Distributions of highly branched isoprenoid alkenes and other algal lipids in surface waters from East Antarctica: Further insights for biomarker-based paleo sea-ice reconstruction
By: Smik, Lukas, Simon T. Belt, Jan L. Lieser, Leanne K. Armand, and Amy Leventer. Organic Geochemistry 95 (2016): 71-80. | Find with Google Scholar »
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Dear all,
Recruitment of HDR students is a major focus of the department this year and the HDR committee have put together workshops and information to increase our chances of success in recruiting and retaining the best HDR students. The first of these workshops is on 10 May so please put the date in your diaries.
Great to see lots of media coverage for research in the department this week – Andy Barron in the New York Times and Josh Madin on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald!
Enjoy your Anzac day long weekend.
cheerio
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 26th – 29th April
Tue 26th; R-Users Group – Reading and Writing Data in R; 3.00 – 5:00pm; E8A-280 (tea room).
Wed 27th; Department morning tea and Labtech Morning Tea; 10;30 – 11:00am; E8A-280 (tea room).
Wed 27th; Departmental Seminar: Permaculture: Hungry for Researchers by Belinda Bean; 1:00 – 2:00pm; E8A-280 (tea room).
The following week 2nd – 6th May
Wed 4th; Departmental Seminar: Earlier Green-up and Spring Warming Amplification Over Europe by Dr Shaoxiu Ma; 1:00 – 2:00pm; E8A-280 (tea room).
Coming up
Tue 10th May; Supervisor training module: Assessing and ranking prospective domestic and international PhD students; 1:00 – 2:00pm; E8A-280 (tea room).
Wed 15th – Fri 17th June; 2016 Annual HDR Conference; 9am onwards each day; Location TBA.
Aug 20th; Open Day
General News and Announcements
MQ Biology hits the New York Times
Andrew Barron’s Paper on Insect Consciousness Reported On in The New York Times
Paper: BarronPNAS16
Supervisor training module: Assessing and ranking prospective domestic and international PhD students
Date/Time/Place: Tue 10th May, 1 pm in the tea room
Presenters/panel: Linda Beaumont, Martin Whiting, John Alroy and Adam Stow. Jane Yang from the faculty will also be on hand.
The current application system for postgrads is a little opaque to most academics in the department. We will begin by explaining the entry requirements into the PhD program and the difference between direct-entry PhD vs MRes year 2 + PhD. We will then discuss what makes a competitive candidate and how candidates are ranked in the system. This presentation will be an extension of what Linda Beaumont gave at the research retreat at the end of last year. We will also explain what’s required of potential supervisors with respect to data entry and we will discuss how members of the HDR committee can work with academics to ensure their candidates are given the best possible chance of winning a scholarship.
Note that this training module will be accredited for the Supervisor Register
PhD Scholarships
International scholarship closing date (for IPRS and IMQRES) is the 31st of July – now is the time to proactively recruit potential students and also check with applicants currently in the system about any successes that might improve their competitiveness (i.e. attainments since submitting their application for candidature e.g. additional publications or success with prizes).
Advances – NOPF’s
Update from the Office of Financial Services (OFS). You are now required to submit a justification of your Advance required. Rather than just stating the amount needed, you will need to outline the breakdown of the expenses you intend to use the advance for. Furthermore, OFS will only provide 85% of the total amount stated.
An example. Ben requires $1500 for fieldwork. He is using a department vehicle. He has 2 volunteers travelling with him to help with his work. OFS will provide $1300
| Food – $20/day/person for 3 people over 10 days | $600 |
| Accomm. – $70/night for 3 people over 9 nights | $630 |
| Fieldwork supplies – twice daily purchase of ice for sample storage. Ice: $5/bag twice daily for 10 days | $100 |
| Incidentals – in case of emergency | $200 |
| Total | $1530 |
| 85% of total required | $1300 |
Departmental Seminar
Date/Time: 27/4; 1-2pm.
Location: E8A-280 Biology Tea Room.
