MONASH UNIVERSITY

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Development of Innovative Small Molecules for Therapeutic Intervention... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Cellular recycling, a route to productivity in ageing. Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Research programs and pivotal trials to improve outcomes in critical... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Research programs and pivotal trials to improve outcomes in critical... Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A molecular approach to unlocking B cell memory potential Category: Medical Research

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Victorian Facility for Atom-Scale Quantum Microscopy and Manufacturing Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Investigating artificial intelligence risks for the Australian workforce. The project aims to examine the way that office software is increasingly used to gather data from Australian workers to train the artificial intelligence that may replace them. The project expects to produce new knowledge on the consequences of artificial intelligence for workers and businesses through surveys and interviews of digital workers and businesses. Expected outcomes include a report identifying the risks to workers jobs in sectors most dependent of office software, and recommendations for potential retraining needs for affected workers. Benefits include a better understanding of potential social and economic consequences of artificial intelligence driven job losses. Field of research: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies Artificial intelligence presents a new risk to the employment prospects of the Australian workforce. Office workers are at risk of replacement by artificial intelligence and office software, such as Microsoft Office and Google Docs, that collect data that can be used to train artificial intelligence tools that may replace workers in many sectors in the near future. However, little is known about how workers and businesses that rely upon this software understand the consequences of, and are concerned about, this behaviour and its potential influence on jobs and businesses. The project will address this gap in our knowledge. The project has the potential to benefit Australia both socially and economically. Artificial intelligence will increasingly replace human workers in many sectors of the workforce. By understanding the potential retraining needs of worker in these sectors, the project could benefit Australia by identifying future educational needs and associated economic supports for workers who may be affected by artificial intelligence driven redundancy, and by supporting public and policy discussions about the future workforce. The results and recommendations from the project will be shared with key stakeholders such public policy makers, unions, software providers, NGO’s and the public. Key findings of the research will also be shared through press releases and resulting media interviews.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Supply chain governance solutions for the gig economy. This project aims to identify ideal structures for business, independent workers and platforms, to ensure worker protection and service quality in the gig economy. Business depend on the gig economy for hiring flexibility and to lower costs. Gig work lacks the protection of other employment however with higher risks of worker injury or exploitation. Traditional buyer-supplier systems ignore independent workers and new buyer-supplier structures are needed to address a critical gap in labor governance. This Project uses an interdisciplinary approach to identify systems that achieve dual goals of worker protection and buyer flexibility. The Project's expected outcomes include better business oversight of gig work performance and protections. Field of research: 3509 - Transportation, Logistics and Supply Chains Gig-economy work is a rapidly growing form of labour. Gig-labour has been used increasingly by Australian business as it is more flexible, lower cost and scalable. Online platforms (e.g. Uber) organise labour for businesses by using 'self-employed' gig-workers. Gig-workers' contractor status, however, allows business and platforms to avoid labour protections provided to other forms of employment. As a result gig-work has less oversight, workers experience higher risks of injury, income insecurity, and discrimination, and service quality is lower. Firms and their supply chains can bridge the labour protections gap faced by gig-workers, however, especially given gig-work provides a growing range of services in firms' supply chains. The Project will investigate the role and perspectives of key stakeholders (business, platforms, workers, consumers) in gig-work labour protections. It seeks to identify supply chain solutions that maintain the flexibility and scalability of gig-based labour but also ensure minimum fair, safe working conditions. The Project improves Australian workers' access to sustainable gig-work which is a growing source of income for many. It also supports the economy by reducing gig-labour risks for industry which improves the resilience of Australia's supply chains. Project outcomes will inform recent government changes to the national employment system, and will be shared with industry, workers, and the international academic community.