Characterisation of a novel disease immunity pathway in plants. This project aims to understand the mechanisms by which the novel signalling molecule, CAPE1, contributes to
plant immunity. Studies to date have confirmed that CAPE1 inhibits plant diseases but it is unknown how. This
project aims to provide a seminal advance to the field by elucidating how the peptide is generated, how it is
perceived by the plant and the processes by which peptide contributes to plant defence. The expected outcom ....Characterisation of a novel disease immunity pathway in plants. This project aims to understand the mechanisms by which the novel signalling molecule, CAPE1, contributes to
plant immunity. Studies to date have confirmed that CAPE1 inhibits plant diseases but it is unknown how. This
project aims to provide a seminal advance to the field by elucidating how the peptide is generated, how it is
perceived by the plant and the processes by which peptide contributes to plant defence. The expected outcomes
of this project will include a detailed characterisation of a novel plant defence pathway as well the education and
training of next generation of plant scientists. Achieving these outcomes would provide the basis for new
innovative disease management strategies through the manipulation of this novel pathway.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100908
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,815.00
Summary
Maximising the beneficial impacts of mycorrhizal fungi on grain nutrition. This project aims to determine the effects of beneficial soil fungi on wheat and rice grain quality for human nutrition using an innovative combination of physiological, molecular and agronomic techniques. The project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in sustainable agriculture, to improve grain quality and value. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying improve ....Maximising the beneficial impacts of mycorrhizal fungi on grain nutrition. This project aims to determine the effects of beneficial soil fungi on wheat and rice grain quality for human nutrition using an innovative combination of physiological, molecular and agronomic techniques. The project expects to generate fundamental knowledge in sustainable agriculture, to improve grain quality and value. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying improved grain quality, and the capacity to use soil fungi to increase grain micronutrient concentrations and bioavailability. This should provide significant environmental and societal benefits, such as promotion of the sustainable use of agricultural soils and more nutritious grain products for human consumption.Read moreRead less
Breeder-ready genetic tools for sustaining wheat yields under heat stress. Yield losses in wheat due to heat stress are increasing with climate change, driving an urgent need for new heat-tolerant varieties; however, few resources for heat tolerance are available for use in breeding. This research aims to use comprehensive genetic and agronomic approaches to provide breeders with the tools and evidence to select WtmsDW, a newly discovered genetic region that protects pollen fertility and sustain ....Breeder-ready genetic tools for sustaining wheat yields under heat stress. Yield losses in wheat due to heat stress are increasing with climate change, driving an urgent need for new heat-tolerant varieties; however, few resources for heat tolerance are available for use in breeding. This research aims to use comprehensive genetic and agronomic approaches to provide breeders with the tools and evidence to select WtmsDW, a newly discovered genetic region that protects pollen fertility and sustains grain yield under heat stress. These tools are expected to significantly boost productivity for the $9.8B Australian wheat industry, benefitting rural communities and industry partners and supporting food security, both directly and through longer-term extension of novel heat tolerance mechanisms to other crop species.Read moreRead less
Decoding germination defects that threaten global wheat production. Wheat is a major commodity in Australia. Sprouting damage represents a major global threat to wheat production and food security. This project will explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms underpinning pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) and late-maturity amylase (LMA). This project will apply transcriptomics and proteomics to measure the expression of the biomolecules associated with PHS and LMA, generating fundamental knowledge of ....Decoding germination defects that threaten global wheat production. Wheat is a major commodity in Australia. Sprouting damage represents a major global threat to wheat production and food security. This project will explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms underpinning pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) and late-maturity amylase (LMA). This project will apply transcriptomics and proteomics to measure the expression of the biomolecules associated with PHS and LMA, generating fundamental knowledge of grain molecular physiology that addresses a significant knowledge gap. The project will deliver tools capable of differentiating these conditions, thereby minimising economic losses. A better understanding of the genetic basis of PHS and LMA will lay the foundation for advanced breeding aiming to eliminate these. Read moreRead less
Developing strong restorer-of-fertility genes for hybrid wheat breeding. Hybrid wheat varieties yield 10-15% more than conventional lines but a cost-effective system to produce hybrid seeds on a commercial scale is missing. This project aims to deliver such a system for use in hybrid wheat breeding programmes. The outcome will be ultimately higher wheat yield gains in Australia and worldwide. Higher and more stable yields will contribute to higher food security for the growing human population.