Developing new methods to retrieve and analyse preserved genetic information. This project will position Australia at the leading edge of research into preserved DNA, and will use innovative molecular biology approaches to develop a range of new forensic, archaeological and medical applications. It will build Australian knowledge and scientific capacity by developing core expertise and training personnel in areas important for biosecurity, customs and quarantine, forensics/counter-terrorism, and ....Developing new methods to retrieve and analyse preserved genetic information. This project will position Australia at the leading edge of research into preserved DNA, and will use innovative molecular biology approaches to develop a range of new forensic, archaeological and medical applications. It will build Australian knowledge and scientific capacity by developing core expertise and training personnel in areas important for biosecurity, customs and quarantine, forensics/counter-terrorism, and studies of climate change. It will also create and foster research innovation in molecular biology with spin-offs for evolution, archaeology, medical and conservation biology research, and will also encourage involvement with the rapidly expanding field of genomics and bioinformatics.Read moreRead less
Differential expression and functional analysis of genes controlling metamorphosis and early neurogenesis of a model lower animal, the coral Acropora. This study will analyse, at a molecular level, the response of coral larvae to stimuli inducing settlement from the plankton and the process of establishment of a sessile, calcified colony. The knowledge gained will facilitate induction of settlement on demand in the most effective way. We will characterise known candidate genes which may be invo ....Differential expression and functional analysis of genes controlling metamorphosis and early neurogenesis of a model lower animal, the coral Acropora. This study will analyse, at a molecular level, the response of coral larvae to stimuli inducing settlement from the plankton and the process of establishment of a sessile, calcified colony. The knowledge gained will facilitate induction of settlement on demand in the most effective way. We will characterise known candidate genes which may be involved in settlement, and reveal a more complete picture using subtractive hybridisation. Studies of the nervous system and the changes that it undergoes at metamorphosis will promote understanding of the control of metamorphosis, and insights into how more complex nervous systems may have evolved.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101259
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,000.00
Summary
The impact of urbanisation on viral diversity and disease emergence. Urbanisation increases the risk of infectious disease emergence by rapidly altering contact rates between humans and other species. Fortunately, many consequences of urbanisation appear to be universal, suggesting that it is possible to identify factors likely to increase the risk of viral disease emergence and predict their impacts. This project aims to examine the viral response to changes in host and vector population struct ....The impact of urbanisation on viral diversity and disease emergence. Urbanisation increases the risk of infectious disease emergence by rapidly altering contact rates between humans and other species. Fortunately, many consequences of urbanisation appear to be universal, suggesting that it is possible to identify factors likely to increase the risk of viral disease emergence and predict their impacts. This project aims to examine the viral response to changes in host and vector population structure and dynamics that occur as a result of urbanisation, and identify viral characteristics that are associated with survival in an urban environment. This novel fusion of urban and viral ecology will have unprecedented impact on the development of predictive models of viral emergence for risk assessment and management.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0667981
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$200,000.00
Summary
Kangaroo Genome Resource Management Facility. Increasingly, large Australian multicentre research programs in biological and medical sciences have a genomics component that involves integration of biological information with sequencing data. The success of these research programs depends on rapid internet access to the research information by all participating scientists. The universal design of the proposed information management system means that it can be easily adapted to support a broad ran ....Kangaroo Genome Resource Management Facility. Increasingly, large Australian multicentre research programs in biological and medical sciences have a genomics component that involves integration of biological information with sequencing data. The success of these research programs depends on rapid internet access to the research information by all participating scientists. The universal design of the proposed information management system means that it can be easily adapted to support a broad range of research programs. The development of this software program therefore has the potential to benefit research scientists, academics and students in many related fields, as well as the broader community, through enhancing research outcomes.Read moreRead less
Understanding “reinforcement”, an evolutionary process that can lead to the origin of new species and generate species diversity. Understanding how species are formed is of broad significance. National benefit will come from internationally competitive research and collaborations with leading international researchers. Benefits will also come under the ARC Priority Goals of 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia' as I will (i) provide genetic data that will be invaluable for the conservation ....Understanding “reinforcement”, an evolutionary process that can lead to the origin of new species and generate species diversity. Understanding how species are formed is of broad significance. National benefit will come from internationally competitive research and collaborations with leading international researchers. Benefits will also come under the ARC Priority Goals of 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia' as I will (i) provide genetic data that will be invaluable for the conservation of a highly threatened species, (ii) determine the importance of contact zones for generating new species and maintaining the evolutionary potential of regions, and (iii) address the role of climate change in shaping diversity over recent evolutionary time, an understanding of which is essential for predicting the impact of future change. Read moreRead less