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Towards atomic scale magnetic field mapping and measurement. This project aims to map and measure magnetic fields at the fundamental atomic scale by building on new structure determination algorithms in electron microscopy and a new lens design enabling high resolution imaging of magnetic materials. This project expects to generate new knowledge about the structure of magnetic materials that will underpin next-generation technologies such as data storage and magnetic sensors. Expected outcomes of this project include new methods for characterising magnetic structures at smaller length scales than hitherto possible. This should benefit academic and industrial researchers for whom characterising magnetic structure is essential to improve capacity and energy efficiency of digital storage technologies. Field of research: 5104 - Condensed Matter Physics With Australians generating more digital data than ever, the need for increased data storage capacity with improved energy efficiency grows every year. To maintain pace with this ever-increasing need requires new technologies that maximise the use of the magnets that underpin this technology. Developing such technologies requires improved understanding and characterisation of magnetic structures on increasingly small length scales. This project seeks to address a research gap in characterising magnetic structures by developing imaging theory and analysis tools to measure and map magnetic fields down to the fundamental atomic scale. By training the next generation of researchers and strengthening collaborative links with researchers in the USA and Japan, this project will help keep Australia at the forefront of advanced materials characterisation. By developing our understanding of magnetic materials, this project will provide tools and insights that will potentially lead to environmental benefits by enabling new developments in power-efficient electronics, and economic benefits by enabling improvements in data storage capacity. The algorithms produced by this project will be promoted through open-source software and workshops to both academic and industrial researchers for whom characterising magnetic structure at this scale provides the insights necessary to build the next generation of digital data storage technologies to meet the ongoing needs of all Australians.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unravelling evolutionary effects of mitochondria on sperm and male... Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Human perceptual decision-making: bridging molecules, systems and behaviour. Decision-making is the process through which sensory information is transformed into appropriate action and is critical to cognitive performance. This project aims to understand the causal neurobiological mechanisms underlying perceptual decision-making using a novel framework which combines non-invasive brain stimulation, neuroimaging, pharmacological and experimental manipulations, and neurally-informed behavioural modelling. Expected outcomes include a critical understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying both neural activity and decision-making performance in healthy individuals. This research will uncover the ways in which brain dynamics shape an individual's decisions, offering key insights for tailored interventions. Field of research: 5202 - Biological Psychology How the brain translates sensory information into action, known as perceptual decision-making, remains a major unanswered question in neuroscience. By using a unique combination of experimental characterisation and theoretical computation, this study will provide the first comprehensive causal mapping of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying decision-making in humans. This research will yield a number of important fundamental outcomes, including a greater understanding of ‘when’ and ‘where’ in the brain perceptual decisions are formed and how our brain chemistry tunes these decision-making processes. The knowledge gained will have important applied outcomes in helping to understand, and potentially optimize, decision making in for example, healthy aging, a major issue given the rapidly aging population in Australia, and in post-stroke recovery, the economic burden of which is immense (>26 billion AUD p.a.). The brain networks and neurochemical processes identified in this research could guide strategies to enhance cognitive function in these groups. All data and outputs of this project will be publicly available on open-source platforms, promoting accessibility and collaborative progress. The project will use social media and workshops to establish partnerships with industry and policy groups, translating research into practical applications and bridging the gap between academia and real-world implementation.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Ethics, evidence, and expert disagreement in public health emergencies. Public health responses to pandemics have major consequences beyond the diseases themselves. Ethical responses must balance the benefits of controlling epidemics with causing social and economic harms to society. This project aims to understand how expert disagreement over evidence contributes to contentious emergency public health responses. Expected outcomes include new evidence-based methods for ethical evaluation of public health responses that may reduce harms, along with guidance on how public health ethics frameworks should be used when experts disagree. The project hopes to provide social and economic benefits to Australia by helping health policy makers ethically balance the benefits and harms of pandemic responses. Field of research: 5001 - Applied Ethics Infectious disease emergencies are a major threat to Australia’s health, but public health responses also result in additional health, social, and economic costs. The costs of the COVID19 response include increased death rates due to diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and cancer, as well as a mental health crisis. The economic costs are over $400 billion, and are especially felt by low-income families. Differences in public health responses across states and countries highlighted the lack of evidence on how ethically informed public health policies can be made and changed when evidence is uncertain and experts disagree. This project aims to address this gap. This project could provide social, economic, and health benefits to Australia by developing better tools to inform ethical public health responses to epidemics where experts disagree, which might help avoid the unintended social and economic costs currently being experienced by Australians and other countries. The findings and tools resulting from the project will be shared with key stakeholders including public health experts, government health departments and policy makers, bioethicists and the public through a workshop, meetings, publications and resulting media interviews. An in person and online research engagement workshop will be run at Monash University for key stakeholders to attend, with members of the public able to attend via a live online presentation platform.