Genome evolution & adaptation of the multinuclear wheat stripe rust fungus. Animals and plants package their genomes into a single nucleus within each cell. In contrast, millions of fungal species accommodate multiple nuclei containing individual haploid genomes. It is currently unknown what the evolutionary implications are for this unusual genome division into multiple nuclei. Here we explore the evolutionary consequences of genome division into multiple nuclei for the first time by applying c ....Genome evolution & adaptation of the multinuclear wheat stripe rust fungus. Animals and plants package their genomes into a single nucleus within each cell. In contrast, millions of fungal species accommodate multiple nuclei containing individual haploid genomes. It is currently unknown what the evolutionary implications are for this unusual genome division into multiple nuclei. Here we explore the evolutionary consequences of genome division into multiple nuclei for the first time by applying cutting edge genome biology tools and algorithms. The economically significant study system is the devastating wheat stripe rust fungus. This pathogen costs Australian farmers over $100 million a year. New understanding is expected to lead to better disease management, reduced fungicide applications, and increased yields.Read moreRead less
RNA-binding proteins rewire transcriptomes in immune cell differentiation. This project aims to combine advanced computational and experimental techniques to investigate a new layer of gene regulation by novel RNA binding proteins (RBP) which control messenger RNA length in immune cells. This project expects to demonstrate that these RBPs have a profound effect on immune cell differentiation and response to infection. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new RBPs regulating immunity, with ....RNA-binding proteins rewire transcriptomes in immune cell differentiation. This project aims to combine advanced computational and experimental techniques to investigate a new layer of gene regulation by novel RNA binding proteins (RBP) which control messenger RNA length in immune cells. This project expects to demonstrate that these RBPs have a profound effect on immune cell differentiation and response to infection. Expected outcomes include the discovery of new RBPs regulating immunity, with mechanism and function determined by novel CRISPR editing of a transgenic mouse model. The significant benefit will be a more complete understanding of RNA mechanisms of immune response, which will be critical in informing future advances in the rapidly developing areas of RNA-based biotechnologies and synthetic immunology.Read moreRead less
Evolving rates: foundations for the next generation of molecular clocks. This project aims to investigate the causes and consequences of variation in rate of DNA sequence evolution across three kingdoms of life. Dates estimated from DNA sequences have a wide range of applications, including evolutionary biology, conservation prioritisation and epidemiology. These methods rely on accurate rate estimates, but current models lack information about the biological drivers of rates of genomic change. ....Evolving rates: foundations for the next generation of molecular clocks. This project aims to investigate the causes and consequences of variation in rate of DNA sequence evolution across three kingdoms of life. Dates estimated from DNA sequences have a wide range of applications, including evolutionary biology, conservation prioritisation and epidemiology. These methods rely on accurate rate estimates, but current models lack information about the biological drivers of rates of genomic change. This project will test reliability of current methods, identify potentially misleading estimates of disease origin or conservation priorities, and develop new approaches with empirically-informed models of rate change.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100491
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,386.00
Summary
Linking genomic changes to the generation of biodiversity. This project aims to provide a suite of theories, methods and software to enhance our understanding on how the generation of variation at molecular level is linked to the generation of species richness at lineage level. This new approach tests various ways that molecular changes are manifested as patterns of diversification, as revealed by genomic data analysed at the lineage level in phylogenetic studies. Expected outcomes of this proje ....Linking genomic changes to the generation of biodiversity. This project aims to provide a suite of theories, methods and software to enhance our understanding on how the generation of variation at molecular level is linked to the generation of species richness at lineage level. This new approach tests various ways that molecular changes are manifested as patterns of diversification, as revealed by genomic data analysed at the lineage level in phylogenetic studies. Expected outcomes of this project add to a growing body of evolutionary theory and provide practical phylogenetic tools for future analyses. These should benefit Australia by improving our understanding on the formation of Australia’s biodiversity hotspots.Read moreRead less
