Diversity of Salinispora actinobacteria producing pharmaceutically relevant natural products from Australian marine sponges. By investigating the distribution of marine microbial resources relevant to drug discovery, we will directly contribute to ARC's Research Priority I - An Environmentally Sustainable Australia Priority Goal and the Priority Goal 'Sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity'. We will determine sources of marine bacteria and their genes useful for discovery of new natural pro ....Diversity of Salinispora actinobacteria producing pharmaceutically relevant natural products from Australian marine sponges. By investigating the distribution of marine microbial resources relevant to drug discovery, we will directly contribute to ARC's Research Priority I - An Environmentally Sustainable Australia Priority Goal and the Priority Goal 'Sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity'. We will determine sources of marine bacteria and their genes useful for discovery of new natural products for treatment of human diseases. We will do this by understanding where new strains of Salinispora bacteria may be isolated and how they are distributed in association with Australian marine sponge fauna, and by determining the distribution and chemical and genetic diversity of novel marine Salinispora bacteria.Read moreRead less
Australia's oldest jawed fishes: evolution, biostratigraphy and biogeography. The research focusses on a collection of disarticulated remains of placoderms, a group of extinct armoured fishes which dominated Devonian waters (410-354 Mya). The oldest Australian placoderm macroremains so far described are of late Pragian age (400 Mya), and recognized as a highly endemic fauna. An older limestone from New South Wales has yielded new material which includes sclerotic capsules and dermal plates of ....Australia's oldest jawed fishes: evolution, biostratigraphy and biogeography. The research focusses on a collection of disarticulated remains of placoderms, a group of extinct armoured fishes which dominated Devonian waters (410-354 Mya). The oldest Australian placoderm macroremains so far described are of late Pragian age (400 Mya), and recognized as a highly endemic fauna. An older limestone from New South Wales has yielded new material which includes sclerotic capsules and dermal plates of small placoderms. Earliest Devonian (Lochkovian) acanthodians and the new placoderms, unlike the younger taxa, seem closely related to coeval faunas from the circum-Arctic region. The material will help resolve relationships and distribution of these early jawed vertebrates.Read moreRead less
Escalation of a coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts: cognitive causes and evolutionary consequences. Cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other species, provoking an evolutionary arms race in which hosts evolve defences against parasitism and cuckoos evolve ever more cunning tricks to gain reproductive success. In principle, the degree of specialization required to defeat host defences could cause cuckoo speciation. Our previous research has revealed that the arms race bet ....Escalation of a coevolutionary arms race between cuckoos and their hosts: cognitive causes and evolutionary consequences. Cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other species, provoking an evolutionary arms race in which hosts evolve defences against parasitism and cuckoos evolve ever more cunning tricks to gain reproductive success. In principle, the degree of specialization required to defeat host defences could cause cuckoo speciation. Our previous research has revealed that the arms race between the Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo and its superb fairy-wren host has reached a uniquely advanced stage, hitherto undescribed, and previously thought imposssible to attain. We aim to investigate the mechanisms underlying this specialization and investigate whether it is driving speciation of the Chrysococcyx cuckoos.Read moreRead less
House hunting honey bees: speed-accuracy trade-offs in collective decision-making. This project will uncover the mechanisms that underlie the trade-off between speed and accuracy in collective decision-making. We will study two species of honey bee that differ in the relative importance of speed and accuracy when deciding on a new home. Natural selection has shaped the decision-making process differently in the two species, one favouring speed, the other accuracy. We will use the natural wisdom ....House hunting honey bees: speed-accuracy trade-offs in collective decision-making. This project will uncover the mechanisms that underlie the trade-off between speed and accuracy in collective decision-making. We will study two species of honey bee that differ in the relative importance of speed and accuracy when deciding on a new home. Natural selection has shaped the decision-making process differently in the two species, one favouring speed, the other accuracy. We will use the natural wisdom evolved by the bees to design new mathematical models of collective decision-making. These can be applied to create efficient decision-making tools that will be useful for any large organization.Read moreRead less
Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies ....Retracing the Early Evolution of Metazoa using Novel Methods and Strategies. Metazoa is one of the best-characterised groups of species in terms of its morphology, fossil record, development, and genetic make-up, but the phylogeny remains obscure because the fossil record is incomplete and because molecular phylogenetic methods have not yet been developed with the complexity of genomic data in mind. We will develop methods and strategies for the analysis of whole genomes, and use them in studies of the mitochondrial genome. We will infer the animal phylogeny, and use it to chart the evolution of animal morphology and development, and the evolution of mitochondrial genetic codes, gene order, and nucleotide content.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100805
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$382,656.00
Summary