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Molecular Functions of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Metabolites. This project aims to investigate the functions of metabolites from the breakdown of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential molecule for all cellular life forms. These metabolites are likely to play important biological roles in bacteria, plants, and animals, especially in their immune systems. This project expects to determine the structure and function of these metabolites at the molecular level, filling a critical knowledge gap in NAD+-mediated signalling processes. Expected outcomes of this project include advanced knowledge of NAD+-mediated signalling and innate immunity pathways. This should provide significant commercial and economic benefits via the development of technologies against pathogens in plants and animals. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Crop production and livestock farming are important parts of Australian agriculture that provide food security for Australians, with Australian crop industries producing over $10 billion worth of crops each year and the livestock industry valued at over $69 billion per year. Both are susceptible to infections by pathogens such as bacteria that can impact food production. This project addresses an important research gap in our understanding of the functions of novel metabolites in bacteria and plant immune pathways at the molecular level. Advanced molecular knowledge in such plant immune systems can be used to improve pathogen resistance and antibiotics in valuable agricultural markets. This is expected to have significant economic benefits for Australian agricultural and biotech sectors that include enabling future engineering of crops with enhanced immunity against pathogen infections and development of new veterinary antibiotics against bacterial infections in livestock. Research outcomes will be promoted to potential industry partners via seminars, workshops, and commercial partnerships, with existing business development protocols at Griffith University, to maximise understanding and translation of the research outcomes.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Advancing Australian Green Steel through Redox Transformations. The project aims to adopt a microstructure-focused approach in exploring the transformation kinetics of hydrogen-based iron oxide reduction and the subsequent corrosion of the reduced iron. These coupled redox phase transformations are central to the efficient production of green steel and its continental transport, tackling the challenges in advancing Australia's leadership in integrating green steel and green hydrogen technology. This work will offer a timely technology guideline tailored for the Australian green steel industry, based on the new knowledge platform for these redox transformations. The effort aims to enhance R&D autonomy in Australia, optimising green steel technologies to support the national goal for net-zero emissions. Field of research: 4016 - Materials Engineering Australian manufacturing currently faces a unique opportunity to flourish while adhering to zero-emission commitments. This project explores this opportunity by integrating green steel and green hydrogen industries to establish a novel approach to green exports. Specifically, it focuses on the scientific principles of efficiently producing hydrogen-reduced iron and maintaining its economic value during intercontinental transport. The research addresses technical challenges unique to Australia's role as a global resource exporter, particularly in the value-added minerals and green hydrogen sectors. By developing solutions to these coupled growing sectors, the project aims to enhance both the technical and economic aspects of Australia's emerging green steel industry. This research is crucial for ensuring Australia secures a prominent position in the global green manufacturing value chain. It will enable Australia to adapt to the evolving landscape of sustainable manufacturing by providing carbon-free iron, thereby enhancing its strong export economy with greater value addition, compared to merely exporting iron ore. The project will yield a tailored science-based technology guideline for the Australian green steel industry, developed in collaboration with industry collaborators in mining and renewable energy. This guideline, freely available to the public, contributes to transforming Australia's $100+ billion iron ore export sector into a zero-emission industry.