A Varied Diet, Ageing, and the Evolution of Life Histories. This research aims to understand how nutritional environments affect lifespan and its evolution. The expected outcomes are improved knowledge around the biology of ageing including the identification of diet-responsive genes and biological pathways. These elements will comprise targets for future applied studies on ageing, metabolic dysfunction and personalised nutrition. This study will also inform as to how lifespans evolve. Because l ....A Varied Diet, Ageing, and the Evolution of Life Histories. This research aims to understand how nutritional environments affect lifespan and its evolution. The expected outcomes are improved knowledge around the biology of ageing including the identification of diet-responsive genes and biological pathways. These elements will comprise targets for future applied studies on ageing, metabolic dysfunction and personalised nutrition. This study will also inform as to how lifespans evolve. Because lifespan is a fundamental demographic trait, this knowledge will improve ability to predict how populations adapt to environmental change. Lastly, through methodological innovation this project will also provide new statistical tools for studying how treatments affect the risk of death age specifically.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial adaptation. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of heteroplasmy – a scenario in which multiple mitochondrial DNA genotypes exist in one individual. Recent studies indicate heteroplasmy is widespread, and can be caused by paternal transmission of mtDNA. But the effects of heteroplasmy on evolutionary processes remain unknown. Leveraging state-of-the-art methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas ....Unravelling the role of heteroplasmy in mitochondrial adaptation. This project aims to unravel the evolutionary implications of heteroplasmy – a scenario in which multiple mitochondrial DNA genotypes exist in one individual. Recent studies indicate heteroplasmy is widespread, and can be caused by paternal transmission of mtDNA. But the effects of heteroplasmy on evolutionary processes remain unknown. Leveraging state-of-the-art methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of evolutionary ecology and mitochondrial genetics. Expected outcomes include discoveries that advance understanding of fundamental biological processes, and student training. Expected benefits include strengthening of Australia’s research capacity, by setting the research agenda in this rapidly developing field.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary models and biodiscovery tools from neurotoxic snake venoms. This project aims to identify the selection pressures that shape snake venom neurotoxins and how they interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and to elucidate their biodiscovery potential. This project aims to test these important toxins on model systems that represent natural prey items in order to determine the molecular and functional evolution of neurotoxic peptides. Expected outcomes include substantial contri ....Evolutionary models and biodiscovery tools from neurotoxic snake venoms. This project aims to identify the selection pressures that shape snake venom neurotoxins and how they interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and to elucidate their biodiscovery potential. This project aims to test these important toxins on model systems that represent natural prey items in order to determine the molecular and functional evolution of neurotoxic peptides. Expected outcomes include substantial contributions to the body of evolutionary biology knowledge, while also having the applied benefit of discovering novel compounds with potential for use in drug design and discovery. These outcomes will benefit Australian science and society by elucidating fundamental processes while revealing biodisovery resources.Read moreRead less
Adaptation by DNA download: Experimental evolution of a pangenome. This project aims to understand how microbes adapt when they can directly “download" new genes from their surrounding environment, or from other types of bacteria. Specifically, the proposed research will carry out the largest-scale measurements of the fitness effects of horizontally transferred genetic variation, to discover how each of these genes interacts with the environment, and with other genes. This project is expected to ....Adaptation by DNA download: Experimental evolution of a pangenome. This project aims to understand how microbes adapt when they can directly “download" new genes from their surrounding environment, or from other types of bacteria. Specifically, the proposed research will carry out the largest-scale measurements of the fitness effects of horizontally transferred genetic variation, to discover how each of these genes interacts with the environment, and with other genes. This project is expected to generate new knowledge in the fields of microbial evolution and microbiome science. The benefits of this cutting-edge research will be to strengthen Australia’s research capacity in these rapidly developing fields and to train a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists.Read moreRead less
How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex ....How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex traits.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100067
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$460,233.00
Summary
Predicting the future threat of mosquitoes under climate change. This project aims to predict the future distributions of local and invasive mosquito species under climate change by testing their ability to adapt to hot, cold and dry environments. The project expects to generate new knowledge by identifying traits that underpin climate change adaptation in mosquitoes. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced understanding of future mosquito distributions through new predictive model ....Predicting the future threat of mosquitoes under climate change. This project aims to predict the future distributions of local and invasive mosquito species under climate change by testing their ability to adapt to hot, cold and dry environments. The project expects to generate new knowledge by identifying traits that underpin climate change adaptation in mosquitoes. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced understanding of future mosquito distributions through new predictive models that incorporate adaptive changes. This should provide significant social and economic benefits, with outcomes intended to improve the management of local pest mosquitoes and prepare Australia to tackle invasive mosquito threats.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101133
