Evaluating the Effects of Fungal Endophytes of Perennial Ryegrass on the Feeding Behaviour and Life History of .

The bird cherry-oat aphid, (L.), is an economically significant pest of pasture grasses, the latter being capable of hosting several fungal endophyte-perennial ryegrass symbiota rich in alkaloids and toxic to vertebrates and invertebrates. Measuring aphid feeding behaviour can provide insights into the effectiveness and mode of action of different fungal endophytes.

The Australian Biosecurity Genomic Database: a new resource for high-throughput sequencing analysis based on the National Notifiable Disease List of Terrestrial Animals.

The Australian Biosecurity Genomic Database (ABGD) is a curated collection of reference viral genome sequences based on the Australian National Notifiable Disease List of Terrestrial Animals. It was created to facilitate the screening of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data for the potential presence of viruses associated with notifiable disease. The database includes a single verified sequence (the exemplar species sequence, where relevant) for each of the 60 virus species across 21 viral families that are associated with or cause these notifiable diseases, as recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Allele-specific binding variants causing ChIP-seq peak height of histone modification are not enriched in expression QTL annotations.

Background: Genome sequence variants affecting complex traits (quantitative trait loci, QTL) are enriched in functional regions of the genome, such as those marked by certain histone modifications. These variants are believed to influence gene expression. However, due to the linkage disequilibrium among nearby variants, pinpointing the precise location of QTL is challenging.

Mapping and quantifying unique branching structures in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.).

Background: Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a globally-significant agricultural crop used to feed millions of people. Lentils have been cultivated in the Australian states of Victoria and South Australia for several decades, but efforts are now being made to expand their cultivation into Western Australia and New South Wales.

Introgression of the bread wheat D genome encoded Lr34/Yr18/Sr57/Pm38/Ltn1 adult plant resistance gene into Triticum turgidum (durum wheat).

Key Message: Lack of function of a D-genome adult plant resistance gene upon introgression into durum wheat. The wheat Lr34/Yr18/Sr57/Pm38/Ltn1 adult plant resistance gene (Lr34), located on chromosome arm 7DS, provides broad spectrum, partial, adult plant resistance to leaf rust, stripe rust, stem rust and powdery mildew. It has been used extensively in hexaploid bread wheat (AABBDD) and conferred durable resistance for many decades.

LAMP (Loop-mediated isothermal amplification) assay for rapid identification of Varroa mites.

Varroa mites are serious pests of European honeybees (Apis mellifera). For detection of Varroa mite, a new molecular LAMP-based assay has been developed, which retains the body of the mite intact for morphological identification. Six novel Varroa LAMP primers were designed from existing DNA sequences of the COI locus to target V.

LAMP assay for the detection of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Psyllidae).

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, also known as the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), can vector the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), agent of Huanglongbing (HLB): an incurable disease affecting citrus trees worldwide. In citrus growing regions where ACP and HLB are absent, such as Australia, the risk of an incursion and consequent economic damage to citrus industries make this psyllid one of the top-priority pests. Due to ACP's small dimensions and the generally poorly studied native psylloid fauna worldwide, morphological identification of this insect to distinguish it from harmless species is challenging, especially in the field, and with immature, partial or damaged specimens.

Seasonal Phenology and Climate Associated Feeding Activity of Introduced in Southeast Australia.

Invasive insects pose an increasing risk to global agriculture, environmental stability, and public health. Giant pine scale (GPS), Gennadius (Hemiptera: Marchalinidae), is a phloem feeding scale insect endemic to the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, where it primarily feeds on and other Pinaceae. In 2014, GPS was detected in the southeast of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, infesting the novel host .

Quantitation and Distribution of -Derived Alkaloids in Perennial Ryegrass Tissues.

Perennial ryegrass ( L.), an economically important pasture and turf grass, is commonly infected with asexual species endophytes. Endophytes provide enhanced bioprotection by producing alkaloids, and research often focusses on the negative impact on grazing animals.

Strong host phylogenetic and ecological effects on host competency for avian influenza in Australian wild birds.

Host susceptibility to parasites is mediated by intrinsic and external factors such as genetics, ecology, age and season. While waterfowl are considered central to the reservoir community for low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses (LPAIV), the role of host phylogeny has received limited formal attention. Herein, we analysed 12 339 oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs and 10 826 serum samples collected over 11 years from wild birds in Australia.

