![52 yrs old specimen of Ozothamnus alpinus. Ignition Project "Genome skimming with degraded DNA from herbarium specimens". Photo Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn](/sites/prod.cba.sca-lws06.anu.edu.au/files/styles/hero_1200_x_360/public/Ozothamnus%20alpinus%20brown%20specimen%2052%20yrs%20old.jpeg.webp?h=10eebb8a&itok=3Sh8yWh3 "52 yrs old specimen of Ozothamnus alpinus. Ignition Project "Genome skimming with degraded DNA from herbarium specimens". Photo Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn")
Research projects
One of our key tools for engagement and collaboration across ANU, CSIRO and University of Canberra are our Ignition Grant and Synthesis Group funding schemes.
CBA's Ignition Grants foster novel collaborations between researchers from at least two partner institutions (ANU, CSIRO, UC), aiming to lay the groundwork for larger research proposals. Since 2012, over 60 projects have been funded across 11 rounds. In June 2016, grant recipients showcased their progress at a symposium, delivering lightning talks that highlighted the scheme's success in driving diverse and innovative research.
CSIRO and ANU are collaborating to explore Australian insect biodiversity by analysing genomes and transcriptomes. Using advanced technology and extensive collections, they aim to understand evolutionary adaptations and identify new species. This research supports postgraduate opportunities through the CSIRO Postgraduate Scholarship Program.
The Ignition Grant Round 2 project aimed to develop tools for annotating and visualising transcriptomic data in non-model organisms, focusing on scleractinian coral transcriptomes. CSIRO and ANU collaborated to create user-friendly, web-based interfaces for data exploration, enhancing biologists' ability to utilise sequencing data effectively.
The Ignition Grant Round 6 project aims to use next-generation sequencing to develop a phylogenetic framework for Thynninae wasps, crucial pollinators of threatened Australian orchids. This collaboration between ANU and CSIRO will enhance understanding of wasp systematics, aiding orchid conservation efforts.
The Ignition Grant Round 2 project aims to improve the delimitation of species boundaries in sexually deceptive orchids using Genotype by Sequencing (GBS). The study highlights issues with taxonomic over-splitting and its conservation implications, emphasising the need for accurate species identification to guide conservation efforts.
In October 2014, a project began in SE Arnhem Land to document biodiversity using Indigenous and Western knowledge. The Yugul Mangi Rangers collaborate with ecologists to input data into the Atlas of Living Australia, aiming to enhance biodiversity understanding and create employment pathways for the community.
Australia's orchid flora is rich and threatened, with the Diurideae tribe showing significant diversity. A project by ANU and CSIRO developed an exome capture system to study Diurideae's phylogenetic relationships, aiding conservation efforts. The project concluded successfully in 2017, leading to further research grants.
This CBA-supported Honours project, now awarded, focuses on how bird populations adapt morphologically to climate change. It aims to develop a sequencing strategy to measure allele frequency changes across species. The project involves collaboration between ANU, CSIRO, and the Okinawa Institute, offering a $5,000 stipend.
In 2015, research investigated the impact of global warming on Australian parrots, finding increased bill sizes for thermoregulation. Genetic analysis using museum specimens revealed geographical bias and distinct clades in mulga parrots, but no conclusive genetic basis for the change, suggesting further study is needed.
This completed CBA-supported Honours project investigated avian bill size increases as an adaptation to climate warming. It aimed to identify genetic factors influencing bill morphology using genome-wide association analysis on historical specimens. The study provided insights into climate adaptation genetics and was based at CSIRO's ANWC.