Colour vision in marsupials. The ability to distinguish colours is a crucial aspect of vision, providing vital data for sexual selection, predator detection and food acquisition. Studies of mammalian colour vision have largely overlooked marsupials. Our recent investigation of spectral sensitivity in two Australian species revealed a colour discrimination capacity beyond that of placentals (excluding primates), implying disparate evolutionary pressures in the two groups. We will provide the fi ....Colour vision in marsupials. The ability to distinguish colours is a crucial aspect of vision, providing vital data for sexual selection, predator detection and food acquisition. Studies of mammalian colour vision have largely overlooked marsupials. Our recent investigation of spectral sensitivity in two Australian species revealed a colour discrimination capacity beyond that of placentals (excluding primates), implying disparate evolutionary pressures in the two groups. We will provide the first comprehensive description of colour vision in marsupials, studying species with differing rhythmicities, habitats and diets. Wavelength sensitivity and molecular structure of retinal visual pigments will be assessed in relation to evolutionary influences and ecological demands.
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Evolution and function of colour vision in mammals. The project aims to investigate colour vision in marsupials and monotremes (echidna and platypus) with differing phylogenies and biogeographic histories. Improving knowledge of the molecular structure of opsin genes mediating colour vision will be crucial to the understanding of evolution and function of this key mammalian (including human) sensory capacity. Understanding species colour discrimination will contribute to protective measures of ....Evolution and function of colour vision in mammals. The project aims to investigate colour vision in marsupials and monotremes (echidna and platypus) with differing phylogenies and biogeographic histories. Improving knowledge of the molecular structure of opsin genes mediating colour vision will be crucial to the understanding of evolution and function of this key mammalian (including human) sensory capacity. Understanding species colour discrimination will contribute to protective measures of Australia's unique fauna, presenting social and economic assets for the local and national community, and will set a standard that should be applied world-wide. Close international links and intellectual exchange will be invaluable to the Australian science community, including students.
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Colour vision in birds: consequences to fatal collisions with wind farms. Wind-farms represent a key component of sustainable energy generation world-wide. However, many birds die as a result of collisions with wind-farms, posing an unsolved and controversial conservation issue. The proliferation of wind-farms in Australia will exacerbate the problem. Birds rely on vision to negotiate static and moving objects. Wind-farms, currently coloured to meet human aesthetic criteria, may be 'invisible' t ....Colour vision in birds: consequences to fatal collisions with wind farms. Wind-farms represent a key component of sustainable energy generation world-wide. However, many birds die as a result of collisions with wind-farms, posing an unsolved and controversial conservation issue. The proliferation of wind-farms in Australia will exacerbate the problem. Birds rely on vision to negotiate static and moving objects. Wind-farms, currently coloured to meet human aesthetic criteria, may be 'invisible' to birds since they see colours differently from humans. We will determine bird spectral sensitivities and compare them to the spectral reflectance of wind-farms. We will then develop modifications improving the visibility of wind-farms to birds, thereby reducing fatalities.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0454017
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$582,598.00
Summary
A unique Western Australian multi-photon confocal microscope facility to support nationally prioritised biomedical, biological and materials research. Core national priority research will utilise the low dose and penetrative nature of multi-photon confocal microscopy in current research into nerve regeneration after neurotrauma, the histopathological treatment of diabetic retinopathology, and hair cell information transfer processes in auditory physiology. Other programs will study biomineralisa ....A unique Western Australian multi-photon confocal microscope facility to support nationally prioritised biomedical, biological and materials research. Core national priority research will utilise the low dose and penetrative nature of multi-photon confocal microscopy in current research into nerve regeneration after neurotrauma, the histopathological treatment of diabetic retinopathology, and hair cell information transfer processes in auditory physiology. Other programs will study biomineralisation in the superior epithelium of chiton and limpet teeth and a variety of salinity-related plant processes. In parallel, an optical development program will investigate contrast modes in other non-linear interactions. The instrument complements and will be managed with field emission SEM, TEM and a unique high-resolution scanning ion probe in a well-established regional Centre.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100074
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,000.00
Summary
Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genet ....Facilities for automated high-throughput slide scanning and stereology. The equipment requested will facilitate the work of the Australian Mouse Brain Mapping Consortium, a consortium of Australian research groups collaborating to provide the only mouse model brain mapping capability in the country. The consortium brings together laboratory, neuroimaging and computational expertise in a comprehensive framework for imaging the mouse brain. This will help researchers to study mouse models of genetic and acquired disorders across the life-span. Remote viewing and analysis capabilities will help overcome the 'tyranny of distance', increasing national access to the facility. Repositories of digitised images will increase the availability of valuable research material to other Australian and international researchers.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354726
