Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882701
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Establishment of a confocal/multiphoton microscope for imaging of living systems. This facility will allow us to study the dynamic changes in living systems, from the smallest unicellular organisms in the ocean through to the sophisticated neural networks of the living brain. Not only will this imaging facility allow us to understand how living systems work, we will also be able to explore the dynamic changes that underlie human disease and injury.
Characterization of the tammar wallaby MHC. We will be able to determine the immunological fitness of marsupial populations which will help us to conserve our native fauna and protect our eco-tourism industry.
We will work in the international arena of large scale genomics and bring new technologies to Australia.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775666
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Flora and Fauna Research Facility. Our ability to make informed decisions regarding conservation and management of unique Australian ecosytems depends greatly on our understanding of the organisms inhabiting them. Researchers at the University of Wollongong are addressing this need through a wide range of studies including the: effects of climate change on plants, biology of invasive species, possible causes for declining frog populations, role of the immune system in aging and natural selection ....Flora and Fauna Research Facility. Our ability to make informed decisions regarding conservation and management of unique Australian ecosytems depends greatly on our understanding of the organisms inhabiting them. Researchers at the University of Wollongong are addressing this need through a wide range of studies including the: effects of climate change on plants, biology of invasive species, possible causes for declining frog populations, role of the immune system in aging and natural selection, effects of maternal hormones on offspring, effects of pesticides on native vertebrates, and impacts of bushfires on ecosystems. The infrastructure requested will enable research in these and other important areas.Read moreRead less
From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect thei ....From developmental stability to organismic senility: Hox genes and telomere impact on life history evolution. Australia benefits from training researchers and technicians in new, break-through biotechnology and from applying this knowledge to relevant, cutting-edge questions in highly publicized research fields. This project contains both these ingredients. Our model species (a lizard) has a relatively high level of offspring malformations (ca 15%), which makes it much more likely to detect their underlying genetic mechanism. Furthermore, we can also assess how these animals survive and reproduce in relation to how quickly they age, which can be measured by assessing the shortening of telomeres per unit time. Thus, this collaboration provides an opportunity to train Australian researchers and in that process generate very high profile research.Read moreRead less
High temperature limits of leaf function. In arid and semi-arid central Australia, Acacia spp. dominate the over-storey, but this shifts to Eucalyptus and Corymbia spp. in more mesic coastal regions. Areas of central Australia are extremely hot, dry and sunny, and it is this combination of stresses that likely excludes Eucalyptus spp. from many landforms. There has been little research on high temperature tolerance of Acacia and Eucalyptus, despite the putative importance of this stress, in co ....High temperature limits of leaf function. In arid and semi-arid central Australia, Acacia spp. dominate the over-storey, but this shifts to Eucalyptus and Corymbia spp. in more mesic coastal regions. Areas of central Australia are extremely hot, dry and sunny, and it is this combination of stresses that likely excludes Eucalyptus spp. from many landforms. There has been little research on high temperature tolerance of Acacia and Eucalyptus, despite the putative importance of this stress, in combination with other stresses, in limiting species? distributions. Our program of collaborative research will examine the tolerance of Acacia and Eucalyptus to a combination of high temperatures, drought and high light.Read moreRead less
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
Form, Function and Fitness: Multidisciplinary Evolutionary Biology Using Lizards as Models. What explains variation in reproductive success and its evolutionary consequences, within and among populations and species? Addressing this fundamental question in evolutionary biology requires a multidisciplinary approach, integrating ecology, genetics, behaviour and biochemistry. Using lizards as models, I will test (i) the degree to which variation in male signals reflects differences in immunogenotyp ....Form, Function and Fitness: Multidisciplinary Evolutionary Biology Using Lizards as Models. What explains variation in reproductive success and its evolutionary consequences, within and among populations and species? Addressing this fundamental question in evolutionary biology requires a multidisciplinary approach, integrating ecology, genetics, behaviour and biochemistry. Using lizards as models, I will test (i) the degree to which variation in male signals reflects differences in immunogenotype and stress tolerance, (ii) the degree to which paternity is determined by male genes, or male-female genetic similarity, (iii) whether offspring survival depends mostly on genes or on maternal investments, and (iv) how the relative importance of these factors vary among populations and species.Read moreRead less
Ecological significance of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral disease has contributed significantly to the accelerating deterioration of coral reefs globally, but its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is unknown. This project will determine the prevalence of coral disease on the GBR and evaluate the potential threat it poses to reef health. It will build Australian capacity in the ecology and pathology of coral disease, an emergent global research priority, and provide an important ....Ecological significance of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral disease has contributed significantly to the accelerating deterioration of coral reefs globally, but its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is unknown. This project will determine the prevalence of coral disease on the GBR and evaluate the potential threat it poses to reef health. It will build Australian capacity in the ecology and pathology of coral disease, an emergent global research priority, and provide an important benchmark for determining whether disease incidence is increasing. It will provide insights into potential links between environmental / anthropogenic stressors and disease incidence, and identify potential threats to coral reef health.Read moreRead less
The molecular basis of cold adaptation: an integrated genomic and proteomic study of Antarctic archaea. The project enables Australia to remain a world leader in extremophiles, cold adaptation and Antarctic biology, strengthening the reputation Australian scientists have in scientific programs of global significance and fostering the interests of the international community in sciences ranging from bioprospecting to the search for extraterrestrial life. National benefit is directly derived from ....The molecular basis of cold adaptation: an integrated genomic and proteomic study of Antarctic archaea. The project enables Australia to remain a world leader in extremophiles, cold adaptation and Antarctic biology, strengthening the reputation Australian scientists have in scientific programs of global significance and fostering the interests of the international community in sciences ranging from bioprospecting to the search for extraterrestrial life. National benefit is directly derived from technological innovation and training local scientists in modern biology of environmental microorganisms. The Antarctic microorganisms provide unique compounds, enzymes and molecules for biotechnology and industry. Insight will be gained into the critical role that methanogens play in the global carbon cycle and global warming.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary genetics of kin recognition and task specialization in termite societies. Social insects must be able to recognize kin and task specialize in order to maintain colony cohesion and maximize colony labour, respectively. While it is known that kin recognition and task specialization are two key mechanisms underpinning insect societies, the extent to which their expression is mediated by genetic versus environmental variables is not known. This project integrates classic approaches to t ....Evolutionary genetics of kin recognition and task specialization in termite societies. Social insects must be able to recognize kin and task specialize in order to maintain colony cohesion and maximize colony labour, respectively. While it is known that kin recognition and task specialization are two key mechanisms underpinning insect societies, the extent to which their expression is mediated by genetic versus environmental variables is not known. This project integrates classic approaches to the study of animal behaviour with recent advances in molecular genetics to test, for the first time, the role that genetic variables have in mediating kin recognition and task specialization in a major group of social insects, the termites.Read moreRead less