Lead Chief Investigator: Michelle Colgrave, Edith Cowan University
Collaborating Chief Investigators: Colin Jackson, David Craik, David Fairlie
Summary
Genome sequencing of agricultural crops opens up new horizons to identify small proteins and peptides with beneficial characteristics for breeding, crop protection and human health. The aim of this project is to discover, validate and quantify bioactive peptides in cereal and legume crops grown in Australia building on a combined approach using cutting-edge data mining, genomics and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry tools. The outcomes of this project will enhance our abilities to tap into the hidden potential of bioactive peptides from plants with biomedical and biotechnology applications.
Relevance to the Centre
The proposed project aligns with the vision of Flagship 1 to discover bioactive peptides, wherein our focus will be in cereal and legume crop species grown in Australia. The knowledge obtained and the tools developed will be used to inform breeding programs (selection of ideal cultivars), to define crops useful for endogenous production of bioactive peptides or identify candidate peptides for exogenous synthesis.