Speaker: Belinda Bean, Macquarie University’s Sustainability Officer
Title: Permaculture: Hungry for Researchers
Background
Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems that have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. Bill Mollison co-developed the permaculture design system with David Holmgren, and went on to develop a train-the-trainer system encompassing agriculture, horticulture, architecture, ecology, economic systems, land access strategies, and legal systems for businesses and communities.
Open Day Activities – we need your help!
As you know, Open Day is early this year (Saturday August 20). This date coincides with the busiest on-campus day in Session 2 – with all labs and tech staff already busy running external pracs that weekend; therefore our contribution to Open Day will be somewhat reduced compared to previous years. The day is now aimed at recruitment, and as I’m the new Schools Liaison Officer, I’m the new “go-to” man.
Our only display space will be the courtyard as all the teaching labs will be occupied with students doing external labs. We would like to showcase our research expertise but it will need to be low key ie no power or water requirements. So we are looking for:
1) Research groups to display some aspect of their research using a display table and boards. Send us your ideas!
2) Volunteers for the intellectual speed dating event. This will involve one hour sessions in which you will be asked to provide a pitch to prospective students about the value of doing biology here. The scope of what this will entail has not been decided yet but we need to have some names assigned.
Please let Dan Bateman daniel.bateman@mq.edu.au know about your willingness to contribute – replies needed by 29 April.
Many thanks in advance!
Dan Bateman
Scientists publish open letter urging action on Great Barrier Reef
57 scientists (including several from our department!) published a letter this week urging the phase-out of coal and urgent action to save the Great Barrier Reef. You can read it here
Plant of the Week – Moreton Bay Fig
Moreton Bay Fig – Ficus macrophylla. Figs are unusual, in that they have a multitude of minute, wasp-pollinated flowers inside each fruit.
National Project Working Group
Anyone interested in being on a national working party to promote Citizen Science? Flyer with information is attached. Please contact Libby Hepburn <libbyhepburn@btinternet.com> if interested in knowing more.
Nat Proj Working Group Invitation – 31 March 2016
Graduations!
Here are some images snapped at the Biological Sciences Graduations this week.
Dr Siobhan Dennison and Dr Heather Baldwin (Heather is a co-tutelle student who was also awarded a ‘magna cum laude’ from her German partner University -Ulm!)
Academic and Research Staff Input Needed for Open Access Information Access Study
Heriyanto, from Information Systems School, Science and Engineering Faculty, QUT, is doing a study that aims to investigate the ways researchers experience using open access as part of their information literacy, as part of a PhD. If you are current academic researcher (sessional, contract and full time) who have used open access sources and content during the last 12 months then I would like to invite you to participate in an interview to share your experiences.
Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary. The interview will be conducted in person at mutually agreeable time and place. It will take between 30 and 60 minutes. It is possible to conduct an interview through Skype if you are not living in Brisbane. Your contribution to this project will provide a better understanding of researchers experience open access as part of their information world.
Please view the attached recruitment flyer for further details on the study and how to participate. Please note that this study has been approved by the QUT Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number 1500000045).
Open access & information literacy flyer
Sydney Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology: Keep Cups
Toni Mizerek is leaving us as the Keeper of the Karma Keep Cups, and as our Macquarie University Representative. Peri Bolton <peri.bolton@mq.edu.au> is the new Macquarie Rep and Keeper of the Karma Keep Cups (official title). If you would like to purchase an eco-friendly keep cup for your daily dose of caffeine then please come and see Peri up The Hill (she can bring them down to you as well). Cups are $10 for members, and $13 for non-members.
Ally Workshop Next Week – Need More People
There are two Ally Network Workshops coming up for new potential allies, and there is a real need to boost the numbers for the Wednesday 27th April 1.30-4.30pm session next week.
Contact Jon Papadopoulo <jon.papadopoulo@mq.edu.au> if you are interested in attending.
MQ Marine Workshops 2016
The MQ Marine Research Centre will organise several workshops in 2016 and 2017, which are open to all interested marine science students, academics and professional staff within and outside Macquarie University. The workshops will run from 1-3 days each, are fully catered and free of charge. Here is a selection of workshops from those anticipated in 2016:
- R for Marine Scientists (approximate date June 2016)
- Quantitative Ecology and Modelling (June 2016 or October/November 2016).
