Fast tracking pea weevil resistance into field pea cultivars through interspecific hybridisation. Field pea is a high value export product of Australia and increased adoption will lead to greater sustainability of agriculture, improved farm income and value adding opportunities (eg. food industry) in regional Australia. Novel breeding tools used within this project will accelerate the development of pea weevil resistant field peas that are less dependent on the application of pesticides than cur ....Fast tracking pea weevil resistance into field pea cultivars through interspecific hybridisation. Field pea is a high value export product of Australia and increased adoption will lead to greater sustainability of agriculture, improved farm income and value adding opportunities (eg. food industry) in regional Australia. Novel breeding tools used within this project will accelerate the development of pea weevil resistant field peas that are less dependent on the application of pesticides than current varieties. Their availability will encourage further uptake of field pea into Australian cropping systems, contributing to environmentally sustainable farming systems by improving soil nitrogen levels and reducing the environmental effect of pesticides.Read moreRead less
Unlocking the genetic and biochemical potential of kangaroo paws. Using cutting-edge gene technology and an interdisciplinary approach, this project aims to uncover the genes responsible for flower colour in the iconic kangaroo paws of Western Australia, and identify the compounds that produce the colours. The project expects to produce the first entire kangaroo paw genome and identify unique genetic variants and biochemicals underlying colour differences. This new knowledge should help horticul ....Unlocking the genetic and biochemical potential of kangaroo paws. Using cutting-edge gene technology and an interdisciplinary approach, this project aims to uncover the genes responsible for flower colour in the iconic kangaroo paws of Western Australia, and identify the compounds that produce the colours. The project expects to produce the first entire kangaroo paw genome and identify unique genetic variants and biochemicals underlying colour differences. This new knowledge should help horticultural programs to more easily breed varieties with desirable and highly marketable new colours, and could assist in conserving these amazing Australian plants.Read moreRead less
Harnessing horizontal gene transfer for sustainable nitrogen fixation. This project aims to investigate natural deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) transfer from nitrogen-fixing bacteria to indigenous bacteria in Australian soils. This project expects to significantly expand our understanding of the molecular and genetic factors contributing to the evolution of ineffective symbiotic bacteria in these soils. An expected outcome of this project is support development of genetically stable bacterial inocul ....Harnessing horizontal gene transfer for sustainable nitrogen fixation. This project aims to investigate natural deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) transfer from nitrogen-fixing bacteria to indigenous bacteria in Australian soils. This project expects to significantly expand our understanding of the molecular and genetic factors contributing to the evolution of ineffective symbiotic bacteria in these soils. An expected outcome of this project is support development of genetically stable bacterial inoculants for use in agriculture. Inoculation of legumes with nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria is a cheap and environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical fertilisers and contributes $3-4 billion per annum to Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Devising sophisticated computational comparative genomic analysis strategies for animal and plant genomes. Given the significance of comparative genomic analysis, this research proposal brings together Australian scientists with a track record in comparative genomic analysis, bioinformatics, molecular biology and statistics to work on consolidating a computational framework for comparative genomic analysis and investigating transcriptome data by capitalising on international collaborations and i ....Devising sophisticated computational comparative genomic analysis strategies for animal and plant genomes. Given the significance of comparative genomic analysis, this research proposal brings together Australian scientists with a track record in comparative genomic analysis, bioinformatics, molecular biology and statistics to work on consolidating a computational framework for comparative genomic analysis and investigating transcriptome data by capitalising on international collaborations and involvement. The outcomes of this research will be of benefit to the national community through technology transfer (such as the identification of novel and functional genomic non-coding sequences), training (in bioinformatics related activities) and national coordination (of bioinformatics activities).Read moreRead less
Novel Bioinformatics approaches for genetics and data linkage. The research project will involve creation of novel data and communications formats to fulfil the vital task of integrating the vast heterogeneous biological resources available. We will apply this new infrastructure to a large data linkage project. In parallel, we will undertake methodological research in informatics to design high throughput research methods and tools to analyse and visualise genetic data. These will be applied to ....Novel Bioinformatics approaches for genetics and data linkage. The research project will involve creation of novel data and communications formats to fulfil the vital task of integrating the vast heterogeneous biological resources available. We will apply this new infrastructure to a large data linkage project. In parallel, we will undertake methodological research in informatics to design high throughput research methods and tools to analyse and visualise genetic data. These will be applied to linkage disequilibrium mapping and haplotyping in human, animal and plant diseases. Improving informatics integration and designing novel methods and implementations of algorithms will be beneficial to local and international researchers in a range of fields.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of a major quantitative trait locus on wheat chromosome 3BL responsible for Fusarium crown rot resistance. Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a serious wheat disease in Australia and worldwide. Our team has identified a major chromosome region controlling this disease. This project is proposing to develop DNA markers for marker assisted breeding, to understand the genetic mechanism of resistance and to identify genes responsible for resistance to the disease.