Phylogenetic methods for genome surveillance of microbial pathogens. This project aims to develop phylogenetic approaches to harness the potential evolution of bacterial and virus pathogens data and to improve early detection of infectious outbreaks. Genome surveillance programs consist in routine sequencing of particular organisms to track their evolution over time. Such programs currently exist for important bacterial and virus pathogens. This project expects to develop computational methods t ....Phylogenetic methods for genome surveillance of microbial pathogens. This project aims to develop phylogenetic approaches to harness the potential evolution of bacterial and virus pathogens data and to improve early detection of infectious outbreaks. Genome surveillance programs consist in routine sequencing of particular organisms to track their evolution over time. Such programs currently exist for important bacterial and virus pathogens. This project expects to develop computational methods to improve our understanding of pathogen outbreak emergence and infectious spread using genome data. This project will expand our knowledge base and research capability in the evolution and epidemiology of infectious agents, and aid in the prevention and control strategies of infectious disease benefiting the research priorities of food and health.Read moreRead less
Evolution of defensive and predatory venom in cone snails. This project aims to determine the molecular and cellular origins and mechanisms regulating venom production and release to establish how defensive venoms evolved in cone snails. Cone snails possess a remarkable ability to rapidly and reversibly switch between separate venoms in response to predatory or defensive stimuli, implying that these are separately evolved and regulated mechanisms. The investigators hypothesise that defensive ven ....Evolution of defensive and predatory venom in cone snails. This project aims to determine the molecular and cellular origins and mechanisms regulating venom production and release to establish how defensive venoms evolved in cone snails. Cone snails possess a remarkable ability to rapidly and reversibly switch between separate venoms in response to predatory or defensive stimuli, implying that these are separately evolved and regulated mechanisms. The investigators hypothesise that defensive venoms, originally evolved in the proximal venom duct to protect against threats such as cephalopod and fish predation, have been repurposed in the proximal duct to allow predators to become prey, facilitating the switch from worm to mollusc and fish hunting. The project aims to show the broad implications for the evolution of venoms in animals and discover the regulatory mechanisms driving venom peptide expression.Read moreRead less
Nowcasting outbreaks leveraging genomic and epidemiological data. This project aims to inform outbreak response planning by developing new models of infectious disease outbreaks. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the processes driving ongoing outbreaks including those of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and African swine fever by integrating the latest advances in Bayesian outbreak inference alongside unique simulation approaches. Expected outcomes should include a shift in how mo ....Nowcasting outbreaks leveraging genomic and epidemiological data. This project aims to inform outbreak response planning by developing new models of infectious disease outbreaks. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the processes driving ongoing outbreaks including those of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and African swine fever by integrating the latest advances in Bayesian outbreak inference alongside unique simulation approaches. Expected outcomes should include a shift in how models are developed and used to inform the response to outbreaks as they unfold. This should enable more rapid outbreak containment in Australia and overseas, leading to reduced impacts on public and animal health, and associated industries.Read moreRead less
Environmentally Induced Non-genetic Effects on Ageing and Fitness over Multi-generations and the Evolution of Life-history Trade-offs. This project will study trade-offs among growth, lifespan and fecundity, and test the following three predictions by employing a short-lived fish model and cutting-edge statistical and computational modelling. First, different dietary conditions not only affect the fitness of the organism, but also that of subsequent generations. Second, different nutritional eff ....Environmentally Induced Non-genetic Effects on Ageing and Fitness over Multi-generations and the Evolution of Life-history Trade-offs. This project will study trade-offs among growth, lifespan and fecundity, and test the following three predictions by employing a short-lived fish model and cutting-edge statistical and computational modelling. First, different dietary conditions not only affect the fitness of the organism, but also that of subsequent generations. Second, different nutritional effects and transgenerational effects on fitness-related traits are underpinned by epigenetic (or non-genetic) modifications. Third, such epigenetic modifications and their inheritance influence the evolution of life-history trade-offs. This project will link the emerging field of epigenetics with evolutionary theory, and reveal mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Read moreRead less
Alternative life-history strategies in the evolution of colour polymorphism. Theoreticians have long recognised the value of colour polymorphic systems for providing a window into the evolution of genetic diversity, adaptations and even speciation. However, few species display appropriate discrete polymorphisms, and as such, there is little empirical evidence to support these ideas. Using a series of innovative experiments and a unique bird displaying three discrete head colours, I will test the ....Alternative life-history strategies in the evolution of colour polymorphism. Theoreticians have long recognised the value of colour polymorphic systems for providing a window into the evolution of genetic diversity, adaptations and even speciation. However, few species display appropriate discrete polymorphisms, and as such, there is little empirical evidence to support these ideas. Using a series of innovative experiments and a unique bird displaying three discrete head colours, I will test these theories, producing results which will have a major international impact. Understanding the interaction of environmental and genetic diversity in the highly endangered Gouldian finch also offers an opportunity to provide insight into how declining wild populations can be effectively managed.Read moreRead less