Proteomic and genetic analysis of subfertile bull spermatozoa. This project aims to identify protein changes on spermatozoa that are highly correlated with the fertility status of bulls. Bull fertility has approached an all-time low as breeding practice has focused predominately on milk production and beef tenderness. This project aims to understand the genetic causes that underpin bull and cattle infertility, and investigate better methods to predict the fertility status of bulls. This project ....Proteomic and genetic analysis of subfertile bull spermatozoa. This project aims to identify protein changes on spermatozoa that are highly correlated with the fertility status of bulls. Bull fertility has approached an all-time low as breeding practice has focused predominately on milk production and beef tenderness. This project aims to understand the genetic causes that underpin bull and cattle infertility, and investigate better methods to predict the fertility status of bulls. This project expects to contribute to better clinical management of cattle. This information can then be used for the development of a better diagnostic assay for both the dairy and beef industry.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101470
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Improving poultry health and performance through microbiota manipulations. The project aims to develop methods to modulate microbiota to improve poultry health and productivity and reduce the need for antibiotics. Probiotic administration is currently the only way in agriculture to restore imbalanced intestinal microbiota. Recent research shows that intestinal microbiota resist all new-coming bacteria and remove them from the intestinal environment. The initial inoculum at the time of birth shap ....Improving poultry health and performance through microbiota manipulations. The project aims to develop methods to modulate microbiota to improve poultry health and productivity and reduce the need for antibiotics. Probiotic administration is currently the only way in agriculture to restore imbalanced intestinal microbiota. Recent research shows that intestinal microbiota resist all new-coming bacteria and remove them from the intestinal environment. The initial inoculum at the time of birth shapes the gut microbiota for life and has the strongest influence on development of the immune system. Accordingly, at-hatch administration of proven beneficial strains to poultry is likely to ensure permanent colonisation with beneficial bacteria. This process would improve both the productivity and health of poultry and other agricultural animals.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101132
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
How social relationships improve sheep productivity. This project aims to determine how the social network structure of a flock and different individuals’ experience and leadership abilities improve a population’s well-being and productivity (wool clip and lambing rates). This project will use social network theory and collective behaviour in animals to manage sheep in Australia’s arid rangelands, which are important for the pastoral industry, but where ecological challenges reduce livestock pro ....How social relationships improve sheep productivity. This project aims to determine how the social network structure of a flock and different individuals’ experience and leadership abilities improve a population’s well-being and productivity (wool clip and lambing rates). This project will use social network theory and collective behaviour in animals to manage sheep in Australia’s arid rangelands, which are important for the pastoral industry, but where ecological challenges reduce livestock productivity. An expected outcome is management guidelines for the sheep industry to improve wool and meat production.Read moreRead less
Early life nutrition to improve feed efficiency in commercial dairy goats. This project aims to improve the productivity and welfare and reduce resource waste in commercial dairy goat kids. The Australian dairy goat industry is expanding (~20% per annum) yet there is little research to overcome hurdles to improving milk and meat production. There is also increased societal pressure to improve sustainability, reduce waste and maintain animal welfare. By investigating nutritional methods to improv ....Early life nutrition to improve feed efficiency in commercial dairy goats. This project aims to improve the productivity and welfare and reduce resource waste in commercial dairy goat kids. The Australian dairy goat industry is expanding (~20% per annum) yet there is little research to overcome hurdles to improving milk and meat production. There is also increased societal pressure to improve sustainability, reduce waste and maintain animal welfare. By investigating nutritional methods to improve productivity of male (for meat) and female (for milk) kids, this project will generate new knowledge relevant to Australian and international goat production systems. This project will assist goat producers to make decisions that maximise animal productivity with flow on benefits to manufacturers of goat products. Read moreRead less
Novel semio-chemical approach to control the Australian Sheep Blowfly . The Australian Federal Government through the 'Smart Farming' initiative highlights the need for improved multidisciplinary measures in order to remain at the global forefront of the invention and adoption of technology. This multidisciplinary project (entomology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry and genomics) will rapidly inform the management of fly strike on an important Australian resource merino sheep. This will bui ....Novel semio-chemical approach to control the Australian Sheep Blowfly . The Australian Federal Government through the 'Smart Farming' initiative highlights the need for improved multidisciplinary measures in order to remain at the global forefront of the invention and adoption of technology. This multidisciplinary project (entomology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry and genomics) will rapidly inform the management of fly strike on an important Australian resource merino sheep. This will build the key biochemical data in order to develop a novel fly lure technology (at scale) to be used on farm delivering national benefit through improved animal welfare and safety considerations for producers, and will establish the best approach to disseminate this scientific information to stakeholders such as farmers.Read moreRead less
