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Tag: University of Adelaide

  • Engineering of plant cell wall modifying enzymes opens new horizons

    Engineering of plant cell wall modifying enzymes opens new horizons

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    Newswise — A newly discovered way of optimising plant enzymes through bioengineering has increased knowledge of how plant material can be converted into biofuels, biochemicals and other high-value products.

    The University of Adelaide-led study presents innovative ideas for how the walls of plant cells can be assembled, structured and remodelled by controlling specific enzymes’ catalytic function.

    Fundamental plant cell properties – such as structure, integrity, cytoskeletal organisation and stability – are now viewed differently, suggesting new alternatives.

    Studying the catalytic function of specific enzymes – a process termed ‘xyloglucan xyloglucosyl transferases’ – allowed researchers to better understand how they link diverse polysaccharides to form structural components of plant cell walls.

    “This work contributes to the essential knowledge of how xyloglucan xyloglucosyl transferases can be understood and their fundamental properties controlled – for example, to improve their catalytic rates and stability,” said project leader Professor Maria Hrmova.

    For plant material to be used in the production of biofuels, plant cell walls need to be deconstructed and the resultant materials chemically processed. The properties of the cell walls can be altered to be less rigid, therefore making biofuel production more efficient and cost-effective.

    The finding also has applications for the pharmaceutical industry, where enzymes are sought as environmentally friendly and cost-effective options in bioremediation, and other applications.

    Bioremediation is the removal of contaminants, pollutants and toxins from the environment through the use of living organisms.

    “Although the definition of the catalytic function of xyloglucan xyloglucosyl transferases has significantly progressed during the past 15 years, there are limitations, and still a lack of information, in how this knowledge can be organically implemented in the functionality of plant cell walls,” she said.

    This teamwork builds upon 60 years of xyloglucan chemical and biochemical research of this and other research groups.

    The research team used sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescent reagents to monitor complex biochemical reactions of polysaccharides in an efficient way.

    “We also applied 3D molecular modelling and molecular dynamics simulations to gain insights into the mode of action of these enzymes on fast time scales,” Professor Hrmova said.

    “Our findings are supported by plant and cellular biology approaches we used to offer novel ideas on the function of these enzymes in vivo.”

    The study was published in the prestigious Plant Journal and was conducted with an international, multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Institute of Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Huaiyin Normal University in China.

    It also received funding support from the VEGA Scientific Grant Agency and the Australian Research Council.

    A visualisation of reactant movements in a plant xyloglucan transferase enzyme can be seen here.

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  • Being proactive alone is not a shortcut to good leadership

    Being proactive alone is not a shortcut to good leadership

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    Newswise — New research from the University of Adelaide demonstrates that being proactive could earn an individual a leadership position, but merely being proactive alone does not make for a good leader.  

    Individuals must be aware of their own leadership competencies to avoid the traps of the Peter Principle, which acknowledges that employees tend to be promoted to leadership positions based on their past performance as employees, not their competence in leading. 

    The University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Chad Chiu, Adelaide Business School, is lead author on a recently published research paper titled Is leader proactivity enough: Importance of leader competency in shaping team role breadth efficacy and proactive performance. 

    “Proactive individuals are those who initiate change-oriented actions to cope with encountered challenges. In other words, proactive people are not satisfied with merely following the existing protocols to perform their jobs. Instead, they tend to seek new ways to achieve better outcomes,” Associate Professor Chiu said. 

    Previous research has shown a positive correlation between individuals’ proactive personalities and their marketability. Proactive employees are usually believed to have ‘leader-like’ abilities because they can come up with novel ideas to change the status quo.  

    “The modern business environment is more dynamic and unpredictable than ever, and nowadays being proactive is believed to be an essential leadership quality.” 

    However, Associate Professor Chiu warned that being proactive alone is simply not enough to demonstrate good leadership.  

    “Our new study provides empirical proof that having a proactive leader does not guarantee the building of a proactive team. When employees are dealing with a proactive yet incompetent leader, they tend to perceive the proposed proactive goals as too risky. They can become pessimistic about their own capabilities to be a proactive team,” he said. 

