Understanding the evolution of the alternation of generations in the land plant life cycle. This project will investigate the genetic basis and evolution of the land plant life cycle, in which both haploid and diploid phases consist of complex multicellular bodies. The project's findings, which will be made using two model laboratory plants, will be applicable to all plants and will help understand important processes such as pollen and seed production.
Development of efficient CRISPR gene drives in mice. This project aims to generate new tools for vertebrate pest management through development of cutting-edge gene drive technology in mice. Vertebrate pests cost Australia over $1 billion each year in agricultural losses and environmental damage and novel strategies are required to tackle this challenge. Newly developed “gene drives”, which can rapidly spread through populations, have enormous potential for the sustained management and even erad ....Development of efficient CRISPR gene drives in mice. This project aims to generate new tools for vertebrate pest management through development of cutting-edge gene drive technology in mice. Vertebrate pests cost Australia over $1 billion each year in agricultural losses and environmental damage and novel strategies are required to tackle this challenge. Newly developed “gene drives”, which can rapidly spread through populations, have enormous potential for the sustained management and even eradication of pests. This project aims to develop gene drive technology in mice as a prototypical vertebrate pest species. The project will potentially deliver valuable tools that directly impact Australia’s Science and Research Priority on Food.Read moreRead less
Australian Heritage: constructing the first Aboriginal reference genome. This project aims to use DNA sequencing technologies to generate the first complete and accurate Aboriginal genomes, along with maps of genomic variation around Australia. It will combine a range of advanced analytical methods to integrate past and present indigenous genetic diversity from human populations around the world into a new pan-human reference genome. This project will lead to a step change in our understanding o ....Australian Heritage: constructing the first Aboriginal reference genome. This project aims to use DNA sequencing technologies to generate the first complete and accurate Aboriginal genomes, along with maps of genomic variation around Australia. It will combine a range of advanced analytical methods to integrate past and present indigenous genetic diversity from human populations around the world into a new pan-human reference genome. This project will lead to a step change in our understanding of global human genomic variants and provide a range of new targets relevant to medical biology, while significantly improving our knowledge of human genetic history and its consequences in the modern day.Read moreRead less
The genomic landscape of speciation in hominins and other taxa. This project will develop a new analytical framework to build detailed genomic maps of speciation genes across different taxa, to determine whether observed speciation is the result of background selection and demography alone, or whether there are actual barriers to gene flow and introgressed DNA. The model will provide novel insights into the mechanistic basis of speciation, specifically whether a common set of genes or pathways a ....The genomic landscape of speciation in hominins and other taxa. This project will develop a new analytical framework to build detailed genomic maps of speciation genes across different taxa, to determine whether observed speciation is the result of background selection and demography alone, or whether there are actual barriers to gene flow and introgressed DNA. The model will provide novel insights into the mechanistic basis of speciation, specifically whether a common set of genes or pathways are central to the speciation process. The framework will be developed using the large genomic datasets available across a range of plant and animal species. Applying the model to a modern human population dataset will elucidate the role introgressed DNA from Denisovan and Neanderthals has played in shaping human evolutionary history and may provide novel insights into the genetic basis of disease.Read moreRead less
Potential of gene drives to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii. This project aims to test the efficacy and evolutionary stability of different types of gene drives, and model whether gene drives can be used to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii into Australia. It is now possible to use genome editing technology to alter populations of organisms using ‘gene drives’. Multiple strategies have been conceived with a major distinction between those that aim to eliminate populations ver ....Potential of gene drives to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii. This project aims to test the efficacy and evolutionary stability of different types of gene drives, and model whether gene drives can be used to eliminate incursions of Drosophila suzukii into Australia. It is now possible to use genome editing technology to alter populations of organisms using ‘gene drives’. Multiple strategies have been conceived with a major distinction between those that aim to eliminate populations versus those that aim to modify populations. This project will examine these strategies in two fly species, the model, Drosophila melanogaster and the devastating pest of horticulture, Drosophila suzukii. The project expects to assess a gene drive strategy to control the invasive pest that threatens the Australian soft-skinned fruit industries.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100234
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Enhancement of South Australian high-performance computing facilities. These facilities will enable the efficient use of high-performance computing and will more than double the capability provided by eResearch SA for South Australian researchers. They will support large-scale applications, running over many processors in parallel (high-performance computing) or large numbers of single processors (high-throughput computing).
Development of genetic technology for rodent population suppression. Vertebrate pests cost Australia over $1 billion each year in agricultural losses and environmental damage and novel strategies are urgently required to tackle this massive challenge. Newly proposed “gene drives”, which might rapidly spread through populations, have enormous potential for the sustained management and even eradication of pests. Through innovative application of cutting-edge genome editing approaches, this proposa ....Development of genetic technology for rodent population suppression. Vertebrate pests cost Australia over $1 billion each year in agricultural losses and environmental damage and novel strategies are urgently required to tackle this massive challenge. Newly proposed “gene drives”, which might rapidly spread through populations, have enormous potential for the sustained management and even eradication of pests. Through innovative application of cutting-edge genome editing approaches, this proposal aims to develop gene drive technology in mice as a prototypical vertebrate pest species. We will also develop cutting-edge mathematical models of rodent gene drives to identify crucial parameters for efficacious employment and investigate potential for impact on non-target populations.Read moreRead less
Discovering the pathways and mechanisms underlying bio-insecticide control of the global migratory pest, diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. Sustaining crop yield and maintaining food security is a significant worldwide concern. This project aims to strengthen insect pest control strategies and improve bio-insecticide use in agriculture through better understanding of the mode of action of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticides. It aims to improve their efficacy and evaluate opportunities t ....Discovering the pathways and mechanisms underlying bio-insecticide control of the global migratory pest, diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. Sustaining crop yield and maintaining food security is a significant worldwide concern. This project aims to strengthen insect pest control strategies and improve bio-insecticide use in agriculture through better understanding of the mode of action of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticides. It aims to improve their efficacy and evaluate opportunities to develop bio-insecticides based on plant saponins. This will assist in determining the risk of insecticide resistant moths migrating to Australia, and within our borders. This project aims to provide opportunities to improve transgenic Bt-crops and Bt-sprays, provide commercial development of new bio-insecticides, and develop optimal control strategies for major Australian migratory pests.Read moreRead less
The evolutionary origin, cellular response and genetic impact of insecticide resistance mutations in agricultural pests. Diamondback moth is a global pest of canola and Brassica vegetables, and populations can rapidly evolve resistance to insecticides. The project will use a combination of genome sequencing, fieldwork and gene expression analysis to identify mutations causing resistance to Bt insecticidal toxins and assess the threat of resistance evolving in Australia.
Subterranean invertebrate communities of arid zone Western Australia: diversity, assessment and food-web structure. The diverse and unique subterranean fauna associated with aquifers of the Western Australia arid zone is potentially threatened by water extraction, mining and other human impacts. This project aims to apply a powerful combination of molecular genetic analyses and compound specific isotope analyses to study, for the first time, the food web structure and source of energy of these g ....Subterranean invertebrate communities of arid zone Western Australia: diversity, assessment and food-web structure. The diverse and unique subterranean fauna associated with aquifers of the Western Australia arid zone is potentially threatened by water extraction, mining and other human impacts. This project aims to apply a powerful combination of molecular genetic analyses and compound specific isotope analyses to study, for the first time, the food web structure and source of energy of these groundwater ecosystems. The project aims to also develop novel procedures for monitoring their biodiversity using environmental DNA within the groundwater. The results will provide crucial information for the management of groundwater, and conservation of their associated ecosystems, and significantly improve the rigour of long-term environmental monitoring.Read moreRead less