Humane Chemical Methods for Population Management of Highly Valued Large Mammals. In many countries valued wild and feral animals are nonetheless too numerous. Their population numbers must be controlled through fertility. Examples are koalas in Australia, deer and seals in North America, cattle in India and dogs in Thailand. We aim to develop benign implants for castration based upon the gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). These implants are easily administered. The outcomes will be to ....Humane Chemical Methods for Population Management of Highly Valued Large Mammals. In many countries valued wild and feral animals are nonetheless too numerous. Their population numbers must be controlled through fertility. Examples are koalas in Australia, deer and seals in North America, cattle in India and dogs in Thailand. We aim to develop benign implants for castration based upon the gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). These implants are easily administered. The outcomes will be to protect Australia's ?green? image , worldwide market opportunities for the Australian companies involved in this application and valuable intellectual property for Macquarie. The methodology will in time allow us to apply it to the treatment of cancer.Read moreRead less
Genomic Basis of Resistance to Poisoning by Sodium Fluoroacetate (Compound 1080) in Australian Wildlife. In Australia agricultural conservation activities worth billions of dollars are protected by using sodium fluoroacetate (1080) against pest animals. Target species are Australian rabbits and foxes and New Zealand brushtail possums. Prolonged use of biocontrol agents causes genetic resistance. This occurs naturally in Western Australia in native animals living in areas with high levels of 1080 ....Genomic Basis of Resistance to Poisoning by Sodium Fluoroacetate (Compound 1080) in Australian Wildlife. In Australia agricultural conservation activities worth billions of dollars are protected by using sodium fluoroacetate (1080) against pest animals. Target species are Australian rabbits and foxes and New Zealand brushtail possums. Prolonged use of biocontrol agents causes genetic resistance. This occurs naturally in Western Australia in native animals living in areas with high levels of 1080 in native plants. As part of the Kangaroo Genome project our aim is to discover the genomic basis of this resistance. The outcomes will be improved ability to manage pest animal populations and understanding of the evolution of plant-animal interactions.Read moreRead less
Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL). This project aims to develop a novel method for markedly accelerating production of genetically modified mice, which are a key 'tool' for studying biological processes and diseases. The work plans to take CRISPR, the latest gene-editing technique, to the next level by developing a novel CRISPR-based method to generate different mouse strains with distinct variations of the same gene sequences, at a fraction of the present cost a ....Single-session Introduction of Mutations in Parallel Lines (SIMPL). This project aims to develop a novel method for markedly accelerating production of genetically modified mice, which are a key 'tool' for studying biological processes and diseases. The work plans to take CRISPR, the latest gene-editing technique, to the next level by developing a novel CRISPR-based method to generate different mouse strains with distinct variations of the same gene sequences, at a fraction of the present cost and time. This project should overcome a major barrier to studying gene function with unprecedented detail, thereby opening new avenues for future research into biological processes. Thus, the outcomes from this project should impact on the entire field of biomedical research, and advance Australia's biotech industry.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the genetic basis of newly evolved metabolic functions in yeast. Elucidating the genetic basis of newly evolved metabolic functions in yeast. This project intends to research how complex metabolic pathways originate and evolve. This project will use cutting edge genome sequencing and molecular techniques to elucidate the heritable genetic basis of Baker’s yeast, which has been the selectively evolved to use xylose as a sole carbon source: something vital for second generation biofuel ....Elucidating the genetic basis of newly evolved metabolic functions in yeast. Elucidating the genetic basis of newly evolved metabolic functions in yeast. This project intends to research how complex metabolic pathways originate and evolve. This project will use cutting edge genome sequencing and molecular techniques to elucidate the heritable genetic basis of Baker’s yeast, which has been the selectively evolved to use xylose as a sole carbon source: something vital for second generation biofuel production that wild yeast cannot do. This project will combine detailed molecular characterisation of highly adapted yeast strains with a novel "molecular palaeontology" approach to trace the evolutionary process and identify functionally significant loci under selection. Detailed characterisation of this trait will accelerate the development of future yeast strains and test fundamental evolutionary theories.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100985
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,574.00
Summary
