Targeted isolation of specific marine bacterial species associated with higher organsims for the purpose of discovering new antimicrobial compounds. Specific bacterial species that are commonly found in association with marine plants and animals often produce active secondary metabolites. The aim of this project is to apply our understanding of these bacterial-host associations to the targeted isolation of novel antimicrobials from the marine environment. While these new compounds will undoubted ....Targeted isolation of specific marine bacterial species associated with higher organsims for the purpose of discovering new antimicrobial compounds. Specific bacterial species that are commonly found in association with marine plants and animals often produce active secondary metabolites. The aim of this project is to apply our understanding of these bacterial-host associations to the targeted isolation of novel antimicrobials from the marine environment. While these new compounds will undoubtedly have a number of commercial applications this project focuses on the development of products for dental hygiene in animals. Generally, the urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds to combat the growing number of microbes that are resistant to current antibiotics highlights the importance of this project.Read moreRead less
An interdisciplinary approach to host-pathogen interactions in infection. This project aims to understand the molecular and cellular interactions between host and parasite, as well as providing a quantitative framework for analysing infection dynamics in other systems. Infection involves a complex interaction between the host and the parasite, which is very dynamic and therefore difficult to study by traditional sampling and analysis approaches. This project has combined mathematical modelling w ....An interdisciplinary approach to host-pathogen interactions in infection. This project aims to understand the molecular and cellular interactions between host and parasite, as well as providing a quantitative framework for analysing infection dynamics in other systems. Infection involves a complex interaction between the host and the parasite, which is very dynamic and therefore difficult to study by traditional sampling and analysis approaches. This project has combined mathematical modelling with a novel experimental protocol to allow the study of kinetics of parasite replication in vivo. Expected outcomes will provide significant benefits, such as new avenues for vaccination and immune intervention.Read moreRead less
Novel Babesia proteins and their roles in the pathogenesis of tick fever. This project aims at gaining a deep understanding of the biology of Babesia parasites and how they cause tick fever in cattle. The project expects to discover novel parasite proteins involved in the development and persistence of tick fever and identify their functional role in infection. The main expected outcome is the discovery of parasite proteins that are critical for infection and pathogenesis of cattle tick fever. T ....Novel Babesia proteins and their roles in the pathogenesis of tick fever. This project aims at gaining a deep understanding of the biology of Babesia parasites and how they cause tick fever in cattle. The project expects to discover novel parasite proteins involved in the development and persistence of tick fever and identify their functional role in infection. The main expected outcome is the discovery of parasite proteins that are critical for infection and pathogenesis of cattle tick fever. The findings will contribute to the development of future novel vaccines to control tick fever, with significant economic benefits for the beef and dairy industries worldwide.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101524
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$355,325.00
Summary
Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-bas ....Taking Control: Understanding regulation of bacterial iron acquisition. This project aims to uncover the bacterial regulatory networks acting on a family of iron-stealing molecules called siderophores. Bacteria use siderophores to acquire iron from their hosts, the environment, and each other – as such, they have a central role in microbial life. Despite their importance, we have an incomplete knowledge of how these iron-stealing weapons are deployed. This project will develop a new genomics-based, high-throughput technology for defining bacterial gene regulation networks, and use it to understand siderophore control. This will provide new knowledge of siderophore function, enhance understanding of bacterial community and host interactions, and establish leadership in a new genomics technology in Australia.Read moreRead less
