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
Structural Determinants of an Intracellular Calcium Store. Understanding the molecular interactions between key proteins in calcium signalling in muscle and the heart will allow calcium signalling to be used as a platform for a variety of purposes. These include reducing the debilitating effects of changes in calcium signalling and muscle performance in aging and in genetically- or drug-induced disorders. The project will have benefits for Australian biotechnology since it will facilitate the de ....Structural Determinants of an Intracellular Calcium Store. Understanding the molecular interactions between key proteins in calcium signalling in muscle and the heart will allow calcium signalling to be used as a platform for a variety of purposes. These include reducing the debilitating effects of changes in calcium signalling and muscle performance in aging and in genetically- or drug-induced disorders. The project will have benefits for Australian biotechnology since it will facilitate the design of novel compounds for treating muscle disorders in animals and humans, for improving meat quality and for use as insecticides. The project will facilitate graduate and undergraduate training in basic science with exposure to biotechnology, through our commercial partner Biotron.Read moreRead less
Meta-optics systems for driver-fatigue monitoring. The project aims to develop novel miniaturised optical systems for driver fatigue monitoring, which provide increased sensitivity, eliminate reflections from eyeglasses and enable accurate depth measurements of facial features. The unique performance of our optical systems is derived from the concept of optical nanostructured surfaces to allow for efficient control of light wavefront and polarisation. The project aims to apply this concept to de ....Meta-optics systems for driver-fatigue monitoring. The project aims to develop novel miniaturised optical systems for driver fatigue monitoring, which provide increased sensitivity, eliminate reflections from eyeglasses and enable accurate depth measurements of facial features. The unique performance of our optical systems is derived from the concept of optical nanostructured surfaces to allow for efficient control of light wavefront and polarisation. The project aims to apply this concept to develop six different optical elements with new functionalities and performance well beyond what is possible with conventional components. This development will enable the construction of high-performance driver monitoring systems, thus facilitating a safer driving experience for all.Read moreRead less
Enhanced interaction of electromagnetics and mechanics in structured media. This project will investigate the interaction between electromagnetic waves and mechanical motion in structured media. Enhancing this interaction will improve a number of modern technologies, such as nano-scaled motors, traps for biological samples and optical wrenches. Modern fabrication techniques will link the electromagnetic and mechanical properties of media, so that the electromagnetic forces will greatly increase, ....Enhanced interaction of electromagnetics and mechanics in structured media. This project will investigate the interaction between electromagnetic waves and mechanical motion in structured media. Enhancing this interaction will improve a number of modern technologies, such as nano-scaled motors, traps for biological samples and optical wrenches. Modern fabrication techniques will link the electromagnetic and mechanical properties of media, so that the electromagnetic forces will greatly increase, making such devices able to manipulate larger objects. Structured materials can also change their properties dynamically, enabling material properties to be altered in real time. This mechanism will form the basis of advanced tunable components to control waves at visible, infrared, terahertz and microwave wavelengths.Read moreRead less
Physiology of oxygen transport in the mammalian kidney. This project aims to improve understanding of oxygen regulation in renal tissue and knowledge of the physiology of the kidney. The mammalian kidney receives more oxygen than it uses or needs, and yet renal tissue is commonly found to be hypoxic. This project proposes that oxygen transport to the renal tissue is limited by blood vessel surface area. The project expects to generate anatomical data currently missing from the renal physiology c ....Physiology of oxygen transport in the mammalian kidney. This project aims to improve understanding of oxygen regulation in renal tissue and knowledge of the physiology of the kidney. The mammalian kidney receives more oxygen than it uses or needs, and yet renal tissue is commonly found to be hypoxic. This project proposes that oxygen transport to the renal tissue is limited by blood vessel surface area. The project expects to generate anatomical data currently missing from the renal physiology community, and potentially change the accepted story of oxygen homeostasis in the kidney. This will provide significant benefits, such as the provision of the foundational physiological science behind a determinant of kidney health and its flow-on impact to quality of life.Read moreRead less
How triadin and junctin communicate with ryanodine receptors deep within a calcium store to determine skeletal muscle contraction. The project results will provide a platform for muscle relaxants and other drugs that will specifically target either the heart or skeletal muscle and will have applications in the livestock, veterinary and pharmaceutical Industries. The project falls within the National Research Priorities of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Frontier Technologies for Buil ....How triadin and junctin communicate with ryanodine receptors deep within a calcium store to determine skeletal muscle contraction. The project results will provide a platform for muscle relaxants and other drugs that will specifically target either the heart or skeletal muscle and will have applications in the livestock, veterinary and pharmaceutical Industries. The project falls within the National Research Priorities of Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries, as well as the national priority goal of Ageing well, Ageing Productively. The project will be of national benefit in training undergraduate students, PhD students and a postdoctoral fellow in state-of-the-art techniques in an internationally competitive research field.Read moreRead less
REGULATION OF RYANODINE RECEPTOR CALCIUM CHANNELS BY THE CALCIUM BINDING PROTEIN CALSEQUESTRIN. The project is to examine the functional interaction between two proteins in skeletal muscle that are essential for Ca2+ regulation and hence contraction, respiration and movement in all vertebrate species. One protein, the ryanodine receptor, releases calcium from stores inside the muscle cell. The other protein, calsequestrin, binds and sequesters calcium ions. We have recently discovered that th ....REGULATION OF RYANODINE RECEPTOR CALCIUM CHANNELS BY THE CALCIUM BINDING PROTEIN CALSEQUESTRIN. The project is to examine the functional interaction between two proteins in skeletal muscle that are essential for Ca2+ regulation and hence contraction, respiration and movement in all vertebrate species. One protein, the ryanodine receptor, releases calcium from stores inside the muscle cell. The other protein, calsequestrin, binds and sequesters calcium ions. We have recently discovered that the proteins also bind to each other and that calsequestrin regulates Ca2+ release from the stores through the ryanodine receptor ion channel. This regulation is likely to be important in conserving store calcium during stress or fatigue.Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Maximising Value By Reducing Stress-related Mortality In Wild Harvested Abalone
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$190,987.19
Summary
The Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) has clearly identified in their Strategic Plan (2007-2017) goals to have an Australian national wild abalone brand driven by a national Quality Assurance and Product Integrity Program, and to increase the industry GVP (in real terms) by 25% to $268 million in 2012 and by 50% to $321 million by 2017.
