Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100946
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,561.00
Summary
410 million years of stomatal evolution: key innovations in the transition from passive valves to active pores. Central to the supremacy of seed plants was the evolution of active, metabolic control of the stomata; the pores that regulate both plant productivity and water loss. However, little is known about the transition from passive control of stomata in seedless plants to active stomatal control in seed plants. This project will identify the key physiological and genetic innovations that und ....410 million years of stomatal evolution: key innovations in the transition from passive valves to active pores. Central to the supremacy of seed plants was the evolution of active, metabolic control of the stomata; the pores that regulate both plant productivity and water loss. However, little is known about the transition from passive control of stomata in seedless plants to active stomatal control in seed plants. This project will identify the key physiological and genetic innovations that underpinned the evolution of stomatal control over the past 410 million years. Understanding these evolutionary innovations will offer important insights into stomatal function in seed plants, as well as informing models of global productivity and water use through time, with benefits for Australian agriculture and natural resource management.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101075
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,837.00
Summary
Ecophysiology and evolution of sleep and adaptive sleeplessness. The function of sleep is enigmatic, even though the treatment of costly sleep disorders requires an understanding of the function that sleep performs. This project approaches this enigma with the comprehensive study of sleep in diverse animals to examine ecological-induced plasticity and evolution of sleep. Using innovative technologies in real-world situations, this project will spearhead the study of sleep ecophysiology to identi ....Ecophysiology and evolution of sleep and adaptive sleeplessness. The function of sleep is enigmatic, even though the treatment of costly sleep disorders requires an understanding of the function that sleep performs. This project approaches this enigma with the comprehensive study of sleep in diverse animals to examine ecological-induced plasticity and evolution of sleep. Using innovative technologies in real-world situations, this project will spearhead the study of sleep ecophysiology to identify animals that are resilient to the negative effects of sleep loss, and will determine whether the evolution of new types of animal was associated with the co-evolution of new types of sleep. The outcomes will have wide-ranging implications for our view of sleep function, prescriptions for an optimal amount of sleep and human health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
The basis of oyster resilience to global environmental change. This project aims to investigate the impact of global environmental change on the survival of Australia’s oyster industry, by combining the science of genetics, physiology and ecology to identify already resilient oysters. Through the first complete understanding of resilience in oysters, including the trade-offs they have made in other fitness traits, the project develops new capacities to 'climate and future-proof' our natural oyst ....The basis of oyster resilience to global environmental change. This project aims to investigate the impact of global environmental change on the survival of Australia’s oyster industry, by combining the science of genetics, physiology and ecology to identify already resilient oysters. Through the first complete understanding of resilience in oysters, including the trade-offs they have made in other fitness traits, the project develops new capacities to 'climate and future-proof' our natural oyster populations and the Australian oyster industry, to enable the restoration of degraded oyster habitats. This project will ensure the future of an iconic and economically important national industry and food source and contribute to preserving the critical cultural links of Indigenous Australians with their lands.Read moreRead less
The failure-threshold of leaves in drought. This project aims to reveal how specific water-stress thresholds damage the leaves of Australian crop and forest species during drought. Water stress affects agricultural productivity and plant survival in drought-prone regions such as Australia. Using optical and X-ray techniques, this project seeks to visualise and quantify the dynamic processes of damage and repair in leaves under stress. Anticipated outputs include a practical basis to predict drou ....The failure-threshold of leaves in drought. This project aims to reveal how specific water-stress thresholds damage the leaves of Australian crop and forest species during drought. Water stress affects agricultural productivity and plant survival in drought-prone regions such as Australia. Using optical and X-ray techniques, this project seeks to visualise and quantify the dynamic processes of damage and repair in leaves under stress. Anticipated outputs include a practical basis to predict drought-induced canopy death; identification of threats to ecologically sensitive plants; and selection and screening tools to improve the drought resilience of agriculturally important crop species.Read moreRead less
Do hotter and drier regions harbour adaptive variation for climate change? This project aims to improve our understanding of the capacity of trees to respond to climate change. This is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity, forest health and productivity. In south-west Australia, climate variation has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, which has resulted in tree death and negatively affected essential ecosystem services. Adaptive land management is urgently needed to miti ....Do hotter and drier regions harbour adaptive variation for climate change? This project aims to improve our understanding of the capacity of trees to respond to climate change. This is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity, forest health and productivity. In south-west Australia, climate variation has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, which has resulted in tree death and negatively affected essential ecosystem services. Adaptive land management is urgently needed to mitigate the risk of large-scale drought mortality in a rapidly changing climate. This project seeks to deliver a scientific basis for the adoption of assisted gene migration in south-west forests, through a detailed understanding of genetic adaptation and physiological tolerance, to improve drought-resilience under future hotter and drier climates.Read moreRead less
Drought and death: past, present and future survival limits in the Australian vegetation landscape. Science cannot predict the point at which water stress becomes lethal for plants. This research into plant water transport aims to find a new way to understand whether plant species will die or adapt to a future drier climate.
