Normal heart development before birth. This project aims to understand how the fetal heart can develop normally with much less oxygen than an adult heart uses. Regulation of fetal heart proliferation is not well understood but changes in oxygen levels and non-coding RNAs are implicated. Using advanced imaging techniques to measure blood flow in blood vessels to the fetal heart and molecular probes to assess cell function and microarrays to measure non-coding RNA, the project expects to generate ....Normal heart development before birth. This project aims to understand how the fetal heart can develop normally with much less oxygen than an adult heart uses. Regulation of fetal heart proliferation is not well understood but changes in oxygen levels and non-coding RNAs are implicated. Using advanced imaging techniques to measure blood flow in blood vessels to the fetal heart and molecular probes to assess cell function and microarrays to measure non-coding RNA, the project expects to generate new knowledge about mechanisms of fetal heart cell proliferation. Ultimately, this new knowledge could lead to non-invasive approaches to detect and treat abnormal fetal heart growth in animals and humans.Read moreRead less
The molecular interactome and functions of circular RNAs. This project aims to identify the functions of circular RNAs, the most contemporary and enigmatic family of RNA molecules. While their abundance suggests they are important, it is unclear how they function at the molecular level. This project aims to delineate circular RNA function by systematically identifying their interacting partners at the DNA, RNA and protein levels, the so-called molecular interactome. This project will reprogram e ....The molecular interactome and functions of circular RNAs. This project aims to identify the functions of circular RNAs, the most contemporary and enigmatic family of RNA molecules. While their abundance suggests they are important, it is unclear how they function at the molecular level. This project aims to delineate circular RNA function by systematically identifying their interacting partners at the DNA, RNA and protein levels, the so-called molecular interactome. This project will reprogram embryonic stem cells to model developmental processes and is designed to validate circular RNA research. Together, the benefits include a higher-quality research workforce by mentoring students, refining fundamental tenets of RNA biology and may extend to improving health in the long-term.Read moreRead less
How do mechanical cues regulate tissue renewal and tumour progression? Imbalances between cell production and cell death in tissues can be catastrophic, leading to major global health issues such as cancer. This project will use modified mice and protein-protein interaction based techniques to identify how changes in the mechanical properties of tissues regulate the balance between cell production and cell death.
The transcriptional control of lymphatic vessel development. Lymphatic vessels are a vital, but often overlooked, component of the cardiovascular system. These specialised vessels return tissue fluid to the bloodstream, absorb dietary lipids and transport cells of the immune system throughout the body. Defects in the growth and development of lymphatic vessels result in disorders including lymphedema, obesity, inflammatory diseases and cancer. This project aims to define how transcription factor ....The transcriptional control of lymphatic vessel development. Lymphatic vessels are a vital, but often overlooked, component of the cardiovascular system. These specialised vessels return tissue fluid to the bloodstream, absorb dietary lipids and transport cells of the immune system throughout the body. Defects in the growth and development of lymphatic vessels result in disorders including lymphedema, obesity, inflammatory diseases and cancer. This project aims to define how transcription factors program lymphatic vessel identity and control the development of lymphatic vessel valves. This knowledge will provide new insight into the fundamental mechanisms by which the lymphatic vasculature is constructed during development.Read moreRead less
Ageing and the muscle stem cell niche. Adult stem cells are critical for repair and maintenance of tissues and ageing tissues show reduced stem cell function. This project will focus on how ageing leads to disruption of communication between muscle stem cells and their niche. The project aims to identify new therapeutic targets for age-related muscle wasting and reduced mobility in the elderly.
