Practical application of gene silencing: is delivery of long double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) by plant cells efficient in conferring host resistance to parasitic nematodes? Nematode that attack plants cause $120 billion of crop losses worldwide. Chemicals used for their control are being phased out because of environmental concerns, and natural resistance is limited. The aim of this project is to use Australian IP to develop a new form of resistance to nematodes based on knowledge of th ....Practical application of gene silencing: is delivery of long double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) by plant cells efficient in conferring host resistance to parasitic nematodes? Nematode that attack plants cause $120 billion of crop losses worldwide. Chemicals used for their control are being phased out because of environmental concerns, and natural resistance is limited. The aim of this project is to use Australian IP to develop a new form of resistance to nematodes based on knowledge of the host-pathogen interactions. A successful outcome could contribute an additional 5-20% increase in crop yields (depending on the crop) through inherent resistance of crops to nematode pests. This would benefit rural communities and the national economy, and could also generate international royalties.Read moreRead less
Combinatorial controlled gene expression delivering crops resistant to nematodes. Root-knot nematodes cause US$130 billion crop losses worldwide pa, and at least AUS$ 450 pa in Australia. Current control methods involve fumigation, chemicals (mainly carbamates and organophosphates), natural plant resistance and biological control. The fumigants (eg methyl bromide) are being phased out because they damage the ozone layer, most of the non-fumigants are being banned because of environmental damag ....Combinatorial controlled gene expression delivering crops resistant to nematodes. Root-knot nematodes cause US$130 billion crop losses worldwide pa, and at least AUS$ 450 pa in Australia. Current control methods involve fumigation, chemicals (mainly carbamates and organophosphates), natural plant resistance and biological control. The fumigants (eg methyl bromide) are being phased out because they damage the ozone layer, most of the non-fumigants are being banned because of environmental damage and persistence in groundwater, and biological control has had limited success. These problems are addressed in this project with development of synthetic plant resistance to nematodes, which will benefit horticultural and broadacre farming by reducing pathogen losses and improving quality.Read moreRead less
Regulation of principal components of the antioxidant system in table grapes. An expanded ?health-claims? system will likely be enacted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand within two years. Horticultural industries are attracted to the promotional ?point of difference? this offers. Many health-promoting compounds are antioxidants, including polyphenols that are abundant in fruit such as grape and citrus. Antioxidants are also involved in the plant's defences against abiotic and biotic stres ....Regulation of principal components of the antioxidant system in table grapes. An expanded ?health-claims? system will likely be enacted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand within two years. Horticultural industries are attracted to the promotional ?point of difference? this offers. Many health-promoting compounds are antioxidants, including polyphenols that are abundant in fruit such as grape and citrus. Antioxidants are also involved in the plant's defences against abiotic and biotic stress. Here, the WA Table Grape industry has committed funds for an APAI to study regulation of antioxidants in relation to nutritional and postharvest qualities. Effects of preconditioning with mild oxidative stresses will be assayed, postharvest, using molecular and biochemical techniques.Read moreRead less
Enhancing Grain Yield Potential and Quality of Lupin. Sustainability of wheat production in Western Australia depends on the continued use of legumes, specifically lupins, in farming systems. The low returns to growers for lupins has jeopardised these sustainable systems. This project aims to gather new information to develop novel genetic strategies to increase yield potential and modify seed composition in lupins, enhancing their commercial worth.