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,067.00
Summary
The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival. This project aims to identify genes that control plant responses to low air humidity, which enhance drought survival by restricting water loss. Most plant water loss occurs through pores called stomata. This project expects to identify the genes that close stomata within minutes of decreased humidity by determining the molecular changes that occur over this timeframe and testing candidate genes for a critical role. Divers ....The quick and the dead: identifying mechanisms for plant drought survival. This project aims to identify genes that control plant responses to low air humidity, which enhance drought survival by restricting water loss. Most plant water loss occurs through pores called stomata. This project expects to identify the genes that close stomata within minutes of decreased humidity by determining the molecular changes that occur over this timeframe and testing candidate genes for a critical role. Diverse land plant models will be examined to ensure broad applicability of results. A major expected outcome is new knowledge of genes that minimise plant water loss, which would ultimately benefit plant-based industries through new targets for breeding improved, drought-adapted varieties for food security in a drying climate.Read moreRead less
Targeting Behavioural Change In Fisheries And Aquaculture
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$99,359.00
Summary
The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed). Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewa ....The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed). Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewardship, safety) in marine sectors. This project builds on current and emerging research on behaviour change in fisheries and aquaculture to consolidate a review of published literature and available grey literature and R&D (from academic and industry domains, including recent FRDC projects relating to behaviour change) that has identified psycho-sociological factors influencing behavioural change. The aim of this literature review is to identify the types of behavioural interventions that can (or potentially, cannot) achieve preferred outcomes for fishing and aquaculture sectors in Australia. Specifically, the review seeks to explore i) which kinds of behavioural interventions can be effective in achieving positive change, ii) where (and just as importantly, where not) these interventions may be applied in fisheries and aquaculture sectors, iii) identify (potential) limitations of interventions, and to iii) bring these findings together to inform and underpin development of two relevant and engaging training webinars and associated resource materials, and iv) make recommendations for further focused trials/intervention research which could be undertaken to further support and expedite desired outcomes in Australian fisheries and aquaculture.
There is rapidly growing interest in the development, application and evaluation of behavioural interventions and they show great potential, however, they are also complex to design, test, and implement. Individuals are more likely to change their behaviours if they have the necessary skills and perceive they can do so (capability), if their environment (physical as well as social) provides an opportunity to do so (opportunity), and if they are motivated to achieve a particular endpoint through this behaviour (motivation), either through conscious decision-making or automatic processes, such as momentary cues. Further, the use of behavioural interventions has not been without critique, with concerns about ethics, manipulation, or risk to human agency. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of behavioural interventions, which may derive from several reasons: for example, due to misunderstanding the behaviour that is intended to be changed and the expected response by the audience. A behavioural intervention will be ineffective if the messaging or delivery causes confusion or if it only has a short-term effect. Some interventions can cause unintended consequences or compensating behaviours resulting in no net effect. These reasons highlight the importance of appropriate contextual understanding and well-defined outcomes for the design of effective behavioural interventions.
There are also different avenues for intervention beyond cognitive biases: education, persuasion, incentivisation, coercion, training, restriction, environmental restructuring, modelling and enablement, and the framing and implementation of these can differ depending on who the intervention is targeted at and under what context. Targeting behaviours in fisheries and aquaculture may enhance engagement and sustainable changes in the longer term (e.g. via development of new social norms), but to achieve this, changes in the determinants of behaviour are required. Actions (e.g. citizen science projects, local management practices), feelings, values (e.g. connectedness to oceans, the realisation of links between ocean health and human health) and social norms are embedded in and influenced by, local environments and social spheres that can transcend geographical boundaries. Our project will explore these nuances and convey concise summaries of behaviour change interventions for end-users via webinars, fact sheets, a simple decision tree tool (described below) and several short videos. The project intentionally has a broad focus (across fisheries and aquaculture sectors) in its review and outputs, as it is designed to equip potential developers and implementers of behavioural interventions with the skills and knowledge to do so in their own unique context. However, we will engage with industry partners (including FRDC extension officers and the industry advisory groups) to specifically ensure that the knowledge and tools produced (i.e. extension products) will be accessible and adaptable to the diversity of relevant contexts across these sectors - and useful for end-users seeking to motivate behaviour change whilst still retaining industry trust and engagement.
