biological sciences HONOURs 2014 - The University of Sydney

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16 PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN MARINE CYANOBACTERIA Research Interests Light is both an energy source and a deliverer of environmental information. There are two kinds of photopigment-binding protein complexes in photosynthetic organisms: one to absorb and convert sunlight as the energy source, and another to sense sunlight as an environmental information carrier. Different photosynthetic pigments allow the organism to use a wider spectral region of sunlight. My research centres on understanding the red-shifted chlorophylls, their function in photosynthesis and the regulatory mechanisms. The major questions are: How do these cyanobacteria produce red-shifted chlorophylls? What kind of photoregulatory mechanisms do these cyanobacteria use to sense light conditions? Honours projects 1. The pigmentation in photosynthetic organisms. This project will investigate the structural details of light-harvesting protein complexes in H. hongdechloris, a newly isolated chlorophyll f-containing cyanobacterium. There are two distinct lightharvesting systems, chlorophyll-bound protein complexes and phycobilin-bound protein in H. hongdechloris. The intriguing question is how the energy transfer occurs between pigmentbinding protein complexes and whether is there an “uphill” Associate Professor Min Chen Room 219B, Heydon- Laurence Building A08 T: (02) 9036 5006 E: min.chen@sydney. edu.au energy transferring mechanisms. The project would best suit candidates with knowledge of plant physiology, general conception of photosynthesis and plant bioenergy. The experiments will involve techniques such as spectrophotometry and pigment analysis and protein biochemistry. 2. Red-light perception and its regulatory roles. The process of sensing and responding to light, broadly termed “photoregulation”, affects a diversity of metabolic processes. The most important photoreceptor is phytochrome, a red-light-sensing photoreceptor. There are two photo-interconvertible phytochrome isoforms: a red light-absorbing form and a far-red lightabsorbing form. This project will explore the regulatory functions of phytochrome and the meaning of far-red light (invisible light) for oxygenic photosynthesis by searching the classes of red-light receptors and their regulatory roles related to red-shifted chlorophylls (Chl d and Chl f). The project would best suit candidates with knowledge of plant physiology, general conception of photosynthesis and biochemistry of photopigments. The experiments will involve techniques of spectrophotometer and photoconvertion analysis in vivo and in vitro. Standard molecular biological technology (PCR, cloning, etc) will be applied to the understanding of the structural basis of signal transduction in red-light perception.
NUTRIENT BALANCING AND LOCUST PHYSIOLOGY 17 Research Interests My research involves integrating physiology, morphology and behaviour to investigate nutritional outcomes and to integrate this knowledge into an organism-based model that is nutritionally, organismally and ecologically explicit. Seeking adequate nutrition underpins the behaviour of all animals, and for herbivores, this translates into decisions regarding which and how much of a host plant to eat given all other constraints. These behavioural decisions in turn have community level implications; i.e. on the animal, host plant and predator dynamics. All animals must balance their constantly changing demand for nutrients against the supply of these nutrients in foods; a balance that can be influenced by numerous biotic and abiotic factors. I have used locusts as a model to elucidate how nutritional requirements change with ontogeny, the degree to which behavioural and physiological plasticity allows animals to match the supply of nutrients with demand, and the consequences for performance when supply does not match demand. Dr Fiona Clissold Room 320, Heydon- Laurence Building A08 T: (02) 9351 3259 E: fiona.clissold@sydney. edu.au Honours projects 1. Morphology Linking locust mandible morphology with feeding and nutritional niches. 2. Physiology Investigating the underlying endocrine and neurohormone mechanisms controlling the release of digestive enzymes and gut emptying, and the implication of this on nutrient acquisition. (Projects here will be done in collaboration with Professor Arthur Conigrave from the School of Molecular Biosciences). 3. Movement ecology The effect of nutritional state on locomotion. Modelling foraging behaviour requires an understanding of how nutritional state affects patterns of movement. Foraging behaviour given the distributions of resources will be modelled in silco and tested using locusts. 4. Thermal and nutritional ecology Locusts use thermoregulatory behaviour as a dynamic means of altering nutritional outcomes in the face of variable nutrient supply. This may also affect the toxicity of secondary compounds in insects. The aim of this research is to parameterize a model that links the nutritional state of an organism with its behaviour, and in turn its interactions with other organisms and thus individual fitness, population growth rates and community dynamics.
Page 1 and 2: iological sciences HONOURs 2014 sci
Page 3 and 4: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Honours Coordin
Page 5 and 6: Why do Honours? 5 Flesh fly by Jess
Page 7 and 8: When does Honours begin? 7 You can
Page 9 and 10: 9 How do I apply? Photo courtesy Di
Page 11 and 12: 11 27 Eddie Holmes Evolutionary gen
Page 13 and 14: BEHAVIOUR AND GENETICS OF SOCIAL IN
Page 15: REGULATION OF PLANT DEVELOPMENT 15
Page 19 and 20: TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY 19 Research Int
Page 21 and 22: MOLECULAR GENETICS 21 Research Inte
Page 23 and 24: PLANT SYSTEMATICS 23 Research Inter
Page 25: ECOLOGY OF TERRESTRIAL ARTHROPODS 2
Page 28 and 29: 28 GROUP BEHAVIOUR AND SWARM INTELL
Page 30 and 31: 30 MICROBIAL ECOLOGY Research Inter
Page 32 and 33: 32 ANIMAL-PLANT INTERACTIONS Resear
Page 34: 34 REPTILE EVOLUTION AND BEHAVIOURA
Page 37 and 38: NUTRITION, INFECTION AND HOST-FITNE
Page 39: EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL PHYSIOL
Page 42 and 43: 42 PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Research
Page 44 and 45: 44 URBAN ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY E
Page 46 and 47: 46 ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT AND STRESS Re
Page 48 and 49: 48 PLANT AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIon Res
Page 50 and 51: 50 CARNIVORE ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND
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