Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100015
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Purchase of an ultra-performance liquid chromatograph - triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The diverse research supported by the proposed instrument group addresses several national research priorities. It will lead to a better fundamental understanding of the hormonal control of plant growth, improved catalysts for organic synthesis including pharmaceuticals and improved food safety. In forestry it will help to increase forest productivity through mitigating losses from insect and mamm ....Purchase of an ultra-performance liquid chromatograph - triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The diverse research supported by the proposed instrument group addresses several national research priorities. It will lead to a better fundamental understanding of the hormonal control of plant growth, improved catalysts for organic synthesis including pharmaceuticals and improved food safety. In forestry it will help to increase forest productivity through mitigating losses from insect and mammalian pests and enhancing wood quality. In pharmaceutics, improved treatments for asthma are expected. This facility will provide the infrastructure essential for many researchers to maintain internationally competitive profiles in their areas and continue to offer postgraduate training and postdoctoral opportunities.Read moreRead less
Understanding plant uptake of organic and inorganic nitrogen for optimal fertiliser application in forestry. Nitrogen (N) in soils occurs in both organic and inorganic forms. Plants can take up inorganic N - nitrate and ammonium - but, on average, these account for only 5% of the soluble N in soils. Recent evidence suggests that plants may be able to tap into some of the 95% of N that occurs in organic forms. We will investigate the importance of organic N uptake for two plantation Eucalyptus sp ....Understanding plant uptake of organic and inorganic nitrogen for optimal fertiliser application in forestry. Nitrogen (N) in soils occurs in both organic and inorganic forms. Plants can take up inorganic N - nitrate and ammonium - but, on average, these account for only 5% of the soluble N in soils. Recent evidence suggests that plants may be able to tap into some of the 95% of N that occurs in organic forms. We will investigate the importance of organic N uptake for two plantation Eucalyptus species by tracing the uptake of different N forms by bacteria, fungi and eucalypts. This information will redefine what is meant by 'available N' and will guide the development of a new test for soil N status.Read moreRead less
Investigating a novel signalling pathway for crop improvement. This project will dissect a newly identified signalling pathway in plants that regulates plant water use and carbon gain. It will deploy multiple techniques, including novel biosensors, to understand the links between the metabolism of plants and their environmental responses. The project will build partnerships with scientists at leading international institutions for enhanced outcomes, including access to specialised equipment and ....Investigating a novel signalling pathway for crop improvement. This project will dissect a newly identified signalling pathway in plants that regulates plant water use and carbon gain. It will deploy multiple techniques, including novel biosensors, to understand the links between the metabolism of plants and their environmental responses. The project will build partnerships with scientists at leading international institutions for enhanced outcomes, including access to specialised equipment and upskilling of our scientists. The generation of barley with the latest gene editing techniques aims to produce a non-GM crop with the potential for enhanced root C sequestration, lower water use and improved yield, three key goals for agricultural sustainability in the face of a drying Australian climate.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100908
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,815.00
Summary
Maximising the beneficial impacts of mycorrhizal fungi on grain nutrition. This project aims to determine the effects of beneficial soil fungi on wheat and rice grain quality for human nutrition using an innovative combination of physiological, molecular and agronomic techniques. The project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in sustainable agriculture, to improve grain quality and value. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying improve ....Maximising the beneficial impacts of mycorrhizal fungi on grain nutrition. This project aims to determine the effects of beneficial soil fungi on wheat and rice grain quality for human nutrition using an innovative combination of physiological, molecular and agronomic techniques. The project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in sustainable agriculture, to improve grain quality and value. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying improved grain quality, and the capacity to use soil fungi to increase grain micronutrient concentrations and bioavailability. This should provide significant environmental and societal benefits, such as promotion of the sustainable use of agricultural soils and more nutritious grain products for human consumption.Read moreRead less
Use of mitochondrial electron transport chain mutants to evaluate how non-phosphorylating respiration influences plant metabolite profiles and stress tolerance. This project uses transgenic plant technology to elucidate how mitochondrial function impacts on the profile of metabolites in plant cell and tissues and whether altering these profiles influences a plant's ability tog row in harsh conditions. It will contribute to our fundamental knowledge of plant metabolism using a metabolomic anaylsi ....Use of mitochondrial electron transport chain mutants to evaluate how non-phosphorylating respiration influences plant metabolite profiles and stress tolerance. This project uses transgenic plant technology to elucidate how mitochondrial function impacts on the profile of metabolites in plant cell and tissues and whether altering these profiles influences a plant's ability tog row in harsh conditions. It will contribute to our fundamental knowledge of plant metabolism using a metabolomic anaylsis of plant stress response. This will be achieved using new high-throughput technologies, allowing reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis of large numbers of samples. This approach will compliment existing genomic and proteomic analyses of plants exposed to abiotic stress.Read moreRead less
