Novel laser isotopic techniques to assess the potential for water-use efficiency improvement of Australian crops. This project aims to develop new methods to reduce the water used by grain crops while maintaining productivity by advancing knowledge of the regulation plant carbon gain and water loss. Novel laser-lased measurement systems developed and applied in this project will provide new mechanistic understanding of plant carbon-water dynamics for individual leaves and at the whole crop scal ....Novel laser isotopic techniques to assess the potential for water-use efficiency improvement of Australian crops. This project aims to develop new methods to reduce the water used by grain crops while maintaining productivity by advancing knowledge of the regulation plant carbon gain and water loss. Novel laser-lased measurement systems developed and applied in this project will provide new mechanistic understanding of plant carbon-water dynamics for individual leaves and at the whole crop scale. Water availability is the most pressing environmental issue facing the Australian grain industry, so improvements in the efficiency with which water is used will have profound economic and environmental effects.Read moreRead less
Carbon flux and its regulation in metabolic networks. Allocation of photo-assimilates throughout metabolic networks are central to a plants ability to cope with changes in its environment. This project will combine the use of quantitative molecular, chemical and imaging techniques to characterise the flux of resources and its regulation through metabolic networks of Australian native and crop plants.
Remodelling encapsulin nanocages to help enhance plant carbon fixation. Nature has evolved mechanisms in microbial systems to improve photosynthetic efficiency by saturating the enzyme Rubisco with carbon dioxide. These carbon concentrating mechanisms are genetically complex, precluding successful introduction into crops. Our simpler approach is to use encapsulins, a new source of robust bacterial pore-containing nanocages made from a single gene. This project will optimise the development of sy ....Remodelling encapsulin nanocages to help enhance plant carbon fixation. Nature has evolved mechanisms in microbial systems to improve photosynthetic efficiency by saturating the enzyme Rubisco with carbon dioxide. These carbon concentrating mechanisms are genetically complex, precluding successful introduction into crops. Our simpler approach is to use encapsulins, a new source of robust bacterial pore-containing nanocages made from a single gene. This project will optimise the development of synthetic encapsulin-Rubisco carbon-fixing nanoreactors and transform them into leaf chloroplasts to test their impact on plant photosynthesis and growth. Our genetically simpler solution will aid ongoing global efforts to deliver overdue step change improvements in agricultural productivity.Read moreRead less
Transport systems that underpin nitrogen efficient maize. This project aims to define the nitrogen transport network involved in the uptake, storage and redistribution of inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) over the developmental life cycle of maize. This information will provide novel insight into the genetic control of nitrogen use in maize and other cereal crops.
Are plants wasting water in the dark? This project aims to measure stomatal conductance to water vapour in the dark in economically important species to understand how conductance is regulated in the dark, and its adaptive significance. Leaves of most plants continue to lose water in the dark because stomata remain open. No photosynthetic carbon fixation can occur in the dark so water-use efficiency is reduced, and this reduction influences crop yield, forest growth, catchment water yield and c ....Are plants wasting water in the dark? This project aims to measure stomatal conductance to water vapour in the dark in economically important species to understand how conductance is regulated in the dark, and its adaptive significance. Leaves of most plants continue to lose water in the dark because stomata remain open. No photosynthetic carbon fixation can occur in the dark so water-use efficiency is reduced, and this reduction influences crop yield, forest growth, catchment water yield and climate feedback. Existing mechanistic models of stomatal conductance will be extended to include responses in the dark, and aim to be used to predict the reduction in potential daytime water loss (which is coupled to carbon gain) due to nocturnal stomatal conductance for crops and forests.Read moreRead less
Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC is ....Boosting C4 photosynthesis to climate proof crop yields. Building next generation C4 crops, such as maize, sugarcane and sorghum, to cope with drought and heat stress is requisite to ensure the supply of food and fodder. Here we will increase the content and / or catalytic efficiency of the primary carboxylase of C4 photosynthesis (PEPC) that supplies CO2 to the carbon concentrating mechanism and ensures high photosynthetic rates. We will develop new SynBio tools to create and test novel PEPC isoforms with desirable properties. Ultimately, the project aims to identify isoforms that improve plant fitness under stress conditions. Optimising PEPC activity will provide next generation solutions to improve water balance and carbon assimilation to keep C4 crops productive under future climates.Read moreRead less
