The genomics of adaptation in Wolbachia pipientis, an emerging biocontrol agent. Australians are increasingly exposed to insect-transmitted diseases such as dengue fever. Novel biocontrol methods using the bacterium Wolbachia aim to control insect populations to reduce disease transmission. Our research will be the first to investigate genomic variation and the process of adaptation to new insect hosts in Wolbachia. The novel data and understanding of evolutionary processes we generate will be c ....The genomics of adaptation in Wolbachia pipientis, an emerging biocontrol agent. Australians are increasingly exposed to insect-transmitted diseases such as dengue fever. Novel biocontrol methods using the bacterium Wolbachia aim to control insect populations to reduce disease transmission. Our research will be the first to investigate genomic variation and the process of adaptation to new insect hosts in Wolbachia. The novel data and understanding of evolutionary processes we generate will be critical for screening bacterial biocontrol candidates and designing biocontrol release strategies. It will also strengthen the position of Australian research as a world-leader in the fusion of post-genomics and applied microbiology. Read moreRead less
A comparative genomics approach to understanding host-endosymbiont interactions. Australia's unique ecosystems are vulnerable to invasion by exotic pests that threaten agriculture and human health. The bacterial symbiont Wolbachia is found in many major pests of agricultural and medical importance. Our results will give insights into how Wolbachia spreads into host populations and improve its use as a tool to impair insect transmission of disease, e.g. as an agent to carry genes into an insect p ....A comparative genomics approach to understanding host-endosymbiont interactions. Australia's unique ecosystems are vulnerable to invasion by exotic pests that threaten agriculture and human health. The bacterial symbiont Wolbachia is found in many major pests of agricultural and medical importance. Our results will give insights into how Wolbachia spreads into host populations and improve its use as a tool to impair insect transmission of disease, e.g. as an agent to carry genes into an insect population that limit disease transmission. Our results will also make fundamental contributions to understanding host-parasite evolution, host-parasite communication, and insect developmental processes, and will be of interest to a large international community of researchers in this field. Read moreRead less
Novel control strategies for mosquitoes threatening Australia. Increased global transport and human mobility have led to the spread and establishment of potential disease vectors and pathogens of public health importance in many parts of the world from which these were absent or had been eradicated. Aversion of this risk can be more effective when applying area-wide rather than focal (e.g. insecticide) control efforts. We will further the development of genetic and biological control tactics. We ....Novel control strategies for mosquitoes threatening Australia. Increased global transport and human mobility have led to the spread and establishment of potential disease vectors and pathogens of public health importance in many parts of the world from which these were absent or had been eradicated. Aversion of this risk can be more effective when applying area-wide rather than focal (e.g. insecticide) control efforts. We will further the development of genetic and biological control tactics. We aim to reduce the risks posed by two important dengue-vectoring mosquitoes: the yellow fever and the Asian tiger mosquito. This will lead to environmentally friendly and sustainable mosquito control and protect the Australian population and its regional neighbours against the threats of mosquito-borne disease.Read moreRead less
Identifying novel insecticides and their targets: probing Australian arachnid venoms. Insect pests destroy an estimated 2-3 billion dollars of crops in Australia. Insect pests also are responsible for the transmission of many new and re-emerging human, animal and plant diseases threatening health, wellbeing and prosperity. Current insecticides are severely limited by toxicity and/or insect resistance, and some are undergoing use cancellation overseas. Thus there is an urgent need to develop safe ....Identifying novel insecticides and their targets: probing Australian arachnid venoms. Insect pests destroy an estimated 2-3 billion dollars of crops in Australia. Insect pests also are responsible for the transmission of many new and re-emerging human, animal and plant diseases threatening health, wellbeing and prosperity. Current insecticides are severely limited by toxicity and/or insect resistance, and some are undergoing use cancellation overseas. Thus there is an urgent need to develop safer and more specific insecticides that are effective against disease vectors and agricultural pest insects, as well as to identify new insecticide targets. This research has a multi-million dollar potential benefit to agricultural, health and pest control sectorsRead moreRead less
Understanding the control of adult mosquitoes to reduce arbovirus transmission while minimising environmental and public health risk. Mosquitoes are capable of transmitting a wide range of debilitating diseases such as Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue fever and Malaria. To prevent the transmission of these diseases local authorities expend considerable resources on the control of mosquitoes. This project will increase the understan ....Understanding the control of adult mosquitoes to reduce arbovirus transmission while minimising environmental and public health risk. Mosquitoes are capable of transmitting a wide range of debilitating diseases such as Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue fever and Malaria. To prevent the transmission of these diseases local authorities expend considerable resources on the control of mosquitoes. This project will increase the understanding of chemical control measures on adult mosquitoes and this will lead to more effective mosquito control treatments and reduce the incidence of mosquito transmitted diseases. The project will also result in a reduction in the risk from the application of pesticide to public health and the environment.