Probing the four photosynthetic membrane protein complexes at work in situ in leaves. This proposal aims at sustainable improvements in plant productivity and photosynthetic adaptation in drastic Australian climates. In photosynthesis, membranes with the four multiprotein complexes use sunlight to make compounds that drive carbon assimilation. Instead of the usual dissection of photosynthetic membranes, this project will develop and refine the applicant's rapid, reliable, non-intrusive technique ....Probing the four photosynthetic membrane protein complexes at work in situ in leaves. This proposal aims at sustainable improvements in plant productivity and photosynthetic adaptation in drastic Australian climates. In photosynthesis, membranes with the four multiprotein complexes use sunlight to make compounds that drive carbon assimilation. Instead of the usual dissection of photosynthetic membranes, this project will develop and refine the applicant's rapid, reliable, non-intrusive techniques to probe the four membrane complexes at work in their native state in leaves. Two portable commercial instruments will potentially emerge from the techniques. This novel non-reductionist approach will identify key limitations to photosynthetic performance under stress, and insights into improvements for primary plant productivity.Read moreRead less
The Shape of Plants; Discovering factors that control morphology by organizing the cytoskeleton. Understanding how plants generate the huge diversity of shapes seen in nature is both a scientific challenge and a biotechnological opportunity. Microtubules dominate cell architecture, providing dynamic, yet rigid, frameworks for defining or changing growth polarity. We recently discovered and cloned MOR1, a gene that is essential for organizing microtubules and controlling morphogenesis. This place ....The Shape of Plants; Discovering factors that control morphology by organizing the cytoskeleton. Understanding how plants generate the huge diversity of shapes seen in nature is both a scientific challenge and a biotechnological opportunity. Microtubules dominate cell architecture, providing dynamic, yet rigid, frameworks for defining or changing growth polarity. We recently discovered and cloned MOR1, a gene that is essential for organizing microtubules and controlling morphogenesis. This places us in a strong position to resolve a long-standing mystery: how are microtubules organized? We intend to define MOR1's structural attributes, identify its interacting proteins and innovate an ambitious screen for additional genes that have related functions. This project should stimulate new ideas and applications.Read moreRead less
Identifying genes controlling the regulatory and metabolic interactions between the energy organelles of the leaf. Plant energy metabolism underlies the synthesis of many important products in crops, and subtle changes in metabolism can enhance key plant traits, such as germination rates, early seedling vigour, biomass/yield, and tolerance to harsh environments. Furthering our understanding on the complex interplay of genes controlling energy metabolism and its impact on leaf function has potent ....Identifying genes controlling the regulatory and metabolic interactions between the energy organelles of the leaf. Plant energy metabolism underlies the synthesis of many important products in crops, and subtle changes in metabolism can enhance key plant traits, such as germination rates, early seedling vigour, biomass/yield, and tolerance to harsh environments. Furthering our understanding on the complex interplay of genes controlling energy metabolism and its impact on leaf function has potential outcomes for smart genetic manipulation either by classical breeding or genetic transformation. There are more than 10,000 genes of unknown function in plant genomes and this represents a tremendous untapped resource for future Australian R&D outcomes and insights from this research proposal will have application to all plant-based agriculture.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989084
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$275,000.00
Summary
Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy for Live Cell Imaging. The University of Newcastle has invested heavily in its biological and life sciences to create a research nexus focusing on national research priorities in biotechnology and environmental protection. The Live Cell Imaging platform will be utilized by scientists researching such strategically important areas including developmental biology, intracellular signalling cascades, cell cycle dynamics, plant development and microbiology. Moreover ....Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy for Live Cell Imaging. The University of Newcastle has invested heavily in its biological and life sciences to create a research nexus focusing on national research priorities in biotechnology and environmental protection. The Live Cell Imaging platform will be utilized by scientists researching such strategically important areas including developmental biology, intracellular signalling cascades, cell cycle dynamics, plant development and microbiology. Moreover, this component of the University's research portfolio plays a major role in the postgraduate training of young Australian scientists who will, in turn, fuel future developments in both the life sciences and biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Involvement of cell coupling in vascular function: Development of a computational model. Gap junctions are intercellular channels which enable the production of coordinated responses in multicellular tissues and organs. Blood vessels are comprised of endothelial cells surrounded by smooth muscle cells and gap junctions exist within and between these layers. The present proposal will determine the fundamental role of gap junctions in regulating blood flow and blood pressure. Our data will enable ....Involvement of cell coupling in vascular function: Development of a computational model. Gap junctions are intercellular channels which enable the production of coordinated responses in multicellular tissues and organs. Blood vessels are comprised of endothelial cells surrounded by smooth muscle cells and gap junctions exist within and between these layers. The present proposal will determine the fundamental role of gap junctions in regulating blood flow and blood pressure. Our data will enable us to develop a computational model of the vascular wall and so predict how changes in electrical properties, as occur during pressure changes, can influence blood flow. Since ageing is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, our results will contribute to a better understanding of blood flow regulation in our ageing population.Read moreRead less