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Unravelling evolutionary effects of mitochondria on sperm and male fitness. This project aims to uncover the mechanisms by which mitochondrial mutations affect sperm traits, how such mutations alter sexual selection and reproductive success, and whether they influence offspring viability through paternal effects. Theory predicts that mitochondrial genes should affect sperm production and function, but this has never been comprehensively tested. Leveraging cutting-edge methods, this project expects to generate new knowledge in mitochondrial evolution, sexual selection, and reproduction. Expected outcomes and benefits include fundamental discoveries with broad implications across fields of evolution, ecology and male reproductive biology, and development of mutually beneficial international collaborations. Field of research: 3104 - Evolutionary Biology This project will apply innovative approaches in evolutionary genetics to solve questions that have remained intractable. Specifically, the project will test whether the variation existing between males in the genes of their mitochondria (the cells’ batteries) impacts their fertility and health of their offspring. Through its international collaborations, the project will bring cutting-edge genetic approaches to Australia, resulting in breakthrough discoveries that position the nation at the forefront of research innovation in evolution and genetics. The project’s outcomes are expected to inspire new research in reproductive biology, and may facilitate the discovery of new genetic factors causing infertility in humans. The discovery of these factors could ultimately lead to new targets for treatment, offsetting recent drastic declines in fertility among men, and delivering economic and social impacts for Australia. The translation pathway of this project will prioritise strategic engagement across disciplines, disseminating fundamental outcomes of this evolutionary research at national conferences in mitochondrial and reproductive medicine to audiences of biomedical researchers, industry and clinical stakeholders. At Monash, I will build a working group connecting mitochondrial researchers spanning evolutionary and biomedical fields, via workshops that may facilitate the translation of the research outcomes into practical applications.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Spatiotemporal control of microbial and biogeochemical activity in drylands. This project seeks to reveal the fine-scale temporal and spatial controls of dryland microbial communities and their activities. Through diel sampling, depth profiling, and microclimate monitoring, paired with species-resolved multi-omic analysis and biogeochemical measurements, this project expects to resolve how dryland microbes adapt to these challenging dynamic ecosystems, how they regulate nutrient cycling and atmospheric gas composition, and how their activities support ecosystem productivity. Expected benefits include basic knowledge on dryland ecosystem functioning, a framework to predict ecosystem responses to environmental change, and insights for management practice to stimulate favourable soil microbial activity for agriculture. Field of research: 3107 - Microbiology Soil is an essential component of the Earth's ecosystems, and microorganisms that live in the soil play a central role, taking in carbon and nutrients and releasing them back into the environment. This process is known as “cycling”, and is critical for the biodiversity of our natural environments, as well as for productivity in agriculture. However, the activity patterns of these microbes and their role in elemental cycling in “dryland” ecosystems, which are characterised by a lack of water, are not well understood. This project will address this knowledge gap through an in-depth study on cycling by soil microbes across time and space within Australia’s dryland ecosystem – which makes up three-quarters of Australia’s total landmass. This new knowledge will directly contribute to Australia’s National Soil Strategy, which will enable accurate forecasting of the health of our soil ecosystems based on global environmental changes, and predictions of the role of Australia’s drylands in modulating climate. We will partner with Government and land owners to inform policy and land management strategies that will simultaneously protect and increase productivity of vulnerable drylands, which are crucial for Australia’s $60 billion agricultural industry. Considering the economic importance of Australia’s soil ecosystems, and their role in the health of our environment and population, the benefits of this study are likely to be far-reaching.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

A molecular investigation into marsupial T cell mediated immunity. Over ~ 400 million years, the immune system of vertebrates has constantly evolved to protect hosts from pathogens. Whilst much in-roads has been made in understanding immunity in humans and mice, there is a major knowledge gap in understanding how immunity operates in other mammalian species. This project aims to investigate T cell mediated immunity in marsupials and expects to generate new knowledge on a novel type of immune cell that is only found in marsupials. The expected outcomes of the project include a better understanding of the molecular correlates of immunity in marsupials. This should provide significant benefits for wildlife conservation in Australia. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology The immune system has an essential role in health, through detecting threats in the environment and protecting against diseases. Most research on the immune system focuses on humans and mice, leaving a gap in our understanding on how the immune system works in other animals. This project will increase our knowledge of a novel type of immune cell that is found only in marsupials (e.g. kangaroos) and monotremes (e.g. platypuses). Understanding how these cells function and detect threats should lead to novel biotechnological developments. The outcomes of this project could therefore inform the development of treatments for animal diseases and protect Australian native animals threatened by disease (e.g. Tasmanian devils with facial tumour). This could ultimately fill a significant unmet need for conserving wildlife and provide a commercial and environmental benefit for Australia. The research outcomes will be promoted and shared with communities, non-governmental and governmental organisations (Wildlife conservation), and policy makers through a series of workshops, meetings, and seminars, enabling them to collaborate on implementation.

