ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology

Quinoa is a pseudocereal with a complete essential amino acid profile and nutritionally favourable fatty acid composition. Here, cryo-milling was used to disrupt quinoa seeds, promoting the preservation of the native oleosome structure, which was then recovered by centrifugation of the cryo-milled seed suspension. The remaining flour suspension was used to extract quinoa protein isolate; applying alkalinisation followed by precipitation with HCl, acetic acid or citric acid. Microscopy, droplet size and ζ-potential data indicated recovered oleosomes were predominantly in their native state, which was retained after acid treatment. Quinoa protein precipitated with citric acid showed a higher denaturation enthalpy compared to protein precipitated with HCl or acetic acid. The citric acid-based protein gel also had the highest final gel strength and showed a fine stranded microstructure, while the HCl-based protein gel had the lowest final gel strength and displayed a particulate microstructure. Treatment with acetic acid gave a protein gel that demonstrated a mix of both types of microstructures. This study not only introduces quinoa seed oleosomes and quinoa protein isolate with improved and tailored functionality but also demonstrates the potential of cryo-milling as a seed disruption technology that allows recovery of intact oleosomes. • Extraction of quinoa seed oleosomes (OS) and protein isolates; • Cryo-milling allowed OS recovery in the native state; • OS microstructure was not affected by acid treatment; • Precipitation with citric acid protected native protein and improved gel strength.

Abstract Vapour–liquid equilibrium measurements are essential for developing equations of state, tuning binary interaction parameters, and improving the thermodynamic description of fluid mixtures. Conventionally, multiple apparatus are needed to quantify equilibrium phase behaviour and fluid properties, including composition, density, and phase fractions (quality). Using several different instruments to acquire the desired data can be laborious and increase measurement uncertainty. Microwave cavities are a promising technology capable of measuring these properties simultaneously in binary mixtures. Here, we apply recent advances in cavity design and signal processing to demonstrate measurements of phase volume fractions, compositions, and densities in mixtures of methane and propane at vapour–liquid equilibrium. Furthermore, we present an uncertainty analysis for phase composition and density measurements made with a single apparatus consisting of several microwave cavities and demonstrate levels of accuracy comparable to those obtained with conventional analytical techniques.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a nonproteinogenic amino acid first identified in biological systems over 70 years ago, has long been recognized as a metabolic intermediate. More recently, GABA has also been acknowledged as a signaling molecule that couples physiological responses to metabolic status. This review presents a conceptual framework for how metabolism sets GABA concentration and localization, which then modulates ion transport and membrane potential dynamics to influence plant growth, development, and adaptation to stress. We explore the emerging network of GABA's interactions with other signaling pathways, highlighting its involvement in environmental sensing and internal regulatory mechanisms via hormones and reactive oxygen species. These interactions influence key physiological processes including stomatal regulation, pathogen and herbivore defense, root growth, and even the modulation of flavor. Collectively, these findings position GABA as a metabolic signal integrator of plant physiological status and responses, with broad implications for enhancing crop stress resilience and food quality.

This chapter, per the authors, examines the contributions of Assyrian-Australian professionals across education, music, and healthcare, shaped by histories of displacement and migration. Through four case studies—Mrs Carmen Lazar, Mr Evan Yako, Dr Mariam Joseph, and Mrs June Jacko—it explores how cultural capital, refugee agency, and community innovation reshape institutional norms. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital (Erel, 2010), cultural health capital (Shim, 2010), and social entrepreneurship frameworks, the chapter highlights trauma-informed arts, multilingual health programs, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Ethnographic data and critical practice reviews position migrant expertise as central to reform, challenging deficit-based narratives and advancing inclusive governance. The chapter concludes with implications for embedding diasporic knowledge into policy, education, and trauma-informed systems.

Backgrounds: Accurate annotation of open reading frames (ORFs) is fundamental for understanding gene function and post-transcriptional regulation. A critical but often overlooked aspect of transcriptome annotation is the selection of authentic translation start sites. Many genome annotation pipelines identify the longest possible ORF in alternatively spliced transcripts, using internal methionine codons as putative start sites. However, this computational approach ignores the biological reality that ribosomes select start codons based on sequence context, not ORF length. Methods: Here, we demonstrate that this practice leads to systematic misannotation of nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) targets in the Arabidopsis thaliana Araport11 reference transcriptome. Using TranSuite software to identify authentic start codons, we reanalyzed transcriptomic data from an NMD-deficient mutant. Results: We found that correct ORF annotation more than doubles the number of identifiable NMD targets with premature termination codons followed by downstream exon junctions, from 203 to 426 transcripts. Furthermore, we show that incorrect ORF annotations can lead to erroneous protein structure predictions, potentially introducing computational artefacts into protein databases. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of biologically informed ORF annotation for accurate assessment of post-transcriptional regulation and proteome prediction, with implications for all eukaryotic genome annotation projects.

