxide as energy sources. This interdisciplinary project will determine how bacteria achieve this by elucidating the regulation, mechanism, and integration of the three uncharacterised enzymes that mediate this process. Outcomes and benefits include understanding of the processes that facilitate bacterial persistence, regulate atmospheric composition, and in turn support resilience of natural ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100028
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,000,000.00
Summary
Australian Membership of the International Ocean Discovery Program. This proposal is for an 18-month membership of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the world’s largest collaborative research program in Earth and Ocean sciences. The Program studies the history and current activity of the Earth by conducting seagoing coring expeditions and monitoring of instrumented boreholes, using globally unique infrastructure that Australians would otherwise have no access to. Program outcomes ....Australian Membership of the International Ocean Discovery Program. This proposal is for an 18-month membership of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), the world’s largest collaborative research program in Earth and Ocean sciences. The Program studies the history and current activity of the Earth by conducting seagoing coring expeditions and monitoring of instrumented boreholes, using globally unique infrastructure that Australians would otherwise have no access to. Program outcomes include understanding past global environmental change on multiple time scales, the deep biosphere, plate tectonics, formation and distribution of resources, and generation of hazards. These outcomes are paramount to Australia’s national science and research priorities, and societal and economic prosperity.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology. The ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB) will provide the technical innovation critical for Australia to develop a vibrant bioeconomy building on the nation’s strengths in agriculture. For thousands of years we have used microbes to create bread, wine, cheese. Now, our Centre will pioneer new approaches to the design of synthetic microbes, enabling the development of custom-designed microbial communities, synthetic organelles and ne ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology. The ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB) will provide the technical innovation critical for Australia to develop a vibrant bioeconomy building on the nation’s strengths in agriculture. For thousands of years we have used microbes to create bread, wine, cheese. Now, our Centre will pioneer new approaches to the design of synthetic microbes, enabling the development of custom-designed microbial communities, synthetic organelles and new to nature biological pathways and enzymes. CoESB will combine engineering with molecular biology to design and construct novel biological systems that can convert biomass from agriculture or waste streams to biofuel, bioplastics and other high-value chemicals.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,248,822.00
Summary
Genes, reproduction and inheritance in a microbe. The project aims to particularly explore sexual gene inheritance in Plasmodium, a representative of a large group of human and animal parasites. Plasmodium must have a sexual exchange of genes in the mosquito for the transfer of disease to a new host. This project will investigate the fate and behaviour of Plasmodium genes during reproduction; the differing chromosome states resulting from sexual genetic processes and the asymmetrical inheritance ....Genes, reproduction and inheritance in a microbe. The project aims to particularly explore sexual gene inheritance in Plasmodium, a representative of a large group of human and animal parasites. Plasmodium must have a sexual exchange of genes in the mosquito for the transfer of disease to a new host. This project will investigate the fate and behaviour of Plasmodium genes during reproduction; the differing chromosome states resulting from sexual genetic processes and the asymmetrical inheritance of some Plasmodium genes. The project is expected to advance Australia’s ability to understand the reproduction and survival of these parasites in their mosquito vector and develop cutting-edge genetic tools that will advance the microbial genetics discipline globally. This may ultimately lead to biotechnology and biomedical outcomes.Read moreRead less
Bacterial communities in metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project aims to apply recently developed culturing methods to archive and phenotype bacterial species found in the human gut in a representative sample from metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project expects to isolate, genome sequence, classify, characterize and permanently archive 1500 bacterial species. Expected outcomes of this project include detailed knowledge of previously undiscovered bacteria ....Bacterial communities in metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project aims to apply recently developed culturing methods to archive and phenotype bacterial species found in the human gut in a representative sample from metropolitan, rural and indigenous Australians. This project expects to isolate, genome sequence, classify, characterize and permanently archive 1500 bacterial species. Expected outcomes of this project include detailed knowledge of previously undiscovered bacterial species, improved methods to measure the bacterial species that inhabit the human gut and a detailed understanding of the gut microbiota of Australians. This project should significantly enhance our knowledge of bacterial diversity and evolution and provide detailed insights into bacterial transmission.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101524