- Accessing Environmental Datasets and Analysing Spatial Data (approximate date July 2016).
- Modelling: Introduction and Applications in Marine Sciences (approximate date October/November 2016).
Please indicate your interest in one/any of these workshops here. You will be asked to answer a few general questions so that we can design the workshop program around your specific areas of interest.
You are invited to join the Macquarie University Marine Research Centre (MQMarine) Social Friday Drinks and Marine Talks at the Staff Cafe!
When: Friday 29.04.2016, 3:30-5:30pm (3:30pm: arrive & grab a drink, 4-5pm: talks by Marine and Michael, 5-5:30pm: mingle & chat)
Where: Staff Cafe
Who: Dr Marine Lasbleiz, Endeavour Fellow, and Michael Kloster, PhD student, Marine and Coastal Phytoplankon Lab Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
Talk titles:
- The Si and C biogeochemical cycles linked to the diatom community composition in the Kerguelen region (Dr Marine Lasbleiz).
- (Semi-)automated diatom valve morphometry with SHERPA, and its application to assessing seasonal patterns in valve size distributions of the Southern Ocean diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis (Michael Kloster).
Science Advances Tips for Writing an Effective Cover Letter
Please see attached flyer. Sorry but the links in the PDF do not work. If you wish to know more. please click this link.
New Publications
Temperate predators and seasonal water temperatures impact feeding of a range expanding tropical fish
By: Beck, Hayden J., David A. Feary, Ashley M. Fowler, Elizabeth MP Madin, and David J. Booth. Marine Biology 163, no. 4 (2016): 1-14. | Find with Google Scholar »A global analysis of parenchyma tissue fractions in secondary xylem of seed plants
By: Morris, Hugh, Lenka Plavcová, Patrick Cvecko, Esther Fichtler, Mark AF Gillingham, Hugo I. Martínez‐Cabrera, Daniel J. McGlinn et al. New Phytologist (2015). | Find with Google Scholar »Drought× CO2 interactions in trees: a test of the low‐intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) mechanism.
Kelly, Jeff WG, Remko A. Duursma, Brian J. Atwell, David T. Tissue, and Belinda E. Medlyn. New Phytologist (2015). | Find with Google Scholar »Raspberry Ketone Trifluoroacetate, a New Attractant for the Queensland Fruit Fly, Bactrocera Tryoni (Froggatt)
By: Siderhurst, Matthew S., Soo J. Park, Caitlyn N. Buller, Ian M. Jamie, Nicholas C. Manoukis, Eric B. Jang, and Phillip W. Taylor. Journal of chemical ecology 42, no. 2 (2016): 156-162. | Find with Google Scholar »Emergent technologies and analytical approaches for understanding the effects of multiple stressors in aquatic environments
By: Chariton, A. A., M. Sun, J. Gibson, J. A. Webb, K. M. Y. Leung, C. W. Hickey, and G. C. Hose. Marine and Freshwater Research (2015). | Find with Google Scholar »Oxidative stress, free radicals and protein peroxides
By: Gebicki, Janusz M. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 595 (2016): 33-39. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Josh Madin has featured in further coverage regarding a Macquarie University and UTS study on coral bleaching in Sydney Harbour
Associate Professor Josh Madin from the Department of Biological Sciences has featured in further coverage regarding a Macquarie University and UTS study on coral bleaching in Sydney Harbour. Coverage appeared in ABC News 24 Mornings, 666 ABC Canberra, Eco news, and Business Insider.
Andrew Barron was interviewed by The New York Times on the possibility of Insect Consciousness
Associate Professor Andrew Barron from the Department of Biological Sciences and Dr Colin Klein from the Department of Philosophy have featured in further coverage reporting on their research paper which discusses whether insects are conscious. Coverage appeared in the New York Times, ABC Online, the Adelaide Advertiser and the Smithsonian website.