Evolution in tooth and claw: exploring the relationship between the radiation of marsupial herbivores and late Cenozoic climate change. Establishing how animals responded to past environmental changes is essential for understanding the ecology of modern species and managing them in light of contemporary climatic trends. By applying several novel analytical methods this project will unravel the links between the radiation of Australian marsupials and key stages in climatic evolution.
Silicon: a novel solution to reduce water use and pest damage in wheat. The project aims to improve Australian wheat production by increasing drought resilience and reducing reliance on pesticides. This is achieved by incorporating amorphous silicon (Si), an abundant national resource. Si uptake by wheat has been proven to alleviate stress from drought and pests, but mechanisms and agronomic feasibility remain to be fully assessed. The project will deliver a mechanistic understanding of how Si a ....Silicon: a novel solution to reduce water use and pest damage in wheat. The project aims to improve Australian wheat production by increasing drought resilience and reducing reliance on pesticides. This is achieved by incorporating amorphous silicon (Si), an abundant national resource. Si uptake by wheat has been proven to alleviate stress from drought and pests, but mechanisms and agronomic feasibility remain to be fully assessed. The project will deliver a mechanistic understanding of how Si alleviates stress in wheat, from gene to farm scale, providing cost-benefit analysis and a best–practice toolbox for implementation by farmers. Outcomes are anticipated to provide a cheaper and more environmentally sustainable solution to issues of water scarcity and yield losses to pests in Australia’s leading crop.Read moreRead less
Integrating models with molecular 'logbooks' to better forecast extinction risk from climate change. Current forecasts indicate that human-driven climate change will likely cause widespread biodiversity loss. However, climatic shifts during the Quaternary (2.6 million years ago to present), similar in magnitude to those projected for the 21st century, did not apparently cause extensive extinctions (with the exception of the megafauna). This project aims to use models linked to past responses imp ....Integrating models with molecular 'logbooks' to better forecast extinction risk from climate change. Current forecasts indicate that human-driven climate change will likely cause widespread biodiversity loss. However, climatic shifts during the Quaternary (2.6 million years ago to present), similar in magnitude to those projected for the 21st century, did not apparently cause extensive extinctions (with the exception of the megafauna). This project aims to use models linked to past responses imprinted in species’ genes to resolve whether the disparity between observed and predicted extinction rates comes from models over-predicting species loss due to climate change. It will use this genetic-demographic approach to improve predictions of biodiversity responses to global change by establishing the biological and environmental determinants of extinction.Read moreRead less
How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex ....How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex traits.Read moreRead less
Generalised methods for testing extinction dynamics across geological, near and modern time scales. The record of extinctions over deep time is patchy and incomplete, yet we must use it to determine how major changes in past environments have shaped life on Earth today. The project will develop cutting-edge mathematical tools to determine the patterns of extinctions and speciation over geological time to help predict our uncertain environmental future.
An integrated tool for informing pest management: modelling range shifts for an invasive vertebrate in response to climate change. Invasive species and climate contribute directly to loss of biodiversity and economic productivity. This research project focuses on providing user-orientated tools that enable a strategic approach to European rabbit management and vertebrate pest control in Australia in response to anticipated climate and land-use change.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100624
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
The role of epigenetic modifications in tiger snake adaptation. This project aims to investigate mechanisms underlying animal adaptation to future environmental change by examining the molecular basis for phenotypic plasticity in snakes. This project will specifically examine variation in genetic/epigenetic profiles and compare against important fitness traits, such as variable head size, bite force and swallowing performance to identify relationships between molecular change and physiology. Suc ....The role of epigenetic modifications in tiger snake adaptation. This project aims to investigate mechanisms underlying animal adaptation to future environmental change by examining the molecular basis for phenotypic plasticity in snakes. This project will specifically examine variation in genetic/epigenetic profiles and compare against important fitness traits, such as variable head size, bite force and swallowing performance to identify relationships between molecular change and physiology. Such research is a critical first step in improving our knowledge of the mechanisms whereby animal populations may adapt to environmental change, allowing us to facilitate such processes or concentrate conservation effort where species are unable to adapt via epigenetic modification.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100177
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$290,000.00
Summary
A regional optical dating facility in Australia. This project aims to establish an open access, end-user friendly optical dating facility in Australia. This will address shortcomings in the capacity and geographical coverage of the existing national geochronology infrastructure and enable Australian researchers to reconstruct past records of climate change, human evolution, ecological vulnerabilities, natural and man-made hazards and environmental disturbance over historical to near-million-year ....A regional optical dating facility in Australia. This project aims to establish an open access, end-user friendly optical dating facility in Australia. This will address shortcomings in the capacity and geographical coverage of the existing national geochronology infrastructure and enable Australian researchers to reconstruct past records of climate change, human evolution, ecological vulnerabilities, natural and man-made hazards and environmental disturbance over historical to near-million-year timeframes. This project is expected to increase commercial demand for geoscience services and lead to better understanding of Australia’s natural heritage and its long-term vulnerabilities.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100051
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,000,000.00
Summary
Maintaining and enhancing merit-based access to the NCI National Facility. Maintaining and enhancing merit-based access to the national computational infrastructure facility:
This project aims to ensure that Australian researchers have access to the integrated high-performance computing and data environments they need. Australia’s national computational infrastructure (NCI) is the national, high-end research computing facility, providing researchers in universities, government science agencies ....Maintaining and enhancing merit-based access to the NCI National Facility. Maintaining and enhancing merit-based access to the national computational infrastructure facility:
This project aims to ensure that Australian researchers have access to the integrated high-performance computing and data environments they need. Australia’s national computational infrastructure (NCI) is the national, high-end research computing facility, providing researchers in universities, government science agencies and industry with world-class, integrated, high-performance services. These services enable high-impact, data-intensive computational research in all fields of science and technology. This project would continue merit-based access to NCI at the current level, ensuring ongoing international competitiveness of Australian research.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560751
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$432,474.00
Summary
Facility for the Analysis of Biomacromolecular Interactions. A facility for the analysis of biological macromolecules and their interactions with ligand molecules is required to support a large number of research projects in high priority areas including mechanisms of aging, drug development and bio/nanotechnology at three different universities. The instrumentation will (i) afford quantitative measurements of binding affinities between biological and chemical macromolecules, which are available ....Facility for the Analysis of Biomacromolecular Interactions. A facility for the analysis of biological macromolecules and their interactions with ligand molecules is required to support a large number of research projects in high priority areas including mechanisms of aging, drug development and bio/nanotechnology at three different universities. The instrumentation will (i) afford quantitative measurements of binding affinities between biological and chemical macromolecules, which are available only in small quantities, and small, drug related molecules (by microcalorimetry and dual polarization interferometry), and (ii) provide equipment necessary for sample characterization and purification prior to quantitative measurements (CD spectroscopy, and FPLC equipment).Read moreRead less