Synchronising phosphorus fertilisation with plant phosphorus demand: a tactic to reduce phosphorus transfer from land to water. Phosphorus loss from intensive pasture systems is a major issue internationally due to the pollution and nutrient enrichment of water ways. This study will examine how a strategy of synchronising phosphorus (P) fertiliser to periods of high P demand in ryegrass (Lolium perenne) may be used to improve the efficiency of P uptake and thereby reduce P losses in surface run ....Synchronising phosphorus fertilisation with plant phosphorus demand: a tactic to reduce phosphorus transfer from land to water. Phosphorus loss from intensive pasture systems is a major issue internationally due to the pollution and nutrient enrichment of water ways. This study will examine how a strategy of synchronising phosphorus (P) fertiliser to periods of high P demand in ryegrass (Lolium perenne) may be used to improve the efficiency of P uptake and thereby reduce P losses in surface runoff. Simple models will be used to identify the key risk factors associated with surface P loss in order to improve the sustainability of P fertiliser use in pasture systems.Read moreRead less
Genetic regulation of photomorphogenesis in legume crops to meet changing agronomic needs. Legumes are widely grown as forage and grain crops and make a substantial contribution to the Australian economy. Light is an important determinant of plant architecture and productivity and we need to know more about how development is regulated by light in this important plant group. The natural light environment faced by plants is complex and varies with crop density, season and time of day. Understandi ....Genetic regulation of photomorphogenesis in legume crops to meet changing agronomic needs. Legumes are widely grown as forage and grain crops and make a substantial contribution to the Australian economy. Light is an important determinant of plant architecture and productivity and we need to know more about how development is regulated by light in this important plant group. The natural light environment faced by plants is complex and varies with crop density, season and time of day. Understanding the interaction of photoreceptors and plant hormones in the control of growth is vital for manipulating crops to meet changing agronomic requirements. Training of students in state-of-the art techniques and the generation of new germplasm for use by other researchers and plant breeders will be other significant outcomes of the project.Read moreRead less
Genetic control of flowering and photoperiodism in pea. The timing of flowering in many plant species is strongly influenced by photoperiod. The mechanisms by which photoperiod controls flowering will be investigated using the garden pea as a model system. New pea mutants impairing photoperiod responses will be identified and characterized, and photoperiod response genes from Arabidopsis will be mapped and used for expression studies in pea. This work will provide important new information about ....Genetic control of flowering and photoperiodism in pea. The timing of flowering in many plant species is strongly influenced by photoperiod. The mechanisms by which photoperiod controls flowering will be investigated using the garden pea as a model system. New pea mutants impairing photoperiod responses will be identified and characterized, and photoperiod response genes from Arabidopsis will be mapped and used for expression studies in pea. This work will provide important new information about the physiological roles of the Arabidopsis genes and the molecular identity of the pea genes. It will add to our knowledge of how flowering is regulated, and this will have important agronomic applications.Read moreRead less
Comparative genetics of flowering and photoperiod responsiveness in legumes. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticulturalists seeking ....Comparative genetics of flowering and photoperiod responsiveness in legumes. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticulturalists seeking to modify flowering responses to suit particular production strategies, and will help to maintain the strong position of Australia as a world leader in applied aspects of plant/environment interactions. It will also strengthen the international reputation of Australia for high-quality basic research in plant development.Read moreRead less
Mobile signals and the environmental control of flowering - a comparative genetic analysis. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticultu ....Mobile signals and the environmental control of flowering - a comparative genetic analysis. The results from this project will add to our basic knowledge of the way in which environmental factors influence flowering in plants. The timing and duration of flowering is a critical determinant of yield for many crop species, and of market value for many ornamental species. A better understanding of the basic genetics and physiology of flowering will thus be relevant for plant breeders and horticulturalists seeking to modify flowering responses to suit particular production strategies, and will help to maintain the strong position of Australia as a world leader in applied aspects of plant/environment interactions. It will also strengthen the international reputation of Australia for high-quality basic research in plant development .Read moreRead less