Methods for Protein Structure Analysis by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. This highly interdisciplinary project aims to establish new tools to analyse the structure and motions of proteins that are otherwise difficult to study. A combination of advanced biochemistry, modern magnetic spectroscopy methods, and high-performance computing techniques will be applied to study proteins at physiological concentrations and in complex environments. New techniques will be developed and tested on proteins ....Methods for Protein Structure Analysis by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance. This highly interdisciplinary project aims to establish new tools to analyse the structure and motions of proteins that are otherwise difficult to study. A combination of advanced biochemistry, modern magnetic spectroscopy methods, and high-performance computing techniques will be applied to study proteins at physiological concentrations and in complex environments. New techniques will be developed and tested on proteins of high biochemical or biomedical importance, and the approach will be applied to established drug targets.Read moreRead less
How and why cells decorate their genetic messages. This project aims to investigate a new layer of genomic control mediated not by DNA but instead by chemical modifications found on the cell's working copies of genetic information called messenger RNA. The investigations will use cutting-edge RNA sequencing technology and the fruit fly model organism to uncover the scope and mechanisms by which such modifications enact their roles at the molecular level and within the body plan of an animal. Exp ....How and why cells decorate their genetic messages. This project aims to investigate a new layer of genomic control mediated not by DNA but instead by chemical modifications found on the cell's working copies of genetic information called messenger RNA. The investigations will use cutting-edge RNA sequencing technology and the fruit fly model organism to uncover the scope and mechanisms by which such modifications enact their roles at the molecular level and within the body plan of an animal. Expected outcomes include novel molecular tools and models that will assist in understanding and manipulating the function of genomes. Such knowledge should provide benefits in developing innovative biotechnology applications of use in human health, agriculture and managing the environment.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100301
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,000.00
Summary
Reducing uncertainty in prediction of leaf respiration in a changing world. This project aims to advance our understanding of responses of carbon dioxide (CO2) release by leaf (leaf respiration) to sustained changes in CO2 and temperature. Leaf respiration in terrestrial forests releases yearly CO2 that is two to four times higher than CO2 emitted by human activities, but its response to climate change is not well understood. The project expects to generate new knowledge on mechanisms underlying ....Reducing uncertainty in prediction of leaf respiration in a changing world. This project aims to advance our understanding of responses of carbon dioxide (CO2) release by leaf (leaf respiration) to sustained changes in CO2 and temperature. Leaf respiration in terrestrial forests releases yearly CO2 that is two to four times higher than CO2 emitted by human activities, but its response to climate change is not well understood. The project expects to generate new knowledge on mechanisms underlying responses of leaf respiration to these climate change variables, separately and combined. Expected outcome is to deliver criteria that enable dynamic changes in leaf respiration to be predicted in climate models. Results should benefit improved forecast of feedback between Australian forests' carbon cycling and climate.Read moreRead less
How novel ribosomal RNA gene repeat variants drive cellular function. The hundreds of ribosomal RNA gene repeat copies are a remarkable part of our genomes, as they encode the machinery responsible for all cellular protein synthesis and shape the structure of the nucleus. However, due to their high degree of sequence similarity, they still have not been assembled into the human genome reference. This project will resolve this impasse and furthermore uncover the functional impacts of a newly iden ....How novel ribosomal RNA gene repeat variants drive cellular function. The hundreds of ribosomal RNA gene repeat copies are a remarkable part of our genomes, as they encode the machinery responsible for all cellular protein synthesis and shape the structure of the nucleus. However, due to their high degree of sequence similarity, they still have not been assembled into the human genome reference. This project will resolve this impasse and furthermore uncover the functional impacts of a newly identified molecular diversity in the ribosomal RNA gene repeats. Outcomes include new paradigms for how the ribosomal RNA gene repeats drive protein synthesis and genome structure, and a blueprint to develop novel genomics applications for human health, biotechnology, and agriculture.Read moreRead less