This project supports these goals, particularly a desire to increase the value of the abalone, by ensuring that animals in the best possible physiologi ....The Abalone Council of Australia (ACA) has clearly identified in their Strategic Plan (2007-2017) goals to have an Australian national wild abalone brand driven by a national Quality Assurance and Product Integrity Program, and to increase the industry GVP (in real terms) by 25% to $268 million in 2012 and by 50% to $321 million by 2017.
This project supports these goals, particularly a desire to increase the value of the abalone, by ensuring that animals in the best possible physiological condition are provided to the processor for live export. This project also encompasses the development of practices that ensure marine environmental sustainability, because animals that are not suitable or which cannot be transported to maintain optimal physiological status will not be harvested. The development of handling and transport protocols delivers into the desire for the industry to develop uniform Codes of Practice and product standards. Ultimately this will be about effectively managing harvest and the integrity of product going to market. This project will supporting ACA’s vision to work with fishers, processors and value adders to establish a whole-of-chain approach to creating premium Australian products and servicing consumers
Objectives: 1. Quantify changes in stress levels in abalone from the time that they are removed from the reef to the point of export from the processors, including the live-holding period 2. Quantify how the magnitude of stress and the capacity to recover from stress is affected by the different natural factors time spent on the deck prior to packing in crates post-harvest, the extent and use of seawater immersion on the boat, the timing and frequency of water changes during transport, the influence of reproductive condition, and season of harvest. Read moreRead less
SCRC: Tackling Microbial Related Issues In Cultured Shellfish Via Integrated Molecular And Water Chemistry Approaches
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Summary
Over the last few years, the shellfish industry has experienced an increase in unpredictable hatchery and settlement rates of abalone and oyster larvae – batches crash for no apparent reason despite successful spawning and fertilisation. Additionally, farms experience unexplained stock losses during grow-out periods in both land and sea based culture facilities. Recently, the Australian abalone aquaculture industry ranked the ‘investigation into the causes of summer mortality and development of ....Over the last few years, the shellfish industry has experienced an increase in unpredictable hatchery and settlement rates of abalone and oyster larvae – batches crash for no apparent reason despite successful spawning and fertilisation. Additionally, farms experience unexplained stock losses during grow-out periods in both land and sea based culture facilities. Recently, the Australian abalone aquaculture industry ranked the ‘investigation into the causes of summer mortality and development of management protocols to minimize or prevent losses’ as one of the top three priorities for the industry (J. Fromm, pers.comm.). In oysters, farmers are looking for indicators of potential culture problems (i.e. hatchery failures) (M. Bermudes, pers.comm.).
Our ability to manage such events would be strengthened if we could determine and subsequently monitor the causative agent. There is evidence from the international literature to suggest that the cause of these events may be microbial in nature and, anecdotally, farmers believe the mortality of shellfish experienced across seasons may be a product of hydrochemistry interactions with bacteria.
Recently, CSIRO developed and adapted a suite of new cost-effective molecular tools that enable complex microbial communities in water, sediment or soil samples to be rapidly described without the need for physical culturing of the microorganisms. The identification of both commensal and harmful microorganisms which are responsive to changes in abiotic environmental parameters, as well as low abundant microbes that represent a reservoir for infection, can now be undertaken using highly sensitive and high throughput genomics techniques. Furthermore, we have developed multivariate statistical approaches capable of describing links between microbial community profiles and causative factors. We are confident that this burgeoning area of research, metagenomics, will have direct uptake and application in a wide range of aquaculture industries (including food protection and human health aspects) particularly given the increasingly cost-effectiveness of next generation sequencing.Read moreRead less