Metapopulation and habitat quality: towards an integrated approach to the conservation of an endangered grassland lizard. Our research will provide the basis upon which the grassland earless dragon can be removed from its endangered status and provide a template for the future science based management of other endangered species. Australia will gain through this project by reducing its risk of losing yet another species through inappropriate management.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989589
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
A massively parallel genome analysis facility for the ACT region. Maintaining a healthy environment, supporting a sustainable agriculture industry and providing excellent healthcare are three key requirements for the future of Australia and Australians. Modern biological research has a major role to play in all three areas. The success and application of this research requires a serious investment in the new technologies that enable a systems-wide high throughput approach to biological questions ....A massively parallel genome analysis facility for the ACT region. Maintaining a healthy environment, supporting a sustainable agriculture industry and providing excellent healthcare are three key requirements for the future of Australia and Australians. Modern biological research has a major role to play in all three areas. The success and application of this research requires a serious investment in the new technologies that enable a systems-wide high throughput approach to biological questions. Co-investing in a massively parallel genome analysis facility to underpin cutting edge environmental, agricultural and biomedical research in the ACT region, will facilitate progress in areas of the utmost importance to the community and future of the nation.Read moreRead less
Echoes of the earliest Homo sapiens movement out of Africa. The "Out of Africa" and "Multiregional Evolution" theories have proposed sharply different accounts for the origins of our species Homo sapiens. These have converged on opposite readings of the Australian human fossil record. Recent perspectives resulting from research on Pleistocene Australian mitochondrial DNA, and by osteologists on early Homo sapiens remains in Africa and Israel, hint at a chapter, as yet unwritten, in our species' ....Echoes of the earliest Homo sapiens movement out of Africa. The "Out of Africa" and "Multiregional Evolution" theories have proposed sharply different accounts for the origins of our species Homo sapiens. These have converged on opposite readings of the Australian human fossil record. Recent perspectives resulting from research on Pleistocene Australian mitochondrial DNA, and by osteologists on early Homo sapiens remains in Africa and Israel, hint at a chapter, as yet unwritten, in our species' Late Pleistocene dispersal from Africa. This project's collaborative research on fossils from Sri Lanka and Australasia will explore and test the implications for the colonisation history of the Indian Ocean region.Read moreRead less
Optimising plant populations for ecological restoration and resilience. When choosing individual plants for restoration populations, there is potentially a trade-off between maximising genetic diversity (‘adaptability’) and selection for desirable properties (‘adaptation’). This project aims to develop pioneering methods to quantify this trade-off, and facilitate the design of optimised populations, with a focus on two Australian rainforest trees that are being impacted by myrtle rust infection: ....Optimising plant populations for ecological restoration and resilience. When choosing individual plants for restoration populations, there is potentially a trade-off between maximising genetic diversity (‘adaptability’) and selection for desirable properties (‘adaptation’). This project aims to develop pioneering methods to quantify this trade-off, and facilitate the design of optimised populations, with a focus on two Australian rainforest trees that are being impacted by myrtle rust infection: Rhodamnia argentea and Rhodamnia rubescens. By studying the genetic variation in each species, and how this relates to myrtle rust resistance and climate, this project aims to design populations that are genetically diverse, maximally resistant to myrtle rust, and adapted to future climate.Read moreRead less
The Epigenetics of Sex in the Dragon. Genetic codes do not directly translate to phenotypes -- environment acts through epigenetics to modify development. We use advanced molecular techniques to examine how epigenetics responds to temperature to reverse sex in our novel animal model, the dragon lizard. How does the cell sense temperature? Once the extrinsic signal is captured, how does it influence chromatin modification to release or suppress key genes in the sex differentiation pathway? Which ....The Epigenetics of Sex in the Dragon. Genetic codes do not directly translate to phenotypes -- environment acts through epigenetics to modify development. We use advanced molecular techniques to examine how epigenetics responds to temperature to reverse sex in our novel animal model, the dragon lizard. How does the cell sense temperature? Once the extrinsic signal is captured, how does it influence chromatin modification to release or suppress key genes in the sex differentiation pathway? Which sex genes are targets? Epigenetic enzymes are astonishingly conserved, providing exciting opportunities to draw from human systems to unravel novel signatures of temperature-induced sex switching in reptiles. This project will advance knowledge of developmental programming generally.Read moreRead less