GrantConnect (Australian Government grants) · FY 2025 · 2025-01

How does RNA regulate gene repression? Category: Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Research

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Leveraging electron microscopy to study receptor structure and function. This project aims to address key knowledge gaps regarding the molecular mechanisms of peptide hormone receptor function, using the parathyroid hormone receptor as a model system. This project expects to use an interdisciplinary approach, focused on cutting-edge microscopy techniques, to generate new insights. Expected outcomes of this project include a three-dimensional, step-by-step view of the receptor’s activation and deactivation process at high resolution, as well as optimised sample preparation methods for microscopy. This should provide significant benefits by greatly enhancing our understanding of this physiologically important receptor and potentially improving numerous future structural studies on similar receptors. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Cells communicate with one another using molecular machines called receptors. These proteins, mainly located on the cell surface, play critical roles in human biology. A holy grail for understanding receptors is to capture the three-dimensional structures of these receptors at every step of their activation and deactivation cycle. Using advanced electron microscopy, protein engineering, and sample preparation techniques, this project strives to image and reconstruct these key steps for the parathyroid hormone receptor, a protein that helps maintain blood homeostasis. The insights and tools gained from this research will be widely applicable to other receptors of physiological importance. Results will be disseminated to the public through engaging media (e.g. images and animations) and will be made available to industrial collaborators that have invested in Australian microcopy expertise. Ultimately, the findings from the research will provide economic benefits to the Australian community by supporting structure-guided biotechnology and future drug development efforts.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

As-printed titanium alloys with exceptional strain hardening. This project aims to make breakthrough developments of additively manufactured titanium alloys by utilising a new strain hardening mechanism. The project expects to generate new knowledge on how to effectively strengthen the commercial alloys’ microstructure and achieve superior damage tolerance. Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced capacity to develop and commercialise titanium alloys with balanced mechanical performance that surpasses current versions. This should provide significant benefits, such as wide adoption of 3D-printed products in aerospace, transportation and energy industries and enhancing Australia’s international standing in cutting-edge research on advanced manufacturing. Field of research: 4014 - Manufacturing Engineering The project aims to develop innovative, high-strength 3D-printed titanium materials for use in industries such as aerospace, transportation, and energy. Current 3D-printed titanium alloys are prone to damage, limiting their application in critical components for airplanes, cars, and power plants. This project seeks to create more resilient titanium alloys that are less susceptible to breakage. The enhanced materials will significantly benefit Australian companies by enabling the production of safer, more efficient products through 3D printing. This technology will allow for time and cost savings, as well as the creation of intricate and customized designs. The outcomes of the project will advance the local manufacturing industry, leading to superior products, increased profitability, and fostering economic growth and innovation in Australia.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Measuring and mitigating cumulative impacts in Antarctica. This project aims to investigate human impacts in terrestrial Antarctica and determine how we can best protect its unique species into the future. Using novel modelling methods and field research, this project expects to transform our understanding of how local and global pressures accumulate and interact to impact Antarctic ecosystems. Expected outcomes include improved methods for assessing cumulative impacts and to generate the knowledge required by policymakers to maintain Australia's position as a world leader in Antarctic environmental protection. This should provide substantial benefits to policymakers in Australia and internationally, and to all Australians interested in conserving the world’s last great wilderness. Field of research: 4104 - Environmental Management Antarctica is the only continent on earth that is still considered largely untouched by humans. However, pressures such as tourism and climate change are growing and we don’t understand if the impacts of these pressures accumulate through time, or whether they interact with one another to produce a combined impact larger than the sum of each pressure acting independently. Australia has long been regarded as a world leader in Antarctic conservation, and with a claim over more than 50% of