Biology of flowering plant male gametic cells in relation to fertilization. The world food supply is primarily dependent on plants. The continuation of an adequate food supply depends upon the success of fertilization that involves the fusion of the sperm cell with the egg cell. The entire process of fertilization can be manipulated once the specific molecules involved in its regulation have been identified. This project deals with the discovery of male gamete biomolecules involved in fertili ....Biology of flowering plant male gametic cells in relation to fertilization. The world food supply is primarily dependent on plants. The continuation of an adequate food supply depends upon the success of fertilization that involves the fusion of the sperm cell with the egg cell. The entire process of fertilization can be manipulated once the specific molecules involved in its regulation have been identified. This project deals with the discovery of male gamete biomolecules involved in fertilization. The knowledge obtained will have potential applications in developing novel breeding technologies for improved crop plants.Read moreRead less
Mid-rotation diagnosis and management options for correction of water and nutrient deficiencies in plantation-grown eucalypts. This research will improve productivity of bluegum plantations by improving current diagnostic techniques (foliage and soil analysis) for nutrient disorders and the supply of water. Using a novel phloem sampling and analysis technique, we will develop a nutrient (e.g. N, P) and water diagnosis procedure that is quick, cheap, robust and reliable for field use. A major in ....Mid-rotation diagnosis and management options for correction of water and nutrient deficiencies in plantation-grown eucalypts. This research will improve productivity of bluegum plantations by improving current diagnostic techniques (foliage and soil analysis) for nutrient disorders and the supply of water. Using a novel phloem sampling and analysis technique, we will develop a nutrient (e.g. N, P) and water diagnosis procedure that is quick, cheap, robust and reliable for field use. A major innovation will be distinguishing the effects of shortages of water on growth from those of other growth influences. Overall, this project will provide a highly significant theoretical, conceptual and practical advance in mid-rotation, diagnostics for plantations with considerable commercial promise.Read moreRead less
A novel link between plant pathogen defence and DNA repair capability. Plants and plant-based industries are essential for the provision of food, clothing and building materials and underpin the economies of rural communities. Plant yield and quality and the biodiversity of natural systems are dramatically reduced by disease. The fundamental knowledge gained from our research will enable manipulation of the factors that enhance disease resistance resulting in a significant benefit to Australian ....A novel link between plant pathogen defence and DNA repair capability. Plants and plant-based industries are essential for the provision of food, clothing and building materials and underpin the economies of rural communities. Plant yield and quality and the biodiversity of natural systems are dramatically reduced by disease. The fundamental knowledge gained from our research will enable manipulation of the factors that enhance disease resistance resulting in a significant benefit to Australian agriculture and protection of our natural resources. The current reliance for disease control on chemicals that damage the environment will be reduced and our research will contribute directly to the provision of cheaper, simpler and more effective methods of control.
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How plants produce their biomass. This project aims to investigate mechanisms that underpin the formation of secondary walls, the bulk of biomass in plant cells. Plant cell walls are essential for plant growth and provide great raw materials for many industrial products. Understanding how cell walls are made would enable tailored plant biomass production, but understanding remains poor. The project will induce secondary walls at will and outline a framework for how secondary walls are made. The ....How plants produce their biomass. This project aims to investigate mechanisms that underpin the formation of secondary walls, the bulk of biomass in plant cells. Plant cell walls are essential for plant growth and provide great raw materials for many industrial products. Understanding how cell walls are made would enable tailored plant biomass production, but understanding remains poor. The project will induce secondary walls at will and outline a framework for how secondary walls are made. The outcomes are expected to be relevant for the fuel, feed, food and construction sectors, and thus to Australia's future.Read moreRead less
Australia's native sorghums: a model for testing plant adaptation theories. This proposal tests an emerging theory that allocation of resources by plants to growth or defence are interrelated, not alternatives as currently assumed. Like many crops, sorghum produces toxic cyanide, especially during droughts but its wild relatives make much less. This project aims to discover why cyanide is so common in domesticated plants and why levels increase with stress. This has important implications for de ....Australia's native sorghums: a model for testing plant adaptation theories. This proposal tests an emerging theory that allocation of resources by plants to growth or defence are interrelated, not alternatives as currently assumed. Like many crops, sorghum produces toxic cyanide, especially during droughts but its wild relatives make much less. This project aims to discover why cyanide is so common in domesticated plants and why levels increase with stress. This has important implications for developing crops that are high yielding and also climate resilient. Expected outcomes include full genome sequences for all of Australia’s unique native sorghums, confirmation of new theories on the interrelationships between defence and growth and identification of new traits vital for developing the crops of the future. Read moreRead less
Deciphering organelle transport mechanisms in plants. Plant growth, productivity and seed yield all depend on organelle function which requires metabolites and proteins
to be transported across membranes. This mechanism of transport is carried out by specific transporters that have