Abstract Climate change significantly impact plant growth and development, prompting researchers to explore effective strategies to stabilize agricultural plant performance under environmental stresses. Strigolactones (SLs) are integral to regulating plant responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses, in addition to influencing various stages of plant growth and development. SLs interact with a network of other phytohormones, such as auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, gibberellins, and ethylene, to form a coordinated signaling system that regulates SLs biosynthesis and mediates stress responses. This review present an in-depth overview of SLs biosynthesis and highlights the emerging understanding of their specific roles in modulating plant adaptation to environmental stressors. The complex interactions between SLs and various phytohormones highlith their potential in enhancing plant resilience in response to climate change.

Waste facilities deal with dust, odours, and harmful gases. Designing an effective ventilation system for e-waste recycling facilities presents unique challenges due to the complexity of waste materials and potential emissions of hazardous air pollutants. This paper explores key considerations in designing an effective ventilation solution for e-waste facilities featured in an industrial showcase project in NSW, Australia. The facility comprises a Batch Rotary Pyrolysis (BRP) plant area to process waste electrical and electronic equipment, generating a flammable syngas during thermal treatment. Under abnormal conditions, this syngas may be released into the building, posing a fire hazard if ignited by unprotected electrical equipment near BRP machines or attached gas burners. To mitigate this risk, ventilation serves as the first line of defence against the accumulation of explosive gas concentrations, in alignment with AS1482-2013 standards. This study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis integrated with the site-specific wind rose to evaluate ventilation effectiveness, creating a detailed 3D model of the proposed facility, its surrounding structures, and natural ventilation components. A localised 10m-height reference wind rose was developed using The Air Pollution Model (TAPM) and CALMET diagnostic meteorological modelling software to provide accurate wind conditions for the project site. The CFD analysis delivers detailed insights, including airspeed distributions and predicted air exchange rates, highlighting hotspot areas with inadequate ventilation. Furthermore, the model facilitates comparative evaluations against regulatory standards by simulating concentrations of key gases (CO, SO₂, and NO₂) under abnormal gas leak conditions, ensuring that both safety and compliance are thoroughly upheld. The study offers comprehensive design input to refine natural ventilation systems, optimise opening sizes, and integrate mechanical ventilation where natural airflow is insufficient due to site orientation. This research demonstrates that an effective ventilation strategy for e-waste facilities can be developed when CFD modelling is incorporated early in the concept design stage. The proposed tool also has multiple downstream applications, including air quality and odour examination, thermal comfort assessment, fire risk evaluation, and smoke dispersion analysis.

The adaptive evolution of xerophytes to abiotic stresses is intimately linked with evolutionarily conserved cis-regulatory elements (CREs). However, the key CREs and conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs) involved in stress responses remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of the xerophyte Zygophyllum xanthoxylum under abiotic stress using an integrated multi-omics approach. Using ATAC-seq, we mapped genome-wide chromatin accessibility profiles in shoots and roots under heat, salt, and drought treatments, identifying 2,423 to 77,497 high-quality accessible chromatin regions (ACRs). Z. xanthoxylum employs distinct chromatin remodeling strategies for different stresses: chromatin tends to open under salt and drought conditions but close under heat stress. By integrating RNA-seq data, we correlated ACR dynamics with gene expression changes and identified significant alterations in transcription factor binding profiles within these accessible regions. We validated a stress-responsive regulatory pathway where the ZxNF-YC10-ZxAPK1 module induces promoter-associated ACR opening, leading to gene expression upregulation. Comparative genomic analysis across 5 xerophyte species identified 165,896 phylogenetically CNSs containing critical transcription factor binding sites. These species-specific CNSs were significantly enriched within central regions of ACRs and exhibited higher overlap with root ACRs, suggesting they may represent crucial CREs that evolved during adaptation to adverse environments. Our study provides a comprehensive chromatin accessibility atlas for Z. xanthoxylum under diverse abiotic stresses and establishes cross-species CNS resources that may facilitate genetic improvement of stress-tolerant crops.

Abstract Widespread biodiversity loss driven by human activity has intensified global efforts to restore degraded ecosystems. Yet a key challenge remains: how to track restored individuals and their offspring over time and space to assess the true impact of restoration? This is especially pressing for coral reefs, which support a quarter of all marine species, are in severe decline globally, and are now the focus of growing restoration initiatives worldwide. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach that combines genome editing and environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring to enable scalable, non-invasive tracking of individual corals and their offspring. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we introduced unique genetic barcodes into non-coding regions of the Acropora millepora genome. These barcodes - stable, heritable, and distributed across the genome - will allow for individual-level identification over multiple generations. We show that these barcodes can be reliably detected in surrounding seawater using eDNA metabarcoding, offering a powerful, non-destructive tool for tracking corals in situ . Together, this approach provides a proof-of-concept for precision monitoring of restoration outcomes, with broad applicability across species and ecosystems.