Efficient phylogenetic methods that manage the curse of genomic complexity. This project aims to develop new methods and software to infer the evolutionary history of organisms using genomic data. These new phylogenomic methods need to take account of the complexity of evolutionary processes and/or patterns in time (along the evolutionary tree) and space (along the genome). This project is significant because these methods must merge mathematics and statistics with High-Performance Computing to ....Efficient phylogenetic methods that manage the curse of genomic complexity. This project aims to develop new methods and software to infer the evolutionary history of organisms using genomic data. These new phylogenomic methods need to take account of the complexity of evolutionary processes and/or patterns in time (along the evolutionary tree) and space (along the genome). This project is significant because these methods must merge mathematics and statistics with High-Performance Computing to handle the huge quantities of genetic data and the complexity of evolution itself. An important expected outcome of this project will be the development and release of freely-available software that incorporates these new methods. This project expects to benefit scientists who need to infer phylogenies from genomic data. Read moreRead less
New phylogenetic approaches for understanding evolution at the genome scale. This project aims to use genome data to improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, including the forces that shape evolution on a whole-genome scale. The project plans to create a curated database of genome sequences and a comprehensive framework for evolutionary analyses of genomes. The new approach is designed to be used to analyse patterns of evolutionary rate variation to identify the key features of gen ....New phylogenetic approaches for understanding evolution at the genome scale. This project aims to use genome data to improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, including the forces that shape evolution on a whole-genome scale. The project plans to create a curated database of genome sequences and a comprehensive framework for evolutionary analyses of genomes. The new approach is designed to be used to analyse patterns of evolutionary rate variation to identify the key features of genome evolution. In addition, the development of a genome-scale approach to molecular dating will improve estimates of the timescale of the Tree of Life. This project is expected to yield useful insights into molecular evolution and to provide a valuable guide for future evolutionary analyses of genomes.Read moreRead less
Predictability in evolution: From behaviour to genome. This project aims to determine whether evolution is primarily unpredictable and stochastic, or predictable and constrained along certain pathways. By using a natural experiment that caused wood-feeding cockroaches to evolve into soil-burrowing cockroaches in response to climate change millions of years ago, this project will determine how the genomes of these organisms responded. This will show whether the same molecular changes are repeated ....Predictability in evolution: From behaviour to genome. This project aims to determine whether evolution is primarily unpredictable and stochastic, or predictable and constrained along certain pathways. By using a natural experiment that caused wood-feeding cockroaches to evolve into soil-burrowing cockroaches in response to climate change millions of years ago, this project will determine how the genomes of these organisms responded. This will show whether the same molecular changes are repeatedly used in the evolution of complex traits, including burrow construction. This will contribute to the understanding of how predictable evolution is at the molecular level, and provide insights into how genomes change in response to prolonged climate change.Read moreRead less
Testing links between genomic and morphological evolutionary rates. This project aims to identify, understand, and characterise patterns of evolutionary rates across different levels of biological variation. The project expects to generate knowledge about the tempo and mode of evolution by using a phylogenetic approach to test fundamental models of evolutionary rates, including the link between rates of genomic and morphological evolution. Expected outcomes of this project include detailed insig ....Testing links between genomic and morphological evolutionary rates. This project aims to identify, understand, and characterise patterns of evolutionary rates across different levels of biological variation. The project expects to generate knowledge about the tempo and mode of evolution by using a phylogenetic approach to test fundamental models of evolutionary rates, including the link between rates of genomic and morphological evolution. Expected outcomes of this project include detailed insights into the tempo and mode of macroevolution, better modelling of genomic and phenotypic evolution, and improved design of studies in evolutionary genomics. Benefits of the project include greater understanding of the evolutionary processes that have generated the diversity of the Australian biota.Read moreRead less
Dynamic evolution of mutation rates: causes and impacts on genomic analysis. This project aims to illuminate the role of variation in mutation rate in driving evolutionary change. Mutation rate is a core parameter in evolutionary analyses in essential applications including epidemiology, conservation and medicine, yet remains a “black box” given arbitrary universal values. This project will take a whole-of-biodiversity approach to understanding the forces shaping mutation rate, impact on evoluti ....Dynamic evolution of mutation rates: causes and impacts on genomic analysis. This project aims to illuminate the role of variation in mutation rate in driving evolutionary change. Mutation rate is a core parameter in evolutionary analyses in essential applications including epidemiology, conservation and medicine, yet remains a “black box” given arbitrary universal values. This project will take a whole-of-biodiversity approach to understanding the forces shaping mutation rate, impact on evolution of biodiversity and effect on accuracy and precision of phylogenetic analyses. Using Australian case studies, the expected outcome of this project will be a greater understanding variation in mutation rate between species, providing significant benefits in developing more sophisticated and reliable phylogenetic analyses.Read moreRead less
