Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,402,903.00
Summary
Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop ....Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop new bioinformatics tools to identify and analyse highly divergent genome sequences through studying meta-transcriptomic data from diverse animal phyla, from prokaryotes and basal eukaryotes, from iconic native mammalian species and their major invasive pests. The benefits provided will include determining the viromes of native and invasive species and enhancing the efforts to protect iconic Australian species from infectious disease.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100977
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$419,016.00
Summary
How ecology shapes the viromes of wild birds. This project will reveal the host factors associated with the diversity, evolution and dynamics of viruses using state-of-the-art metatranscriptomics in Australian wild birds. The structure of virus communities and their associated ecological drivers in wild animal hosts remain a black-box, even though they are the largest source of viral diversity in nature. This project expects to generate key insights into host-associated drivers of viral communit ....How ecology shapes the viromes of wild birds. This project will reveal the host factors associated with the diversity, evolution and dynamics of viruses using state-of-the-art metatranscriptomics in Australian wild birds. The structure of virus communities and their associated ecological drivers in wild animal hosts remain a black-box, even though they are the largest source of viral diversity in nature. This project expects to generate key insights into host-associated drivers of viral community dynamics and the subsequent effect of anthropogenic factors such as urbanisation and poultry production. Identifying host factors that affect viral ecology in wild birds will constitute a cornerstone in understanding the emergence of virulent viruses and/or their spread to poultry or humansRead moreRead less
Building Australia's Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure. This project aims to enhance the resilience, safety, and efficiency of electricity grids operated with fast-charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) by developing new control and optimisation frameworks. This project expects to develop new robust controllers for EV fast-charging infrastructure operated in coordination with wind and solar generated electricity. Expected project outcomes include enabling fast-charge EV infrastructure to b ....Building Australia's Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure. This project aims to enhance the resilience, safety, and efficiency of electricity grids operated with fast-charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) by developing new control and optimisation frameworks. This project expects to develop new robust controllers for EV fast-charging infrastructure operated in coordination with wind and solar generated electricity. Expected project outcomes include enabling fast-charge EV infrastructure to be developed and deployed in Australia by the industry partner SwitchDin. Expected benefits including enabling significant reduction in carbon emissions from the transportation sector, accelerating the energy transition to renewables, and placing Australian industry at the forefront of EV grid integration technology.Read moreRead less
The evolution of host-parasite interactions during a biological invasion. This project aims to elucidate how host organisms and their parasites adapt to each other, exploiting the fact that a biological invasion imposes novel evolutionary challenges. This project expects to generate new knowledge about how the interaction between host and parasite species is affected when the system is exposed to powerful new selective forces. Expected outcomes of this project include development of theory, trai ....The evolution of host-parasite interactions during a biological invasion. This project aims to elucidate how host organisms and their parasites adapt to each other, exploiting the fact that a biological invasion imposes novel evolutionary challenges. This project expects to generate new knowledge about how the interaction between host and parasite species is affected when the system is exposed to powerful new selective forces. Expected outcomes of this project include development of theory, training of students in an emerging field, and a nuanced understanding of this important topic. This should provide significant benefits, such as an enhanced ability for wildlife managers to predict the impact of parasites on species of wildlife that are extending their geographic ranges.Read moreRead less
Revealing the determinants of viral emergence and evolution in fish. Viral diseases pose an ongoing threat to Australian aquaculture. The devastating impact of emerging viruses makes it imperative to understand the factors that allow them to evolve and infect new hosts. We will address these key issues by revealing the diversity, abundance and evolution of viruses in fish sampled along the Australian east coast. The data generated will reveal the untapped biodiversity of fish viruses, the freque ....Revealing the determinants of viral emergence and evolution in fish. Viral diseases pose an ongoing threat to Australian aquaculture. The devastating impact of emerging viruses makes it imperative to understand the factors that allow them to evolve and infect new hosts. We will address these key issues by revealing the diversity, abundance and evolution of viruses in fish sampled along the Australian east coast. The data generated will reveal the untapped biodiversity of fish viruses, the frequency which they jump species boundaries and the determinants of this process, and how they are impacted by host ecology, including whether fish viruses follow a latitudinal gradient in diversity. The data generated will transform our understanding of fish viruses and identify those most likely to impact aquaculture.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100295
