Genome-level insight into the dynamics of a model coral microbiome. The aim of the project is to examine structural and functional microbiome dynamics in an ecologically important coral on the Great Barrier Reef along a natural temperature gradient. Microorganisms form an intimate symbiotic relationship with corals and are critical to their health. However, the microbiome can be disrupted by environmental perturbations, including higher-than-normal ocean temperatures, leaving the coral susceptib ....Genome-level insight into the dynamics of a model coral microbiome. The aim of the project is to examine structural and functional microbiome dynamics in an ecologically important coral on the Great Barrier Reef along a natural temperature gradient. Microorganisms form an intimate symbiotic relationship with corals and are critical to their health. However, the microbiome can be disrupted by environmental perturbations, including higher-than-normal ocean temperatures, leaving the coral susceptible to disease and bleaching. Currently, our understanding of how the microbiome composition and metabolic function change in response to seasonal temperature variation and disease is limited. This project is designed to provide insight into the role the microbiome plays in maintaining coral health and may aid in the long-term preservation of the reefs.Read moreRead less
Coastal monitoring using metal resistant microbes. We will develop an early warning, rapid biological assessment (RBA) for sediment toxicity that can be used alongside chemical tests to detect sub-chronic changes in the environment. The assessment will be validated by extensive testing of impacted sediment. We will show how the RBA fits into existing decision trees defined by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) 2000 Guidelines. The biological tests result ....Coastal monitoring using metal resistant microbes. We will develop an early warning, rapid biological assessment (RBA) for sediment toxicity that can be used alongside chemical tests to detect sub-chronic changes in the environment. The assessment will be validated by extensive testing of impacted sediment. We will show how the RBA fits into existing decision trees defined by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) 2000 Guidelines. The biological tests resulting from this project will be as rapid and straightforward as existing chemical tests, which will facilitate industry acceptance. The project has strong industry involvement from mining companies, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and traditional owners. These partners will guide this project and facilitate communication to the wider industry to aid acceptance and uptake.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL140100021
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,700,000.00
Summary
Building virtual cyanobacteria: moving beyond the genomics era. Building virtual cyanobacteria: moving beyond the genomics era. This project aims to establish a new understanding of complex biological systems through the development of computational models of single cells and global ecosystems. The project will focus on globally important photosynthetic bacteria that underlie the entire marine food web. This project aims to characterise the diversity and abundance of photosynthetic bacteria acro ....Building virtual cyanobacteria: moving beyond the genomics era. Building virtual cyanobacteria: moving beyond the genomics era. This project aims to establish a new understanding of complex biological systems through the development of computational models of single cells and global ecosystems. The project will focus on globally important photosynthetic bacteria that underlie the entire marine food web. This project aims to characterise the diversity and abundance of photosynthetic bacteria across Australia's marine habitats and unravel the genetic basis for their adaptation to different environments. This data will be integrated with biochemical and physiological studies to create quantitative models at the cellular and global ecosystem scales. This project aims to develop new biomonitoring technologies, which combined with these models, will enable assessment of the health of Australia's marine ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Do binding proteins allow cyanobacteria to scavenge diverse nutrients? Marine cyanobacteria are abundant primary producers that underlie the entire marine food web. They encode a diverse range of predicted nutrient uptake systems that are highly conserved, suggesting these transporters play critical roles in their success in diverse marine ecosystems. However, there is very limited data regarding their function, specificity and ecological importance. Using our pioneering combinatorial approach, ....Do binding proteins allow cyanobacteria to scavenge diverse nutrients? Marine cyanobacteria are abundant primary producers that underlie the entire marine food web. They encode a diverse range of predicted nutrient uptake systems that are highly conserved, suggesting these transporters play critical roles in their success in diverse marine ecosystems. However, there is very limited data regarding their function, specificity and ecological importance. Using our pioneering combinatorial approach, we will undertake systematic functional characterisation of these nutrient uptake systems and determine their physiological and ecological importance. Our integrative science will provide a molecules-to-ecosystems understanding of cyanobacterial nutrient acquisition.Read moreRead less
Lifestyle choices: genomic analysis of niche adaptations in marine Synechococcus. Photosynthetic marine bacteria are very important in the global carbon cycle. This project aims to discover how these bacteria adapt to survive in different marine environments. This is important for understanding how they will be affected by climate change and other environmental alterations.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120102610
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The role of deep-sea microorganisms in nutrient cycling in the Southern Ocean. This project aims to learn how surface water microbes that are important in global nutrient cycling adapt to life when they sink to the deep sea. This will teach us about the roles that surface water and deep sea microbes play in maintaining the health of marine environments.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100009
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,476.00
Summary
Toxic Oceans: How do anthropogenic pollutants impact vital marine microbes? Environmental pollution threatens the sustainability of the world's oceans. However, we still do not understand how pollution affects primary producers at the base of oceanic food chains. This project aims to provide the first account of how common chemical pollutants (herbicides, plastic leachates and crude oil) affect key groups of marine photosynthetic bacteria. As these microbes underpin entire marine food webs, unde ....Toxic Oceans: How do anthropogenic pollutants impact vital marine microbes? Environmental pollution threatens the sustainability of the world's oceans. However, we still do not understand how pollution affects primary producers at the base of oceanic food chains. This project aims to provide the first account of how common chemical pollutants (herbicides, plastic leachates and crude oil) affect key groups of marine photosynthetic bacteria. As these microbes underpin entire marine food webs, understanding their responses is crucial to monitoring and mitigating the impact of pollutants on ocean ecosystems. The aim is to design and validate novel, rapid environmental stress assays, based on gene expression profiling. This represents a pioneering new application of gene monitoring techniques to ocean conservation.Read moreRead less
Atmospheric carbon fixation: a novel microbial process in Antarctic soils. This project aims to challenge our global understanding of carbon fixation. In most ecosystems, phototrophy supports higher-trophic life, yet no genetic evidence for photosynthesis exists in Antarctic desert soils. The project will determine the significance of atmospheric chemotrophy, a microbial driven process based on the consumption of atmospheric gases that it is proposed supports energy maintenance and biomass assim ....Atmospheric carbon fixation: a novel microbial process in Antarctic soils. This project aims to challenge our global understanding of carbon fixation. In most ecosystems, phototrophy supports higher-trophic life, yet no genetic evidence for photosynthesis exists in Antarctic desert soils. The project will determine the significance of atmospheric chemotrophy, a microbial driven process based on the consumption of atmospheric gases that it is proposed supports energy maintenance and biomass assimilation in nutrient-starved Antarctic desert soils. Additionally, the project will establish if these processes are structuring soil microbial communities, particularly in response to climate change. The expected project outcome is knowledge of primary production at the nutritional limits of life. This should provide significant benefit, such as a shift in our knowledge of the biological sciences as a new minimalistic mode of primary production.Read moreRead less