    “Our data also demonstrates that this type of leader is even worse than a passive and incompetent one, as the passive boss will not consistently generate impractical ideas that cannot be well executed. In addition, proactive leaders may rush to offer assistance that their followers do not need, which undermines the team.” 

    Yet proactive leaders are still a great asset to businesses if those individuals possess corresponding skills and competence to generate constructive outcomes.  

    “When leaders’ proactivity and competence are both high, their teams exhibit a higher level of collective confidence and, as a result, achieve better proactive performance,” Associate Professor Chiu said. 

    “The real issue lies in people’s lack of self-awareness regarding their own leadership capabilities. This phenomenon can be attributed to the Dunning-Kruger effect, whereby humans, especially those with low competencies, tend to unconsciously overestimate their abilities.” 

    Studies have shown that although 95 per cent of people think they are self-aware enough to critically evaluate their own performance, in fact only 10-15 per cent actually are. This effect is particularly prominent among organisational leaders who have succeeded in promotion competitions. 

    Associate Professor Chiu proposes that before granting managers full autonomy to be proactive, organisations should invest in training these managers to ensure they possess the necessary competence to demonstrate ‘wise proactivity’.  

    “Essential leadership competencies, including problem interpretation and analysis, gained via support, coaching, communication, and coordination, can equip managers to successfully execute proactive initiatives. We want to promote the idea of ‘wise proactivity’ within organisations.” 

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  • Sea snake vision evolved to regain colour

    Sea snake vision evolved to regain colour

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    Newswise — An international team of scientists examining the genetic history of sea snakes have found that the species has enhanced their colour vision in response to living in brighter and more colourful marine environments.

    “Our research has found that the annulated sea snake possesses four intact copies of the opsin gene SWS1,” said PhD candidate Isaac Rossetto, from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences who led the study.

    “Two of these genes have the ancestral ultraviolet sensitivity, and two have evolved a new sensitivity to the longer wavelengths that dominate ocean habitats.

    “The earliest snakes lost much of their ability to see colour due to their dim-light burrowing lifestyle.

    “However, their sea snake descendants now occupy brighter and more spectrally complex marine environments. We believe that recent gene duplications have dramatically expanded the range of colours sea snakes can see.”

    The team examined published reference genomes to examine visual opsin genes across five ecologically distinct species of elapid snakes. They looked at the gene data of Hydrophis cyanocinctus, or the annulated sea snake, a species of venomous snake found in tropical and subtropical regions of Australia and Asia.

    The team included scientists from The University of Adelaide, The University of Plymouth and The Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology. They published their findings in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.

    Many animals have lost opsins throughout their genealogical history as they’ve adapted to new habitats, but it is very rare to see opsin gains.

    “Humans have a similarly expanded sensitivity to colours, while cats and dogs are partially colour-blind much like those early snakes,” said Mr Rossetto.

    “It’s quite unique and interesting that these snakes appear to be gaining and diversifying their opsins, when other land-to-sea transitioned animals have done the opposite.”

    “Basically, there’s only one other case within reptiles at all where we think this has happened.”

    Newly gained colour-vision opsins have also been recorded in the semi-aquatic Helicops snake.

    Evidence of colour vision in Hydrophis snakes was first published in 2020, but this new research shows it is the result of gene duplication rather than gene polymorphism. This means expanded colour vision is more common among the species than first thought.

    “With a polymorphism, it’s a bit of a lottery – only some individuals would have that extended colour sensitivity. But now we know that there are multiple gene copies which have diverged, so colour vision is expected to be seen in all members of these species,” said Mr Rossetto.

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  • New discovery set to boost disease-resistant rice

    New discovery set to boost disease-resistant rice

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    Newswise — Rice that is resistant to some of the worst crop-destroying diseases but can still produce large yields could soon become a reality for farmers worldwide.

    A University of Adelaide researcher is part of an international team which has identified a new gene variant in a type of rice that can be modified to improve the performance of the crop.

    “Rice is the most widely grown crop in the world but serious bacterial and fungal diseases such as rice blast and bacterial blight are a major threat to the industry,” said co-author Associate Professor Jenny Mortimer from the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

    “By identifying a specific gene called RBL1, we may have cracked the code for developing rice crops that are resistant to these destructive diseases without the yield penalties often associated with disease resistance.”

