Genetic control of floral architecture. Different flowers have different designs, and so the design must ultimately be controlled by genes. We have identified a gene that keeps sepals separate, and promotes the initiation of petals. We think it does this by a novel growth suppression mechanism, and will now deduce its molecular and cellular basis. This will help maintain Australia's strength in fundamental plant biology. Also, by understanding how sepals and petals arise in a model laboratory sp ....Genetic control of floral architecture. Different flowers have different designs, and so the design must ultimately be controlled by genes. We have identified a gene that keeps sepals separate, and promotes the initiation of petals. We think it does this by a novel growth suppression mechanism, and will now deduce its molecular and cellular basis. This will help maintain Australia's strength in fundamental plant biology. Also, by understanding how sepals and petals arise in a model laboratory species, we can generalise for many species, including economic plants. Thus it may be possible to make designer crops through targeted genetic changes to their floral structure.Read moreRead less
Control of plant organ development by the PETAL LOSS gene of Arabidopsis. We have discovered a new gene in the model laboratory plant Arabidopsis thaliana that is involved in sepal and petal development. It encodes a transcription factor that apparently acts by repressing growth in the inter-sepal zone of flowers where petals arise. We now aim to determine how this growth suppression occurs, and whether it extends to leaves where the gene is also expressed. Control of the initiation and sculptur ....Control of plant organ development by the PETAL LOSS gene of Arabidopsis. We have discovered a new gene in the model laboratory plant Arabidopsis thaliana that is involved in sepal and petal development. It encodes a transcription factor that apparently acts by repressing growth in the inter-sepal zone of flowers where petals arise. We now aim to determine how this growth suppression occurs, and whether it extends to leaves where the gene is also expressed. Control of the initiation and sculpturing of plant organs by site-specific inhibition of growth is a newly discovered mechanism that may be useful in manipulating plant architecture.Read moreRead less
Understanding how auxin and dorsoventral patterning are coordinated in plants. This study will help reveal for the first time how the outgrowth of leaves, flowers and floral organs is coordinated by tissue patterning genes and the plant growth hormone auxin. All plants grow in this way, and our findings, made using a model laboratory plant, will be applicable to crop species as well. Thus we will both expand our core knowledge of how multicellular organisms are constructed, and also generate pos ....Understanding how auxin and dorsoventral patterning are coordinated in plants. This study will help reveal for the first time how the outgrowth of leaves, flowers and floral organs is coordinated by tissue patterning genes and the plant growth hormone auxin. All plants grow in this way, and our findings, made using a model laboratory plant, will be applicable to crop species as well. Thus we will both expand our core knowledge of how multicellular organisms are constructed, and also generate possibilities for modifying the patterns of leaf and flower development in agricultural and horticultural species. Crops with larger leaves, or flowers of different structure, may result.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354908
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
The Insect-Plant Chemical Ecology Network (IPCEN). We bring together plant molecular biology, entomology and analytical chemistry to transform three leading fields of Australian research into an advanced science with far reaching capabilities in innovative research and applied outcomes. Expertise studying the biochemical pathways that produce specific plant compounds and expertise in insect recognition and response to these chemicals will be brought together. This will lead to new research outco ....The Insect-Plant Chemical Ecology Network (IPCEN). We bring together plant molecular biology, entomology and analytical chemistry to transform three leading fields of Australian research into an advanced science with far reaching capabilities in innovative research and applied outcomes. Expertise studying the biochemical pathways that produce specific plant compounds and expertise in insect recognition and response to these chemicals will be brought together. This will lead to new research outcomes and solutions to problems in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and protection of Australia's native flora. Researchers are struggling to create these links, constrained by disciplinary boundaries and geographical isolation. Key industries and researchers already support this proposal.Read moreRead less
A Tough Resilin Based Hydrogel Platform for Repair and Regeneration. This project seeks to develop novel hydrogels that mimic the properties of the body. In the field of repair and regeneration, our challenge is to make hydrogels that retain the fatigue and resilience properties of the natural body part, but are comprised of nontoxic material. Resilin is a remarkable material exhibiting a broad range of stimuli-responsive behaviour and outstanding elasticity. The project aim is to create a tough ....A Tough Resilin Based Hydrogel Platform for Repair and Regeneration. This project seeks to develop novel hydrogels that mimic the properties of the body. In the field of repair and regeneration, our challenge is to make hydrogels that retain the fatigue and resilience properties of the natural body part, but are comprised of nontoxic material. Resilin is a remarkable material exhibiting a broad range of stimuli-responsive behaviour and outstanding elasticity. The project aim is to create a tough and responsive hydrogel platform from this disordered protein family through greater understanding of structure and mechanical function and incorporating adequate stiffness, strength and biocompatibility. Such tough hydrogels would be applicable to a range of biotechnological applications (eg intervertebral disc repair or artificial skin tissue engineering).Read moreRead less
