Can efficient algal variants of the photosynthetic CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, be folded and assembled in functional forms in higher-plant plastids? We have shown that it is possible to alter the photosynthetic phenotype of a plant predictably and profoundly by engineering the plastid genome to replace the plant's CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, with a bacterial homolog. Thus it may be possible to replace the plant enzyme with more efficient algal Rubiscos that would allow plants to grow with less l ....Can efficient algal variants of the photosynthetic CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, be folded and assembled in functional forms in higher-plant plastids? We have shown that it is possible to alter the photosynthetic phenotype of a plant predictably and profoundly by engineering the plastid genome to replace the plant's CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, with a bacterial homolog. Thus it may be possible to replace the plant enzyme with more efficient algal Rubiscos that would allow plants to grow with less light, less water or less fertiliser. Before such desirable changes to the plant phenotype can be realised, some complex issues of modification, folding and assembly of Rubisco subunits need to be resolved. This proposal addresses them.Read moreRead less
Identification of transcription factor genes involved in the regulation of aspects of photosynthetic capacity in plants. There is increasing evidence to suggest that we may be reaching a yield plateau with many agricultural plants and that future avenues for yield increases may depend on increases in photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf area. Molecular genetic technology offers the promise of the direct manipulation of photosynthetic gene expression to increase photosynthetic capacity. This pro ....Identification of transcription factor genes involved in the regulation of aspects of photosynthetic capacity in plants. There is increasing evidence to suggest that we may be reaching a yield plateau with many agricultural plants and that future avenues for yield increases may depend on increases in photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf area. Molecular genetic technology offers the promise of the direct manipulation of photosynthetic gene expression to increase photosynthetic capacity. This project aims to understand one important part of genetic regulation, the transcription factors, that may determine aspects of photosynthetic capacity. Altered expression of these transcription factors in transgenic plants will be used to test the their ability to control photosynthesis and generate agricultural intellectual property.Read moreRead less
Nanometrology of laser-trapped airborne particles. This project aims to develop a new concept of touch-free measuring of physical characteristics of nanoparticles using specially designed optical vortex beams. The new concept will be of direct importance in developing new nanotechnologies demanding ever-increasing purity of every element in the industrial environment and production processes.
On the physiology of plant transpiration. This project aims to better understand plant transpiration. It is significant from both a basic and a practical perspective. It intends to solve a conundrum of the biophysics of the evaporative sites within leaves. That is, in dry air, the relative humidity of intercellular air spaces suggests much lower liquid water potentials than those typically measured. At a practical level, the failure to sustain transpiration in dry conditions leads to desiccation ....On the physiology of plant transpiration. This project aims to better understand plant transpiration. It is significant from both a basic and a practical perspective. It intends to solve a conundrum of the biophysics of the evaporative sites within leaves. That is, in dry air, the relative humidity of intercellular air spaces suggests much lower liquid water potentials than those typically measured. At a practical level, the failure to sustain transpiration in dry conditions leads to desiccation and tissue death, and plants differ in this vulnerability. The aim is to apply a novel nanoparticle technique to measure the water potential distribution within the leaf, identify hydraulic resilience attributes, and develop a modern theory of optimal transpiration under varying conditions.Read moreRead less
Cereal blueprints for a water-limited world. This project aims to demonstrate that key developmental genes in cereals can be manipulated to design plant architecture for specific resource-limited environments. Producing more food with less water is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. This project expects to increase understanding of how shoot and root systems can be uncoupled to enhance crop adaptation in water-limited environments using an accelerated genome editing approach. ....Cereal blueprints for a water-limited world. This project aims to demonstrate that key developmental genes in cereals can be manipulated to design plant architecture for specific resource-limited environments. Producing more food with less water is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. This project expects to increase understanding of how shoot and root systems can be uncoupled to enhance crop adaptation in water-limited environments using an accelerated genome editing approach. An expected outcome of the project is enhanced drought adaptation for cereals in a dry world. This should provide significant benefits to farmers and consumers in Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