    In an international collaboration led by researchers at Huazhong Agricultural University, China and University of California Davis, USA, researchers identified a rice variety that already had strong resistance to fungal and bacterial diseases but produced poor grain yields. They showed that this plant was mutated in the gene RBL1.

    “Using existing genome-editing technology, the team then generated 57 gene variants from this type of rice and tested their immunity against several strains of rice blast and bacterial blight. We found that one variant of RBL1 had broad-spectrum disease resistance but unlike other varieties, it was still able to produce large yields in small-scale field trials,” said Associate Professor Mortimer, who is a researcher at the University’s Waite Research Institute.

    The research has been published in the journal Nature and also indicates the RBL1 gene may play a role in the plant’s defence system by interacting with the cells that stop fungal infections from spreading.

    “…we may have cracked the code for developing rice crops that are resistant to these destructive diseases without the yield penalties often associated with disease resistance.”Associate Professor Jenny Mortimer, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide.

    In 2021/2022 about 520 million tonnes of rice were consumed worldwide.

    “This is an exciting development because rice is a staple food for more than a third of the world’s population and crop disease is a constant threat to this food source,” said Associate Professor Mortimer.

    Australians alone are estimated to consume around 300,000 tonnes of rice each year; half comes from imports while the remainder is grown here. The Australian rice industry has the ability to produce up to one million tonnes of rice each year.

    While the new gene identified in this research has promising traits, more field trials are needed to test the immunity and yield of the RBL1 gene in other rice varieties.

    Initial work also indicates that this gene is important in disease resistance in other staple crops, and future research will explore this.

    “Rice crops with higher yields are needed to meet growing global demand and the results from this study could help shore up food supply in the future,” said Associate Professor Mortimer.

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  • Failed antibiotic now a game changing weed killer for farmers

    Failed antibiotic now a game changing weed killer for farmers

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    Newswise — Weed killers of the future could soon be based on failed antibiotics.

    A molecule which was initially developed to treat tuberculosis but failed to progress out of the lab as an antibiotic is now showing promise as a powerful foe for weeds that invade our gardens and cost farmers billions of dollars each year.

    While the failed antibiotic wasn’t fit for its original purpose, scientists at the University of Adelaide discovered that by tweaking its structure, the molecule became effective at killing two of the most problematic weeds in Australia, annual ryegrass and wild radish, without harming bacterial and human cells.

    “This discovery is a potential game changer for the agricultural industry. Many weeds are now resistant to the existing herbicides on the market, costing farmers billions of dollars each year,” said lead researcher Dr Tatiana Soares da Costa from the University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute.

    “Using failed antibiotics as herbicides provides a short-cut for faster development of new, more effective weed killers that target damaging and invasive weeds that farmers find hard to control.”

    Researchers at the University’s Herbicide and Antibiotic Innovation Lab discovered there were similarities between bacterial superbugs and weeds at a molecular level.

    They exploited these similarities and, by chemically modifying the structure of a failed antibiotic, they were able to block the production of amino acid lysine, which is essential for weed growth.

    “There are no commercially available herbicides on the market that work in this way. In fact, in the past 40 years, there have been hardly any new herbicides with new mechanisms of action that have entered the market,” said Dr Andrew Barrow, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr Soares da Costa’s team at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute.

    It’s estimated that weeds cost the Australian agriculture industry more than $5 billion each year.

    Annual ryegrass in particular is one of the most serious and costly weeds in southern Australia.

    “The short-cut strategy saves valuable time and resources, and therefore could expedite the commercialisation of much needed new herbicides,” said Dr Soares da Costa.

    “It’s also important to note that using failed antibiotics won’t drive antibiotic resistance because the herbicidal molecules we discovered don’t kill bacteria. They specifically target weeds, with no effects on human cells,” she said.

    It’s not just farmers who could reap the benefits of this discovery. Researchers say it could also lead to the development of new weed killers to target pesky weeds growing in our backyards and driveways.

    “Our re-purposing approach has the potential to discover herbicides with broad applications that can kill a variety of weeds,” said Dr Barrow.

