The latest round of Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grants will see two early-career UNE researchers working on projects to manage foxes and produce a poultry-friendly form of vetch.
Conservation biologist Dr Debbie Bower will be assessing the effectiveness of new methods of fox control by monitoring populations of freshwater turtles that are being pushed to extinction by fox predation.
Poultry nutritionist Dr Amy Moss will be working on the final stages of a project to engineer a special form of vetch that can be viably grown in Australia's farming regions and that produces a seed non-toxic to poultry. Existing forms of vetch seed carry a toxin that affects poultry.
Dr Moss will be conducting poultry feeding trials of the new crop seed.
Details of all the latest ARC Linkage grants can be found here
Specifics of the projects being worked on by UNE researchers are:
Outfoxing the fox: new cost-effective ways to protect threatened species
Team: Dr James Van Dyke; Associate Professor Ricky Spencer; Dr Deborah Bower; Emeritus Professor Michael Thompson
This project aims to address the damage caused by invasive foxes by applying new methods of protection for threatened species. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of conservation biology and invasive species management by comparing the effectiveness of fox control strategies for improving the population viability of declining freshwater turtles. Expected outcomes of this project include a community-based conservation model that prevents turtle extinctions in south-eastern Australia at considerable cost savings. Significant benefits include improved management of the impacts of invasive species, and restoration of ecosystem services provided by the scavenging role of freshwater turtles for maintaining water quality.
Partner Orgs: North East Region Water Corporation; Winton Wetlands Committee of Management Incorporated; Wodonga City Council; Tiverton Rothwell Impact Company Pty Ltd; Greening Australia Ltd
Funding amount: $601,024.00
Development of drought tolerant, high protein legume for arid Australia
Team: Dr Iain Searle; Professor Jozef Gecz; Dr Amy Moss; Dr Raman Sharma; Mr Stuart Nagel; Mr Malcolm Buckby
The aim of this research is to demonstrate the molecular basis of a non-proteinogenic amino acid toxin accumulation by using genomics and genome editing to produce a non-transgenic, protein rich legume. The significance of the outcomes will be a fundamental understanding of how non-proteinogenic amino acids are metabolised in plants and an inexpensive, high-protein feed for the pork and chicken industries thereby reducing production costs and increasing profitability. The outcomes from the research are fundamental knowledge of non-proteinogenic amino acid metabolism and turnkey approach to identify, engineer, test and produce value added crops. The benefits of the research are a multi-purpose crop for Australian crop and animal producers. Announcement Date: 24/03/2021
Partner Orgs: SARDI; South Australian Grain Industry Trust Fund
Funding amount: $343,712.00