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$355,325.00
Summary
Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-bas ....Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-based, high-throughput technology for defining bacterial gene regulation networks, and use it to understand siderophore control. This will provide new knowledge of siderophore function, enhance understanding of bacterial community and host interactions, and establish leadership in a new genomics technology in Australia.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100258
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,331,707.00
Summary
Understanding how bacteria adapt and function in the complex gut ecosystem. This project aims to investigate the role of the gut ecosystem in defining the structure and function of microbes. Given that one of the current challenges in microbiology is our inability to study individual microbes directly from complex, multi-microbial niches, this project aims to develop multidisciplinary methods to study microbes in their native state, to understand how they adapt to live in the gut. This understan ....Understanding how bacteria adapt and function in the complex gut ecosystem. This project aims to investigate the role of the gut ecosystem in defining the structure and function of microbes. Given that one of the current challenges in microbiology is our inability to study individual microbes directly from complex, multi-microbial niches, this project aims to develop multidisciplinary methods to study microbes in their native state, to understand how they adapt to live in the gut. This understanding should provide fundamental insights into adaptation mechanisms that lead to bacterial proliferation, disease and antibiotic resistance. As well as enhancing interdisciplinary collaborations, this work should provide economic benefits by contributing to improved gut health of animals, and more efficient food production.Read moreRead less
Mechanism of secretion of large clostridial toxins . This project aims to investigate how the large clostridial toxins are secreted from important animal bacterial pathogens. This project expects to generate new knowledge about how bacteria interact with hosts through protein secretion, using a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach and cutting-edge techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include building a deep understanding of the role of export machinery in toxin secretion from ba ....Mechanism of secretion of large clostridial toxins . This project aims to investigate how the large clostridial toxins are secreted from important animal bacterial pathogens. This project expects to generate new knowledge about how bacteria interact with hosts through protein secretion, using a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach and cutting-edge techniques. Expected outcomes of this project include building a deep understanding of the role of export machinery in toxin secretion from bacteria, and the identification of new systems by which this is achieved. This should provide significant benefits, such as gaining new insights into new bacterial protein export mechanisms, with the aim of identifying targets for future veterinary disease interventions or biotechnological applications.Read moreRead less
Metabolic control of gene expression networks and microbiome interactions. The proposal aims to advance our understanding of how metabolism (and resulting metabolites) regulate the expression of genes, and investigate how these processes dictate the interaction of microbiota with the immune system. The project is expected to generate transformative knowledge of gene regulation, a fundamental process for cellular function, and decipher how the microbiome yeast Candida albicans interacts with immu ....Metabolic control of gene expression networks and microbiome interactions. The proposal aims to advance our understanding of how metabolism (and resulting metabolites) regulate the expression of genes, and investigate how these processes dictate the interaction of microbiota with the immune system. The project is expected to generate transformative knowledge of gene regulation, a fundamental process for cellular function, and decipher how the microbiome yeast Candida albicans interacts with immune cells and bacteria. By utilising a powerful combination of molecular and systems biology with molecular genetics and imaging, the project outcomes should foster interdisciplinary collaborations and build capacity for fundamental and applied research to benefit academia and industry, locally and globally.Read moreRead less
Exploiting microbial metabolites to understand fungal biology. The project aims to investigate the principles of hyphal growth in fungi, by studying the mechanisms of action of a bacteria-derived compound that inhibits hyphae. Changing cell shape between yeast and hyphae is a prototype developmental switch enabling fungi to escape stressful environments, while hyphal invasion promotes fungal infections of animals and plants that endanger food security and biodiversity. By using interdisciplinary ....Exploiting microbial metabolites to understand fungal biology. The project aims to investigate the principles of hyphal growth in fungi, by studying the mechanisms of action of a bacteria-derived compound that inhibits hyphae. Changing cell shape between yeast and hyphae is a prototype developmental switch enabling fungi to escape stressful environments, while hyphal invasion promotes fungal infections of animals and plants that endanger food security and biodiversity. By using interdisciplinary approaches of microbiology and chemistry, the expected outcomes are to generate deep knowledge of an important microbial process and how it could be modulated, characterise a new bacterial compound and build research capacity at the nexus of biology and chemistry to benefit discoveries in academia and industry.Read moreRead less