the ability to transport macromolecules, and regulate organelle function. We have identified new transporters that
are involved in amino acid and protein transport in the mitochondria, chloroplast and peroxisomes. We ....Deciphering organelle transport mechanisms in plants. Plant growth, productivity and seed yield all depend on organelle function which requires metabolites and proteins
to be transported across membranes. This mechanism of transport is carried out by specific transporters that have
the ability to transport macromolecules, and regulate organelle function. We have identified new transporters that
are involved in amino acid and protein transport in the mitochondria, chloroplast and peroxisomes. We will assign
function to each protein and investigate the importance in regulating organelle biogenesis. This will allow us to
modulate plant energy production for optimal growth and to withstand abiotic stress, all of which have
agriculturally beneficial consequences. Read moreRead less
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL DISSECTION OF COBALT ACCUMULATION BY PLANTS. Co is a valuable metal for the Australian economy. The project will advance phytomining of non-economic Co ores and also the phytoremediation of (60)Co-contaminated soils. It will assist development of phytotechnologies for Co, eg improvement of Co content of fodder crops for ruminants in Co-deficient areas. All these applications will benefit ARC's National Research Priorities Goal 1: an environmentally friendly Australi ....PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL DISSECTION OF COBALT ACCUMULATION BY PLANTS. Co is a valuable metal for the Australian economy. The project will advance phytomining of non-economic Co ores and also the phytoremediation of (60)Co-contaminated soils. It will assist development of phytotechnologies for Co, eg improvement of Co content of fodder crops for ruminants in Co-deficient areas. All these applications will benefit ARC's National Research Priorities Goal 1: an environmentally friendly Australia. Understanding Co uptake by accumulator species will also promote awareness, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Australia. Outcomes will impact on Goal 3: frontier technologies, as the potential spin-off applications of Co-based phytotechnologies will fuel future environmental technologies in Australia.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100825
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Characterization of Novel Import/Assembly Pathways in Plant Mitochondria. In addition to their central role in metabolism, plant mitochondria have emerged as important hubs for both sensing and responding to a variety of stimuli. However, as yet there are still many unanswered basic questions about how mitochondria are built in plant cells. This project aims to characterise two novel protein import/assembly pathways, specifically, the newly identified twin-arginine translocation (Tat) protein as ....Characterization of Novel Import/Assembly Pathways in Plant Mitochondria. In addition to their central role in metabolism, plant mitochondria have emerged as important hubs for both sensing and responding to a variety of stimuli. However, as yet there are still many unanswered basic questions about how mitochondria are built in plant cells. This project aims to characterise two novel protein import/assembly pathways, specifically, the newly identified twin-arginine translocation (Tat) protein assembly pathway, and the disulphide relay system of the mitochondrial intermembrane space which displays unique characteristics compared to other systems. A mechanistic understanding of these pathways can be used to design novel strategies to alter plant growth and performance.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100054
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
How plants respond to cell wall signals. This project aims to discover mechanisms of plant cell wall signalling and modify plant cell walls for improved food, textiles, building materials and renewable biofuels without inadvertently activating cell wall signalling. However, attempts to improve cell walls have been ineffective because it is not known how plants use cell wall signalling to sense and compensate for cell wall changes. This project expects to develop both a genetic screen to find mut ....How plants respond to cell wall signals. This project aims to discover mechanisms of plant cell wall signalling and modify plant cell walls for improved food, textiles, building materials and renewable biofuels without inadvertently activating cell wall signalling. However, attempts to improve cell walls have been ineffective because it is not known how plants use cell wall signalling to sense and compensate for cell wall changes. This project expects to develop both a genetic screen to find mutants defective in cell wall signal transduction and a bioinformatic tool to compare genomes across species and discover cell wall signalling components. Potential benefits include addressing Australian research priorities: Food, Environmental Change, and Energy.Read moreRead less
Re-balancing global resources: Manipulating toxic prussic acid (dhurrin) to improve nitrogen use efficiency in forage sorghum in a changing climate. Sorghum is grown widely is Australia and world-wide for forage, grain (mostly for animal feed) and biofuels. It grows well in dry areas. The problem is that the leaves contain a toxin that releases prussic acid (cyanide) that can reduce animal production or even kill stock feeding on it, especially when water stressed. The problem will get worse wit ....Re-balancing global resources: Manipulating toxic prussic acid (dhurrin) to improve nitrogen use efficiency in forage sorghum in a changing climate. Sorghum is grown widely is Australia and world-wide for forage, grain (mostly for animal feed) and biofuels. It grows well in dry areas. The problem is that the leaves contain a toxin that releases prussic acid (cyanide) that can reduce animal production or even kill stock feeding on it, especially when water stressed. The problem will get worse with climate change. Low-cyanide plants developed by us using non-GM methods grow fast, but accumulate nitrate instead which is also toxic. This is a waste of expensive fertiliser too. We aim to develop plants that divert resources to growth instead of toxins in order to reduce fertiliser use and help prepare for the future. The fast growing plants may also be useful as a biofuel crop.Read moreRead less