Sources of genetic and phenotypic variation in sexual selection. This project will contribute towards Australia's reputation as a country where excellent and original research in evolutionary biology is conducted. The project will focus on the evolution of mate choice in the Western Australian rainbowfish, which has never been formally studied. Our research will therefore work towards a better understanding of Australian native fauna. Conceptually, the work encompasses new and innovative experim ....Sources of genetic and phenotypic variation in sexual selection. This project will contribute towards Australia's reputation as a country where excellent and original research in evolutionary biology is conducted. The project will focus on the evolution of mate choice in the Western Australian rainbowfish, which has never been formally studied. Our research will therefore work towards a better understanding of Australian native fauna. Conceptually, the work encompasses new and innovative experimental procedures that will address fundamental questions in sexual selection. The results will ultimately be geared towards publication in the highest ranking journals, thereby promoting Australian science on the international stage. Australian science will further benefit from the training of young scientists.Read moreRead less
Postcopulatory sexual selection and intraspecific variation in sperm competition traits. This project will contribute towards Australia's burgeoning reputation as a country where excellent and original research in behavioural ecology and evolution is conducted. By focusing on the evolution and function of sperm and genitalic traits, the project will address fundamental questions at the core of contemporary evolutionary research, thereby yielding results that will have a significant international ....Postcopulatory sexual selection and intraspecific variation in sperm competition traits. This project will contribute towards Australia's burgeoning reputation as a country where excellent and original research in behavioural ecology and evolution is conducted. By focusing on the evolution and function of sperm and genitalic traits, the project will address fundamental questions at the core of contemporary evolutionary research, thereby yielding results that will have a significant international impact. Australian science will further benefit from the research fellow's established collaborations with international scientists and through the training of young scientists.Read moreRead less
Learning and Teaching Genetics in a Biotechnological World: A Multidimensional Investigation of Conceptual Change. The aim of this research is to investigate students' and experts' understandings of fundamental concepts of genetics. The aim also is to investigate teaching strategies that will develop appropriate concepts for living in a biotechnological world. This is significant because genetics is critical content knowledge for general scientific literacy. This is the first research to investi ....Learning and Teaching Genetics in a Biotechnological World: A Multidimensional Investigation of Conceptual Change. The aim of this research is to investigate students' and experts' understandings of fundamental concepts of genetics. The aim also is to investigate teaching strategies that will develop appropriate concepts for living in a biotechnological world. This is significant because genetics is critical content knowledge for general scientific literacy. This is the first research to investigate how children's theories of genetics develop and it brings together two successful theoretical approaches. The outcomes of this qualitative research will be detailed descriptions and interpretations of what children already know about genetics, what they should know, and effective teaching strategies for conceptual change.Read moreRead less
Testing current methods for understanding and mitigating inbreeding depression in conservation. Although inbreeding can have serious implications for endangered species, possibly even hastening extinction, the methods currently used to measure inbreeding and reverse its effects have been largely untested. This project will explicitly test the utility of these methods to ensure inbreeding is managed effectively in conservation.