Salinity tolerance and long-distance transport in cereals. The aim of this program is to alter shoot accumulation of solutes in cereals by exploiting novel transgenic technology to manipulate processes in specific cell types in the roots. The primary objective is the generation of cereals which have increased tolerance of saline soils. This is clearly of much agricultural significance in Australia. More general outcomes include the generation of plants with altered concentrations of a range of n ....Salinity tolerance and long-distance transport in cereals. The aim of this program is to alter shoot accumulation of solutes in cereals by exploiting novel transgenic technology to manipulate processes in specific cell types in the roots. The primary objective is the generation of cereals which have increased tolerance of saline soils. This is clearly of much agricultural significance in Australia. More general outcomes include the generation of plants with altered concentrations of a range of nutrients in both leaves and grain. This will be of wide agricultural and nutritional benefit, as well as providing an understanding of principles underlying the long-distance co-ordination of processes in plants.Read moreRead less
Small RNAs: what makes a plant, a plant. Understanding the roles of small RNAs and their pathways is a young field of research that is giving, and will continue to give, profound insights into how multicellular organisms regulate gene expression at a genomic level. Research in this area has already led to RNA interference technology, by which almost any gene can be switched off, and there is considerable potential for other gene silencing and trait modification technologies to emerge. The projec ....Small RNAs: what makes a plant, a plant. Understanding the roles of small RNAs and their pathways is a young field of research that is giving, and will continue to give, profound insights into how multicellular organisms regulate gene expression at a genomic level. Research in this area has already led to RNA interference technology, by which almost any gene can be switched off, and there is considerable potential for other gene silencing and trait modification technologies to emerge. The project will yield insights into fundamental biological processes which are expected to engender applications in agriculture and biotechnology. It will maintain and enhance Australia's position in this area.Read moreRead less
How organisms coordinate energy supply and demand. The metabolic stress sensing protein kinase called the AMP activated protein kinase controls metabolism of all eukaryotes to meet the needs of energy demand and nutrient supply. It is responsible for accelerating metabolism (glucose transport, glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation) in response to energy demand and with caloric restriction it regulates gene transcription to adapt to energy supply. This project is to provide a comprehensive unders ....How organisms coordinate energy supply and demand. The metabolic stress sensing protein kinase called the AMP activated protein kinase controls metabolism of all eukaryotes to meet the needs of energy demand and nutrient supply. It is responsible for accelerating metabolism (glucose transport, glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation) in response to energy demand and with caloric restriction it regulates gene transcription to adapt to energy supply. This project is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the AMP activated protein kinase (enzyme isoforms, genes, physiological roles and regulation). This knowledge will have major benefits in biopharmaceutical development, the livestock, plant and sport/racing industries.Read moreRead less