Microbe-produced repellents and their roles in marine pathogen behaviours. Economic losses caused by disease outbreaks in marine fisheries and aquaculture exceed US$6 billion per year globally. Decades of research in human and plant pathogens have revealed that the ability of pathogens to infect their host is governed by behaviours; however our understanding of the chemical cues affecting the behaviour of marine pathogens is very poor. This research program aims to combine new approaches in micr ....Microbe-produced repellents and their roles in marine pathogen behaviours. Economic losses caused by disease outbreaks in marine fisheries and aquaculture exceed US$6 billion per year globally. Decades of research in human and plant pathogens have revealed that the ability of pathogens to infect their host is governed by behaviours; however our understanding of the chemical cues affecting the behaviour of marine pathogens is very poor. This research program aims to combine new approaches in microfluidics and chemical imaging to identify the cues that govern the behaviour of marine pathogens. Expected outcomes include an improved capacity to predict, monitor and manage marine diseases, as well as novel strategies to prevent disease outbreaks, helping to protect Australia’s valuable marine estate.Read moreRead less
Uncovering the microbial ecology of Australia's coasts: Friends next-door or enemies at the gate? The health and function of coastal habitats is mediated by an abundant community of marine microbes, which perform essential ecosystem services. However, some microbes can periodically disrupt the biogeochemical balance of coastal habitats, while others are dangerous pathogens that cause human illness. Anthropogenic impacts may underpin episodic shifts in the balance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ coastal micr ....Uncovering the microbial ecology of Australia's coasts: Friends next-door or enemies at the gate? The health and function of coastal habitats is mediated by an abundant community of marine microbes, which perform essential ecosystem services. However, some microbes can periodically disrupt the biogeochemical balance of coastal habitats, while others are dangerous pathogens that cause human illness. Anthropogenic impacts may underpin episodic shifts in the balance of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ coastal microbes, but the mechanisms and dynamics of these shifts are undefined. This project will unite cutting-edge analytical tools, including microfluidics and ecogenomics, to redefine our understanding of the microbiology of the Australian coast, providing transformative new insights for preserving our aquatic backyard and protecting our health.Read moreRead less
Pelagic symbioses: teasing apart phytoplankton-bacteria relationships. This project aims to decode the intricate relationships between populations of phytoplankton and marine bacteria and interpret their influence on ocean productivity and chemical cycling. While oceanographers typically consider the ecology of phytoplankton and bacteria in isolation, this project suggests that the lives of these organisms are inherently entwined in symbiosis. This project is anticipated to aid in management of ....Pelagic symbioses: teasing apart phytoplankton-bacteria relationships. This project aims to decode the intricate relationships between populations of phytoplankton and marine bacteria and interpret their influence on ocean productivity and chemical cycling. While oceanographers typically consider the ecology of phytoplankton and bacteria in isolation, this project suggests that the lives of these organisms are inherently entwined in symbiosis. This project is anticipated to aid in management of Australia’s valuable marine estate and the ecosystem services and food security it provides.Read moreRead less
Defining the Microbial-scale Processes Governing Ocean Health . This project aims to resolve the foundations of healthy ocean function by employing innovative approaches to uncover the links between marine chemistry and microbiology. While the importance of microbes in governing ocean health is unquestionable, they are often studied over inappropriately large-scales, leading to inaccurate interpretation of the oceanic processes that ultimately influence fishery production and climate control. W ....Defining the Microbial-scale Processes Governing Ocean Health . This project aims to resolve the foundations of healthy ocean function by employing innovative approaches to uncover the links between marine chemistry and microbiology. While the importance of microbes in governing ocean health is unquestionable, they are often studied over inappropriately large-scales, leading to inaccurate interpretation of the oceanic processes that ultimately influence fishery production and climate control. We will develop new oceanographic tools and analytical techniques to provide a unique "microbes-eye-view" of the sea. The project's outcomes are anticipated to deliver transformative new knowledge on the controls of ocean productivity and sustainability, helping to safeguard Australia’s valuable marine estate.Read moreRead less
The development and evaluation of a new therapy for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections in hospitals. The technology used in this project will enable products to be developed from the Australian dairy industry which may safely provide protection and treatment for diarrhoea acquired in hospitals for which there are few effective options. The product will be cost effective and can be used as a public health tool to control outbreaks in those most susceptible to severe disease.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101213
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Microbial buffering: protecting the Great Barrier Reef against anthropogenic impacts. Coral reefs are hotspots of diversity, but are susceptible to human activities such as agriculture and tourism. Novel molecular approaches will be used to characterise what microorganisms are found at polluted and non-polluted sites of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and what metabolic pathways they use to protect it against human impacts.
