Calls and constraints: do male frogs signal direct benefits? There is international concern over recent declines and disappearances of many species of amphibians. Australia is a hotspot for declines, but causes of declines remain enigmatic. Approximately one quarter of Australia's 230 amphibian species breed in terrestrial situations, but processes such as salinity, wetland and urban developments and climate change are altering the hydrology of our landscape, and preventing the flood events nece ....Calls and constraints: do male frogs signal direct benefits? There is international concern over recent declines and disappearances of many species of amphibians. Australia is a hotspot for declines, but causes of declines remain enigmatic. Approximately one quarter of Australia's 230 amphibian species breed in terrestrial situations, but processes such as salinity, wetland and urban developments and climate change are altering the hydrology of our landscape, and preventing the flood events necessary for the completion of the lifecycle of many species. This research has important conservation implications because it examines the effects of variable moisture regimes on the physiology and reproductive behaviours of terrestrial breeding frogs.Read moreRead less
Brain temperature regulation in mammals: mechanisms and consequences. Mammals detect increases in body temperature predominantly in the brain. Counterintuitively many mammals selectively cool the brain during heat stress, which appears to defeat the mechanism for inducing cooling responses. We intend to investigate this apparent anomaly which we believe is concerned with optimizing water use in hot conditions. We will further investigate the source of water for evaporative cooling by panting and ....Brain temperature regulation in mammals: mechanisms and consequences. Mammals detect increases in body temperature predominantly in the brain. Counterintuitively many mammals selectively cool the brain during heat stress, which appears to defeat the mechanism for inducing cooling responses. We intend to investigate this apparent anomaly which we believe is concerned with optimizing water use in hot conditions. We will further investigate the source of water for evaporative cooling by panting and discover if there has been convergent evolution in thermoregulatory strategies in the eutherian and marsupial lineages. The data we collect will be used to support a new model for thermoregulation in mammals.
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The comparative physiology of oxygen delivery to the kidney. The kidney is in danger of hyperoxia because the kidney receives so much blood relative to its mass. It is proposed that shunting oxygen between arteries and veins substantially mitigates the risk of hyperoxia, but under certain circumstances shunting substantially increases the risk of kidney hypoxia. Using a combination of synchrotron and histological imaging, This project will carefully define the three-dimensional vasculature of th ....The comparative physiology of oxygen delivery to the kidney. The kidney is in danger of hyperoxia because the kidney receives so much blood relative to its mass. It is proposed that shunting oxygen between arteries and veins substantially mitigates the risk of hyperoxia, but under certain circumstances shunting substantially increases the risk of kidney hypoxia. Using a combination of synchrotron and histological imaging, This project will carefully define the three-dimensional vasculature of the renal cortex in several different species and interpret its functional significance using computational modeling. The outcome of this project will be a new understanding in the comparative physiology of oxygen transport and shunting in the kidney.Read moreRead less
Sugar and water handling by honeyeaters and sunbirds. Honeyeaters are the major vertebrate pollinators in Australia, playing a vital role in maintenance of healthy ecosystems. These birds are faced with extreme physiological challenges due to their diet, ingesting 2-5 times their body mass in nectar to obtain their daily sugar requirement. Nectarivores are, consequently, masters at processing and assimilating sugars and water; comparative physiology of these charismatic birds will provide deep u ....Sugar and water handling by honeyeaters and sunbirds. Honeyeaters are the major vertebrate pollinators in Australia, playing a vital role in maintenance of healthy ecosystems. These birds are faced with extreme physiological challenges due to their diet, ingesting 2-5 times their body mass in nectar to obtain their daily sugar requirement. Nectarivores are, consequently, masters at processing and assimilating sugars and water; comparative physiology of these charismatic birds will provide deep understanding of sugar and water handling mechanisms. Understanding gut and renal physiology and morphology contributes to the broad base of knowledge required to address pathological and clinical conditions in man, and will enhance our ability to predict effects of environmental change on these birds.Read moreRead less
Reproductive technologies for the conservation of a critically endangered marsupial, the Gilberts potoroo. The Gilberts potoroo is currently Australia's most endangered mammal (population total is less than 40). Natural breeding in captivity has not been successful so reproductive technology, especially artificial insemination, will be developed contribute to the survival of the species. This will involve detailed testing of techniques for semen collection and preservation, oestrus detection an ....Reproductive technologies for the conservation of a critically endangered marsupial, the Gilberts potoroo. The Gilberts potoroo is currently Australia's most endangered mammal (population total is less than 40). Natural breeding in captivity has not been successful so reproductive technology, especially artificial insemination, will be developed contribute to the survival of the species. This will involve detailed testing of techniques for semen collection and preservation, oestrus detection and artificial insemination, initially with the closely related Long-nosed potoroo. Once reliable protocols are developed, they will be applied to the Gilberts potoroo. If successful, this will be the first application of artificial insemination to increasing the numbers of a threatened species of marsupial in Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100122