Regulation of tissue morphogenesis in reproductive function and metastatic cancer. Infertility, endocrine and metabolic disorders and reproductive cancers are all increasing medical problems and principal contributors to morbidity and mortality in the Australian community. This research takes the novel approach of investigating the mechanisms of dynamic remodeling in reproductive organs. Novel hormonally controlled mechanisms of tissue remodeling unique to reproductive organs and cancers in ad ....Regulation of tissue morphogenesis in reproductive function and metastatic cancer. Infertility, endocrine and metabolic disorders and reproductive cancers are all increasing medical problems and principal contributors to morbidity and mortality in the Australian community. This research takes the novel approach of investigating the mechanisms of dynamic remodeling in reproductive organs. Novel hormonally controlled mechanisms of tissue remodeling unique to reproductive organs and cancers in adults have been discovered. The results are being applied to new medical alternatives for infertile patients and new diagnostics and therapeutics for patients with metastatic cancers. The information is also being applied to improve reproductive efficiency in animal production industries.Read moreRead less
Targeting chloroplasts to enhance crop salt tolerance. Yield losses in crop plants due to increasingly saline soils are linked to the effects of salt on chloroplasts. By comparing chloroplast water- and salt-transport mechanisms of closely related salt-loving and salt-sensitive plants, this Fellowships aims to discover how chloroplasts maintain function in saline conditions. Novel biophysics and molecular techniques will be used to characterise transporters in model plants, and proof-of-concept ....Targeting chloroplasts to enhance crop salt tolerance. Yield losses in crop plants due to increasingly saline soils are linked to the effects of salt on chloroplasts. By comparing chloroplast water- and salt-transport mechanisms of closely related salt-loving and salt-sensitive plants, this Fellowships aims to discover how chloroplasts maintain function in saline conditions. Novel biophysics and molecular techniques will be used to characterise transporters in model plants, and proof-of-concept complementation experiments aim to confer salt tolerance on sensitive plants. These fundamental insights are likely to lead to rapid, step-change improvements in salt tolerance, especially in agriculturally relevant crops, to benefit Australia’s agri-industry and ensure food security in the future.Read moreRead less
Identifying novel roles of disease-related proteins in the regulation of exocytosis and nervous communication. This research aims to identify new molecules involved in regulating nerve communication and hormone secretion and which are relevent to human diseases and conditions including Type 2 Diabetes, Down Syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease. The findings may provide new targets in the treatments of such conditions. This research is therefore of special relevance to National ....Identifying novel roles of disease-related proteins in the regulation of exocytosis and nervous communication. This research aims to identify new molecules involved in regulating nerve communication and hormone secretion and which are relevent to human diseases and conditions including Type 2 Diabetes, Down Syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease. The findings may provide new targets in the treatments of such conditions. This research is therefore of special relevance to National Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and especially to the sub-areas of this Research Priority 2: Ageing well, ageing productively and Preventative healthcare.Read moreRead less
Targeting root architecture to improve plant production in sub-optimal soil. This project aims to identify important missing links in the signalling pathways that connect major plant hormones in their control of root architecture, with a focus on the signalling system that helps plants cope with sub-optimal growing conditions. New discoveries in plant hormones will be applied to crops to provide a deeper understanding of root growth responses under sub-optimal conditions, and to maximise plant e ....Targeting root architecture to improve plant production in sub-optimal soil. This project aims to identify important missing links in the signalling pathways that connect major plant hormones in their control of root architecture, with a focus on the signalling system that helps plants cope with sub-optimal growing conditions. New discoveries in plant hormones will be applied to crops to provide a deeper understanding of root growth responses under sub-optimal conditions, and to maximise plant efficiency. Expected outcomes include a better understanding of signal pathways in roots, improved knowledge about how crops respond to adverse conditions, new knowledge and potential genetic resources for plant industry, and novel ideas about how to improve crop productivity.Read moreRead less
Defining pathways that establish and maintain reproductive cell identity in plant ovules and seeds. Unlike animals, individual somatic cells in plants have the remarkable ability to regenerate into new plants, depending on the signals they perceive. This developmental plasticity is particularly important during normal plant growth, when mature cells adopt new identities within multicellular environments. Tissue complexity is critical for the utilisation of plants in society as food, fuel and fib ....Defining pathways that establish and maintain reproductive cell identity in plant ovules and seeds. Unlike animals, individual somatic cells in plants have the remarkable ability to regenerate into new plants, depending on the signals they perceive. This developmental plasticity is particularly important during normal plant growth, when mature cells adopt new identities within multicellular environments. Tissue complexity is critical for the utilisation of plants in society as food, fuel and fibre, but how and why plant cells adopt or change identity has been difficult to determine. This project aims to employ next-generation molecular methods to identify pathways driving differentiation of specific ovule and seed cell-types, which directly impact crop quality, yield and end-use.Read moreRead less