Leaves in 3D: photosynthesis and water-use efficiency. This project aims to develop leaf anatomical ideotypes with improved photosynthesis and water-use efficiency for wheat, rice, chickpea and cotton using novel three dimensional imaging and modelling techniques. This project expects to generate new understanding of the role of leaf anatomy on leaf function. Expected outcomes of this project include the world's first 3D spatially-explicit, anatomically accurate model of leaves of crop plants to ....Leaves in 3D: photosynthesis and water-use efficiency. This project aims to develop leaf anatomical ideotypes with improved photosynthesis and water-use efficiency for wheat, rice, chickpea and cotton using novel three dimensional imaging and modelling techniques. This project expects to generate new understanding of the role of leaf anatomy on leaf function. Expected outcomes of this project include the world's first 3D spatially-explicit, anatomically accurate model of leaves of crop plants to allow virtual experiments identifying optimized anatomy for improved photosynthetic performance. Benefits to the agricultural industry include increased crop productivity and water-use efficiency to meet future global food demand and to make the most of Australia's limited water resourcesRead moreRead less
Is transport of miRNAs essential for plant development? This project will provide knowledge of how a new class of biologically active molecule (micro RNA) regulates expression of genes at sites in the plant that are critical for growth and development. MicroRNAs are believed to influence the size and shape of plants, how rapidly they grow and how well they produce and fill seeds. These molecules are part of a group of bioactive signals that move throughout the plant, functioning like hormones bu ....Is transport of miRNAs essential for plant development? This project will provide knowledge of how a new class of biologically active molecule (micro RNA) regulates expression of genes at sites in the plant that are critical for growth and development. MicroRNAs are believed to influence the size and shape of plants, how rapidly they grow and how well they produce and fill seeds. These molecules are part of a group of bioactive signals that move throughout the plant, functioning like hormones but directly influencing how well critical genes work. Their exploitation holds great promise for manipulating plant performance and enhancing crop yields. Read moreRead less
Metabolite pools and their implications for plant responses to global change. Australian landscape management faces significant challenges from existing land practices and the effects of climate change. Effective management and targeted remediation requires an understanding of the processes that drive ecosystem function. The development of broadly applicable tools for the monitoring of plant and ecosystem health is therefore of considerable interest. Flexibility in core processes of plant functi ....Metabolite pools and their implications for plant responses to global change. Australian landscape management faces significant challenges from existing land practices and the effects of climate change. Effective management and targeted remediation requires an understanding of the processes that drive ecosystem function. The development of broadly applicable tools for the monitoring of plant and ecosystem health is therefore of considerable interest. Flexibility in core processes of plant function represents a significant opportunity to develop such tools. With a focus on plant metabolites, this project will characterise how Australian trees alter the allocation of resources to cope with environmental changes and produce metabolite-based selective traits for stress tolerance in Australian trees. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989105
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$495,000.00
Summary
An Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility for Applications in Proteomics and Organic Chemistry. Biomolecular research and research training, in which proteomics is core, has become a critical component of post-industrial development in the Hunter region. Development of a cutting edge proteomics facility will benefit a research community comprising over 50 researchers and 150 undergraduate students significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national i ....An Advanced Mass Spectrometry Facility for Applications in Proteomics and Organic Chemistry. Biomolecular research and research training, in which proteomics is core, has become a critical component of post-industrial development in the Hunter region. Development of a cutting edge proteomics facility will benefit a research community comprising over 50 researchers and 150 undergraduate students significantly enhancing their research productivity and translation of outcomes in areas of national importance. These include understanding the impact of the environment on plant and animal development, pest animal control, development of new biotechnology tools, new drugs and new methods for the detection of narcotics and explosives.Read moreRead less