    This research has been published in the journal of Communications Biology.

    Dr Tatiana Soares da Costa and her team are now looking at discovering more herbicidal molecules by re-purposing other failed antibiotics and partnering up with industry to introduce new and safe herbicides to the market.

    Funding for this research was provided by the Australian Research Council through a DECRA Fellowship and a Discovery Project awarded to Dr Tatiana Soares da Costa.

    The first author on the paper is Emily Mackie, a PhD student in Dr Soares da Costa’s team, who is supported by scholarships from the Grains and Research Development Corporation and Research Training Program. Co-authors include Dr Andrew Barrow, Dr Marie-Claire Giel, Dr Anthony Gendall and Dr Santosh Panjikar.

    The Waite Research Institute stimulates and supports research and innovation across the University of Adelaide and its partners that builds capacity for Australia’s agriculture, food, and wine sectors.

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  • More predictable renewable energy could lower costs

    More predictable renewable energy could lower costs

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    Newswise — Lower electricity costs for consumers and more reliable clean energy could be some of the benefits of a new study by the University of Adelaide researchers who have examined how predictable solar or wind energy generation is and the impact of it on profits in the electricity market.

    PhD candidate Sahand Karimi-Arpanahi and Dr Ali Pourmousavi Kani, Senior Lecturer from the University’s School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, have looked at different ways of achieving more predictable renewable energy with the aim of saving millions of dollars in operating costs, prevent clean energy spillage, and deliver lower-cost electricity.

    “One of the biggest challenges in the renewable energy sector is being able to reliably predict the amount of power generated,” said Mr Karimi-Arpanahi.

    “Owners of solar and wind farms sell their energy to the market ahead of time before it is generated; however, there are sizable penalties if they don’t produce what they promise, which can add up to millions of dollars annually.

    “Peaks and troughs are the reality of this form of power generation, however using predictability of energy generation as part of the decision to locate a solar or wind farm means that we can minimise supply fluctuations and better plan for them.”

    The team’s research, published in the data science journal Patterns, analysed six existing solar farms located in New South Wales, Australia and selected up to nine alternative sites, comparing the sites based on the current analysis parameters and when the predictability factor was also considered.

    The data showed that the optimal location changed when the predictability of energy generation was considered and led to a significant increase in the potential revenue generated by the site.

    Dr Pourmousavi Kani said the findings of this paper will be significant for the energy industry in planning new solar and wind farms and public policy design.

    “Researchers and practitioners in the energy sector have often overlooked this aspect, but hopefully our study will lead to change in the industry, better returns for investors, and lower prices for the customer,” he said.

    “The predictability of solar energy generation is the lowest in South Australia each year from August to October while it is highest in NSW during the same period.

    “In the event of proper interconnection between the two states, the more predictable power from NSW could be used to manage the higher uncertainties in the SA power grid during that time.”

    The researchers’ analysis of the fluctuations in energy output from solar farms may be applied to other applications in the energy industry.

    “The average predictability of renewable generation in each state can also inform power system operators and market participants in determining the time frame for the annual maintenance of their assets, ensuring the availability of enough reserve requirements when renewable resources have lower predictability,” said Dr Pourmousavi Kani.

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  • New discovery to bulk up gluten-free fibre supplement

    New discovery to bulk up gluten-free fibre supplement

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    Newswise — Scientists have for the first time constructed the reference genome for the source of the popular fibre supplement, psyllium husk, which could boost supplies of the versatile plant-derived product.

    University of Adelaide experts conducted research on psyllium, also known as Plantago ovata.

    “We extracted and sequenced the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from leaf tissue to construct the chromosome-level reference genome for Plantago ovata and used ribonucleic acid (RNA) from other parts of the plant to predict the function of its genes,” said the University of Adelaide’s Professor Rachel Burton, a researcher from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

    “This is a significant development because it will pave the way for improvements to the quality and quantity of psyllium crops.”

    DNA is the molecule that contains genetic information needed for the development and functioning of an organism while RNA acts as a messenger, carrying instructions from DNA to build proteins.

    This finding has been published in the journal Scientific Reports and is the result of a decade-long investigation by University of Adelaide researchers into the genetic makeup of the plant.