The project brings together necessary interdisciplinary research expertise (details outlined below) in the fields of behavioural economics, resource and fisheries economics, socio-ecology, fisheries ecology, science communication and cognitive psychology. In addition, the transdisciplinary potential of this project will be achieved via collaboration with a research advisory panel (to ensure rigorous research outcomes) and an industry level advisory panel (to ensure that the results and suggested interventions/activities are fit-for-purpose and accessible to the sector). Working with these panels (which would ideally include FRDC partners), we will ensure that the research is co-designed – and thus, project outputs are fit-for-purpose/context. Our team’s existing collective research on adoption and uptake of interventions clearly shows that engaging and involving end-user at creation stages increases uptake of results – hence, the value of our industry advisory panel. In addition, by engaging with industry leaders, we will create industry champions for the project who may assist with the dissemination of outputs. Together, the advisory groups will help to further define/adapt the scope of the project to achieve impact.
Overall, these collaborations and contributions will ensure that this project will deliver a comprehensive and industry-relevant overview of current understanding of behaviour change interventions, that addresses end-users’ identified needs, and that inspires community trust, in formats that are palatable and accessible to them and the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more broadly.. Objectives: 1. Conduct a systematic review of behavioural interventions for positive outcomes in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. 2. Develop a two-part webinar series targeted at the FRDC community that aims to provide accessible and implementable knowledge on the theory and practice of behavioural interventions in fisheries. 3. Provide open-access knowledge about behavioural interventions with/to stakeholders via supporting materials (including a decision tree tool), fact-sheets, visual aids, and video. 4. Identify areas for future focused work and interventions that can be implemented to support the fisheries and aquaculture sectors Read moreRead less
Sexual conflict and the evolution of nuptial gifts. This project aims to understand how sexual conflict drives the evolution of “manipulative” nuptial gifts in male arthropods and how females respond to ingesting these gifts. Nuptial food gifts comprise materials (other than sperm) that are offered by males to females to consume at mating, and are an integral feature of the mating systems of a wide variety of arthropods. The project will study the decorated cricket, a species where males produce ....Sexual conflict and the evolution of nuptial gifts. This project aims to understand how sexual conflict drives the evolution of “manipulative” nuptial gifts in male arthropods and how females respond to ingesting these gifts. Nuptial food gifts comprise materials (other than sperm) that are offered by males to females to consume at mating, and are an integral feature of the mating systems of a wide variety of arthropods. The project will study the decorated cricket, a species where males produce a nuptial food gift that contains a cocktail of chemicals known to influence female reproduction when eaten. The project is expected to strengthen Australia’s international standing in evolutionary research and help train the next generation of evolutionary biologists.Read moreRead less
Fitness and evolutionary consequences of developmental plasticity. This project aims to develop a framework for accurately predicting species responses to global change. Phenotypic plasticity will act as a rapid-response mechanism, enabling organisms to survive climatic shifts in the first instance. Understanding how and when plasticity underpins species’ persistence under climate change is lacking. This project aims to integrate developmental responses to environmental change with evolutionary ....Fitness and evolutionary consequences of developmental plasticity. This project aims to develop a framework for accurately predicting species responses to global change. Phenotypic plasticity will act as a rapid-response mechanism, enabling organisms to survive climatic shifts in the first instance. Understanding how and when plasticity underpins species’ persistence under climate change is lacking. This project aims to integrate developmental responses to environmental change with evolutionary adaptation and population persistence in a spatially explicit context. The intended outcome is a powerful and general tool for predicting the impact of environmental change on the distribution and abundance of organisms. Benefits include improved conservation outcomes and better control of pest/disease vectors.Read moreRead less