Artificial intelligence algorithms to predict risk of injury in racehorses. This project will address the urgent need for predicting and preventing catastrophic and career limiting limb injuries and cardiac arrhythmias in racehorses due to over (or under) training. Using data from GPS and movement sensors integrated into saddlecloths, artificial intelligence algorithms will convert cumulative data on speed, gait, and stride characteristics during training, along with injury data, into a risk mat ....Artificial intelligence algorithms to predict risk of injury in racehorses. This project will address the urgent need for predicting and preventing catastrophic and career limiting limb injuries and cardiac arrhythmias in racehorses due to over (or under) training. Using data from GPS and movement sensors integrated into saddlecloths, artificial intelligence algorithms will convert cumulative data on speed, gait, and stride characteristics during training, along with injury data, into a risk matrix. Recorded heart rate and ECG data will also be analysed using artificial intelligence to detect early evidence of the development of cardiac arrhythmias. The system will improve racehorse welfare, providing a simple interface to warn trainers when risk of injury becomes high, in order to prevent catastrophic breakdown.Read moreRead less
Vaccination of poultry infected with multiple Salmonella serovars. Salmonella is a zoonotic, foodborne pathogen found on eggs and poultry meat. It is the second largest cause of human gastrointestinal disease, thus, reduction of Salmonella on poultry farms is paramount to public health. This project aims to evaluate the long-term efficacy of a commercial Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine against multiple serotypes, including the emerging Salmonella Enteritidis. This project will generate new knowle ....Vaccination of poultry infected with multiple Salmonella serovars. Salmonella is a zoonotic, foodborne pathogen found on eggs and poultry meat. It is the second largest cause of human gastrointestinal disease, thus, reduction of Salmonella on poultry farms is paramount to public health. This project aims to evaluate the long-term efficacy of a commercial Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine against multiple serotypes, including the emerging Salmonella Enteritidis. This project will generate new knowledge in avian immunology using an innovative approach to evaluate the host response to multi-serovar infection. Outcomes of this project will future proof the Australian poultry industry against exotic Salmonella serotypes benefitting the industry by significantly reducing risks of future outbreaks and economic loss.Read moreRead less
Stock Structure Of Northern And Western Australian Spanish Mackerel
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$349,436.69
Summary
The proposed work is fundamental for assessment and sustainable, optimal harvest of Australia’s Spanish mackerel resources. This goal requires accurate information on which management decisions can be based. This project therefore seeks to describe the stock structure of a national shared resource, with a view to the development of complementary management approaches.
The NT, WA, Qld, Torres Strait and NSW have separate management regimes for the mackerel fisheries in their waters. ....The proposed work is fundamental for assessment and sustainable, optimal harvest of Australia’s Spanish mackerel resources. This goal requires accurate information on which management decisions can be based. This project therefore seeks to describe the stock structure of a national shared resource, with a view to the development of complementary management approaches.
The NT, WA, Qld, Torres Strait and NSW have separate management regimes for the mackerel fisheries in their waters. However, our lack of information on stock structure means that the appropriate scale of management units is just not known. It is unlikely that it will coincide with current administrative boundaries. Basic questions such as whether management actions in one state will impinge on the fisheries of others cannot yet be answered. With such uncertainty, for example, would declines in one area reflect interception during migration, or over-fishing of spawners in another area? Different responses to such questions may require fundamentally different management approaches. Hence the Northern Australia Fisheries Management meeting of May 1997 recognized that stock definition was required for effective assessment and management of this species.
Most fishery assessments assume a randomly mixed unit stock; an alternative is to explicitly include spatial dynamics. Possibly with the exception of the east coast, there is no real basis for defining Spanish mackerel unit stocks. In none of the Australian fisheries are spatial relationships sufficiently understood to be addressed in assessments. The proposed research is requisite for basic stock assessment, and the first step in developing spatially structured models and management.
Spanish mackerel are also taken across our northern boundaries, in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Pacific Island states. The proposed research is the basic work necessary to develop the methodology and information base for future research into these shared stocks, and for future studies into fine-scale spatial dynamics.