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,563.00
Summary
Unlocking the helminth ‘early infection gap’ using 3D cell culture models. This project aims to revolutionise the study of critical early host-parasite interactions using innovative 3D cell culture models, reducing our dependence on animal infections. Liver fluke is the most economically important zoonotic parasite of Australian livestock and is a significant contributor to global food insecurity. Due to the reliance of parasites on mammalian hosts to survive, very little is known about the earl ....Unlocking the helminth ‘early infection gap’ using 3D cell culture models. This project aims to revolutionise the study of critical early host-parasite interactions using innovative 3D cell culture models, reducing our dependence on animal infections. Liver fluke is the most economically important zoonotic parasite of Australian livestock and is a significant contributor to global food insecurity. Due to the reliance of parasites on mammalian hosts to survive, very little is known about the early infection process. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on key migratory stimuli and liver fluke biology. Benefits include the identification of drug targets and vaccine candidates for use in livestock via the development of animal-free in vitro screening platforms that will serve as a prototype for other parasites.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL160100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,527,475.00
Summary
Ultralow latency wireless systems. Ultralow latency wireless systems. This project aims to develop theories and practical methods to design wireless communication systems for future generations of internet services. Emerging smart environments and infrastructure could solve major problems facing the world today, by saving energy, reducing pollution, improving health and increasing road safety. However, scientists to date do not know how to build wireless networks with almost zero latency and ult ....Ultralow latency wireless systems. Ultralow latency wireless systems. This project aims to develop theories and practical methods to design wireless communication systems for future generations of internet services. Emerging smart environments and infrastructure could solve major problems facing the world today, by saving energy, reducing pollution, improving health and increasing road safety. However, scientists to date do not know how to build wireless networks with almost zero latency and ultrahigh reliability, needed for machine-to-machine communications. An expected outcome of this project is new criteria and methodologies to design such wireless systems, which would affect future wireless systems and grids.Read moreRead less
Cracking the code of snails to elucidate parasite disease transmission. In Australia, a disease caused by liver flukes causes major economic losses to livestock production. The role of Australian pond snails as intermediate hosts for this parasite is poorly understood. This project aims to explore the phylogeography, biology and genomics of these snails. It expects to create novel molecular resources for important snail species and verify their roles as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The cur ....Cracking the code of snails to elucidate parasite disease transmission. In Australia, a disease caused by liver flukes causes major economic losses to livestock production. The role of Australian pond snails as intermediate hosts for this parasite is poorly understood. This project aims to explore the phylogeography, biology and genomics of these snails. It expects to create novel molecular resources for important snail species and verify their roles as key vectors of flatworm parasites. The curation of genomic and transcriptomic data sets, and elucidation of snail–parasite interactions will underpin the development of environmental diagnostic tests and deliver a new generation of intervention strategies to reduce the burden of liver fluke disease through the control of their snail intermediate hosts.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100068
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$931,950.00
Summary
Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery, and Imaging Platform. This proposal aims to establish an Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery and Imaging platform. The platform consists of an ultra-high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometer and an imaging mass spectrometry upgrade for a second existing high resolution mass spectrometer. The facility will break barriers currently limiting discovery and localisation of metabolic changes during plant and animal development under ....Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery, and Imaging Platform. This proposal aims to establish an Australian Advanced Metabolic Signal Discovery and Imaging platform. The platform consists of an ultra-high resolution gas chromatography mass spectrometer and an imaging mass spectrometry upgrade for a second existing high resolution mass spectrometer. The facility will break barriers currently limiting discovery and localisation of metabolic changes during plant and animal development under environmental stress; integral chemical signals exchanged in host-microbe interactions; and volatile signatures linked to ecosystem health and developmental anomalies in animals. Results will inform innovative strategies to enhance biological adaptation, climate resilience and plant, animal, and ecosystem health.Read moreRead less