ION CHANNELS FORMED BY SMALL PROTEINS FROM VIRUSES. Movements of ions across cell membranes through protein ion channels are essential for normal cell function. We have found that some small proteins from viruses can form ion channels. Studying these simple channels should give us clues about the function of more complex channels, such as those in the brain, as well as giving us information about the viruses themselves. We will test whether a small protein from Ross River virus forms ion channel ....ION CHANNELS FORMED BY SMALL PROTEINS FROM VIRUSES. Movements of ions across cell membranes through protein ion channels are essential for normal cell function. We have found that some small proteins from viruses can form ion channels. Studying these simple channels should give us clues about the function of more complex channels, such as those in the brain, as well as giving us information about the viruses themselves. We will test whether a small protein from Ross River virus forms ion channels and will also test the effects of selected mutations in proteins from influenza and AIDS viruses that we have shown previously to form ion channels.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989408
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
A multiple-ion membrane inlet mass spectrometer. There is a compelling need for a modern isotope-ratio mass spectrometer to facilitate a range of innovative studies of chemical and biochemical processes. Mass spectrometers operated with a thin permeable membrane over a vacuum inlet allow small gas molecules to be continuously monitored inside specific gas or liquid phase sample chambers. The proposed instrumentation will enable simultaneous and highly sensitive measurement of 10 different isot ....A multiple-ion membrane inlet mass spectrometer. There is a compelling need for a modern isotope-ratio mass spectrometer to facilitate a range of innovative studies of chemical and biochemical processes. Mass spectrometers operated with a thin permeable membrane over a vacuum inlet allow small gas molecules to be continuously monitored inside specific gas or liquid phase sample chambers. The proposed instrumentation will enable simultaneous and highly sensitive measurement of 10 different isotopic species and the capability for detection of hydrogen. This equipment will provide the many researchers and students with opportunities to determine isotopic signatures of isolated chemical reactions through to complex biochemical systems of whole living cells.Read moreRead less
Disorder as a novel determinant of photosynthetic structure and function: an experimental study. Australia enjoys a world reputation in photosynthesis research, typified by hosting the 2001 International Photosynthesis Congress. It also has a claim to fame for theoretical work in non-equilibrium thermodynamics concerning production of disorder or entropy, yielding new insights into planetary climates. This experimental project investigates the novel relation between entropy/entropy production ....Disorder as a novel determinant of photosynthetic structure and function: an experimental study. Australia enjoys a world reputation in photosynthesis research, typified by hosting the 2001 International Photosynthesis Congress. It also has a claim to fame for theoretical work in non-equilibrium thermodynamics concerning production of disorder or entropy, yielding new insights into planetary climates. This experimental project investigates the novel relation between entropy/entropy production and the structure/function of the solar powerhouse of plants (chloroplasts), and addresses fundamental questions at the interface of biology and physics. The research explores chloroplasts as a manifestation of the all-pervading Second Law of Thermodynamics, advancing Australia's contribution to basic science and helping to train researchers.Read moreRead less
Using the fractionation of hydrogen and carbon isotopes to analyse the mechanisms of the primary processes of photosynthesis. The primary processes of CO2 fixation and reduction in photosynthesis leave their signatures in the isotopic composition of organic matter. Although these signatures are used widely in geochemistry, biology and climatology to infer the dynamics and history of the biosphere, the information they provide about the mechanisms of the processes that produce them has not been e ....Using the fractionation of hydrogen and carbon isotopes to analyse the mechanisms of the primary processes of photosynthesis. The primary processes of CO2 fixation and reduction in photosynthesis leave their signatures in the isotopic composition of organic matter. Although these signatures are used widely in geochemistry, biology and climatology to infer the dynamics and history of the biosphere, the information they provide about the mechanisms of the processes that produce them has not been exploited fully. We propose to map the underlying biochemistry responsible for fractionation of hydrogen isotopes, to assess its ability to indicate the water relations of plants, and to use carbon-isotope discrimination to probe the catalytic chemistry of the CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco.Read moreRead less
Controlling the rate of transcription and translation of Rubisco transgenes effectively in higher-plant plastids. Genetic transformation of the circular genome of the plastids provides a containable means for modifying plant growth by manipulating photosynthesis. Although the transformation mechanism is precise, predicting the level of foreign gene expression is difficult because the amounts of messenger RNA and protein produced by foreign genes in plastids varies widely, even when the protein a ....Controlling the rate of transcription and translation of Rubisco transgenes effectively in higher-plant plastids. Genetic transformation of the circular genome of the plastids provides a containable means for modifying plant growth by manipulating photosynthesis. Although the transformation mechanism is precise, predicting the level of foreign gene expression is difficult because the amounts of messenger RNA and protein produced by foreign genes in plastids varies widely, even when the protein assembles without difficulty. This project will devise strategies for controlling this variability that will facilitate attempts to exploit plastid transformation for transplanting better versions of the photosynthetic CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, into plants to improve their growth efficiency in terms of water, fertiliser and light use.Read moreRead less