2022 HDR Scholarship - support by Curtin - ARC project in untapped organic remains' of insects

Scholarship Information

Award value: AUD $28,854 annually

Level of study: Postgraduate

This project aims to unlock an untapped record of our planet’s past, insect-derived geolipids, by analyzing key reference lipids and biopolymers from a range of modern insects. The well-studied inorganic fossil record has provided a framework for understanding major events in the evolution of life and our planet. However, the proposed project aims to significantly advance current perceptions, by accessing the parallel but rarer organic record of insects that are often entombed and exceptionally preserved fossil material. To achieve this goal, a range of modern reference insects will be investigated to evaluate the lipids and biopolymers (and stable C, H and N isotopes) they synthesize.