Investigating a new paradigm for plant-pathogen interactions; Identification of host-selective toxin proteins in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Stagonospora nodorum is a fungus that causes leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat. This disease alone causes $55 million dollars in yield losses per annum. Traditional breeding methods have yielded crops that are only mildly resistant leaving control of the disease to be worryingly reliant on fungicides. This project aims to identify and char ....Investigating a new paradigm for plant-pathogen interactions; Identification of host-selective toxin proteins in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Stagonospora nodorum is a fungus that causes leaf and glume blotch disease on wheat. This disease alone causes $55 million dollars in yield losses per annum. Traditional breeding methods have yielded crops that are only mildly resistant leaving control of the disease to be worryingly reliant on fungicides. This project aims to identify and characterise proteins that the fungus secretes to cause disease on wheat. By identifying these proteins, it is anticipated that strategies, both traditional and modern, could be employed to enable better control of the disease. This in turn would help provide a long term and secure supply of wheat and wheat based products to the community.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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100188
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$550,000.00
Summary
Terabase sequencing for mutant, developmental, environmental and population genomics. This facility will make it possible to completely sequence the genome (and epi-genome and transcriptome) of a large number of samples in a cost effective manner. This will provide researchers with unprecedented ability to compare individuals in a population and to discover and define novel traits which govern disease resistance, yield and population dynamics in natural systems.
Development of new and high precision noble gas techniques for dating Quaternary volcanic rocks and surfaces: a Thermochronology and Noble Gas Geochronology and Geochemistry Organisation initiative. This project will calibrate noble gas dating methods, providing powerful tools for dating young volcanic rocks, eroded or buried surfaces and glacier/ice retreat. This research has considerable social, national and economic benefits for research training, volcanic hazard assessment, landscape evoluti ....Development of new and high precision noble gas techniques for dating Quaternary volcanic rocks and surfaces: a Thermochronology and Noble Gas Geochronology and Geochemistry Organisation initiative. This project will calibrate noble gas dating methods, providing powerful tools for dating young volcanic rocks, eroded or buried surfaces and glacier/ice retreat. This research has considerable social, national and economic benefits for research training, volcanic hazard assessment, landscape evolution, paleoclimate change and mineral exploration.Read moreRead less
How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex ....How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex traits.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100141
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,000.00
Summary
High-resolution ITRAX XRF core scanning facility for global change research. This facility will enable researchers to obtain high-resolution geochemical profiles in the study of environmental change and climate variability. It will provide archive data on the variation of density and chemical element composition along sediment and soil cores, rock cores, wood samples, speleothems and corals. These archives contain important information such as human activity, climate variability, water quality c ....High-resolution ITRAX XRF core scanning facility for global change research. This facility will enable researchers to obtain high-resolution geochemical profiles in the study of environmental change and climate variability. It will provide archive data on the variation of density and chemical element composition along sediment and soil cores, rock cores, wood samples, speleothems and corals. These archives contain important information such as human activity, climate variability, water quality changes, pollution histories, recent geomorphological change, land-use change, introduction of invasive species and the occurrence of bushfires. A better understanding of the occurrence and timing of these major environmental issues is of national and regional importance.Read moreRead less
Analysing gender in research and policy on alcohol-related violence. This project aims to provide insights into gendered aspects of research and policy on alcohol-related violence among young people. It will produce knowledge through a comparative approach encompassing key alcohol policy contexts in Australia, Canada and Sweden. Project outcomes will improve the capacity of health and policy practitioners to understand the relationships between gender, alcohol and violence; reconceptualise resp ....Analysing gender in research and policy on alcohol-related violence. This project aims to provide insights into gendered aspects of research and policy on alcohol-related violence among young people. It will produce knowledge through a comparative approach encompassing key alcohol policy contexts in Australia, Canada and Sweden. Project outcomes will improve the capacity of health and policy practitioners to understand the relationships between gender, alcohol and violence; reconceptualise responses to alcohol-related problems; inform the development of future alcohol research and policy; increase the capacity to respond more effectively to alcohol use; and reduce alcohol-related harm.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100203
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,000.00
Summary
Autonomous benthic observing system. This project seeks to improve our ability to monitor marine habitats and characterise their variability by enhancing the Integrated Marine Observing system (IMOS) Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Facility. The new AUV infrastructure will reduce operating costs, increase robustness of the sampling effort and insure continued operation for the next decade.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. New solutions are needed to underpin the Australian social ideal of a fair go, and to drive future global economic productivity. The Australian Productivity Commission identifies deep and persistent disadvantage as a significant problem in Australia given the failure of growing national prosperity over the past two decades to benefit underprivileged Australians. Social disadvantage is a global challenge. This Centre will ad ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course. New solutions are needed to underpin the Australian social ideal of a fair go, and to drive future global economic productivity. The Australian Productivity Commission identifies deep and persistent disadvantage as a significant problem in Australia given the failure of growing national prosperity over the past two decades to benefit underprivileged Australians. Social disadvantage is a global challenge. This Centre will advance basic, applied and translational research to reduce intergenerational and long-term disadvantage. Through the maturation of longitudinal datasets and advanced data integration we can follow the journeys of Australian families over generations and across the life course. This data will provide evidence for new policies and make a real difference to the lives of children and families.Read moreRead less