the continent, our stewardship of the region is especially important. To maintain our environmental leadership, we must understand how to measure and mitigate cumulative impacts, a complex challenge for managing both Antarctic and Australian ecosystems. This project will both produce new methods for assessing cumulative impacts generally, and drastically improve our understanding of cumulative impacts in Antarctica. It will produce the evidence needed by policymakers to better manage Antarctica’s unique species and environments in formats accessible to them. These outcomes directly align with the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20-year Action Plan objective to protect the Antarctic environment. Ultimately, this project will help to conserve Antarctic ecosystems and ensure that Australia can continue to lead the way as Antarctica’s primary protector.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

G protein-coupled receptor Response Mechanisms to Environmental Pollutants. This project aims to elucidate how plastic pollutants interact with membrane receptors, specifically two critical cellular sensors: adenosine A1 receptors and G protein-coupled estrogen receptors. It integrates molecular biology, analytical pharmacology, computational modelling, and artificial intelligence. The anticipated outcome is a comprehensive insight into ligand-receptor binding, trafficking, signalling and molecular interactions of these plastic pollutants, which have broad implications for public health and environmental policy. This research could potentially lead to the development of safer and more effective strategies for managing and mitigating the impact of environmental pollutants on human health and ecosystems. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology This research venture embarks on a novel exploration of how G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), vital for cellular communication, are affected by plastic pollutants, addressing a significant gap in both Australian and global research. By investigating the interactions between these environmental pollutants and GPCRs, our work aims to reveal their impact on public health and ecological health. Findings of this research are expected to guide pollution mitigation strategies and the development of safer plastic materials. The project stands to inform public health policies and preventive measures against pollution-related diseases, offering economic and health benefits for Australians. An enhanced understanding of the effects of plastic pollutants on both human and environmental health will also fortify Australia's position as a leader in biological and ecological research. To maximize the impact of our findings, we plan to share our discoveries through public lectures, open-access publications, and partnerships with educational institutions. We will foster discussions with industry leaders to explore potential commercial applications, ensuring the translation of research into societal benefits. By providing insights that can guide policymakers, industry practices, and community awareness, this project aligns with the national interest, seeking to protect the well-being of citizens and Australia's natural beauty, thereby promoting a healthier, more sustainable future.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

How does RNA regulate gene repression? RNA is known to have diverse roles in many areas of biology. Currently, however, the mechanisms that link RNA to gene repression are poorly understood. This project aims to address this fundamental knowledge gap by studying how RNA regulates genomic structure at repressed genes. This project will generate new knowledge in the areas of RNA biology and epigenetics through an interdisciplinary approach to combine cutting edge genomics methods with innovative structural biology techniques. Expected outcomes include the development of new methods to study nuclear RNA as well as a more comprehensive picture of the diverse mechanisms governing gene repression. This will significantly benefit our understanding of basic RNA and chromatin biology. Field of research: 3105 - Genetics Genes are the blueprints for all cellular functions, and can be turned off, or “silenced” when a particular function is no longer needed. This process is common to all multicellular organisms and is critical, for example, during mammalian embryonic development, where errors in gene silencing can result in growth abnormalities. RNA (ribonucleic acid) is a form of genetic material that is now emerging as a key player in gene silencing, however this process is not well understood. This project will explore how RNA is involved in gene silencing and inform our understanding of this process during development and throughout life. These research findings will contribute new and important knowledge to Australia’s rapidly growing RNA biotechnology industry. Gene silencing is also highly relevant in agricultural biotechnology, which relies heavily on genome editing technologies. However these methods are particularly inefficient in the case of silent genes. This research will address this technical limitation through the development of tools to alter the structure of silent genes enabling more efficient editing. These tools will be adopted through partnership with the agriculture industry, resulting in faster and more efficient development of genetically modified crops and livestock animals, increasing yield and drought resilience. This work will therefore benefit several areas of economic importance in Australia, including agriculture, animal and human health, and research.