Targeted genome editing using engineered CRISPR-Cas endonucleases. This project aims to study the generation of targeted and cell-specific endonucleases. CRISPR-Cas endonucleases have revolutionised the field of genome engineering due to programming simplicity based on a short guide RNA and high cleavage efficiency. This project will combine the use of two technologies in genome engineering and antibody therapeutics to generate new antibody-targeted endonucleases that modify cellular genomes wit ....Targeted genome editing using engineered CRISPR-Cas endonucleases. This project aims to study the generation of targeted and cell-specific endonucleases. CRISPR-Cas endonucleases have revolutionised the field of genome engineering due to programming simplicity based on a short guide RNA and high cleavage efficiency. This project will combine the use of two technologies in genome engineering and antibody therapeutics to generate new antibody-targeted endonucleases that modify cellular genomes with high efficacy and specificity. This project will provide new and intriguing insights into cellar function, with broad applications in basic research and biotechnology.Read moreRead less
Deciphering the regulatory principles of metazoan development. This proposal aims to elucidate how regulatory elements in the genome, known as enhancers, determine the identity and function of animal tissues. Currently, it is believed that enhancers cannot be traced across evolutionarily distant animals. The project uses novel concepts, computational and molecular approaches to identify deeply conserved enhancers. It further dissects the mechanism of function by proteomics and high-throughput ge ....Deciphering the regulatory principles of metazoan development. This proposal aims to elucidate how regulatory elements in the genome, known as enhancers, determine the identity and function of animal tissues. Currently, it is believed that enhancers cannot be traced across evolutionarily distant animals. The project uses novel concepts, computational and molecular approaches to identify deeply conserved enhancers. It further dissects the mechanism of function by proteomics and high-throughput genomics. The expected outcomes will overturn our current view on enhancer evolution and reposition our understanding of how enhancers are functionally encoded in the genome. The work is an important contribution to understanding cellular complexity and species evolution with wide-ranging impact in genetics.Read moreRead less
Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulati ....Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulating toxin production in cyanobacteria and algae.Read moreRead less
High-throughput single-molecule directed evolution. DNA polymerases are essential enzymes in many biotechnological tools, including DNA sequencing and PCR tests. However, existing DNA polymerases have limitations, resulting in inaccuracies and inefficiencies. Existing methods to improve polymerases lack sensitivity to screen for subtle, yet pivotal traits. This project aims to overcome this limitation by developing a new single-molecule directed-evolution system to evolve better polymerases. Wit ....High-throughput single-molecule directed evolution. DNA polymerases are essential enzymes in many biotechnological tools, including DNA sequencing and PCR tests. However, existing DNA polymerases have limitations, resulting in inaccuracies and inefficiencies. Existing methods to improve polymerases lack sensitivity to screen for subtle, yet pivotal traits. This project aims to overcome this limitation by developing a new single-molecule directed-evolution system to evolve better polymerases. With this new technology we aim to identify DNA polymerases with improved performance that benefit biotechnological applications. Additionally, these single-molecule directed-evolution methods will benefit the wider scientific community and lay the foundation for further advances in directed evolution.Read moreRead less
The design of targetable epigenetic modifiers. The project aims to engineer enzymes as valuable tools for understanding gene expression mechanisms and potentially a technology for altering gene expression in plants, animals or humans in a targetable manner. The genetic information encoded in the DNA of all complex organisms has been shown to be augmented by decorations on both DNA and the histone proteins that package DNA. This so-called epigenetic information is important but not well understoo ....The design of targetable epigenetic modifiers. The project aims to engineer enzymes as valuable tools for understanding gene expression mechanisms and potentially a technology for altering gene expression in plants, animals or humans in a targetable manner. The genetic information encoded in the DNA of all complex organisms has been shown to be augmented by decorations on both DNA and the histone proteins that package DNA. This so-called epigenetic information is important but not well understood. The project plans to design highly specific and targetable enzymes that can interrogate and manipulate epigenetic information in living cells. Understanding the regulation of gene expression and controlling the expression of chosen genes may form a foundation for applications in agriculture, biology and medicine.Read moreRead less
Nonlinear surface waves and processes in quantum plasma as future technique for nanoelectronics. An exciting perspective for future nano-devices is related to the development of sources of coherent surface plasmons - spasers. This would pave the way to a new type of nano-circuitry based on surface plasma waves. This project is to develop a theory of nonlinear quantum surface plasmons relevant, in particular, for such nano-electronic devices.