ARC Research Network in Enterprise Information Infrastructure. EII targets consolidated research towards the comprehensive development & establishment of advanced information infrastructures. Its prime purpose is to provide a forum for intellectual exchange by diverse yet complementary research groups, to address the fundamental research problems faced by scientific & business communities when dealing with deployment of information technology to globally distributed, and data intensive environme ....ARC Research Network in Enterprise Information Infrastructure. EII targets consolidated research towards the comprehensive development & establishment of advanced information infrastructures. Its prime purpose is to provide a forum for intellectual exchange by diverse yet complementary research groups, to address the fundamental research problems faced by scientific & business communities when dealing with deployment of information technology to globally distributed, and data intensive environments. EII will address 3 tightly coupled research themes: Ability to interoperate across existing heterogenous platforms & applications; Efficient processing of very large data sets; Technology adoption & impact. Generic results will be applicable to e-science and large business information systems installations.Read moreRead less
Planning for a better life under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This project aims to analyse and define the experiences and expectations of people with disability in rural and remote regions. People accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are required to complete a personalised service plan, however despite these reforms, people in rural and remote communities currently experience many challenges with the scheme. Using qualitative research methods, the project ....Planning for a better life under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This project aims to analyse and define the experiences and expectations of people with disability in rural and remote regions. People accessing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are required to complete a personalised service plan, however despite these reforms, people in rural and remote communities currently experience many challenges with the scheme. Using qualitative research methods, the project will investigate people’s experiences engaging with Local Area Coordinators and Planners under the Rural and Remote Strategy 2016-2019 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy. The project will provide significant outcomes for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people with disability in rural and remote areas, disability service providers, and government and non-government policy makers.Read moreRead less
Remote Aboriginal families and carers of children with disabilities. The project intends to explore the challenges that Aboriginal families who have children with disabilities experience when living in remote communities. Living in a community with family supports is important for the wellbeing, health and spirituality of Aboriginal people in the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) lands. However, the NPY Women’s Council are concerned that this is a significant challenge for families ....Remote Aboriginal families and carers of children with disabilities. The project intends to explore the challenges that Aboriginal families who have children with disabilities experience when living in remote communities. Living in a community with family supports is important for the wellbeing, health and spirituality of Aboriginal people in the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) lands. However, the NPY Women’s Council are concerned that this is a significant challenge for families and carers of children with disabilities. Project results will be used to propose models for supporting children with disabilities and their families and caregivers to live good lives in their communities. The outcomes are expected to inform service redesign to allow Aboriginal people to fully benefit from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.Read moreRead less
Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. This project aims to examine the geographic variation amongst tiger snakes in anatomy, ecology, and life history traits, and the relationship of these factors to venom toxins and production; and to evaluate the true pharmacological potential of tiger snake venom. This project will investigate the role of venom adaptation in long-term animal evoluti ....Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. This project aims to examine the geographic variation amongst tiger snakes in anatomy, ecology, and life history traits, and the relationship of these factors to venom toxins and production; and to evaluate the true pharmacological potential of tiger snake venom. This project will investigate the role of venom adaptation in long-term animal evolution, by identifying rare venom transcripts involved in providing evolutionary potential for adaptation to environmental change. This is essential as continuing climatic and human-induced alteration of our environment affects southern Australia where many people live, work and interact with native wildlife. Anticipated outcomes are maximizing venom harvests and enhanced snakebite treatment capacity.Read moreRead less