    Psyllium has been used for food and medicinal purposes for thousands of years.

    The seeds of the plant are milled to produce a soluble fibre used in pharmaceuticals and supplements to improve gut health and control blood cholesterol.

    Psyllium is also a common ingredient in gluten-free food. The seeds and their husks are naturally gluten-free and when mixed with water, produce a sticky substance that replicates some of the functions of gluten in bread.

    “This is a significant development because it will pave the way for improvements to the quality and quantity of psyllium crops.”The University of Adelaide’s Professor Rachel Burton, a researcher from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

    This quality makes psyllium an essential ingredient in gluten-free bread and it can be used in a whole range of other baked goods. With the market size of gluten-free foods expected to reach USD$8.3 billion in 2025, demand for psyllium is predicted to increase.

    The plant is highly susceptible to changes in environmental conditions and diseases which not only affects the yield, but also the price and quality of this valuable commodity.

    “To date, efforts to improve the quality and quantity of psyllium husk have been hampered by the lack of a reference genome,” said the University of Adelaide’s Dr James Cowley, who is also from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine and co-authored this study.

    “The development of a high-quality Plantago ovata reference genome will not only help to boost breeding programs but will also support lab-based experiments to better understand how carbohydrates in plants are constructed so we can tailor them for food and pharmaceutical uses.”

    First author Dr Lina Herliana conducted this research while pursuing her PhD at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus.

    “We predict the availability of this reference genome will lead to the development of new cultivars with higher yields that are more adaptable to environmental conditions. This will stabilise the production of psyllium products and seed or husk prices,” said Dr Herliana.

    The long-term project to understand the fundamental biology of psyllium was supported by an Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence and Linkage Project.

    It is expected that this discovery will accelerate further research into genetic improvement and breeding of psyllium.

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  • Researchers find the snake clitoris

    Researchers find the snake clitoris

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    Newswise — An international team of researchers, led by the University of Adelaide has provided the first anatomical description of the female snake clitoris, in a first-of-its-kind study.

    PhD Candidate Megan Folwell from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, led the research.

    “Across the animal kingdom female genitalia are overlooked in comparison to their male counterparts,” said Ms Folwell.

    “Our study counters the long-standing assumption that the clitoris (hemiclitores) is either absent or non-functional in snakes.”

    The research involved examination of female genitalia in adult snake specimens across nine species, compared to adult and juvenile male snake genitalia.

    Associate Professor Kate Sanders, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, said: “We found the heart-shaped snake hemiclitores is composed of nerves and red blood cells consistent with erectile tissue – which suggests it may swell and become stimulated during mating. This is important because snake mating is often thought to involve coercion of the female – not seduction.”

    “Through our research we have developed proper anatomical descriptions and labels of the female snake genitalia. We can apply our findings to further understand systematics, reproductive evolution and ecology across snake-like reptiles, such as lizards.”

    The study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B Journal. 

    “We are proud to contribute this research, particularly as female genitalia across every species is unfortunately still taboo,” said Ms. Folwell.

    “This discovery shows how science needs diverse thinkers with diverse ideas to move forward.”Associate Professor Kate Sanders, from the School of Biological Sciences, the University of Adelaide.

    Associate Professor Sanders added the research would not have happened without Ms Folwell’s fresh perspective on genital evolution.

    “This discovery shows how science needs diverse thinkers with diverse ideas to move forward,” she said.

    The snakes studied included the Acanthophis antarcticus (also known as the Death adder), Pseudechis colleti, Pseudechis weigeli, and Pseudonaja ingrami (native to different parts of Australia), the Agkistrodon bilineatus (native to Mexico and Central America as far south as Honduras), Bitis arietans (native to semiarid regions of Africa and Arabia), Helicops polylepis (from Estación Biológica Madre Selva, Peru), Lampropeltis abnormal (from Los Brisas del Mogoton, Nicaragua), and Morelia spilota (native to Australia, New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), Bismarck Archipelago, and the northern Solomon Islands.)

    Holyoake College in Massachsuets, the School of Agriculture at La Trobe University, the South Australian Museum, and the Museum of Ecology and the area of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan, also contributed to this research.

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