Discovering genes and mechanisms regulating immune responses. The Fellowship will retain and expand a pioneering Australian research program, and attract to Australia major international investment and technology linkages, making use of the DNA sequence of humans and other mammals to advance understanding of immunity and infection control in public health, agriculture and industry. The program will build on Australia's pre-eminent research strengths in the field of immunity and infection, and w ....Discovering genes and mechanisms regulating immune responses. The Fellowship will retain and expand a pioneering Australian research program, and attract to Australia major international investment and technology linkages, making use of the DNA sequence of humans and other mammals to advance understanding of immunity and infection control in public health, agriculture and industry. The program will build on Australia's pre-eminent research strengths in the field of immunity and infection, and will create new knowledge and resources to improve human and animal health through vaccines, pharmaceuticals and public health policy. Read moreRead less
The epigenetic blueprint for T cell differentiation: a genomic view. A cardinal feature of adaptive immune cell activation is the initiation of a program of differentiation that results in acquisition and long term maintenance of lineage-speci?c effector function. This proposal aims to map and dissect genome wide molecular changes that occur at different stages of immune cell differentiation and identify key factors that regulating these changes. It is expected that distinct genomic signatures, ....The epigenetic blueprint for T cell differentiation: a genomic view. A cardinal feature of adaptive immune cell activation is the initiation of a program of differentiation that results in acquisition and long term maintenance of lineage-speci?c effector function. This proposal aims to map and dissect genome wide molecular changes that occur at different stages of immune cell differentiation and identify key factors that regulating these changes. It is expected that distinct genomic signatures, and the mechanisms indicative of effective immune cell differentiation will be identified. This proposal will provide insights into key mechanisms that result in reprogramming of immune cell function and memory and have implications for understanding general cellular differentiation.Read moreRead less
How enhancers regulate T cell differentiation and function. This project aims to identify the molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of transcriptional enhancers needed for effective immune cell differentiation. Adaptive immune cell activation starts a programme of differentiation that acquires and maintains lineage-specific effector function. Using a multidisciplinary approach including cellular and chromatin biology, advanced bioinformatics, targeted genome editing and nanotechnology, ....How enhancers regulate T cell differentiation and function. This project aims to identify the molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of transcriptional enhancers needed for effective immune cell differentiation. Adaptive immune cell activation starts a programme of differentiation that acquires and maintains lineage-specific effector function. Using a multidisciplinary approach including cellular and chromatin biology, advanced bioinformatics, targeted genome editing and nanotechnology, this project expects to provide insights into non-coding regulatory element reprogramming and control of immune cell function and memory with implications for understanding general cellular differentiation.Read moreRead less
The role of Roquin in microRNA function and decay. The aim of this study is to understand how microRNAs (newly discovered genetic components that control cell growth and survival) function and are regulated. The expected discoveries will help understand how common cancers including breast cancer and autoimmune diseases emerge, and will help develop cutting edge genetic technologies.
Many Ys in monotremes: multiple sex chromosomes and sex determination in platypus and echidna. Platypus and Echidna are Australian icons, even featuring on our coins. Their unusual biology and ancient relationship to humans make them unique for understanding the mammalian genome, as demonstrated by our recent discovery of ten sex chromosomes in platypus that link mammal and bird sex. Still little is known about their genome, embryo development and how sex is determined. We will identify new gene ....Many Ys in monotremes: multiple sex chromosomes and sex determination in platypus and echidna. Platypus and Echidna are Australian icons, even featuring on our coins. Their unusual biology and ancient relationship to humans make them unique for understanding the mammalian genome, as demonstrated by our recent discovery of ten sex chromosomes in platypus that link mammal and bird sex. Still little is known about their genome, embryo development and how sex is determined. We will identify new genes on all ten sex chromosomes and investigate how they determine sex. The set up of an Australian Monotreme Resource Centre will be crucial for this research and attract worldwide high profile collaborations. We will answer important general questions in monotreme biology and contribute to our understanding of sexual abnormalities in humans.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development. The Centre will create a multidisciplinary research team focusing on the molecular mechanisms that drive the specification and differentiation of male germ cells. This research will improve our fundamental understanding of how complex regulatory networks control the expression of a complex phenotype, the spermatozoon. It will also create a platform of knowledge from which we can stimulate the growth of the Australian Biotechnology indust ....ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development. The Centre will create a multidisciplinary research team focusing on the molecular mechanisms that drive the specification and differentiation of male germ cells. This research will improve our fundamental understanding of how complex regulatory networks control the expression of a complex phenotype, the spermatozoon. It will also create a platform of knowledge from which we can stimulate the growth of the Australian Biotechnology industry, the protection of the Australian Environment and the well-being of the Australian people. Key issues for this Centre include testicular cancer, male infertility, contraception, pest animal control, environmental impacts on human health and gene pharming.Read moreRead less
Taming the intruders: the domestication of Tigger transposable elements in mammals. It has become apparent that most of the DNA that makes us what we are is actually comprised of the remnants of invading parasitic DNA acquired over time. A continual battle exists between host which tries to silence or remove this DNA, and the parasite that tries to multiply and spread. We are currently investigating an intriguing aspect of this process that involves host genomes 'domesticating' parasitic DNA to ....Taming the intruders: the domestication of Tigger transposable elements in mammals. It has become apparent that most of the DNA that makes us what we are is actually comprised of the remnants of invading parasitic DNA acquired over time. A continual battle exists between host which tries to silence or remove this DNA, and the parasite that tries to multiply and spread. We are currently investigating an intriguing aspect of this process that involves host genomes 'domesticating' parasitic DNA to provide novel functions, thereby facilitating the evolution of specific characteristics within species.Read moreRead less
Evolution in microsatellite DNA: testing models of mutation in an Australian marsupial. We aim to compare mutational events between microsatellite loci that vary in their exposure to recombination. We are able to do this because of a remarkable finding that Australian brushtail possums have multiple occurrences of a single microsatellite repeat element within the Y-chromosome and among autosomal loci. We will compare variation between the Y-linked and non Y-linked loci within and among individu ....Evolution in microsatellite DNA: testing models of mutation in an Australian marsupial. We aim to compare mutational events between microsatellite loci that vary in their exposure to recombination. We are able to do this because of a remarkable finding that Australian brushtail possums have multiple occurrences of a single microsatellite repeat element within the Y-chromosome and among autosomal loci. We will compare variation between the Y-linked and non Y-linked loci within and among individual possums and use those comparisons to distinguish between recombinant and non- recombinant mutational mechanisms. These data will provide new insights into the mutational mechanisms that drive variation in these most important molecular markers.Read moreRead less
Sex in Dragons: Evolution of sex determination in reptiles. Australia is a leader in sex determination research with major advances in our understanding attributable to Australian researchers and laboratories. This project will contribute to our prestige as a nation capable of contributing cutting edge research directions and stimulating ideas in human sex determination. Moreover, many reptiles have temperature-dependent sex determination, and so would appear appallingly vulnerable to climate ch ....Sex in Dragons: Evolution of sex determination in reptiles. Australia is a leader in sex determination research with major advances in our understanding attributable to Australian researchers and laboratories. This project will contribute to our prestige as a nation capable of contributing cutting edge research directions and stimulating ideas in human sex determination. Moreover, many reptiles have temperature-dependent sex determination, and so would appear appallingly vulnerable to climate change. Our project, will bring improved understanding of sex determination in reptiles, identify evolutionary responses of reptiles to climate change, and assist by informing society on how we might manage this issue into the future conservation of these unique Australian reptiles. Read moreRead less
Sex in Dragons: The molecular basis of genetic and environmental sex determination. How animals determine sex has been debated over decades. Particularly mysterious is that sex is determined by genes in some animals, and by temperature in others. We will study closely related dragon lizards which determine sex via genes (GSD) or temperature (TSD). We will use novel genetic, molecular and cytological aproaches to discover genes and chromosomes that control sex determination in the GSD species, an ....Sex in Dragons: The molecular basis of genetic and environmental sex determination. How animals determine sex has been debated over decades. Particularly mysterious is that sex is determined by genes in some animals, and by temperature in others. We will study closely related dragon lizards which determine sex via genes (GSD) or temperature (TSD). We will use novel genetic, molecular and cytological aproaches to discover genes and chromosomes that control sex determination in the GSD species, and explore their homologues in the TSD species. We expect this study will provide new insights to mechanisms of sex determination in all vertebrates, and demonstrate how genes and the environment interact to control the process.Read moreRead less