Mechanisms and evolution of plant water management. This project proposes a new approach to understand the evolution and physiology of stomatal function, and how this interacts with xylem evolution to determine whole-plant water management. Using a combination of membrane-level, and whole-leaf physiological techniques, this project will focus on mechanisms of stomatal closure in diverse plant species. Specific stomatal and xylem responses to water stress will be mapped together onto the gymnospe ....Mechanisms and evolution of plant water management. This project proposes a new approach to understand the evolution and physiology of stomatal function, and how this interacts with xylem evolution to determine whole-plant water management. Using a combination of membrane-level, and whole-leaf physiological techniques, this project will focus on mechanisms of stomatal closure in diverse plant species. Specific stomatal and xylem responses to water stress will be mapped together onto the gymnosperm clade to reveal co-evolutionary linkages between xylem and stomatal physiology. By combining physiological data with evolutionary patterns among major land plant lineages this project will produce a mechanistic framework for interpreting the drought ecology of all plant species.Read moreRead less
Exploring the unseen: the adaptive significance of animal-visible and infrared colour change. Our research on benefits of rapid colour change in cold-blooded animals, spanning the full spectrum of solar energy, will provide novel insights into the adaptive significance of animal colour patterns. It will also provide a natural model for development of advanced colour-changing materials with a wide range of applications.
Understanding phenotypes: contributions from studying mutations in a model organism. The distribution of fish across aquatic habitats will be determined jointly by the swimming speed and endurance requirements imposed by features of the environment, such as water flow, and by the swimming capacity of the fish. This project will use zebrafish to characterise how body shape and physiology interact to determine swimming capacity.
Finding damage thresholds in pyrethrum to optimise crop profitability. This project aims to use a new vascular approach to develop a quantitative stress tolerance framework for the crop species pyrethrum, defining the risks to plant production of water, heat and frost stress. Using novel optical and x-ray technology, this project seeks to pinpoint damaging stress thresholds and combine this knowledge with crop monitoring technology in a way that will allow crop managers to avoid damaging stress ....Finding damage thresholds in pyrethrum to optimise crop profitability. This project aims to use a new vascular approach to develop a quantitative stress tolerance framework for the crop species pyrethrum, defining the risks to plant production of water, heat and frost stress. Using novel optical and x-ray technology, this project seeks to pinpoint damaging stress thresholds and combine this knowledge with crop monitoring technology in a way that will allow crop managers to avoid damaging stress events. The intended outcome is to enable the pyrethrum industry, and ultimately a diversity of crop managers, to better utilise new advances in monitoring technology to maximise the benefits of irrigation such that yields are high relative to water use and damage by stress is avoided. Immediate beneficiaries will be the pyrethrum industry, but the research will provide a model, applicable to the multitude of irrigated crops in Australia. Read moreRead less