Enhanced Arbovirus Surveillance with High-Throughput Metatranscriptomic Processing of Field-Collected Mosquitoes.

Surveillance programs are essential for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne arboviruses that cause serious human and animal diseases. Viral metatranscriptomic sequencing can enhance surveillance by enabling untargeted, high-throughput arbovirus detection. We used metatranscriptomic sequencing to screen field-collected mosquitoes for arboviruses to better understand how metatranscriptomics can be utilised in routine surveillance.

A Synthetic Blend of Fruit and Live Yeast Odours Shows Promise for Trapping Mated Female Queensland Fruit Fly, Bactrocera tryoni, in the Field.

Tephritid fruit flies are major horticultural pests of fruit and vegetable crops. Developing an odour lure that can attract mated female flies under field conditions has presented a major challenge to chemical ecologists around the globe. We have designed a new lure to attract female Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, based on the knowledge that this pest tephritid is attracted not only to odours from ripening fruits, but also to odours of symbiotic (gut-associated) yeasts on which the larvae feed.

Heterologous production of Cannabis sativa-derived specialised metabolites of medicinal significance - Insights into engineering strategies.

Cannabis sativa L. has been known for at least 2000 years as a source of important, medically significant specialised metabolites and several bio-active molecules have been enriched from multiple chemotypes. However, due to the many levels of complexity in both the commercial cultivation of cannabis and extraction of its specialised metabolites, several heterologous production approaches are being pursued in parallel.

Australia as a global sink for the genetic diversity of avian influenza A virus.

Most of our understanding of the ecology and evolution of avian influenza A virus (AIV) in wild birds is derived from studies conducted in the northern hemisphere on waterfowl, with a substantial bias towards dabbling ducks. However, relevant environmental conditions and patterns of avian migration and reproduction are substantially different in the southern hemisphere. Through the sequencing and analysis of 333 unique AIV genomes collected from wild birds collected over 15 years we show that Australia is a global sink for AIV diversity and not integrally linked with the Eurasian gene pool.

The Role of Soil Microbial Diversity in the Conservation of Native Seed Bacterial Microbiomes.

Research into understanding the structure, composition and vertical transmission of crop seed microbiomes has intensified, although there is much less research into the seed microbiomes of crop wild relatives. Our previous study showed that the standard seed storage procedures (e.g.

Disentangling bias for non-destructive insect metabarcoding.

A fast and reliable method for obtaining a species-level identification is a fundamental requirement for a wide range of activities, from plant protection and invasive species management to biodiversity assessments and ecological studies. For insects, novel molecular techniques such as DNA metabarcoding have emerged as a rapid alternative to traditional morphological identification, reducing the dependence on limited taxonomic experts. Until recently, molecular techniques have required a destructive DNA extraction, precluding the possibility of preserving voucher specimens for future studies, or species descriptions.

Quantifying the sources of variation in eosinophilia among Scottish blackface lambs with mixed, predominantly Teladorsagia circumcincta nematode infection.

Eosinophils play a key role in defence against gastrointestinal nematodes. There is considerable variation among animals in the intensity of eosinophilia following nematode infection. However, the statistical distribution of eosinophils among animals has still to be determined.

Quantitative PCR assay for the detection of Aedes vigilax in mosquito trap collections containing large numbers of morphologically similar species and phylogenetic analysis of specimens collected in Victoria, Australia.

Background: Aedes vigilax is one of the most significant arbovirus vector and pest species in Australia's coastal regions. Occurring in multiple countries, this mosquito species occurs as a species complex which has been separated into three clades with two detected in Australia. Until recently, Ae.

An Assessment of the (Perennial Ryegrass) Seedborne Microbiome across Cultivars, Time, and Biogeography: Implications for Microbiome Breeding.

Research into the bacterial component of the seed microbiome has been intensifying, with the aim of understanding its structure and potential for exploitation. We previously studied the intergenerational seed microbiome of one cultivar of perennial ryegrass with and without one strain of the commercially deployed fungal endophyte var. .

Prediction of Johne's disease state based on quantification of T cell markers and their interaction with macrophages in the bovine intestine.

Cell-mediated immune responses to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) are regulated by various types of T lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to quantitate T cell subsets in the mid-ileum of cows naturally infected with MAP to identify differences during different stages of infection, and to determine whether these subsets could be used as predictors of disease state.