{"links":{"self":"http://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/API/grants/DE260101640"},"data":{"type":"grant-details","id":"DE260101640","attributes":{"code":"DE260101640","administering-organisation":"La Trobe University","announcement-administering-organisation":"The Australian National University","scheme-name":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","grant-status":"Active","funding-commencement-year":2026,"years-funded":3,"project-start-date":"2026-04-13","anticipated-end-date":"2029-04-12","grant-summary":"Structure, function and engineering of plant osmolarity sensors. This project aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which plants sense drought using specialised protein sensors. By integrating cutting-edge computer simulations, artificial intelligence and molecular biology, this project will unravel the molecular basis of plant osmosensation and how this is converted to cellular signals. Expected outcomes include the advanced knowledge of plant stress sensing, innovative computational tools, proof-of-concept drought-tolerant plants and novel molecules for regulating plant behaviour. This offers a promising route for engineering climate-smart crops with enhanced drought resilience, leading to better water use, increased yields and strengthened food security.","funding-current":511283.00,"funding-at-announcement":507308,"investigators-current":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Ruitao","familyName":"Jin","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0002-7934-250X "}],"investigators-at-announcement":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Ruitao","familyName":"Jin","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0002-7934-250X "}],"organisations-current":[{"organisationName":"La Trobe University","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"VIC"}],"organisations-at-announcement":[{"organisationName":"The Australian National University","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"ACT"}],"field-of-research":[{"isPrimary":true,"code":"3101","name":"Biochemistry and Cell Biology","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"310110","name":"Receptors and Membrane Biology","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"310112","name":"Structural Biology (Incl. MacRomolecular Modelling)","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"310803","name":"Plant Cell and Molecular Biology","type":"FOR20"}],"socio-economic-objective":[{"code":"269901","name":"Climate Adaptive Plants","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280102","name":"Expanding Knowledge In the Biological Sciences","type":"SEO20"}],"international-collaboration":["China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)"],"lief-register":[],"achievement-summary":null,"national-interest-test-statement":"Australia faces widespread droughts of increasing severity, causing an average annual loss of $1.1 billion in the agricultural sector. When experiencing water shortage, plants employ various water-saving mechanisms to reduce further water loss, but how plants sense the water deficit remains largely unknown. Recently it was found that specialised sensing molecules within plant cells convert the external water stress into an internal cellular signal, allowing for rapid responses to drought conditions. Poor understanding of how these sensors work has greatly restricted our potential to grow crops in the face of increasingly frequent droughts. Utilizing supercomputers and advanced molecular biology tools, this project will generate new knowledge to address the significant gaps in plant water stress sensing and provide novel insights into the design principles for crops with enhanced drought tolerance. Results from this project, aligned with the Australian national priorities, will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits. Targeting of these molecules for crop improvement could enhance water efficiency, boost yields, mitigate drought impact, and strengthen the global competitiveness of Australian agriculture. New intellectual property based on these findings will position Australia at the forefront of biotechnology and facilitate the knowledge transformation to practical applications by engaging with existing and new partners in government and industry."}}}