Evolutionary Genomics Approaches For Studying Acquisition Of Drug Resistance In Tumours
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$313,390.00
Summary
Chemotherapy often fails because some of the cells in tumour evolve resistance to the drugs the patient is given, causing relapse. We study how a tumour’s unstable genome and high rate of mutation drives its evolution by observing tumour cells in the laboratory as they evolve resistance to drugs and the genetic differences between resistant and sensitive cells. This work will help develop therapeutic strategies to prevent tumours from evolving resistance to chemotherapy.
Uncovering vertebrate lifespan biodiversity with whole genome sequencing. This project aims to integrate existing data on the genetic mechanisms of lifespan evolution in model systems with a novel combination of whole genome sequencing and comparative phylogenomics to reveal the common genomic signatures of lifespan evolution in vertebrates. Expected outcomes include a perspective on the evolution of lifespan, a topic of major health interest for Australia and the rest of the developed world. Th ....Uncovering vertebrate lifespan biodiversity with whole genome sequencing. This project aims to integrate existing data on the genetic mechanisms of lifespan evolution in model systems with a novel combination of whole genome sequencing and comparative phylogenomics to reveal the common genomic signatures of lifespan evolution in vertebrates. Expected outcomes include a perspective on the evolution of lifespan, a topic of major health interest for Australia and the rest of the developed world. This will provide significant benefits, such as long-term implications for aging research, with possible business applications. It will also increase Australia’s visibility and competitiveness in the developing field of bioinformatics.Read moreRead less
Respectful encounters: Enhancing understanding and engagement between Western and Confucian-heritage educators. One in four students in Australian universities is an international student and Chinese students are the largest group. International education is our third largest export and contacts between Australian and Chinese universities are rapidly increasing. This, however, is often based on outmoded or stereotyped assumptions about scholarship and learning. This project on both sides will bu ....Respectful encounters: Enhancing understanding and engagement between Western and Confucian-heritage educators. One in four students in Australian universities is an international student and Chinese students are the largest group. International education is our third largest export and contacts between Australian and Chinese universities are rapidly increasing. This, however, is often based on outmoded or stereotyped assumptions about scholarship and learning. This project on both sides will build Australian educators' knowledge of complexities and contemporary developments within China's cultural and intellectual paradigms. It will thus increase the appeal and relevance of Australian education to Chinese students and academics, enhance our engagement with China, and improve the international reputation and competitiveness of our universities.Read moreRead less
SKELETAL MUSCLE: REVERSIBLE TEMEPERATURE-INDUCED UNCOUPLING OF CONTRACTION FROM THE ACTIVATOR Ca2+ AND TUBULAR SYSTEM ROLES IN MUSCLE FUNCTION REGULATION. Skeletal muscles represent the largest organ in the body of vertebrates and are responsible for major functions including maintaining posture and locomotion. Skeletal muscles are also a major source of heat production. The project focuses on temperature-induced effects on the ability of the skeletal muscle to contract in warm blooded animals, ....SKELETAL MUSCLE: REVERSIBLE TEMEPERATURE-INDUCED UNCOUPLING OF CONTRACTION FROM THE ACTIVATOR Ca2+ AND TUBULAR SYSTEM ROLES IN MUSCLE FUNCTION REGULATION. Skeletal muscles represent the largest organ in the body of vertebrates and are responsible for major functions including maintaining posture and locomotion. Skeletal muscles are also a major source of heat production. The project focuses on temperature-induced effects on the ability of the skeletal muscle to contract in warm blooded animals, including marsupials, and on the complex roles played by a cellular structure unique to the muscle fibre, the tubular system, with respect to regulation of muscle function at physiological temperatures. The project will test hypotheses that will have far-reaching implications for muscle physiology, cell biology and evolutionary biology.Read moreRead less
The importance of the fictional character in literary theory and cultural practice. This project is a theoretical research project which aims to make significant and innovative contributions to research excellence in literature and the history of ideas. This research focuses on the fictional character, one of the central categories of literary theory. The benefits flowing from it will primarily be an enhanced understanding of the workings and the history of a category that informs every domain o ....The importance of the fictional character in literary theory and cultural practice. This project is a theoretical research project which aims to make significant and innovative contributions to research excellence in literature and the history of ideas. This research focuses on the fictional character, one of the central categories of literary theory. The benefits flowing from it will primarily be an enhanced understanding of the workings and the history of a category that informs every domain of cultural practice.Read moreRead less
The role of proxy and governance advisers in corporate governance. This project analyses the role of proxy and governance advisers in corporate governance in Australia and the USA. Its outcomes will clarify the nature and extent of proxy and governance adviser influence over the conduct of institutional investors and listed companies, thus allowing for a more informed debate on the need for regulation.