New tools to decipher, predict and manage pacific oyster mortality episodes. This project aims to unite cutting-edge genomic and molecular biological tools with novel quantitative modelling analyses to identify the mechanisms behind oyster disease events. Oyster farming contributes almost $100 million to the Australian economy each year and is a cornerstone of coastal communities, but has been decimated by diseases that threaten this important primary industry. While some causative pathogens hav ....New tools to decipher, predict and manage pacific oyster mortality episodes. This project aims to unite cutting-edge genomic and molecular biological tools with novel quantitative modelling analyses to identify the mechanisms behind oyster disease events. Oyster farming contributes almost $100 million to the Australian economy each year and is a cornerstone of coastal communities, but has been decimated by diseases that threaten this important primary industry. While some causative pathogens have been identified, the environmental catalysts of oyster disease remain a mystery. The expected outcome of this project is an innovative coupling of tools that provides new capacity to forecast disease events, delivering the Australian oyster industry a powerful platform to predict, manage and prevent costly disease outbreaks. By identifying environmental thresholds and oyster disease danger periods, an expected outcome of this project is the development of new oyster farming strategies aimed at avoiding multi-million dollar losses associated with disease outbreaks.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100977
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,016.00
Summary
How ecology shapes the viromes of wild birds. This project will reveal the host factors associated with the diversity, evolution and dynamics of viruses using state-of-the-art metatranscriptomics in Australian wild birds. The structure of virus communities and their associated ecological drivers in wild animal hosts remain a black-box, even though they are the largest source of viral diversity in nature. This project expects to generate key insights into host-associated drivers of viral communit ....How ecology shapes the viromes of wild birds. This project will reveal the host factors associated with the diversity, evolution and dynamics of viruses using state-of-the-art metatranscriptomics in Australian wild birds. The structure of virus communities and their associated ecological drivers in wild animal hosts remain a black-box, even though they are the largest source of viral diversity in nature. This project expects to generate key insights into host-associated drivers of viral community dynamics and the subsequent effect of anthropogenic factors such as urbanisation and poultry production. Identifying host factors that affect viral ecology in wild birds will constitute a cornerstone in understanding the emergence of virulent viruses and/or their spread to poultry or humansRead moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence - Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics. The research falls under the National Research Priority Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, with the priority goal of frontier technologies. The research has commercial applications, such as the development of novel antimicrobials and vaccines, with potentially enormous impact in the biotechnology area of biomedical health and the primary industries. In addition, the project will use ....ARC Centre of Excellence - Structural and Functional Microbial Genomics. The research falls under the National Research Priority Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, with the priority goal of frontier technologies. The research has commercial applications, such as the development of novel antimicrobials and vaccines, with potentially enormous impact in the biotechnology area of biomedical health and the primary industries. In addition, the project will use state-of-the-art technology, including use of synchrotron radiation at the Monash-based Australian Synchrotron facility from 2007.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354619
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australian Microbial Genomics Research Network. The Australian Microbial Genomics Research Network aims to bring together Australian scientists with complementary expertise in microbial genomics within two ARC Centres, a Ramaciotti Centre and four institutions across three states. This initiative will involve the strategy and planning of the proposed Network.
ARC Centre for Structural & Functional Microbial Genomics. Australian Primary Industry will benefit from a team of experts in microbial genetics, bioinformatics and protein structure and function undertaking integrated studies on microbial genomics and phenomics that are focused on fundamental biological processes and host/pathogen interactions. Whole genome expression and protein profiling will be used to characterise genes whose expression is altered in the infected host and to analyse genes i ....ARC Centre for Structural & Functional Microbial Genomics. Australian Primary Industry will benefit from a team of experts in microbial genetics, bioinformatics and protein structure and function undertaking integrated studies on microbial genomics and phenomics that are focused on fundamental biological processes and host/pathogen interactions. Whole genome expression and protein profiling will be used to characterise genes whose expression is altered in the infected host and to analyse genes involved in the control of key cellular processes. The Centre will also determine the shapes of key molecules and their interactions. Practical outcomes will include new veterinary vaccines and the identification of novel antimicrobial targets.Read moreRead less
Adaptive ecotyping of the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii to predict its invasive capacity. We change the world while other organisms adapt to these new conditions. Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) increasingly dominate water bodies that were previously free of these harmful blooms. To minimise the spread of these algae, this project will study the genetic basis that determines how rapidly they can evolve and adapt to a changing planet.