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection. Insects are involved in the transmission of many viral diseases of both plants and animals. A considerable number of these diseases have adverse effects for public health or cause large economic losses in agriculture. We were the first to discover that a common bacteria protects insects from virus infection. Knowledge of the mechanisms used by the bacteria to interfere with virus accumulation will facilitate novel strategies ....Understanding the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection. Insects are involved in the transmission of many viral diseases of both plants and animals. A considerable number of these diseases have adverse effects for public health or cause large economic losses in agriculture. We were the first to discover that a common bacteria protects insects from virus infection. Knowledge of the mechanisms used by the bacteria to interfere with virus accumulation will facilitate novel strategies for control of virus disease. The findings of this project will enable Australian researchers and industry to design innovative approaches to control diseases that are transmitted by insects.Read moreRead less
Control of Wolbachia replication: maintaining a stable symbiosis. This project will use a comparative genomics approach to better understand how Wolbachia infections of insects are able to maintain themselves in insects without causing pathology. The results will allow us to better understand a distinguishing characteristic of an intracellular symbiont, namely replication control. The results also have the potential to lead to new approaches to insect pest control through a better understanding ....Control of Wolbachia replication: maintaining a stable symbiosis. This project will use a comparative genomics approach to better understand how Wolbachia infections of insects are able to maintain themselves in insects without causing pathology. The results will allow us to better understand a distinguishing characteristic of an intracellular symbiont, namely replication control. The results also have the potential to lead to new approaches to insect pest control through a better understanding of how Wolbachia might be used to skew insect population age structure.Read moreRead less
Origin of animal sensory and nervous systems: a case study in cell type evolution. The origin of the nerve cell and the nervous system allowed the first animals to interact with their biotic and abiotic environment in rapid and complex ways. These capabilities are the primary agents for success in the animal kingdom, underpinning the ability to capture food, avoid predation, and find a mate. These same nerve cells have bestowed on the human brain cognitive abilities that have driven our biologic ....Origin of animal sensory and nervous systems: a case study in cell type evolution. The origin of the nerve cell and the nervous system allowed the first animals to interact with their biotic and abiotic environment in rapid and complex ways. These capabilities are the primary agents for success in the animal kingdom, underpinning the ability to capture food, avoid predation, and find a mate. These same nerve cells have bestowed on the human brain cognitive abilities that have driven our biological and cultural evolution. Despite the phenomenal importance of the nerve cell, we know almost nothing about its origin and early evolution. This basic research project seeks to make a major contribution towards addressing this gap in knowledge.Read moreRead less
Mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial pest management - physicochemical definition of oviposition sites for development of cost-efficient artificial substrates. The mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial purposes demands the development of cost-effective techniques for breeding and distributing them to growers. Many predatory beneficial insects lay their eggs in sites that prevent effective mass culturing. To circumvent this difficulty, it should be possible to defin ....Mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial pest management - physicochemical definition of oviposition sites for development of cost-efficient artificial substrates. The mass-production of beneficial insects for commercial purposes demands the development of cost-effective techniques for breeding and distributing them to growers. Many predatory beneficial insects lay their eggs in sites that prevent effective mass culturing. To circumvent this difficulty, it should be possible to define such oviposition sites in chemical and physical terms, and then use the information to develop artificial substrates that are convenient for mass rearing the insects and for disseminating them to growers. We will use the mealybug predator Cryptolaemus montrouszieri to test the feasibility of this approach and to assess its application to other beneficial species.Read moreRead less
Understanding the molecular basis of marine invertebrate larval settlement and metamorphosis using complementary molecular, developmental, chemical and ecological approaches. The colonisation and fouling of submerged structures is a major economic problem for maritime industries. This proposal will detail the molecular mechanisms underlying the first crucial steps of marine invertebrate colonisation - settlement and metamorphosis - and determine how natural anti-foulant chemicals impact on these ....Understanding the molecular basis of marine invertebrate larval settlement and metamorphosis using complementary molecular, developmental, chemical and ecological approaches. The colonisation and fouling of submerged structures is a major economic problem for maritime industries. This proposal will detail the molecular mechanisms underlying the first crucial steps of marine invertebrate colonisation - settlement and metamorphosis - and determine how natural anti-foulant chemicals impact on these developmental processes. By using complementary developmental, molecular, chemical and ecological approaches, we will obtain knowledge of key control points in settlement and metamorphosis, and thus identify potential pest management strategies. This proposal comprehensively delineates the role of novel anti-foulants, linking their effect on invertebrate development with their role in shaping marine communities on natural and built surfaces.Read moreRead less