Australia's ocean microbiome: how the diversity and functionality of microbes influence key oceanographic provinces. Every millilitre of seawater contains millions of microbes that maintain the health of our planet, but their identity and function in Australian waters is undefined. This project will identify the microbes inhabiting Australian marine systems, elucidate the services they provide, and predict how they will be affected by future environmental changes
Motility as a means to understand prokaryotic function in the biosphere. Bacterial processes are crucial to the environment, industry and technology of Australia. This work will open a new area of research to expand our understanding of how bacteria behave and function. This will lay the foundation for improved environmental management and resource utilisation in the critical areas of groundwater purification, coral infections, fisheries yields, petroleum remediation and bioenergy generation. Th ....Motility as a means to understand prokaryotic function in the biosphere. Bacterial processes are crucial to the environment, industry and technology of Australia. This work will open a new area of research to expand our understanding of how bacteria behave and function. This will lay the foundation for improved environmental management and resource utilisation in the critical areas of groundwater purification, coral infections, fisheries yields, petroleum remediation and bioenergy generation. This proposal will train over a dozen new scientists in these crucial areas and bring leading international scientists to Australia in the areas of bioenergy production, microfluidics, advanced microscopy and bioengineering.Read moreRead less
Competition or cooperation between marine biofilm bacteria recycling POM? Biofilms develop on any wetted surface by adhesion and subsequent growth of microorganisms. Recycling the energy, carbon and nitrogen contained in oceanic particulate organic matter (POM) is a global process essential for life on Earth. Ocean POM is degraded by its biofilm consortia, particularly bacteria secreting digestive enzymes. It is not known whether biofilm bacteria compete or cooperate in recycling POM. This proj ....Competition or cooperation between marine biofilm bacteria recycling POM? Biofilms develop on any wetted surface by adhesion and subsequent growth of microorganisms. Recycling the energy, carbon and nitrogen contained in oceanic particulate organic matter (POM) is a global process essential for life on Earth. Ocean POM is degraded by its biofilm consortia, particularly bacteria secreting digestive enzymes. It is not known whether biofilm bacteria compete or cooperate in recycling POM. This project combines microscopy image analysis, flow cytometry and molecular genetics to determine bacterial interactions quantitatively in mixed-species biofilms on natural POM. Results will increase knowledge of bacterial community functioning and biofilm recycling of POM in marine environments.Read moreRead less
Recovery and characterization of monooxygenases for biocatalysis and bioremediation through development of novel DNA- and protein-based technology. Australia contains hundreds of sites contaminated with toxic waste and judged to pose significant risk of harm to the public. This project will identify enzymes and organisms capable of remediating such contaminated sites by natural processes. It will also result in training of persons and development of techniques that will contribute to making bi ....Recovery and characterization of monooxygenases for biocatalysis and bioremediation through development of novel DNA- and protein-based technology. Australia contains hundreds of sites contaminated with toxic waste and judged to pose significant risk of harm to the public. This project will identify enzymes and organisms capable of remediating such contaminated sites by natural processes. It will also result in training of persons and development of techniques that will contribute to making bioremediation an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective technology. The environmental proteomics strategy is a frontier technology, expected to have broad applications in health, food science and the environment. Our development of this technology will create a wide range of opportunities for Australian scientists and companies.Read moreRead less