Guanylate cyclases - an expanding family critical in plant growth and development. The enzyme guanylate cyclase (GC) forms an important signalling molecule. We have identified unique GC molecules from higher plants. We shall use strategic basic research to determine the biological importance of these novel molecules in plant growth and development. We have formed an international team to achieve these goals and also to develop strong scientific links between Australia and other countries such as ....Guanylate cyclases - an expanding family critical in plant growth and development. The enzyme guanylate cyclase (GC) forms an important signalling molecule. We have identified unique GC molecules from higher plants. We shall use strategic basic research to determine the biological importance of these novel molecules in plant growth and development. We have formed an international team to achieve these goals and also to develop strong scientific links between Australia and other countries such as South Africa. The outcomes will provide new insight into the biological function of the novel GCs. Consequently, the new knowledge is critical to the development of novel biotechnological approaches to benefit sustainable agriculture in Australia.Read moreRead less
Using the fractionation of hydrogen and carbon isotopes to analyse the mechanisms of the primary processes of photosynthesis. The primary processes of CO2 fixation and reduction in photosynthesis leave their signatures in the isotopic composition of organic matter. Although these signatures are used widely in geochemistry, biology and climatology to infer the dynamics and history of the biosphere, the information they provide about the mechanisms of the processes that produce them has not been e ....Using the fractionation of hydrogen and carbon isotopes to analyse the mechanisms of the primary processes of photosynthesis. The primary processes of CO2 fixation and reduction in photosynthesis leave their signatures in the isotopic composition of organic matter. Although these signatures are used widely in geochemistry, biology and climatology to infer the dynamics and history of the biosphere, the information they provide about the mechanisms of the processes that produce them has not been exploited fully. We propose to map the underlying biochemistry responsible for fractionation of hydrogen isotopes, to assess its ability to indicate the water relations of plants, and to use carbon-isotope discrimination to probe the catalytic chemistry of the CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco.Read moreRead less
Australian rushes: unearthing the function of root clusters and sand-binding roots. Unearthing the functioning of highly specialised root structures provides fundamental insights into the role of native rush plants in south-western Australian ecosystems and addresses a major issue with Australia's biodiversity, currently a Priority area for the ARC. Native rushes form a prominent but inconspicuous component of the Australian 'grass-like' flora, accounting for more than half the plant biomass on ....Australian rushes: unearthing the function of root clusters and sand-binding roots. Unearthing the functioning of highly specialised root structures provides fundamental insights into the role of native rush plants in south-western Australian ecosystems and addresses a major issue with Australia's biodiversity, currently a Priority area for the ARC. Native rushes form a prominent but inconspicuous component of the Australian 'grass-like' flora, accounting for more than half the plant biomass on some landscapes. Rushes are also highly sensitive to small increments in nutrients in disturbed environments and thus form a management priority relating to their use in rehabilitation of degraded landscapes, such as mine sites and wetland margins. Read moreRead less
Molecular adaptation of photosynthesis powered by long-wavelength light. Some photosynthetic organisms have a remarkable ability to accumulate long-wavelength absorbing photopigments, such as chlorophyll f, in response to the changed light and nutrient environments. The project aims to demonstrate that the structure and function of undefined chlorophyll f-binding proteins can be changed and controlled in desired light and nutrient conditions. The optimised photosynthesis strengthens their adapta ....Molecular adaptation of photosynthesis powered by long-wavelength light. Some photosynthetic organisms have a remarkable ability to accumulate long-wavelength absorbing photopigments, such as chlorophyll f, in response to the changed light and nutrient environments. The project aims to demonstrate that the structure and function of undefined chlorophyll f-binding proteins can be changed and controlled in desired light and nutrient conditions. The optimised photosynthesis strengthens their adaptation capability and challenges the long wavelength limits of photosynthesis. The research outcome will provide tools and a molecular blueprint for the adaptation of photosynthesis with optimised energy transfer pathway and efficiency for potential future molecular applications. Read moreRead less
Alternative Oxidase to Optimise Plant Growth and Stress Tolerance. Biomass accumulation in plants is the balance of CO2 fixed into carbohydrates through photosynthesis and carbohydrate burned (respired), ~ 50% of fixed CO2, to fuel growth. Plants possess energy conserving and non-conserving respiratory pathways. The alternative energy non-conserving pathway appears wasteful but is necessary for plant tolerance to adverse growth conditions. Our research has achieved modification of the alternativ ....Alternative Oxidase to Optimise Plant Growth and Stress Tolerance. Biomass accumulation in plants is the balance of CO2 fixed into carbohydrates through photosynthesis and carbohydrate burned (respired), ~ 50% of fixed CO2, to fuel growth. Plants possess energy conserving and non-conserving respiratory pathways. The alternative energy non-conserving pathway appears wasteful but is necessary for plant tolerance to adverse growth conditions. Our research has achieved modification of the alternative respiratory pathway that positively impacts plant growth. We will dissect the mechanism(s) of how the alternative respiratory pathway stimulates growth, from a molecular level to whole plant physiology, answering a long-standing question of the role of the alternative respiratory pathway in plant cell biology.Read moreRead less