Monotreme immune system provides insights into their evolutionary relationships. Genes of immunological importance will be cloned and characterised from the short-beaked echidna with the purpose of investigating the immune system in monotremes, gaining insights into the timing and order of evolutionary separation of the three extant mammalian groups:- the Prototherians (monotremes), the Metatherians (marsupials) and Eutherians (placentals), increasing understanding of the evolution of the verteb ....Monotreme immune system provides insights into their evolutionary relationships. Genes of immunological importance will be cloned and characterised from the short-beaked echidna with the purpose of investigating the immune system in monotremes, gaining insights into the timing and order of evolutionary separation of the three extant mammalian groups:- the Prototherians (monotremes), the Metatherians (marsupials) and Eutherians (placentals), increasing understanding of the evolution of the vertebrate immune system and providing the basis for making immunological reagents which are necessary for studying monotreme diseases (as a precautionary conservation strategy).Read moreRead less
Enhanced biocatalysis in organic solvents for pharmaceutical biotransformation. Enzymes such as hydrolases play an important role in biotechnology because of their extreme versatility with respect to substrate specificity and stereoselectivity. The use of lipases as catalysts for optical isomer-specific organic reactions is often limited by unacceptably low enantioselectivities. We will investigate recombinant enzymes cloned from thermophilic lipolytic bacteria for synthetic reactions in orga ....Enhanced biocatalysis in organic solvents for pharmaceutical biotransformation. Enzymes such as hydrolases play an important role in biotechnology because of their extreme versatility with respect to substrate specificity and stereoselectivity. The use of lipases as catalysts for optical isomer-specific organic reactions is often limited by unacceptably low enantioselectivities. We will investigate recombinant enzymes cloned from thermophilic lipolytic bacteria for synthetic reactions in organic solvents, especially chiral resolution of mixtures in the production of pharmaceutical intermediates. Genetic improvement of lipase enantiospecificity and regioselectivity will be achieved using in vitro evolution by recombination and screening. The outcome will be cost-effective production superior biocatalysts with specifically enhanced regiospecific, enantioselective and hydrolytic characteristics.
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Synthesis and assembly of bacterial repeat unit polysaccharides. Bacteria make an enormous range of surface polysaccharides. The complexity was first appreciated as antigenic diversity, but we now have hundreds of chemical structures and perhaps a hundred sequences of their gene clusters, but the number in nature must be many thousands. Our knowledge of gene function is growing but is not keeping up with the discovery of new sequences and structures. The aim is to determine structure and functio ....Synthesis and assembly of bacterial repeat unit polysaccharides. Bacteria make an enormous range of surface polysaccharides. The complexity was first appreciated as antigenic diversity, but we now have hundreds of chemical structures and perhaps a hundred sequences of their gene clusters, but the number in nature must be many thousands. Our knowledge of gene function is growing but is not keeping up with the discovery of new sequences and structures. The aim is to determine structure and function of key O antigen processing genes and the functions of a range of glycosyl transferases, and to use the information to generate novel gene clusters to synthesise novel polysaccharidesRead moreRead less
The genetics of resistance to devil facial tumour disease. Tasmanian devils are on the brink of extinction due to a new contagious cancer: Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). The aim of this project is to determine the genetic nature of DFTD resistance in order to directly contribute to the conservation management of this iconic and ecologically important species. This research will generate fundamental information about genetic diversity in Tasmanian devils and establish the feasibility of bree ....The genetics of resistance to devil facial tumour disease. Tasmanian devils are on the brink of extinction due to a new contagious cancer: Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). The aim of this project is to determine the genetic nature of DFTD resistance in order to directly contribute to the conservation management of this iconic and ecologically important species. This research will generate fundamental information about genetic diversity in Tasmanian devils and establish the feasibility of breeding resistant animals for release into the wild. Read moreRead less
Elucidation of bacterial glycosylytransferase specificity. The benefits are involvement in the growth area of polysaccharide research, with potential for major industrial spin off. Polysaccharides are critical in all organisms as signalling, structural and storage compounds. Bacteria make a wide variety with extensive use of unusual sugars, some with uses from oil emulsifiers to food thickeners. The project is on the enzymes that assemble bacterial polysaccharides. We are world leaders in genet ....Elucidation of bacterial glycosylytransferase specificity. The benefits are involvement in the growth area of polysaccharide research, with potential for major industrial spin off. Polysaccharides are critical in all organisms as signalling, structural and storage compounds. Bacteria make a wide variety with extensive use of unusual sugars, some with uses from oil emulsifiers to food thickeners. The project is on the enzymes that assemble bacterial polysaccharides. We are world leaders in genetics of the gene clusters especially synthesis of the unusual sugars. We now aim to fill a major gap by determining which enzymes make which bonds, leading to options for new gene combinations and novel structures. We have a lead in research in this area and Australia gains if we maintain that lead.Read moreRead less
