The biology of arbovirus virulence and fitness in arthropod and vertebrate hosts in vivo. In Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) represents significant concern to human health. Between 1992-2005 more than 50,000 notifications of RRV infection have been reported. While not fatal, the disease is responsible for morbidity in the community/individual that can have both social and economic costs. The project has several national benefits. It will help elucidate whether there is any association between ....The biology of arbovirus virulence and fitness in arthropod and vertebrate hosts in vivo. In Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) represents significant concern to human health. Between 1992-2005 more than 50,000 notifications of RRV infection have been reported. While not fatal, the disease is responsible for morbidity in the community/individual that can have both social and economic costs. The project has several national benefits. It will help elucidate whether there is any association between RRV strain and increased risk of RRV transmission and/or occurrence of more severe cases of human disease. It will help develop technologies that can lead towards the identification of viral markers, which could provide new avenues in the design of novel antiviral strategies.
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Quantifying the impacts of environmental stress on marine microorganisms. Microorganisms underpin marine ecosystem health, yet there is limited understanding of how they will respond to different environmental pressures. This project will resolve this critical knowledge gap by developing a unique molecular platform for deriving quantitative stress thresholds for microbial communities inhabiting key reef habitats (seawater, sediments, invertebrates). Quantifying how reef microorganisms respond to ....Quantifying the impacts of environmental stress on marine microorganisms. Microorganisms underpin marine ecosystem health, yet there is limited understanding of how they will respond to different environmental pressures. This project will resolve this critical knowledge gap by developing a unique molecular platform for deriving quantitative stress thresholds for microbial communities inhabiting key reef habitats (seawater, sediments, invertebrates). Quantifying how reef microorganisms respond to a broad suite of environmental perturbations (temperature, nutrients, contaminants), will generate stress-response data that can be incorporated alongside eukaryotic data in environmental assessments, greatly improving the ecological relevance and reliability of risk and vulnerability assessments.Read moreRead less
Revealing the structure, evolution and sensitivity of symbioses in basal metazoa. This project will explore the complex interactions between each component of the sponge holobiont (virus, bacteria, sponge) during thermal stress. This will also provide the first molecular assessment of sponge viruses and provide insights into how sponges may adapt to a changing climate.
Incorporating new knowledge of phytoplankton diversity and nutrient utilisation into an ocean-climate model to improve forecasts of ocean function. Phytoplankton drives ocean biogeochemical cycles and regulate Earth’s climate yet are poorly represented in ocean-climate models. This project will use advanced cell sorting and analysis techniques and innovative selection experiments to gain a deeper understanding of phytoplankton diversity and nutrient utilisation under projected climate change. Th ....Incorporating new knowledge of phytoplankton diversity and nutrient utilisation into an ocean-climate model to improve forecasts of ocean function. Phytoplankton drives ocean biogeochemical cycles and regulate Earth’s climate yet are poorly represented in ocean-climate models. This project will use advanced cell sorting and analysis techniques and innovative selection experiments to gain a deeper understanding of phytoplankton diversity and nutrient utilisation under projected climate change. This new knowledge will be used to improve the biological structure of an existing coupled ocean-climate model and reduce key uncertainties in forecasts of ocean function. This research will provide managers and industry with more accurate insight into the effects of ongoing climate change on the delivery of ecosystem services in eastern Australian waters.Read moreRead less
Ecology, physiology and molecular microbiology of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Ecological, physiological, molecular and micro-biological techniques will be used to examine the disease of corals of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Molecular techniques include the development of diagnostic techniques for disease identification, using Fluorescent In Situ hybridisation (FISH) and DNA microarrays (CHIPS); physiological experiments include examining the effects of temperature and sediment o ....Ecology, physiology and molecular microbiology of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Ecological, physiological, molecular and micro-biological techniques will be used to examine the disease of corals of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Molecular techniques include the development of diagnostic techniques for disease identification, using Fluorescent In Situ hybridisation (FISH) and DNA microarrays (CHIPS); physiological experiments include examining the effects of temperature and sediment on virulence and host susceptibility to disease infection; ecological surveys will examine the extent and seasonality of disease in northern and southern parts of the GBR and on isolated reefs in the central GBR. Management implications of the current coral-disease status of the GBR will be targeted.Read moreRead less