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Inducing essential bacterial enzymes to self-destruct. Antimicrobial resistance is a looming crisis. Breakthrough cell biology is needed to identify new targets and new mechanisms of inhibition. This project aims to probe the susceptibility of bacteria to a novel “reaction-hijacking” mechanism, which has recently been discovered by our team. This work expects to catalogue targetable enzymes in bacteria and probe the inhibition mechanism using chemical, structural and cell biology approaches. Expected outcomes include the discovery of powerful chemical probes to study key metabolic enzymes in bacteria and a blueprint for the design of selective reaction-hijacking inhibitors. In the longer term, this work will underpin new therapeutic avenues for bacterial infections of humans and animals. Field of research: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology Australia’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy recognises that an ever-increasing number of bacterial infections cannot be effectively treated due to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). For example, ~40% of veterinary antibiotic treatments used in Australia work by blocking protein synthesis, but these treatments are at risk due to AMR, threatening Australia’s food security. We are exploring a new class of antibacterial inhibitors that target protein synthesis - in a new and unexpected way. We have discovered a class of molecules that blocks a key machinery in the protein synthesis pathway by “hijacking” a naturally occurring biochemical reaction in the cell. These molecules can induce the enzymes to generate their own inhibitors, leading to the death of the cell. We seek to understand the chemical determinants of this unusual "reaction hijacking" mechanism, so that we can design compounds that are more potent and specific for bacterial pathogens. This work will lead to new candidate antibiotics for treatment of animal diseases important to Australia. The project outcomes will be shared with industrial partners through meetings and conferences. In the longer term, this work could provide new routes to therapeutic interventions for bacterial infections of food animals and plants, and of humans. The work will generate new knowledge, build networks internationally and underpin new biotechnology applications to overcome global challenges in agriculture.

ARC National Competitive Grants · FY 2025 · 2025-01

Asian voyagers and First Nations people in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria. This project aims to investigate little-known encounters between Asian voyagers and First Nations people in Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria through new archaeological investigations and Indigenous oral histories. The project expects to generate new knowledge of how First Nations and Asian people shaped coastal sites and one another, using a combination of precise carbon dating and artefact analyses with Indonesian collaborators and utilising First Nations accounts of Asian visits. Expected outcomes include more accurate chronologies for these interactions. Social and cultural benefits include a deeper understanding of Australia’s internationalised First Nations heritage and better conservation of threatened Indigenous coastal sites. Field of research: 4501 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Language and History Asian voyagers visited First Nations people in northern Australia long before European explorers. Yet there are large gaps in our knowledge of these encounters, including when the first visits took place and how Asian and First Nations people shaped one another. These gaps will be addressed through ethnoarchaeological investigations of poorly documented shoreline places where these people met in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. The results of archaeological excavations and precise carbon dating will be analysed alongside rich Yanyuwa oral traditions to provide a holistic picture of past encounters. Project benefits include a reframing of Australia’s encounter narrative to highlight First Nations’ deep international connections with Asia. The project will deliver improved preservation of environmentally threatened coastal sites where cross-cultural encounters took place. Site conservation plans will be co-developed with the Yanyuwa Sea Rangers to directly inform their Sea Country Management Plan. Project results will help Yanyuwa Families revive contemporary cultural exchanges with people from Makassar (Indonesia), the source of many Asian voyagers. Plain English reports and local radio will be used to share the results with Yanyuwa project partners. Histories of encounter generated by the project will be translated for Indonesian and Australian readerships through online magazine articles and multilingual press releases.