Freshwater biofouling of hydraulic conduits: impact, mitigation, and control, and the consequences of Climate Change. National economic and environmental benefits will flow from increased outputs of renewable energy from hydroelectric power systems. Improved performance of canals and pipelines will enable energy and water losses to be reduced and will provide the National Electricity Market with additional renewable energy, lowering the requirement for fossil fuels. Knowledge of the impacts of ....Freshwater biofouling of hydraulic conduits: impact, mitigation, and control, and the consequences of Climate Change. National economic and environmental benefits will flow from increased outputs of renewable energy from hydroelectric power systems. Improved performance of canals and pipelines will enable energy and water losses to be reduced and will provide the National Electricity Market with additional renewable energy, lowering the requirement for fossil fuels. Knowledge of the impacts of Climate Change will enable industry to manage changes in rainfall pattern and conduit biofouling. An improved understanding of biofilms can be applied to achieve wider national benefit in water reticulation, irrigation systems and maritime applications. The team will develop research skills and technical expertise and train PhD students and industry counterparts.Read moreRead less
Understanding algal bloom microbiome function to improve seafood safety. Current phytoplankton ecological theory is derived primarily from lab cultures, but in nature phytoplankton have unique microbiomes that support their growth and ongoing ocean primary production. This project aims to establish the structure and function of these natural microbiomes, and how they contribute to seafood poisoning caused by bacteria and algal biotoxins. Using advanced flow cytometry with single-cell microbial ....Understanding algal bloom microbiome function to improve seafood safety. Current phytoplankton ecological theory is derived primarily from lab cultures, but in nature phytoplankton have unique microbiomes that support their growth and ongoing ocean primary production. This project aims to establish the structure and function of these natural microbiomes, and how they contribute to seafood poisoning caused by bacteria and algal biotoxins. Using advanced flow cytometry with single-cell microbial profiling, we will sample nano-scale plankton microbiomes and synthetic microbiome phylogenomics to the link between microbiomes and seafood poisoning outbreaks. The outcomes will underpin enhanced predictive modelling of seafood risk to ensure the safety and export security of Australia's $2 billion seafood industry.Read moreRead less
Understanding fish-killing mechanisms by harmful algal blooms: towards the design of effective mitigation strategies. Fish-killing microalgal blooms cause multi-million dollar losses to global aquaculture and wild fisheries. This project brings together leading Australian and Canadian research teams, applying sophisticated cell line and biologically active molecule technologies, to elucidate precise fish-kill mechanisms and design effective mitigation strategies.
Seafood safety: high throughput diagnostics for ciguatoxin risk assessment. This project aims to develop a novel, high throughput platform for rapidly assessing ciguatoxins. Species of the marine microalgae Gambierdiscus produce ciguatoxins, which accumulate in fish through marine food chains to cause the often debilitating human illness called ciguatera fish poisoning. Ciiguatera fish poisoning is a growing and substantial risk for the $2.2 billion Australian commercial fishing industry. This s ....Seafood safety: high throughput diagnostics for ciguatoxin risk assessment. This project aims to develop a novel, high throughput platform for rapidly assessing ciguatoxins. Species of the marine microalgae Gambierdiscus produce ciguatoxins, which accumulate in fish through marine food chains to cause the often debilitating human illness called ciguatera fish poisoning. Ciiguatera fish poisoning is a growing and substantial risk for the $2.2 billion Australian commercial fishing industry. This serious illness is increasingly impacting more southerly areas of Australia due to environmental changes. The outcomes of this project include new knowledge of the risk of ciguatoxins at Australian 'hot spot' sites, extensively field tested methods for detecting Gambierdiscus and ciguatoxins in situ and key data to inform policy to safeguard the seafood industry and consumers.
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Seaweed forests of the future: responses to ocean acidification and warming. The aim is to discover if rising levels of oceanic carbon dioxide will offset negative effects of ocean warming on seaweeds, using targeted physiological experiments together with novel molecular diagnostics. Seaweeds create habitats and food for shellfish and fish, and play a crucial role in long term ‘blue carbon’ storage. They are predicted to benefit from future carbon dioxide enrichment, but to test this forecast r ....Seaweed forests of the future: responses to ocean acidification and warming. The aim is to discover if rising levels of oceanic carbon dioxide will offset negative effects of ocean warming on seaweeds, using targeted physiological experiments together with novel molecular diagnostics. Seaweeds create habitats and food for shellfish and fish, and play a crucial role in long term ‘blue carbon’ storage. They are predicted to benefit from future carbon dioxide enrichment, but to test this forecast requires a detailed understanding of the mechanisms used by seaweeds to acquire dissolved inorganic carbon. The expected outcome is robust predictions of how the primary productivity of coastal waters will respond to future high carbon dioxide conditions, enabling human adaptation to environmental change.
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