Establishment of the Australian Cane Toad Genome Program. The Cane Toad is one of Australia's greatest environmental menaces, and is in the top 100 of the "World's Worst invader species". Over a billion toads infest Northern Australia, and they will soon invade WA and move further into NSW. Their poisons and voracious appetite could make many native mammals, birds and reptiles extinct. The only possibility to eradicate the Toad is by biological control, but there is no known control agent. We wi ....Establishment of the Australian Cane Toad Genome Program. The Cane Toad is one of Australia's greatest environmental menaces, and is in the top 100 of the "World's Worst invader species". Over a billion toads infest Northern Australia, and they will soon invade WA and move further into NSW. Their poisons and voracious appetite could make many native mammals, birds and reptiles extinct. The only possibility to eradicate the Toad is by biological control, but there is no known control agent. We will identify the 'Toad's Achilles' heel' against which control agents can be developed. We can do this by identifying every Toad gene. This project forms the first step to this goal by establishing the Australian Cane Toad Genome Program. Toad control will help preserve Australia's unique natural heritage.Read moreRead less
Identification of Traits and Function by Genomic Matching. Differences between individuals are largely inherited and therefore encoded within the DNA. The challenge is to develop practical means of detecting these differences irrespective of whether they are observable as a phenotype.
Here we focus on livestock. For example, most Australian cattle are horned rather than polled. The inheritance is relatively simple but there is still no DNA test to detect the recessive horning gene.
T ....Identification of Traits and Function by Genomic Matching. Differences between individuals are largely inherited and therefore encoded within the DNA. The challenge is to develop practical means of detecting these differences irrespective of whether they are observable as a phenotype.
Here we focus on livestock. For example, most Australian cattle are horned rather than polled. The inheritance is relatively simple but there is still no DNA test to detect the recessive horning gene.
The genomic matching technique is an in-house patented procedure for identifying such DNA differences. If successful, our test will assist industry to eliminate horning and thereby painful dehorning whilst reducing damage to workers and product.
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Genomic and molecular characterisation of a novel Australian leishmania pathogen. Leishmaniasis is the second most serious protozoal disease after malaria. This project will help characterise the first Leishmania species identified in Australia providing molecular tools to monitor the pathogen and a detailed assessment of any potential risk to human health. Comparative analysis with more pathogenic species will help identify genes and mechanisms that determine the progression of human disease le ....Genomic and molecular characterisation of a novel Australian leishmania pathogen. Leishmaniasis is the second most serious protozoal disease after malaria. This project will help characterise the first Leishmania species identified in Australia providing molecular tools to monitor the pathogen and a detailed assessment of any potential risk to human health. Comparative analysis with more pathogenic species will help identify genes and mechanisms that determine the progression of human disease leading to the potential identification of new drug and vaccine targets. The methodologies and expertise developed will be used will be available to other research groups working on infectious diseases.Read moreRead less
Adaptation to life in the dark: genomic analyses of blind beetles. This project aims to utilise a unique Australian model system based on multiple, independently-evolved subterranean water beetles to explore the adaptive and regressive changes in the genome that occur when surface species colonise subterranean habitats. This project focuses on the evolution of Heat Shock protein (Hsp) genes that play critical roles in adaptation to environmental stress and the process of de-canalisation, the rel ....Adaptation to life in the dark: genomic analyses of blind beetles. This project aims to utilise a unique Australian model system based on multiple, independently-evolved subterranean water beetles to explore the adaptive and regressive changes in the genome that occur when surface species colonise subterranean habitats. This project focuses on the evolution of Heat Shock protein (Hsp) genes that play critical roles in adaptation to environmental stress and the process of de-canalisation, the release of cryptic genetic variation that can allow novel morphologies to evolve in new environments. The project expects to provide further understanding of how species may potentially adapt to environmental stresses in the future, including climate change.Read moreRead less
Is regressive evolution associated with loss of gene function in subterranean animals? This project aims to investigate a fundamental biological process: the evolutionary basis for how non-functional characters, such as eyes in subterranean animals, are lost. It will use a unique model system based on eyeless water beetles, and utilise novel new genomic tools to test whether loss of characters results from gene inactivation.
ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genome. In this Australian-led Kangaroo Genome Project, we will map and characterize the tammar wallaby genome at the molecular level. Marsupial genomes are uniquely valuable because they provide comparisons that reveal new human genes, regulatory sequences and marsupial-specific genes. These will deliver new products and information useful for medicine, industry, agriculture and conservation. We will construct integrated genetic and physical maps of the genome, clone the ....ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genome. In this Australian-led Kangaroo Genome Project, we will map and characterize the tammar wallaby genome at the molecular level. Marsupial genomes are uniquely valuable because they provide comparisons that reveal new human genes, regulatory sequences and marsupial-specific genes. These will deliver new products and information useful for medicine, industry, agriculture and conservation. We will construct integrated genetic and physical maps of the genome, clone the whole genome as large inserts in BAC vectors, and build a "golden path" with minimal overlap. We will construct libraries of expressed genes from tammar tissues and array them for use in analysing gene expression.Read moreRead less
Population Genetics of Fungal Pathogens that Threaten the Biosecurity of Australia's Eucalypts. Many new pathogens and diseases are emerging on exotic eucalypt plantations throughout the world. These emerging diseases pose a threat to native eucalypt forests and plantations in Australia. Vigilant quarantine measures are necessary to prevent the introduction of potentially devastating pathogens into Australia. However, incursions do occur and there is a great need to study these pathogens now, ....Population Genetics of Fungal Pathogens that Threaten the Biosecurity of Australia's Eucalypts. Many new pathogens and diseases are emerging on exotic eucalypt plantations throughout the world. These emerging diseases pose a threat to native eucalypt forests and plantations in Australia. Vigilant quarantine measures are necessary to prevent the introduction of potentially devastating pathogens into Australia. However, incursions do occur and there is a great need to study these pathogens now, before they enter Australia. By studying the population genetics of pathogens, their evolutionary potential can be estimated and with that the extent of the risk they pose to native and planted eucalypts in Australia can be determined.Read moreRead less
Developmental regulation of plant mitochondrial genome structure and copy number. Recombination is a major driving force behind mitochondrial DNA evolution and is responsible for the occurrence of cytoplasmic male sterile plants that are used by plant breeders to obtain high yield hybrids. A better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie mitochondrial and chloroplast genome maintenance and segregation will be a major fundamental scientific advance that will permit an integrated picture of ....Developmental regulation of plant mitochondrial genome structure and copy number. Recombination is a major driving force behind mitochondrial DNA evolution and is responsible for the occurrence of cytoplasmic male sterile plants that are used by plant breeders to obtain high yield hybrids. A better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie mitochondrial and chloroplast genome maintenance and segregation will be a major fundamental scientific advance that will permit an integrated picture of the interactions between the three plant genomes (nuclear, mitochondrial and chloroplastic). It is also a pre-requisite for the future manipulation of the cytoplasmic genomes leading to new ways to develop varieties with modified cytoplasms.Read moreRead less
LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evi ....LATERAL GENE TRANSFER, GENOME EVOLUTION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NEW DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGAL PATHOGENS IN THE PLEOSPORALES. Normal evolution involves the transfer of genes within species. The modest variation between progeny powers natural selection. Lateral gene transfer is the movement of genetic material between species. It allows for large evolutionary steps. Although common in bacteria, it has rarely been described convincingly in higher organisms such as fungi, plants or animals. We have evidence that one group of fungal pathogens is particularly adept at acquiring new genes that enable them to cause new diseases. We will determine the mechanism and frequency of gene transfer in this group. The work had fundamental significance in evolutionary biology, in the emergence of new diseases and in the use of genetically-modified organisms.Read moreRead less
Transcriptome sequencing and functional characterisation of craniate non-visual sensory systems and their adaptation to diverse light environments. Light detection (photoreception) is critical to species survival. It is not limited to vision, but also serves to set biological rhythms. In mammals, all photoreception is thought to occur solely through the eye, but in non-mammals many other tissues directly monitor light levels. However, the signalling cascades and functional roles of these non-vis ....Transcriptome sequencing and functional characterisation of craniate non-visual sensory systems and their adaptation to diverse light environments. Light detection (photoreception) is critical to species survival. It is not limited to vision, but also serves to set biological rhythms. In mammals, all photoreception is thought to occur solely through the eye, but in non-mammals many other tissues directly monitor light levels. However, the signalling cascades and functional roles of these non-visual pathways are largely unknown. This project will use high-throughput sequencing technologies and functional analyses to trace the origin and function of different irradiance detection systems in each main craniate class. By comparing species from diverse photic habitats, the influence of light as a substrate for adaptation will be investigated.Read moreRead less