A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Role Of The Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Cluster In Alcohol-related Disorders And Esophageal Cancer Through Deep Resequencing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$605,323.00
Summary
Excessive alcohol consumption remains a major public health concern in Australia where the burden of mental health disorders is dominated by substance-use disorders. Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are essential in the breakdown of alcohol in the body and we seek to resequence seven ADH genes with the aim to comprehensively catalogue and identify sequence variants that contribute to risk for consuming excessive quantities of alcohol, alcoholism and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Identifying Glaucoma Risk Variants In The Norfolk Island Genetic Isolate
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$658,447.00
Summary
Primary open angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. In this project we will focus on the identification of functional genetic variants influencing development of this disorder, using a powerful whole exome sequencing approach in a large multigenerational pedigree from the Norfolk Island population isolate. The identification of genes influencing glaucoma development would provide invaluable clues to aid in defining the pathophysiology of this common disease.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101020
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,821.00
Summary
The geodynamics of past sea level changes. This project is designed to quantify the effect of flow deep within Earth’s interior on past sea-level changes and on the flooding history of Australia over the last 550 million years. The rise and fall of sea level has shaped our planet over time. This project plans to combine recent advances in tectonic reconstructions and dynamic Earth models with the global and Australian rock record. The intended outcome is to understand how the Earth’s surface is ....The geodynamics of past sea level changes. This project is designed to quantify the effect of flow deep within Earth’s interior on past sea-level changes and on the flooding history of Australia over the last 550 million years. The rise and fall of sea level has shaped our planet over time. This project plans to combine recent advances in tectonic reconstructions and dynamic Earth models with the global and Australian rock record. The intended outcome is to understand how the Earth’s surface is shaped by flow within its interior, and how these processes explain the sedimentary record. Project results have the potential to be used as an exploration tool to maximise Australia’s competitive advantage in exploring onshore sedimentary basins.Read moreRead less
Identifying Key Players In The Spread Of Antimicrobial Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$817,448.00
Summary
Antibiotic drugs are essential to treat bacterial infections. However some bacteria have genes that allow them to resist certain drugs, which can be transferred among bacteria to create 'superbugs' that can resist nearly all the drugs we have. This project investigates the transfer of drug resistance genes between Gram negative bacteria (common agents of food poisoning, hospital infection, UTI, etc) and aims to identify the bacteria and genes most important in the spread of superbugs in Australi ....Antibiotic drugs are essential to treat bacterial infections. However some bacteria have genes that allow them to resist certain drugs, which can be transferred among bacteria to create 'superbugs' that can resist nearly all the drugs we have. This project investigates the transfer of drug resistance genes between Gram negative bacteria (common agents of food poisoning, hospital infection, UTI, etc) and aims to identify the bacteria and genes most important in the spread of superbugs in Australia.Read moreRead less
Precise global time scale for the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere between 2.6 and 2.0 billion years ago. The rock record from 2600 to 2000 million years ago preserves evidence for dramatically fluctuating greenhouse and icehouse climates at the same time as, and possibly caused by, change from an oxygen-deficient to an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Although the global changes are well-documented, correlation of their timing and duration between continents is poorly constrained. This project aims to re ....Precise global time scale for the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere between 2.6 and 2.0 billion years ago. The rock record from 2600 to 2000 million years ago preserves evidence for dramatically fluctuating greenhouse and icehouse climates at the same time as, and possibly caused by, change from an oxygen-deficient to an oxygen-rich atmosphere. Although the global changes are well-documented, correlation of their timing and duration between continents is poorly constrained. This project aims to redress that problem by producing a precise calibration of the global changes by analysis of the rock records in Australia, Canada and South Africa. It will provide a much needed time framework within which long-term feedback between atmospheric composition and climate can be understood.Read moreRead less