Recently available information suggests the Spanish mackerel fishery is growing rapidly in both commercial and recreational sectors. This underlines the need for this work as a basis for rational management. Commercial catches in WA and NT have increased substantially in recent years, and prices continue to rise. A recent recreational survey in NT revealed that recreational Spanish mackerel catches are of similar order to commercial catches. The species is a favoured target in the rapidly-growing and lucrative fishing tour sector.
The need for good for stock assessment is thus growing. Each state has responded with FRDC- or internally-funded programs. The results of this project could substantially change the directions of these projects, by establishing whether the assessment and management should be on a joint basis across states, or whether they should be on a more regional basis. Objectives: 1. Establish the degree of stock structure in the northern Australian Scomberomorus commerson stock, over a wide geographic range; 2. Having demonstrated structural differences within the northern stock on the large scale, describe finer scale spatial structure; and, 3. Provide advice to the fishery administrations on the appropriate geographic scale of assessment and management actions. 4. To include the analysis of otolith and genetic material collected from Kupang (Indonesia). 5. To collect and analyse parasite samples from Spanish Mackerel. Read moreRead less
Selective Breeding For Disease Resistance And Fast Growth In Sydney Rock Oysters
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$332,308.00
Summary
The NSW oyster industry has suffered from QX disease and winter mortality for a very long time. It has responded to these disease challenges by vacating affected leases seasonally or in the case of Georges River by abondoning the infested part of the estuary. The history of inter-estuary transfer of oysters for on-growing has not allowed the development of resistant strains in NSW. However, if resistant strains of oysters are not developed, the industry will have no better management tool av ....The NSW oyster industry has suffered from QX disease and winter mortality for a very long time. It has responded to these disease challenges by vacating affected leases seasonally or in the case of Georges River by abondoning the infested part of the estuary. The history of inter-estuary transfer of oysters for on-growing has not allowed the development of resistant strains in NSW. However, if resistant strains of oysters are not developed, the industry will have no better management tool available in future than that used in the past, ie moving or selling oysters before a disease outbreak is expected or abondoning oyster leases.
If the opportunity for breeding QX disease resistance in Sydney rock oysters is not taken up, a unique opportunity will be lost, to use breeding lines previously selected for fast growth in the selection for disease resistance. It is important that breeding for QX resistance begins now, before another estuary is infested with this parasite. In Georges River, the industry responded to the QX outbreak by abandoning affected leases.
Growth rates in Sydney rock oysters have been improved by an average of 4% for the first generation of selection in Port Stephens. Now the initial progress has been made and four breeding lines are established, it is important that the momentum is maintained and selective breeding for fast growth is continued. The growth rate of the Port Stephens selection lines can be increased by 4% for each successive generation.
Growth rates in Sydney rock oysters can be improved by both selective breeding (an average of 4% faster growth for the first generation of selection) and triploidy (30-40% faster growth). However, triploids have not previously been produced from improved breeding lines. It is important to determine if improvements in growth rates by these two methods are additive. For example with triploids produced from improved breeding lines, a 30% increase in growth rate with triploidy plus another 8% for two generations of selective breeding may increase growth rates of oysters by 38%. Objectives: 1. Evaluation of the resistance of fourth selected generation Georges River oysters to QX disease and winter mortality against controls 2. Evaluation of the growth rate of fourth selected generation Port Stephens selection line diploids and triploids against non-selected diploid and triploid controls Read moreRead less
How to make antibiotics in pig feed redundant, naturally. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue in human and veterinary medicine being partially caused by the use of in-feed antimicrobials in farm animals. This project aims to completely eliminate antimicrobials from piglet feeds. The key differential approach is based on helping the physiology of the animal rather than testing interventions against bacteria. The project will consist of developing a novel nutritional strategy of natu ....How to make antibiotics in pig feed redundant, naturally. Antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue in human and veterinary medicine being partially caused by the use of in-feed antimicrobials in farm animals. This project aims to completely eliminate antimicrobials from piglet feeds. The key differential approach is based on helping the physiology of the animal rather than testing interventions against bacteria. The project will consist of developing a novel nutritional strategy of naturally (through maternal conditioning) boosting the natural appetite and the capacity to digest in piglets early in life. The anticipated outcome is that the new peri-natal program will result in minimal bacterial proliferation and diarrhoea thus, negating the need for in-feed antimicrobials in piglets. Read moreRead less