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$620,000.00
Summary
Returning WA Rapid Acquisition Fluorescent Microscopy to the cutting edge. The equipment proposal aims to establish West Australia's only super-rapid-speed, high throughput confocal microscopy facility. The technology will provide researchers in biotechnology, medicine, environmental biology and agriculture with contemporary state-of-art opportunities to analyse living cells and/or large-area tissue specimens in three-dimensions with the highest possible speed and high-resolution. West Australia ....Returning WA Rapid Acquisition Fluorescent Microscopy to the cutting edge. The equipment proposal aims to establish West Australia's only super-rapid-speed, high throughput confocal microscopy facility. The technology will provide researchers in biotechnology, medicine, environmental biology and agriculture with contemporary state-of-art opportunities to analyse living cells and/or large-area tissue specimens in three-dimensions with the highest possible speed and high-resolution. West Australia hosts 1 twelve-year old historic rapid-acquisition confocal microscope that is heavily subscribed, no longer manufactured and prone to regular, prolonged, costly breakdowns. Accessing high-speed confocal systems in other states is not a viable option putting WA-based researchers at a significant disadvantage.Read moreRead less
Impact of shear stress on vascular adaptations in humans. Large arteries are important for the delivery of blood and oxygen to organs such as the heart and brain. A primary physiological stimulus which controls the size and function of these crucial arteries is the magnitude of flow or, more accurately, shear force that the inner wall of the artery is exposed to. We have developed novel software which enables non-invasive assessment of arterial wall velocity, diameter and blood flow. We will ass ....Impact of shear stress on vascular adaptations in humans. Large arteries are important for the delivery of blood and oxygen to organs such as the heart and brain. A primary physiological stimulus which controls the size and function of these crucial arteries is the magnitude of flow or, more accurately, shear force that the inner wall of the artery is exposed to. We have developed novel software which enables non-invasive assessment of arterial wall velocity, diameter and blood flow. We will assess the impact of acute and chronic changes in wall flow and shear on arterial size and function. We will also develop new software which measures other aspects of artery wall behaviour. These basic human physiology studies have direct implications for assessment of artery health in humans.Read moreRead less
Stimulation of the mammalian reproductive system by olfactory pathways. This project answers fundamental questions about mammalian reproductive biology but, because we work with the sheep model, our findings can be applied to two of Australia's biggest export industries, wool and sheepmeat. Understanding the reproductive responses of our production animals to exteroceptive factors such as socio-sexual signals, photoperiod and nutrition is an important first step towards refining the management ....Stimulation of the mammalian reproductive system by olfactory pathways. This project answers fundamental questions about mammalian reproductive biology but, because we work with the sheep model, our findings can be applied to two of Australia's biggest export industries, wool and sheepmeat. Understanding the reproductive responses of our production animals to exteroceptive factors such as socio-sexual signals, photoperiod and nutrition is an important first step towards refining the management of breeding programs. It has been argued that this approach will also minimise, and perhaps even remove the need for, exogenous hormones and drugs for controlling the reproductive process.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668435
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,300,000.00
Summary
Biomedical Engineering Sensing and Imaging Facility. The sensing and imaging facility will be the only national facility for leading engineering and medical researchers to undertake multidiscipline research into live and model biological systems. The facility will capture and combine existing strengths in these fields in Melbourne. This will provide new insights into the physiology of human, animal and plant systems and the development of preventive and curative strategies for disease.
Evaporative water loss and relative water economy in marsupials. Marsupials are an iconic element of the Australian fauna, so the robust physiological database we will establish has intrinsic educational and scientific value to Australians. We will provide important methodological and analytical advances at the cutting edge of physiological research. This project will sustain our leading role as marsupial physiologists in the international scientific community, contribute to the high-quality tra ....Evaporative water loss and relative water economy in marsupials. Marsupials are an iconic element of the Australian fauna, so the robust physiological database we will establish has intrinsic educational and scientific value to Australians. We will provide important methodological and analytical advances at the cutting edge of physiological research. This project will sustain our leading role as marsupial physiologists in the international scientific community, contribute to the high-quality training of research students, foster national and international collaboration, and generally enhance the scientific profile of Australia. Knowledge of a species' biology and its interactions with the environment are essential for conservation in the face of landscape modification and climate change.Read moreRead less