Development of molecular markers for resistance to blackleg disease (Leptosphaeria maculans) in canola. Canola (Brassica napus) is a valuable oil seed crop grown in many parts of the world and contributes annually $A450 million to the Australian economy. The overall aim of this project is to develop molecular markers for blackleg resistance using Australian germplasm along with evaluation in Australian disease nurseries which are regarded worlwide to develop the highest levels of disease pressu ....Development of molecular markers for resistance to blackleg disease (Leptosphaeria maculans) in canola. Canola (Brassica napus) is a valuable oil seed crop grown in many parts of the world and contributes annually $A450 million to the Australian economy. The overall aim of this project is to develop molecular markers for blackleg resistance using Australian germplasm along with evaluation in Australian disease nurseries which are regarded worlwide to develop the highest levels of disease pressure. Once molecular marker systems are developed and evaluated, they will be applied to facilitate the selection of Nugrain's (Industry Partner) canola breeding programs. Any molecular markers and QTL developed for Australian cultivars would find commercial application in breeding programmes.Read moreRead less
Discovery of Novel Respiratory Viruses Causing Influenza-Like Illness in Healthy Australian Adults Aged 18 to 64 Years. This work will inform our understanding of the causes of acute respiratory illnesses in Australia at the present time by looking for both known and previously undiscovered respiratory viruses. Increasing the knowledge base regarding causes of disease will have downstream relevance for health policy planners seeking to assess the burden of disease due to different causes. Early ....Discovery of Novel Respiratory Viruses Causing Influenza-Like Illness in Healthy Australian Adults Aged 18 to 64 Years. This work will inform our understanding of the causes of acute respiratory illnesses in Australia at the present time by looking for both known and previously undiscovered respiratory viruses. Increasing the knowledge base regarding causes of disease will have downstream relevance for health policy planners seeking to assess the burden of disease due to different causes. Early identification and description of new diseases will allow pre-emptive evaluation of new public health threats. This information will help to ensure availability and marketability of vaccines to prevent infection.Read moreRead less
Identification of genes controlling wood fibre properties in Eucalyptus nitens. Australian forestry is shifting to high intensity eucalypt plantations and increasingly focussing on development of breeds and clones with superior wood and pulp traits. Many of these traits are under moderate to strong genetic control and DNA markers have helped identify regions on eucalypt chromosomes that influence these traits. This project aims to identify the genes at these chromosomal locations that influence ....Identification of genes controlling wood fibre properties in Eucalyptus nitens. Australian forestry is shifting to high intensity eucalypt plantations and increasingly focussing on development of breeds and clones with superior wood and pulp traits. Many of these traits are under moderate to strong genetic control and DNA markers have helped identify regions on eucalypt chromosomes that influence these traits. This project aims to identify the genes at these chromosomal locations that influence wood fibre development and which have a strong influence on major commercial traits. The project will increase our understanding of wood and fibre development in eucalypts, and facilitate development of genetic markers to track superior genes during breeding.Read moreRead less
Rational lateral-bracing design for steel-framed domestic structures. For the 150,000 new Australian houses built annually to remain safe, despite expected increases in structural loading due to climate change, rational design approaches are desperately needed. This project will provide the industry with the necessary tools to develop optimised and innovative solutions to brace houses for extreme events and yet maintain affordability.
