Development of Novel Pesticidal Agents. We have discovered a family of naturally occurring plant proteins called the cyclotides that have potent insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa species, one of the major pests on cotton and corn in Australia and world wide. Preliminary evidence has shown that they also have activity against major pests to livestock in Australia, including sheep blowflies. To develop these proteins as potential pesticidal agents it is necessary to understand the struct ....Development of Novel Pesticidal Agents. We have discovered a family of naturally occurring plant proteins called the cyclotides that have potent insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa species, one of the major pests on cotton and corn in Australia and world wide. Preliminary evidence has shown that they also have activity against major pests to livestock in Australia, including sheep blowflies. To develop these proteins as potential pesticidal agents it is necessary to understand the structural basis for their activity. We will do this by chemically synthesising peptides with selected residues mutated to determine their effects on activity.Read moreRead less
Discovery and applications of circular proteins. The many national benefits that will flow from this program include (i) new knowledge in plant biochemistry, peptide chemistry and protein engineering protected by a strong intellectual property position that will give Australia a competitive edge in relevant biotechnology applications; (ii) the training of a new generation of skilled researchers to drive a sustainable biotechnology sector in Australia; (iii) economic benefits from royalty returns ....Discovery and applications of circular proteins. The many national benefits that will flow from this program include (i) new knowledge in plant biochemistry, peptide chemistry and protein engineering protected by a strong intellectual property position that will give Australia a competitive edge in relevant biotechnology applications; (ii) the training of a new generation of skilled researchers to drive a sustainable biotechnology sector in Australia; (iii) economic benefits from royalty returns on drugs and agricultural products that will likely arise from the program; (iv) environment benefits due to a reduced need for chemical insecticides; and (v) social benefits due to a reduction in suffering from diseases for which drugs are developed as a result of this program.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100040
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Integrated Greenhouse Gas Measurement System (IGMS) for monitoring agricultural emissions at field to regional scales. Measurement of greenhouse gases is critical to Australia’s obligations to reduce carbon emissions. The measurement facility will provide urgently needed accurate emission data from Australian agriculture to establish emission baselines and develop methods to extend the point-scale measurements to whole farm, regional and national scales.