New biotech methods for crop quality assurance. Quality assurance of crop products is a key for Australia to be competitive in the world marketplace. The power of molecular diagnostics has not been applied to this important but neglected part of the produce handling chain. In this project research will be undertaken that will lead to low cost on site assays to test for variety preservation, contamination, and presence of pests and diseases. It employs the tools of genomics and proteomics to p ....New biotech methods for crop quality assurance. Quality assurance of crop products is a key for Australia to be competitive in the world marketplace. The power of molecular diagnostics has not been applied to this important but neglected part of the produce handling chain. In this project research will be undertaken that will lead to low cost on site assays to test for variety preservation, contamination, and presence of pests and diseases. It employs the tools of genomics and proteomics to provide basic understanding of processes which can be developed into cost effective analyses for practical use by industry to ensure quality assurance.Read moreRead less
Congestion management in key road networks of a major city through real time data collection, intelligent forecasting and real time routing. The project researches the issues for allowing Australian Road Traffic Authorities to automatically capture road traffic data, forecast traffic flows and smartly route traffic flows to avoid congestion on road networks. This will lead to several benefits, such as (a) reducing traffic congestion, shorten travel time and lower pollution, (b) better utilizati ....Congestion management in key road networks of a major city through real time data collection, intelligent forecasting and real time routing. The project researches the issues for allowing Australian Road Traffic Authorities to automatically capture road traffic data, forecast traffic flows and smartly route traffic flows to avoid congestion on road networks. This will lead to several benefits, such as (a) reducing traffic congestion, shorten travel time and lower pollution, (b) better utilization of existing road infrastructure by diffusing traffic to alternate routes, (c) provide economic benefit by allowing one to delay infrastructure expansion, (d) monitoring of aberrant behaviour by road users to ensure a safer road environment, and (e) improved flexibility in deployment of the Wireless Sensor Network to meet the needs of the road authorities and community.Read moreRead less
The Relevance of the Bovine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) to Milk Production. The objective of this project is to provide the dairy industry with an integrated package that includes a ?dairy performance database? linked to DNA-based information to complement existing breeding practices. Our intention is increase the profitability of the dairy industry, hence making a dairy farm a sustainable venture in a deregulated environment. Profitability results from a combination of several fact ....The Relevance of the Bovine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) to Milk Production. The objective of this project is to provide the dairy industry with an integrated package that includes a ?dairy performance database? linked to DNA-based information to complement existing breeding practices. Our intention is increase the profitability of the dairy industry, hence making a dairy farm a sustainable venture in a deregulated environment. Profitability results from a combination of several factors. The drivers of the industry include political, market, environmental, husbandry, nutrition, and genetic factors. These factors are interrelated. In this proposal, we are specifically interested in the relationship between milk yields and the DNA profile of dairy cattle.Read moreRead less
Evolutionary Design for Ore Processing Plants. This project will investigate the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) in the design of ore processing plants. Ore processing is a major activity in the Australian mining industry, and a significant source of export dollars. Prior work has demonstrated that EAs can out-perform previous manual and automated design techniques for individual processing units. This project will apply EAs to the design of whole flowsheets containing arbitrary combination ....Evolutionary Design for Ore Processing Plants. This project will investigate the use of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) in the design of ore processing plants. Ore processing is a major activity in the Australian mining industry, and a significant source of export dollars. Prior work has demonstrated that EAs can out-perform previous manual and automated design techniques for individual processing units. This project will apply EAs to the design of whole flowsheets containing arbitrary combinations of different types of units. The complexity of typical flowsheet layouts will require new algorithms to discover improved designs in practical time, so parallel hardware, and new parallel EAs, will be utilised.
Read moreRead less
Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. This project aims to understand how the compound cannabidiol is able to kill bacteria by examining its interactions with bacteria from a genetic and molecular level. This research is critical, because future development of cannabidiol and design of improved analogs is predicated on knowing how it works. Expected outcomes include the first detailed understanding of how cannabidiol interacts with bacteria. This should lead ....Investigations into the antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol. This project aims to understand how the compound cannabidiol is able to kill bacteria by examining its interactions with bacteria from a genetic and molecular level. This research is critical, because future development of cannabidiol and design of improved analogs is predicated on knowing how it works. Expected outcomes include the first detailed understanding of how cannabidiol interacts with bacteria. This should lead to significant benefits, including high impact publications, additional collaborations with industrial partner Botanix, and a new class of antibiotics to overcome antibiotic resistance.Read moreRead less
Intelligent real time multi-site controller for conserving energy in remote areas and in the resource industry. This project researches the issues in achieving demand response for electricity usage in remote regions of Australia through the use of smart meters and web of things framework to provide ubiquitous monitoring and control of devices, intelligent control systems to dynamically change energy usage patterns and community-based social network architecture. This will lead to several benefit ....Intelligent real time multi-site controller for conserving energy in remote areas and in the resource industry. This project researches the issues in achieving demand response for electricity usage in remote regions of Australia through the use of smart meters and web of things framework to provide ubiquitous monitoring and control of devices, intelligent control systems to dynamically change energy usage patterns and community-based social network architecture. This will lead to several benefits, such as (a) the strengthening of Australian business competitiveness in these regions by reducing energy costs and increasing energy trading, (b) reduction in ecological impact through smarter utilisation of energy and shifting to renewable sources, (c) encourage local generation and distribution of electricity where communities can trade excess energy.Read moreRead less