Microbial genomics of the southern ocean: monitoring environmental health. This program will derive an integrated understanding of microbial ecology which is essential for determining ways of preserving the health of the World's ecosystems. Through the development of a unique microbial genomics program, Australia will remain a world leader in Antarctic biology, strengthening Australia's reputation in technologically innovative scientific programs of global significance, training local scientists ....Microbial genomics of the southern ocean: monitoring environmental health. This program will derive an integrated understanding of microbial ecology which is essential for determining ways of preserving the health of the World's ecosystems. Through the development of a unique microbial genomics program, Australia will remain a world leader in Antarctic biology, strengthening Australia's reputation in technologically innovative scientific programs of global significance, training local scientists in cutting edge genomic biology and fostering the interests of the international community in sciences ranging from microbial ecology to climate change.Read moreRead less
Ecological significance of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral disease has contributed significantly to the accelerating deterioration of coral reefs globally, but its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is unknown. This project will determine the prevalence of coral disease on the GBR and evaluate the potential threat it poses to reef health. It will build Australian capacity in the ecology and pathology of coral disease, an emergent global research priority, and provide an important ....Ecological significance of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral disease has contributed significantly to the accelerating deterioration of coral reefs globally, but its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is unknown. This project will determine the prevalence of coral disease on the GBR and evaluate the potential threat it poses to reef health. It will build Australian capacity in the ecology and pathology of coral disease, an emergent global research priority, and provide an important benchmark for determining whether disease incidence is increasing. It will provide insights into potential links between environmental / anthropogenic stressors and disease incidence, and identify potential threats to coral reef health.Read moreRead less
Chemical Defenses Against Microbial Colonisation of Living Marine Surfaces. Microorganisms have a major impact on all ecosystems. Many of these effects are due to the formation of biofilms - cell clusters and their slime matrix - on living and non-living surfaces. Biofilm formation is often regulated by chemical signals. The aim of this project is to understand how naturally produced chemical signals mediate the formation of biofilms on surfaces of marine macroalgae (seaweeds) at both the eco ....Chemical Defenses Against Microbial Colonisation of Living Marine Surfaces. Microorganisms have a major impact on all ecosystems. Many of these effects are due to the formation of biofilms - cell clusters and their slime matrix - on living and non-living surfaces. Biofilm formation is often regulated by chemical signals. The aim of this project is to understand how naturally produced chemical signals mediate the formation of biofilms on surfaces of marine macroalgae (seaweeds) at both the ecological and molecular levels. By understanding colonisation of natural living surfaces, this project will lead directly to significant advances in control of microorganisms in a variety of applied areas (water treatment, biomaterials, antifouling).Read moreRead less
Keystone microbes and planktonic guilds in Australia's oceans. This project aims to unveil the ocean’s hidden sentinels, “keystone microbes” that underpin precious ecosystem services, and which can be used to monitor and model changes in ocean function. Marine microbes account for 90 per cent of oceanic biomass and every litre of seawater contains ~20,000 different species, but it is not known which species control ocean health and productivity. This project intends to provide definitive evidenc ....Keystone microbes and planktonic guilds in Australia's oceans. This project aims to unveil the ocean’s hidden sentinels, “keystone microbes” that underpin precious ecosystem services, and which can be used to monitor and model changes in ocean function. Marine microbes account for 90 per cent of oceanic biomass and every litre of seawater contains ~20,000 different species, but it is not known which species control ocean health and productivity. This project intends to provide definitive evidence of these keystones’ cellular level biogeochemical and metabolic capacity. Ultimately, this knowledge is expected to predict the resilience of ocean ecosystems and their response to change. The capacity to predict their dynamics will help provide investment clarity and increase healthy outcomes from activities involving human-ocean interactions such as recreation, food production and tourism.Read moreRead less
Advancing knowledge of microbial symbioses underpinning coral health and reef resilience and predicting their responses to climate change. Coral reefs are complex, diverse ecosystems in which microbial communities form associations with host corals. However, the roles these associations play in coral stress responses are unknown. This project unlocks the black-box of coral microbial complexity and determines how the reef’s smallest members have the greatest influence on reef health.