A high speed, high fidelity 3D printer for fabricating microfluidic devices. This project aims to develop a novel 3D printer offering the highest resolution available and fastest printing speed for the single-step manufacturing of complex microfluidic devices. New resins developed to exploit the inert liquid interface layer printing approach will provide unprecedented capability to create micron sized channels interconnected in 3D space and fabricate Lab-on-a-Chip systems that cannot be generate ....A high speed, high fidelity 3D printer for fabricating microfluidic devices. This project aims to develop a novel 3D printer offering the highest resolution available and fastest printing speed for the single-step manufacturing of complex microfluidic devices. New resins developed to exploit the inert liquid interface layer printing approach will provide unprecedented capability to create micron sized channels interconnected in 3D space and fabricate Lab-on-a-Chip systems that cannot be generated by any current fabrication approach. This novel high speed, high fidelity 3D printer and the new resins to be developed are expected to lead to more effective manufacturing approaches for portable chemical devices and to promote complex chemical analysis into the knowledge immediacy culture of today.Read moreRead less
Genetic association studies of fundamental wood fibre components in Pinus radiata resource populations. Radiata pine is Australia's premiere softwood plantation species occupying in excess of one million hectares, contributing over $18 billion to Australia's GNP and providing employment to 130,000 Australians. With a trade deficit in forest and forest products of $1.85 billion, current massive plantation establishment efforts are in train to reverse this trend. These have to be backed by researc ....Genetic association studies of fundamental wood fibre components in Pinus radiata resource populations. Radiata pine is Australia's premiere softwood plantation species occupying in excess of one million hectares, contributing over $18 billion to Australia's GNP and providing employment to 130,000 Australians. With a trade deficit in forest and forest products of $1.85 billion, current massive plantation establishment efforts are in train to reverse this trend. These have to be backed by research into the factors that determine the base resource's quality, growth and sustainability. Results will lead to improved resource quality, increased productivity and new industrial opportunities, directly improving our trade position and releasing pressure on our native forest resources.Read moreRead less
Novel Self Assembled Particle Systems as a Key to Next Generation Biosensor Technology. Development and commercialisation of products utilising nanotechnology is crucial to future wealth creation for Australia. The translational research in this proposal will progress innovative concepts in nanotechnology-based biosensors, with potential for substantial improvements in disease diagnosis, leading to more economical and timely therapy. The products that arise from this research will also provide f ....Novel Self Assembled Particle Systems as a Key to Next Generation Biosensor Technology. Development and commercialisation of products utilising nanotechnology is crucial to future wealth creation for Australia. The translational research in this proposal will progress innovative concepts in nanotechnology-based biosensors, with potential for substantial improvements in disease diagnosis, leading to more economical and timely therapy. The products that arise from this research will also provide further employment for Australians, building on Universal Biosensor’s proven record of commercialization in Australia. The project will lead to training of Australian researchers in nanotechnology and in utilization of key Australian science infrastructure including the Australian Synchrotron and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and selection of phytocompound and physical seed quality characters of chickpea (Cicer arietinum). To develop and expand both value and volume of the Australian market share for chickpea. Retention and expansion of existing markets will occur through improved seed physical traits such as size, colour and processing efficiency, whilst creation of new markets will be achieved through enhancing novel traits such as the level of phytocompounds. In collaboration with Victoria's Dep ....Characterisation and selection of phytocompound and physical seed quality characters of chickpea (Cicer arietinum). To develop and expand both value and volume of the Australian market share for chickpea. Retention and expansion of existing markets will occur through improved seed physical traits such as size, colour and processing efficiency, whilst creation of new markets will be achieved through enhancing novel traits such as the level of phytocompounds. In collaboration with Victoria's Department of Primary Industry staff, genes governing chickpea quality traits will be characterised through applying novel combinations of selection and analytical methods. A multidsciplinary team of plant breeders, grains chemists and molecular biologists will advance chickpea breeding in Australia by applying cutting-edge technologies.Read moreRead less
Development of an ultrasensitive assay for human prion proteins. The aim of this work is to enable the detection of prion proteins in human blood and other tissues. The assay system to be developed will detect much lower levels of these disease-causing proteins than is possible at present; it will be more rapid and will measure prion protein levels more accurately than existing assays. The outcome of the work is expected to facilitate the production and certification of prion-free blood and bl ....Development of an ultrasensitive assay for human prion proteins. The aim of this work is to enable the detection of prion proteins in human blood and other tissues. The assay system to be developed will detect much lower levels of these disease-causing proteins than is possible at present; it will be more rapid and will measure prion protein levels more accurately than existing assays. The outcome of the work is expected to facilitate the production and certification of prion-free blood and blood products. Prions cause Bovine Spongiform Encaphalopathy and Creutzfeld Jacob Disease and attempts to control of these diseases would be greatly abetted by an optimal test for the disease-causing agent.Read moreRead less
Artificial intelligence to explore and combat eukaryotic pathogens. The revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) provides unprecedented opportunities for integrative analyses of complex multi-omics data sets and for creating radically new strategies to control some of the world’s most serious animal diseases. In a strong partnership with international experts, we will use AI-based methods to make major conceptual advances in our understanding of eukaryotic pathogens and host-pathogen interacti ....Artificial intelligence to explore and combat eukaryotic pathogens. The revolution in artificial intelligence (AI) provides unprecedented opportunities for integrative analyses of complex multi-omics data sets and for creating radically new strategies to control some of the world’s most serious animal diseases. In a strong partnership with international experts, we will use AI-based methods to make major conceptual advances in our understanding of eukaryotic pathogens and host-pathogen interactions, discover the "choke-points" in biological pathways, and develop novel treatments, vaccines and diagnostics. This leap forward will substantially enhance the global profile of pathogen research in Australia, build major capacity in a priority area, and enable access to international research funding and networks.Read moreRead less