Characterisation of tumour variants of Devil Facial Tumour Disease. This project will take a new approach to cancer research by studying the evolution of Devil Facial Tumour Disease. The results will directly contribute to the conservation management of the Tasmanian devil, as well as generating new information on tumour growth, metastasis and emergence of resistance.
Complex trait analyses based on genome-wide approaches. This project aims to develop whole genome approaches that can improve the estimation and prediction power by using information from the dynamic genetic architecture of complex traits (i.e. the changes of genetic characteristics and effects when varying effective population size and genetic backgrounds). The project intends to deliver advanced statistical models, efficient algorithms and design by combining data from close relatives, populat ....Complex trait analyses based on genome-wide approaches. This project aims to develop whole genome approaches that can improve the estimation and prediction power by using information from the dynamic genetic architecture of complex traits (i.e. the changes of genetic characteristics and effects when varying effective population size and genetic backgrounds). The project intends to deliver advanced statistical models, efficient algorithms and design by combining data from close relatives, population samples or from different populations (e.g. multi-ethnicities or multi-breeds). The expected outcome is to better understand the dynamic architecture of complex traits and develop methods with improved power, precision and accuracy in genomic analyses.Read moreRead less
Epigenetics, environment, and evolution. This project will aim to understand how biological information can exist and be passed from one generation to the next without being encoded in the gene sequence, and also how our early environment can modify this so-called "epigenetic" information to alter disease risk.
Beyond the genome: unravelling the intricacies of epigenetic regulation using the honey bee model. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, provide the interface between genome and environment. Abnormalities in epigenetic regulation lead to cancer and other diseases. The project will be using the alternative phenotypes in honeybees, fertile queens and sterile workers, to understand how dietary factors control conditional gene expression by methylation
Defining unconscious and artificial selection. In 1868 Charles Darwin proposed that the process of domestication can be divided into two independent selective processes we now call unconscious and artificial selection. In this project, we include the Australian dingo as a functional intermediate between the wild wolf and domestic dogs and test Darwin's hypothesis using modern molecular and statistical techniques. It is now widely accepted that the dingo was not domesticated by indigenous Austral ....Defining unconscious and artificial selection. In 1868 Charles Darwin proposed that the process of domestication can be divided into two independent selective processes we now call unconscious and artificial selection. In this project, we include the Australian dingo as a functional intermediate between the wild wolf and domestic dogs and test Darwin's hypothesis using modern molecular and statistical techniques. It is now widely accepted that the dingo was not domesticated by indigenous Australians and is therefore the ideal extant population for the project. The project is significant because it will be a critical test of Darwin's hypothesis. The outcome could be an improved understanding of the genomic basis for selection that can inform the process of domestication.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100723
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The inheritance of epigenetic information in mammals. This project aims to understand how biological information can be passed from one generation to the next without being encoded in the genes. This may explain questions as diverse as why twins look subtly different and why some families are more likely than others to suffer disease.
From the pouch to the grave: age and sex related changes in immunity in the Tasmanian devil. Tasmanian devils face extinction in the wild due to the emergence of a contagious cancer: Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). A comprehensive understanding of the devil immune system is necessary to better understand the disease and develop a vaccine against it. This project will characterise immune responses of healthy devils throughout life, from the pouch, to onset of puberty, to old age. This project ....From the pouch to the grave: age and sex related changes in immunity in the Tasmanian devil. Tasmanian devils face extinction in the wild due to the emergence of a contagious cancer: Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). A comprehensive understanding of the devil immune system is necessary to better understand the disease and develop a vaccine against it. This project will characterise immune responses of healthy devils throughout life, from the pouch, to onset of puberty, to old age. This project will then compare these responses in DFTD-affected devils to determine why DFTD affects older animals first and does not affect sexually-immature devils. Additional outcomes will include the development of novel antibiotics against human and animal diseases and an atlas of devil development using the latest imaging technologies.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100143
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
Flexible architecture high-performance computing facility for the intersect consortium of New South Wales. This new supercomputing facility is an important addition to the nation's research infrastructure and will enable world-leading, New South Wales researchers to continue their ground breaking work in increasingly competitive environments. Much of the research to be undertaken at the facility lies in areas of national priority, including frontier technologies and environmental sustainability.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100506
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
Specialised ribosomes: An unexplored regulatory layer to tune the proteome. This project aims to decipher human ribosome composition across tissues and conditions, and regulate its composition and activity (selective translation of subsets of transcripts) in a tissue-dependent, spatial and temporal manner – a major challenge in biology. Although ribosomes have been historically thought of as uniform entities, recent evidence suggests that their composition might be regulated. Elevating the expre ....Specialised ribosomes: An unexplored regulatory layer to tune the proteome. This project aims to decipher human ribosome composition across tissues and conditions, and regulate its composition and activity (selective translation of subsets of transcripts) in a tissue-dependent, spatial and temporal manner – a major challenge in biology. Although ribosomes have been historically thought of as uniform entities, recent evidence suggests that their composition might be regulated. Elevating the expression of a target protein without affecting mRNA levels is expected to benefit other disciplines, including biotechnology (e.g. recombinant protein expression), biomedicine (e.g. treatment of a human disease by suppression or enhancement of the levels of key disease-related proteins) and synthetic biology.Read moreRead less
Understanding somatic mutation in plants: new methods, new software, new data. Somatic mutations accumulate as plants grow, affecting everything from short-term ecological interactions to long-term evolutionary dynamics. These mutations have important consequences for plant industry and conservation, but because they are so hard to measure almost nothing is known about them. This project aims to develop new methods and software to detect, analyse, and compare the genome-wide history of somatic m ....Understanding somatic mutation in plants: new methods, new software, new data. Somatic mutations accumulate as plants grow, affecting everything from short-term ecological interactions to long-term evolutionary dynamics. These mutations have important consequences for plant industry and conservation, but because they are so hard to measure almost nothing is known about them. This project aims to develop new methods and software to detect, analyse, and compare the genome-wide history of somatic mutation in individual plants, providing an unprecedented level of detail into an important but understudied source of biological variation. By applying these methods to an iconic experimental population, This project aims to provide the first insights into the genome-wide causes and consequences of somatic mutation in plants.Read moreRead less