The Politics of Transition in China, 1972-1982. The project provides a new interpretation of the elite politics behind one of the most remarkable transformations within a continuing political system in the late 20th century?the crucial period of transition between the radical late Mao era and the reform program of the 1980s. It thus examines several of the least researched, in any sustained in-depth sense, and, as a consequence, poorly understood periods of elite politics in the People's Republi ....The Politics of Transition in China, 1972-1982. The project provides a new interpretation of the elite politics behind one of the most remarkable transformations within a continuing political system in the late 20th century?the crucial period of transition between the radical late Mao era and the reform program of the 1980s. It thus examines several of the least researched, in any sustained in-depth sense, and, as a consequence, poorly understood periods of elite politics in the People's Republic of China.Read moreRead less
Coping With Pressure: Respiratory Biology of Marine Mammals. Many marine mammals undergo severe, protracted lung collapse during deep dives. They also exhibit prolonged periods of apnea during sleep. In humans, lung collapse and sleep apnea both represent severe respiratory dysfunction. Pulmonary surfactant, a complex mixture that lines the lung, stabilises the lungs in terrestrial mammals, preventing lung collapse. Here, we propose a comprehensive examination of respiratory function in marine m ....Coping With Pressure: Respiratory Biology of Marine Mammals. Many marine mammals undergo severe, protracted lung collapse during deep dives. They also exhibit prolonged periods of apnea during sleep. In humans, lung collapse and sleep apnea both represent severe respiratory dysfunction. Pulmonary surfactant, a complex mixture that lines the lung, stabilises the lungs in terrestrial mammals, preventing lung collapse. Here, we propose a comprehensive examination of respiratory function in marine mammals. This study will significantly advance our knowledge of the diving physiology of Australian marine mammals. A detailed examination of the respiratory and surfactant systems of marine mammals may also reveal adaptations that enable these animals to endure sleep apnea and lung collapse.Read moreRead less
Manipulative tests of metabolic theory. This project aims to take a new interdisciplinary approach to understanding how energy flows through individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. The project expects to develop a new framework for understanding the function of biological systems, bringing together the fields of physiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, generating research publications, and training students in interdisciplinary research. The proposed research is anticipated ....Manipulative tests of metabolic theory. This project aims to take a new interdisciplinary approach to understanding how energy flows through individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. The project expects to develop a new framework for understanding the function of biological systems, bringing together the fields of physiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology, generating research publications, and training students in interdisciplinary research. The proposed research is anticipated to provide a means for understanding how management interventions can alter energy flows in biological systems, bringing benefits across the areas of climate change adaptation, conservation science, agriculture and aquaculture, and fisheries management.Read moreRead less
Calls and constraints: do male frogs signal direct benefits? There is international concern over recent declines and disappearances of many species of amphibians. Australia is a hotspot for declines, but causes of declines remain enigmatic. Approximately one quarter of Australia's 230 amphibian species breed in terrestrial situations, but processes such as salinity, wetland and urban developments and climate change are altering the hydrology of our landscape, and preventing the flood events nece ....Calls and constraints: do male frogs signal direct benefits? There is international concern over recent declines and disappearances of many species of amphibians. Australia is a hotspot for declines, but causes of declines remain enigmatic. Approximately one quarter of Australia's 230 amphibian species breed in terrestrial situations, but processes such as salinity, wetland and urban developments and climate change are altering the hydrology of our landscape, and preventing the flood events necessary for the completion of the lifecycle of many species. This research has important conservation implications because it examines the effects of variable moisture regimes on the physiology and reproductive behaviours of terrestrial breeding frogs.Read moreRead less