Engineering and expression of recombinant antibodies that interact with plant pathogenic phytoplasma membrane proteins - a model for phytoplasma disease management. . In Australia phytoplasmas are associated with serious diseases including papaya dieback and strawberry lethal yellows. Phytoplasmas cannot be cultured so there is a paucity of knowledge at the genomic level. We have identified the ABC Transporter and FtsH genes and expressed these phytoplasma membrane proteins (MP) in E. coli . We ....Engineering and expression of recombinant antibodies that interact with plant pathogenic phytoplasma membrane proteins - a model for phytoplasma disease management. . In Australia phytoplasmas are associated with serious diseases including papaya dieback and strawberry lethal yellows. Phytoplasmas cannot be cultured so there is a paucity of knowledge at the genomic level. We have identified the ABC Transporter and FtsH genes and expressed these phytoplasma membrane proteins (MP) in E. coli . We will generate antibody fragments that bind these MP and express them in tomato. We will analyse antibody expression in tomato and study their association with the phytoplasma membrane. Transgenic plants will be inoculated with phytoplasma and monitored for resistance. This work represents a major step towards engineering resistance to phytoplasmas.Read moreRead less
Managing acid mine drainage in northern Australia using microbial mats. One of the most difficult environmental issues for the mining industry is acid mine drainage (AMD) that can lead to significant environmental damage. This project aims to identify microbes and characterise their roles in AMD formation in north Australia. We will use our new knowledge to design and trial microbial mats for the treatment of AMD. A successful AMD microbial treatment technology will minimise the risk of acid run ....Managing acid mine drainage in northern Australia using microbial mats. One of the most difficult environmental issues for the mining industry is acid mine drainage (AMD) that can lead to significant environmental damage. This project aims to identify microbes and characterise their roles in AMD formation in north Australia. We will use our new knowledge to design and trial microbial mats for the treatment of AMD. A successful AMD microbial treatment technology will minimise the risk of acid runoff and metal seepage into rivers and through groundwater. AMD treatment technology we develop in the tropics where we experience the extremes of dry and wet seasons will require only minor modification to operate in temperate climates however the reverse is not true. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989147
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,000.00
Summary
Advanced high throughput genomics facility for biological, medical, agricultural, environmental and evolutionary research. Infrastructure requested will expand the capacity of researchers in NSW/NT to undertake environmental, medical and evolutionary studies using state-of-the-art technologies based on the recent advances in DNA sequencing analyses. It will ensure the retention of leading researchers in the exciting areas of genomics and Systems Biology and make a significant contribution to bi ....Advanced high throughput genomics facility for biological, medical, agricultural, environmental and evolutionary research. Infrastructure requested will expand the capacity of researchers in NSW/NT to undertake environmental, medical and evolutionary studies using state-of-the-art technologies based on the recent advances in DNA sequencing analyses. It will ensure the retention of leading researchers in the exciting areas of genomics and Systems Biology and make a significant contribution to biomolecular research in medicine, agriculture and environmental biology, thereby providing major benefits to the wider community. The application will enhance existing genomic technologies by substantially increasing the scope of experiments that can be performed leading to important advances in gene discovery.Read moreRead less
Coastal monitoring using metal resistant microbes. We will develop an early warning, rapid biological assessment (RBA) for sediment toxicity that can be used alongside chemical tests to detect sub-chronic changes in the environment. The assessment will be validated by extensive testing of impacted sediment. We will show how the RBA fits into existing decision trees defined by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) 2000 Guidelines. The biological tests result ....Coastal monitoring using metal resistant microbes. We will develop an early warning, rapid biological assessment (RBA) for sediment toxicity that can be used alongside chemical tests to detect sub-chronic changes in the environment. The assessment will be validated by extensive testing of impacted sediment. We will show how the RBA fits into existing decision trees defined by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) 2000 Guidelines. The biological tests resulting from this project will be as rapid and straightforward as existing chemical tests, which will facilitate industry acceptance. The project has strong industry involvement from mining companies, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and traditional owners. These partners will guide this project and facilitate communication to the wider industry to aid acceptance and uptake.Read moreRead less
Minimum sizes and habitat areas for viable populations. This project will address two critical issues in conservation biology: How large do wildlife populations need to be to ensure long-term persistence? How large an area needs to be preserved? At present, no such estimates exist for most species. I will develop realistic population viability analysis (PVA) models (encompassing all threats to persistence) on many bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, invertebrate and plant species, and estimate the ....Minimum sizes and habitat areas for viable populations. This project will address two critical issues in conservation biology: How large do wildlife populations need to be to ensure long-term persistence? How large an area needs to be preserved? At present, no such estimates exist for most species. I will develop realistic population viability analysis (PVA) models (encompassing all threats to persistence) on many bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, invertebrate and plant species, and estimate the minimum population sizes and habitat areas required for long-term survival. My prior research has validated the predictive accuracy of PVA. This research will deliver practical guidelines for managing threatened species.Read moreRead less
Establishing the provenance of Torres Strait Islander remains: genetics, craniometrics and isotopes. The repatriation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remains has been a focus of Commonwealth and State Governments for over two decades. It remains as a significant social and cultural issue for many Indigenous Australians. One of the main hurdles to repatriation is the fact that hundreds, and possibly thousands of human remains have very little contextual detail associated with them. A num ....Establishing the provenance of Torres Strait Islander remains: genetics, craniometrics and isotopes. The repatriation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remains has been a focus of Commonwealth and State Governments for over two decades. It remains as a significant social and cultural issue for many Indigenous Australians. One of the main hurdles to repatriation is the fact that hundreds, and possibly thousands of human remains have very little contextual detail associated with them. A number of techniques have been developed in the field of biological anthropology to reconstruct the history of individual skeletal remains. This innovative project aims to use advances in the fields of ancient DNA, isotope analysis and craniometrics to resolve the provenance of 113 trophy skulls from the Torres Strait Islands.Read moreRead less