Was an ancient bird-like sex chromosome system ancestral to reptiles and mammals? Recent discoveries reveal amazing similarity in the sex chromosomes of distantly related animals. This project will use advanced DNA technology to explore diverse sex chromosomes in reptiles to discover whether this signifies ancient and unsuspected common ancestry, or the convergent redeployment of genes and chromosomes predisposed to determine sex.
DNA methylation in insect social evolution. This project will investigate the evolutionary relationship between DNA methylation and the advanced sociality displayed by bees, ants and wasps. The project will map DNA methylation across the social insects and test whether it has coevolved with sociality. It will also determine how a vital social cue, the queen pheromone, influences the worker methylome. Finally, it will apply quantitative genetic and methylomic methods to wild insects, revealing pa ....DNA methylation in insect social evolution. This project will investigate the evolutionary relationship between DNA methylation and the advanced sociality displayed by bees, ants and wasps. The project will map DNA methylation across the social insects and test whether it has coevolved with sociality. It will also determine how a vital social cue, the queen pheromone, influences the worker methylome. Finally, it will apply quantitative genetic and methylomic methods to wild insects, revealing patterns of selection and inheritance in epigenetic and phenotypic traits. By combining genomic and evolutionary methods, the project will advance the ongoing debate about the importance of methylation to sociality and extreme phenotypic plasticity. It will contribute to a quantum leap in our understanding of DNA methylation and sociobiology and mark the first application of quantitative genetics to wild insects.Read moreRead less
Novel geometric invariants. Quantum theory is the language of fundamental physics, it describes the small scale structure of matter and possibly space-time. Sophisticated models in condensed matter physics and string theory have exposed geometric and topological structure as basic building blocks of the theory. Issues thrown up by quantum theory are very similar to, and have provided techniques to solve, problems in the geometry of three and four dimensional manifolds. Exciting two way exchanges ....Novel geometric invariants. Quantum theory is the language of fundamental physics, it describes the small scale structure of matter and possibly space-time. Sophisticated models in condensed matter physics and string theory have exposed geometric and topological structure as basic building blocks of the theory. Issues thrown up by quantum theory are very similar to, and have provided techniques to solve, problems in the geometry of three and four dimensional manifolds. Exciting two way exchanges of methods, problems and solutions have emerged. This project aims to settle fundamental questions in the interaction between these two fields.Read moreRead less
Asymptotic Geometric Analysis and Learning Theory. Learning Theory is used in various real-world applications in diverse research areas, ranging from Biology (e.g. DNA sequencing) to Information Sciences. Therefore, having a deep understanding of fundamental questions in Learning Theory, and in particular, pin-pointing the parameters that make a learning problem hard would have a significant practical impact. This projects aims to achieve this goal, and in addition, we expect it would have a hig ....Asymptotic Geometric Analysis and Learning Theory. Learning Theory is used in various real-world applications in diverse research areas, ranging from Biology (e.g. DNA sequencing) to Information Sciences. Therefore, having a deep understanding of fundamental questions in Learning Theory, and in particular, pin-pointing the parameters that make a learning problem hard would have a significant practical impact. This projects aims to achieve this goal, and in addition, we expect it would have a high theoretical value, as the questions we shall address are of independent interest to pure mathematicians.Read moreRead less
Variation in the arginine vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a) gene, the social environment, general health and wellbeing. The project aims to investigate how the arginine vasopressin 1a gene affects gene expression and influences social behaviour and ultimately health and wellbeing. This research will contribute to understanding the importance of individual differences in social policy and interventions aimed at improving health and wellbeing.
Sympatric speciation in Australian sexually deceptive orchids. Speciation has generated the diversity of life, yet the mechanisms of speciation remain poorly understood. Chiloglottis orchids are pollinated by highly specific sexually attracted male pollinators-an intriguing and predominantly Australian pollination mechanism. New evidence indicates these orchids offer novel opportunities to illuminate the evolutionary processes of speciation. This project will integrate new and powerful molecul ....Sympatric speciation in Australian sexually deceptive orchids. Speciation has generated the diversity of life, yet the mechanisms of speciation remain poorly understood. Chiloglottis orchids are pollinated by highly specific sexually attracted male pollinators-an intriguing and predominantly Australian pollination mechanism. New evidence indicates these orchids offer novel opportunities to illuminate the evolutionary processes of speciation. This project will integrate new and powerful molecular laboratory procedures with field studies to investigate the mechanisms of speciation within the genus. These orchids may provide rare examples of sympatric speciation-the evolution of species in the absence of geographic isolation. This is currently a speciation mechanism of current and intense research interest worldwide.Read moreRead less
Asymptotic Geometric Analysis and Learning Theory. Learning Theory is used in various real-world applications in diverse research areas, ranging from Biology (e.g. DNA sequencing) to Information Sciences. Therefore, having a deep understanding of fundamental questions in Learning Theory, and in particular, pin-pointing the parameters that make a learning problem hard would have a significant practical impact. This projects aims to achieve this goal, and in addition, we expect it would have a hig ....Asymptotic Geometric Analysis and Learning Theory. Learning Theory is used in various real-world applications in diverse research areas, ranging from Biology (e.g. DNA sequencing) to Information Sciences. Therefore, having a deep understanding of fundamental questions in Learning Theory, and in particular, pin-pointing the parameters that make a learning problem hard would have a significant practical impact. This projects aims to achieve this goal, and in addition, we expect it would have a high theoretical value, as the questions we shall address are of independent interest to pure mathematicians.
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Analysing and modelling molecular rate variation among nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. My research will have important practical benefits for bioinformaticians and evolutionary biologists, because existing analytical methods will be rigorously tested and new tools will be developed. Australia has a comparatively high concentration of researchers in this field, so my research will foster domestic collaboration and import international expertise. The research will provide important insights int ....Analysing and modelling molecular rate variation among nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. My research will have important practical benefits for bioinformaticians and evolutionary biologists, because existing analytical methods will be rigorously tested and new tools will be developed. Australia has a comparatively high concentration of researchers in this field, so my research will foster domestic collaboration and import international expertise. The research will provide important insights into the rates and patterns of genetic changes associated with domestication, and into variation in evolutionary rates among the primate ancestors of humans. In addition to developing new software, which will be made publicly available, I will develop new evolutionary models to supplement existing software packages. Read moreRead less
Gene-environment interactions in reptile sex determination. Sex in many reptiles-crocodiles, marine and freshwater turtles, lizards, tuatara-depends on temperature in the nest. This project will examine poorly understood interactions between genes and temperature in determining sex expanding knowledge of how reptiles with temperature dependent sex determination can evolve to accommodate environmental change.
The Maintenance of Genetic Variation by Antagonistic Sexual Selection. The principle outcomes of my proposed research are fundamental knowledge, training of young scientists and the improvement of Australia's research capacity and profile. My research will have a major impact on two major branches of evolutionary biology that are seldom integrated - sexual selection and quantitative genetics. My research will enable me to establish myself as an independent researcher. Moreover, my collaborations ....The Maintenance of Genetic Variation by Antagonistic Sexual Selection. The principle outcomes of my proposed research are fundamental knowledge, training of young scientists and the improvement of Australia's research capacity and profile. My research will have a major impact on two major branches of evolutionary biology that are seldom integrated - sexual selection and quantitative genetics. My research will enable me to establish myself as an independent researcher. Moreover, my collaborations with one of the leading research laboratories in the UK, will teach me several modern techniques that I can disseminate to Australian students participating on the proposed project.Read moreRead less