Plutonium - A new tracer of sediment transport into the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. This work will quantify one of the most controversial threats to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, namely the amount of sediment reaching the reef as a consequence of human activities. It will have economic implications for this major Australian tourist attraction, as well as the commercial fishing and agricultural and horticultural industries in the region. The direct economic value associated with these indust ....Plutonium - A new tracer of sediment transport into the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. This work will quantify one of the most controversial threats to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, namely the amount of sediment reaching the reef as a consequence of human activities. It will have economic implications for this major Australian tourist attraction, as well as the commercial fishing and agricultural and horticultural industries in the region. The direct economic value associated with these industries exceeds $1 billion per annum, and around 1 million people visit the inshore areas every year. Management of the park will benefit through improved understanding of the transport of sediment from the rivers to the lagoon and inner reef areas, and the fraction of the sediment attributable to anthropogenic practices. Read moreRead less
Hydraulic Properties of Swelling Clay-Gel Soils: Electrolyte and Temperature Effects. We seek to understand the impacts of electrolytes and temperature on the equilibrium and water flow properties of swelling, clay-gel soils. These soils are important in cropping, the environment and industrial processes. Their hydraulic properties govern dewatering rates, rheology, and solute movement. Double layer theory (DLVO) successfully describes the equilibrium behaviour of model, parallel-plate clay syst ....Hydraulic Properties of Swelling Clay-Gel Soils: Electrolyte and Temperature Effects. We seek to understand the impacts of electrolytes and temperature on the equilibrium and water flow properties of swelling, clay-gel soils. These soils are important in cropping, the environment and industrial processes. Their hydraulic properties govern dewatering rates, rheology, and solute movement. Double layer theory (DLVO) successfully describes the equilibrium behaviour of model, parallel-plate clay systems in laboratories. However, equilibrium and water transport properties of less-ideal, clay slurries are poorly described by theory. Field clay-gels are therefore problematic. Outcomes will be better understanding of swelling clays, improved and more cost effective management techniques for gel soils and trained graduates.Read moreRead less
Improving water quality modelling by better understanding solute transport. Poor stream water quality is a critical problem in Australia and globally. Stream water quality depends directly on pathways and time taken for water to transport pollutants through catchments. Predicting these pathways is highly challenging and currently requires specialised data. This project aims to better model the movement of water from rainfall to streams, enable greatly improved use of water quality data routinely ....Improving water quality modelling by better understanding solute transport. Poor stream water quality is a critical problem in Australia and globally. Stream water quality depends directly on pathways and time taken for water to transport pollutants through catchments. Predicting these pathways is highly challenging and currently requires specialised data. This project aims to better model the movement of water from rainfall to streams, enable greatly improved use of water quality data routinely collected in Australia's catchments and thereby better predict water quality behaviour. Proposed field studies aim to support this development. The outcomes sought are improved planning and management of water quality in our rivers, lakes and estuaries, improved health of these water bodies and improved water supplies.Read moreRead less
The composition and transport of Australian air-borne dust: critical to continental and marine environments. This project will determine the composition of Australian airborne dust and effects on the environment and in particular soils, rainforests and the marine realm, including reefs. 'Fingerprinting' the chemical and microbiological content of aeolian dust is of particular relevance to determining its impact on the health of the Australian people and environment. Atmospheric conditions propit ....The composition and transport of Australian air-borne dust: critical to continental and marine environments. This project will determine the composition of Australian airborne dust and effects on the environment and in particular soils, rainforests and the marine realm, including reefs. 'Fingerprinting' the chemical and microbiological content of aeolian dust is of particular relevance to determining its impact on the health of the Australian people and environment. Atmospheric conditions propitious for dust entrainment and transport will be determined, and in particular atmospheric exchanges between Indonesia, southern Africa and Australia will be established. The relevance of aeolian dust to climate, ecosystems and biosecurity in our region will be established through the study of marine and lacustrine cores.Read moreRead less
Harnessing peptide hormone outputs to improve root nodulation’s efficacy. This project aims to transform our understanding of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume root nodules. Root nodulation sustainably fixes sizeable amounts of nitrogen to boost crop production worldwide yet its utilisation is waning in favour of using nitrogen fertilisers. The project applies cutting-edge tools to define how two hormone systems boost and limit nitrogen fixation, respectively. The project expects to reveal w ....Harnessing peptide hormone outputs to improve root nodulation’s efficacy. This project aims to transform our understanding of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume root nodules. Root nodulation sustainably fixes sizeable amounts of nitrogen to boost crop production worldwide yet its utilisation is waning in favour of using nitrogen fertilisers. The project applies cutting-edge tools to define how two hormone systems boost and limit nitrogen fixation, respectively. The project expects to reveal ways to reconfigure these hormone outputs to improve nodule number and the efficacy of nitrogen fixation. The findings will benefit agriculture by reducing the reliance on costly nitrogen fertilisers, thus mitigating the huge environmental damage they cause, and will provide more sustainable ways to ensure food security.Read moreRead less