To consolidate resources and foster Australian and international collaborations to characterise part of the genome of the model marsupial Macropus eugenii (the tammar wallaby), in order to enable Australian scientists to make a uniquely valuable Australian input into comparative genomics.



Scientists and students, Research Laboratory, ANU Node


THE ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR KANGAROO GENOMICS HAS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT STRENGTHS:

• Our unique marsupial and animal resources

Marsupials are important for comparative and evolutionary genomics, as they fill the phylogenetic gap between placental mammals and birds and reptiles. KanGO has established the largest marsupial breeding facility in the world at its Melbourne node, as well as a specialised facility at the University of New South Wales node.

• Our unique expertise as world leaders in marsupial developmental biology

The Centre includes the world’s top marsupial biologists, and brings together every major Australian group working on marsupial genetics, genomics, reproduction, and development, along with experts in high throughput genomics and bioinformatics. Over its first four years (2004-2007), KanGO researchers published 88 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

• Our unique opportunity to use our research capabilities to contribute to large-scale, global, genomic initiatives

KanGO researchers wrote the ‘White Papers’ that contributed to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) supporting the sequencing of the opossum and platypus genomes. In addition, KanGO personnel were instrumental in securing $12 million from the State Government of Victoria, other commercial entities, and the NIH, for the Tammar Wallaby Genome Sequencing Project.