Functional and structural characterisation of Defective embryo and meristems (Dem) proteins involved in plant development. The proposed research will lead to advances in understanding the regulation of plant development, a process impacting on agriculture, environmental management and human health, areas designated as national research priorities. This understanding is required for modifying plant growth and architecture to fit particular environments, for example generating plants with more ext ....Functional and structural characterisation of Defective embryo and meristems (Dem) proteins involved in plant development. The proposed research will lead to advances in understanding the regulation of plant development, a process impacting on agriculture, environmental management and human health, areas designated as national research priorities. This understanding is required for modifying plant growth and architecture to fit particular environments, for example generating plants with more extensive and deeper roots to mine the soil moisture and nutrients to enhance crop productivity in Australia, and maintaining the competitive advantage of Australian agriculture in view of the range of environmental conditions encountered in this country. The project will also contribute to the health of the Australian population through consumable plants in the diet.Read moreRead less
Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering the Mechanisms of Wall Ingrowth Formation. This project seeks fundamental molecular understanding of how specialized plant cells that are designed for optimum transport of nutrients develop. So-called "transfer cells" are important for efficient nutrient transport and distribution in many crop species of significance to agriculture. Discovering the mechanisms that coordinate development of these specialized cells will maintain Australia's international reputat ....Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering the Mechanisms of Wall Ingrowth Formation. This project seeks fundamental molecular understanding of how specialized plant cells that are designed for optimum transport of nutrients develop. So-called "transfer cells" are important for efficient nutrient transport and distribution in many crop species of significance to agriculture. Discovering the mechanisms that coordinate development of these specialized cells will maintain Australia's international reputation in this field of research, as well as provide technological opportunities to enhance crop yields by manipulating the efficiency of nutrient distribution in crop species. Read moreRead less
Induction of Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering Regulatory Networks. This project seeks molecular understanding of regulatory mechanisms responsible for inducing formation of specialized plant cells that are of central importance in controlling nutrient transport. These so-called "transfer cells" play pivotal roles in determining crop nutrition and hence yield under normal and stressful environments such as soil nutrient deficiencies and salinity. Discovering regulatory mechanisms that control f ....Induction of Plant Transfer Cells - Discovering Regulatory Networks. This project seeks molecular understanding of regulatory mechanisms responsible for inducing formation of specialized plant cells that are of central importance in controlling nutrient transport. These so-called "transfer cells" play pivotal roles in determining crop nutrition and hence yield under normal and stressful environments such as soil nutrient deficiencies and salinity. Discovering regulatory mechanisms that control formation of these specialized cells will maintain Australia's international reputation in this field of research. In addition, the information platform generated may provide technological opportunities to optimise nutrient flows in healthy plants, combat certain environmental stresses and control pathogen attack.
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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
Investigating the activator function of the Bim protein. Apoptosis is a research area where Australia has had long standing success. The first observations of this important process were made by Prof John Kerr in the 60's and 70's. A molecular renaissance developed in the late 80's and has led to the current explosion in this area of research. Many of these recent studies have been conducted at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Our scientific endeavour is aimed at broadening the understanding ....Investigating the activator function of the Bim protein. Apoptosis is a research area where Australia has had long standing success. The first observations of this important process were made by Prof John Kerr in the 60's and 70's. A molecular renaissance developed in the late 80's and has led to the current explosion in this area of research. Many of these recent studies have been conducted at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. Our scientific endeavour is aimed at broadening the understanding of the mechanisms of cell death using genetically modified mouse models. Insights gained through this project will have far reaching implications for the design of new drugs to combat cancer and degenerative diseases.Read moreRead less
Neurotrophic factors for pelvic autonomic neurons: the role of neurturin. This project is about pelvic parasympathetic neurons, which are responsible for involuntary activities such as bladder voiding and penile erection. We are interested in the neurotrophic factors that determine survival of these neurons during early mammalian development and keep them healthy in adults. Little is known about ?parasympathetic neurotrophic factors? in general. However we have recently discovered that the prote ....Neurotrophic factors for pelvic autonomic neurons: the role of neurturin. This project is about pelvic parasympathetic neurons, which are responsible for involuntary activities such as bladder voiding and penile erection. We are interested in the neurotrophic factors that determine survival of these neurons during early mammalian development and keep them healthy in adults. Little is known about ?parasympathetic neurotrophic factors? in general. However we have recently discovered that the protein neurturin is very important in the pelvic parasympathetic system. We will determine exactly how neurturin affects pelvic neurons and how it interacts with other neurotrophic factors. Our results will fill a major gap in our knowledge of fundamental neurobiology.Read moreRead less
Development of sympathetic nerve pathways. The mature nervous system contains many types of neurons connected in precise ways. Developing neurons must make many decisions about what type of neuron to become and what connections to make. This study looks at the mechanisms that guide the developing neurons in these important decisions.
Re-uniting marsupials and eutherians by embryonic micromanipulation. The unique responsibility for transmitting life from generation to generation normally depends on the gametes. This project will use new reproductive technologies to investigate the properties of the oocyte in reprogramming somatic cell nuclei, and will use the nuclei of both marsupial and eutherian somatic cells to test this. We will also use both marsupial and eutherian genes to insert into the oocyte to create the first tra ....Re-uniting marsupials and eutherians by embryonic micromanipulation. The unique responsibility for transmitting life from generation to generation normally depends on the gametes. This project will use new reproductive technologies to investigate the properties of the oocyte in reprogramming somatic cell nuclei, and will use the nuclei of both marsupial and eutherian somatic cells to test this. We will also use both marsupial and eutherian genes to insert into the oocyte to create the first transgenic marsupials. We will also investigate the ability of spermatozoa from species of increasing genetic distance to ferttilise marsupial eggs using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).Read moreRead less
Quantifying the adaptive immune response. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical models and computer software capable of predicting immune responses in infection and disease. The ability to predict immune responses should allow better vaccine design and better understanding of what causes the immune system to attack its own body, causing autoimmune disease, or fail to respond, causing immunodeficiency. The models and software will also be applicable to other areas of cell biology, ....Quantifying the adaptive immune response. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical models and computer software capable of predicting immune responses in infection and disease. The ability to predict immune responses should allow better vaccine design and better understanding of what causes the immune system to attack its own body, causing autoimmune disease, or fail to respond, causing immunodeficiency. The models and software will also be applicable to other areas of cell biology, such as describing growth and development. Thus, this project will lead to advances in understanding of fundamental biology, as well as potential improvements in treatments for a range of diseases.Read moreRead less
Physiological and molecular controls of plant transpiration efficiency: investigating the role of the ERECTA gene. Water is the single most limiting factor in agriculture and the world's supply of fresh water is diminishing, the greatest fraction of total water use being by agriculture. Progress in water-use efficiency will have social value, and this program should help us to achieve it. Our progress in this area is already one of the most successful of 'bottom-up' approaches - in the sense of ....Physiological and molecular controls of plant transpiration efficiency: investigating the role of the ERECTA gene. Water is the single most limiting factor in agriculture and the world's supply of fresh water is diminishing, the greatest fraction of total water use being by agriculture. Progress in water-use efficiency will have social value, and this program should help us to achieve it. Our progress in this area is already one of the most successful of 'bottom-up' approaches - in the sense of transferring knowledge from biochemistry and biophysics to breeding and agronomy, as CSIRO now has a successful wheat breeding program based on this earlier work of ours. Now that we have discovered a gene that controls water-use efficiency at the leaf level, we wish to see how the gene works, and how it affects mineral nutrition of leaves.Read moreRead less