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
NETVISION: AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL VISION RESEARCH NETWORK. Vision is the most important human sense. Visual malfunctions pose major health challenges. Vision provides a window into the brain, for studying perception, cognition and consciousness. It is integral to human cultural and social development. It provides opportunities for technological advances in diagnostics, artificial vision, robotics, and surveillance. Vision is therefore crucial to three of the National Priority Areas. The National V ....NETVISION: AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL VISION RESEARCH NETWORK. Vision is the most important human sense. Visual malfunctions pose major health challenges. Vision provides a window into the brain, for studying perception, cognition and consciousness. It is integral to human cultural and social development. It provides opportunities for technological advances in diagnostics, artificial vision, robotics, and surveillance. Vision is therefore crucial to three of the National Priority Areas. The National Vision Network will create a coherent, interactive and innovative research base in the vision sciences, linked to end-users in areas ranging from the art, entertainment and fashion industries, through health and education, to border protection and counter-terrorism.Read moreRead less
Listen and learn - statistical learning and the adapting auditory brain. This project aims to explore the link between rapid neural adaptation - a form of learning referred to as statistical learning - and human listening performance in noisy environments. The project aims to generate a new understanding of mechanisms that contribute to listeners' abilities to understand speech in noise, and to complex communication disorders such as dyslexia. Expected outcomes will include increased capacity to ....Listen and learn - statistical learning and the adapting auditory brain. This project aims to explore the link between rapid neural adaptation - a form of learning referred to as statistical learning - and human listening performance in noisy environments. The project aims to generate a new understanding of mechanisms that contribute to listeners' abilities to understand speech in noise, and to complex communication disorders such as dyslexia. Expected outcomes will include increased capacity to investigate a broad range of cognitive and communication functions. Benefits will include potential technologies and algorithms to assist listening (in devices such as hearing aids), language development and reading.Read moreRead less
How critical is the inflammatory response in senile plaque formation in a mutant APP transgenic mouse model? The aims of this project is to examine the brains of mice genetically engineered to produce a human mutant form of insoluble beta amyloid protein known to play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). If the "trigger" for AD is an inflammatory reaction, then the relevant examination of the early stages of senile plaque formation in these animals could lead to pharma ....How critical is the inflammatory response in senile plaque formation in a mutant APP transgenic mouse model? The aims of this project is to examine the brains of mice genetically engineered to produce a human mutant form of insoluble beta amyloid protein known to play a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). If the "trigger" for AD is an inflammatory reaction, then the relevant examination of the early stages of senile plaque formation in these animals could lead to pharmaceutical intervention to delay the development of this debilitating disease. A 5 year delay would significantly reduce the number of people with AD, not only adding years of improved quality of life, but also saving hundreds of millions of Australian dollars in health costs.Read moreRead less
How do myelinating cells alter brain circuits to facilitate learning? This project aims to identify the brain circuits that receive new insulation and characterise the molecular mediators of this process. This project will apply innovative technologies to understand how the nervous system remains adaptable throughout life. This new knowledge, of the cellular mechanisms that allow brain circuits to remain adaptable throughout life, may have application in the development of interventions aimed at ....How do myelinating cells alter brain circuits to facilitate learning? This project aims to identify the brain circuits that receive new insulation and characterise the molecular mediators of this process. This project will apply innovative technologies to understand how the nervous system remains adaptable throughout life. This new knowledge, of the cellular mechanisms that allow brain circuits to remain adaptable throughout life, may have application in the development of interventions aimed at improving educational outcomes or counteracting age-related memory decline. Potential future benefits include facilitating the development of drugs to circumvent memory loss resulting from brain diseases, and improving the design of neuromorphic hardware for computing.Read moreRead less
Subcellular recruitment of a RhoA ubiquitination complex by Rnd proteins. This study addresses a novel molecular mechanism through which members of the Rnd family of GTP-binding proteins regulate the morphology and migration of immature nerve cells of the developing nervous system. This study has broad implications for the understanding of cell migration during embryo development, as well as in health and disease.