Humane Chemical Methods for Population Management of Highly Valued Large Mammals. In many countries valued wild and feral animals are nonetheless too numerous. Their population numbers must be controlled through fertility. Examples are koalas in Australia, deer and seals in North America, cattle in India and dogs in Thailand. We aim to develop benign implants for castration based upon the gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). These implants are easily administered. The outcomes will be to ....Humane Chemical Methods for Population Management of Highly Valued Large Mammals. In many countries valued wild and feral animals are nonetheless too numerous. Their population numbers must be controlled through fertility. Examples are koalas in Australia, deer and seals in North America, cattle in India and dogs in Thailand. We aim to develop benign implants for castration based upon the gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH). These implants are easily administered. The outcomes will be to protect Australia's ?green? image , worldwide market opportunities for the Australian companies involved in this application and valuable intellectual property for Macquarie. The methodology will in time allow us to apply it to the treatment of cancer.Read moreRead less
Genomic Basis of Resistance to Poisoning by Sodium Fluoroacetate (Compound 1080) in Australian Wildlife. In Australia agricultural conservation activities worth billions of dollars are protected by using sodium fluoroacetate (1080) against pest animals. Target species are Australian rabbits and foxes and New Zealand brushtail possums. Prolonged use of biocontrol agents causes genetic resistance. This occurs naturally in Western Australia in native animals living in areas with high levels of 1080 ....Genomic Basis of Resistance to Poisoning by Sodium Fluoroacetate (Compound 1080) in Australian Wildlife. In Australia agricultural conservation activities worth billions of dollars are protected by using sodium fluoroacetate (1080) against pest animals. Target species are Australian rabbits and foxes and New Zealand brushtail possums. Prolonged use of biocontrol agents causes genetic resistance. This occurs naturally in Western Australia in native animals living in areas with high levels of 1080 in native plants. As part of the Kangaroo Genome project our aim is to discover the genomic basis of this resistance. The outcomes will be improved ability to manage pest animal populations and understanding of the evolution of plant-animal interactions.Read moreRead less
Bacterial innovation and evolution: Molecular prospecting by targeting integrons and gene cassettes. Bacteria can respond rapidly to environmental change by acquiring new genes via lateral gene transfer. A DNA element called the integron can capture, mobilise and express genes, thereby playing a role in the transfer process. We have discovered that integrons are surprisingly abundant in the environment and are associated with a hitherto unsuspected diversity of novel genes. In this study we will ....Bacterial innovation and evolution: Molecular prospecting by targeting integrons and gene cassettes. Bacteria can respond rapidly to environmental change by acquiring new genes via lateral gene transfer. A DNA element called the integron can capture, mobilise and express genes, thereby playing a role in the transfer process. We have discovered that integrons are surprisingly abundant in the environment and are associated with a hitherto unsuspected diversity of novel genes. In this study we will assess the diversity of environmental integrons and examine their contribution to bacterial evolution. Further, we aim to use integron systems to prospect for novel genes and contract new enzyme pathways by directed evolution.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0989147
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,000.00
Summary
Advanced high throughput genomics facility for biological, medical, agricultural, environmental and evolutionary research. Infrastructure requested will expand the capacity of researchers in NSW/NT to undertake environmental, medical and evolutionary studies using state-of-the-art technologies based on the recent advances in DNA sequencing analyses. It will ensure the retention of leading researchers in the exciting areas of genomics and Systems Biology and make a significant contribution to bi ....Advanced high throughput genomics facility for biological, medical, agricultural, environmental and evolutionary research. Infrastructure requested will expand the capacity of researchers in NSW/NT to undertake environmental, medical and evolutionary studies using state-of-the-art technologies based on the recent advances in DNA sequencing analyses. It will ensure the retention of leading researchers in the exciting areas of genomics and Systems Biology and make a significant contribution to biomolecular research in medicine, agriculture and environmental biology, thereby providing major benefits to the wider community. The application will enhance existing genomic technologies by substantially increasing the scope of experiments that can be performed leading to important advances in gene discovery.Read moreRead less
Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulati ....Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulating toxin production in cyanobacteria and algae.Read moreRead less