Murray Basin: A unique archive of late Neogene global change. Salinization, soil erosion, groundwater depletion and surface water degradation are but a few of the inter-related environmental problems facing the Murray-Darling Basin. These problems require an understanding of the way in which shallow groundwater, salts and surface water interact with near-surface sediments. This project is aimed at a better understanding the nature of those near-surface sediments in the Murray Basin and how th ....Murray Basin: A unique archive of late Neogene global change. Salinization, soil erosion, groundwater depletion and surface water degradation are but a few of the inter-related environmental problems facing the Murray-Darling Basin. These problems require an understanding of the way in which shallow groundwater, salts and surface water interact with near-surface sediments. This project is aimed at a better understanding the nature of those near-surface sediments in the Murray Basin and how they were formed. If we can understand how the basin came to be the way it is (in the modern setting), we may better understand the way it might behave when subject to man-made changes like increased groundwater usage, etc.Read moreRead less
PAST EAST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET AND GLOBAL SEA-LEVEL VARIATIONS. Unique fossil-bearing, open marine sediments occur inland from the modern Antarctic coastline. These were deposited when a now-glaciated Antarctic basin became a marine embayment, during intervals of significantly reduced ice sheet volume and elevated global sea-level in the past. Urgent palaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical research on these sediments are vital to provide: directly datable in situ evidence for major i ....PAST EAST ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET AND GLOBAL SEA-LEVEL VARIATIONS. Unique fossil-bearing, open marine sediments occur inland from the modern Antarctic coastline. These were deposited when a now-glaciated Antarctic basin became a marine embayment, during intervals of significantly reduced ice sheet volume and elevated global sea-level in the past. Urgent palaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical research on these sediments are vital to provide: directly datable in situ evidence for major ice sheet retreat and global sea-level rise in the past; and quantifiable data concerning the environment during such events; an innovative opportunity to improve predictions of Antarctica's response to global warming and answer international debate about past Antarctic Ice Sheet stability.Read moreRead less
Latest Jurassic history of the Exmouth Sub-basin, North West Shelf: lowstand deposits of the basal Barrow Group. Sand-filled canyons may be excellent petroleum reservoirs, however, interpretation of formation and sediment filling of these major deep marine features is controversial. This project seeks to elucidate the origin of canyons and associated basin floor fans by combining sedimentological data with seismic interpretation and modelling to generate new insights into the history of the E ....Latest Jurassic history of the Exmouth Sub-basin, North West Shelf: lowstand deposits of the basal Barrow Group. Sand-filled canyons may be excellent petroleum reservoirs, however, interpretation of formation and sediment filling of these major deep marine features is controversial. This project seeks to elucidate the origin of canyons and associated basin floor fans by combining sedimentological data with seismic interpretation and modelling to generate new insights into the history of the Exmouth Sub-basin during the Latest Jurassic. In particular, this project provides an opportunity to explore the role of tectonism in canyon formation, the results of which will be of international interest. Geological models developed in this project will enhance our understanding of deep marine systems.Read moreRead less
Southern gateways - the icehouse cometh: Eocene to Oligocene evolution of southeast Australia. The 50 to 30 million years old strata of southeastern Australia have great economic importance for Australia. Most of the gas and oil extracted in the region comes from strata of this age. The research will lead to better age constraints on these reserves, thus enhancing petroleum prospectivity in the area. The global environment changes from 50 to 30 million years charted in this project will lead ....Southern gateways - the icehouse cometh: Eocene to Oligocene evolution of southeast Australia. The 50 to 30 million years old strata of southeastern Australia have great economic importance for Australia. Most of the gas and oil extracted in the region comes from strata of this age. The research will lead to better age constraints on these reserves, thus enhancing petroleum prospectivity in the area. The global environment changes from 50 to 30 million years charted in this project will lead to a better understanding of the geological record of greenhouse-icehouse change. Knowledge of the nature of this change in the past is critical to predicting how our climate is going to behave in the future.Read moreRead less
Seismic velocity problems associated with Cretaceous-Tertiary carbonate sediments that overlie oil and gas fields of the North West Shelf. The major aim of this collaborative study between Partner Oil Companies and The University of Melbourne is to understand seismic velocity problems associated with tropical carbonate sediments on Australias? North West Shelf. These problems can hinder the hydrocarbon exploration efforts below these carbonates. The project is a multi faceted study and will invo ....Seismic velocity problems associated with Cretaceous-Tertiary carbonate sediments that overlie oil and gas fields of the North West Shelf. The major aim of this collaborative study between Partner Oil Companies and The University of Melbourne is to understand seismic velocity problems associated with tropical carbonate sediments on Australias? North West Shelf. These problems can hinder the hydrocarbon exploration efforts below these carbonates. The project is a multi faceted study and will involve integration of seismic stratigraphy with sedimentological, micropaleontological, and geophysical data. The methods outlined below would underpin any seismic depth migration applications, thereby assisting with the delineation of new gas and oil fields, and help with the estimation of reserves in existing fields.
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