Directed evolution of ancestral bacterial flagellar motors. This project aims to produce new knowledge concerning the adaptation of bacterial species to wide environmental changes. The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is a motor 40 nanometers in diameter that builds itself into bacterial membranes, rotates five times faster than a Formula One engine, and switches directions in milliseconds. . This project will combine ancestral reconstruction of ancient motor components with protein engineering t ....Directed evolution of ancestral bacterial flagellar motors. This project aims to produce new knowledge concerning the adaptation of bacterial species to wide environmental changes. The bacterial flagellar motor (BFM) is a motor 40 nanometers in diameter that builds itself into bacterial membranes, rotates five times faster than a Formula One engine, and switches directions in milliseconds. . This project will combine ancestral reconstruction of ancient motor components with protein engineering to understand how the different ion channels that power the BFM in different species are selective for different positive ions. It will inspire and inform future manufacturing in bionanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of colour production and the evolution of animal signals. This project aims to reveal how diverse colours are produced in reptiles and the information these colours convey about individual health, condition and performance. The project evaluates how stress affects both pigment deposition and the nano-structure of cells and tissues, which together produce colour. By comparing similar colours generated by two entirely different classes of pigment (carotenoids and pteridines), this proje ....Mechanisms of colour production and the evolution of animal signals. This project aims to reveal how diverse colours are produced in reptiles and the information these colours convey about individual health, condition and performance. The project evaluates how stress affects both pigment deposition and the nano-structure of cells and tissues, which together produce colour. By comparing similar colours generated by two entirely different classes of pigment (carotenoids and pteridines), this project will provide new insights into the evolution of animal coloration, and will significantly enhance our understanding of pteridines, one of the most prevalent but least understood classes of pigment in vertebrates.Read moreRead less
Estimating evolutionary time-scales using genomic sequence data: exploiting opportunities and meeting challenges. Genomic data are being produced at a phenomenal rate, enabling detailed investigations of various biological questions. This project will exploit the new opportunities for improving the estimation of evolutionary time-scales, and develop methods and software to address the new challenges that have surfaced.
Explaining virus diversity. To prevent virus pandemics, it is necessary to understand how viruses evolve. This project aims to reveal the long-term trends, processes and drivers of RNA virus diversity and evolution. Through the metagenomic sequencing of the viromes of Australian animals that mark evolutionary innovations and transitions this project will reshape our knowledge of virus evolution and disease emergence. Expected outcomes will be a new understanding of how virus diversity is created ....Explaining virus diversity. To prevent virus pandemics, it is necessary to understand how viruses evolve. This project aims to reveal the long-term trends, processes and drivers of RNA virus diversity and evolution. Through the metagenomic sequencing of the viromes of Australian animals that mark evolutionary innovations and transitions this project will reshape our knowledge of virus evolution and disease emergence. Expected outcomes will be a new understanding of how virus diversity is created, how virus phenotypes have changed through time, how often viruses jump to new host species, and how major events in animal evolution have shaped virus diversity. Key benefits include new measures of the viral burden faced by Australia’s native animals and of ecosystem health.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100014
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$432,469.00
Summary
Comparative genomics to improve conservation planning in Australian deserts. This project aims to locate hotspots of diversity in Australia’s vast, flat deserts and to quantify how well these areas are captured under the National Reserve System. I will establish a network of international and national collaborators and improve knowledge on how animals responded to past environmental change. The anticipated outcome of this project is to improve our ability to understand, measure and preserve our ....Comparative genomics to improve conservation planning in Australian deserts. This project aims to locate hotspots of diversity in Australia’s vast, flat deserts and to quantify how well these areas are captured under the National Reserve System. I will establish a network of international and national collaborators and improve knowledge on how animals responded to past environmental change. The anticipated outcome of this project is to improve our ability to understand, measure and preserve our unique desert biodiversity and the evolutionary processes that sustain it, using our remarkably diverse reptile fauna as a model system. In the face of current, rapid environmental change, this has never been more important, and will provide a tool for biodiversity survival.Read moreRead less