BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT MATTERS | August 26, 2016

Dear all,

Many thanks to all those who contributed to Biology’s advising, displays and lectures on Open Day. Some pictures below! And if you attended Open Day then please provide some feedback to make sure that next year is an improvement – the link is here.

I’m at EcoSummit2016 in Montpellier all next week so Grant Hose is in complete charge of all things biological.

cheerio

Michelle

Save the Date

This coming week 29th August – 2nd September

Tue 30th: R-Users’ Group – Introduction to ggplot2; 3:00pm – 5:00pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Wed 31st: Departmental Seminar – Dan Warren – Learning to love terrible species distribution models; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Thu 1st Sept: Genes to Geoscience Workshop ‘Detecting environmental selection using genomic data’; 9:00am – 5:00pm; Enrollment Full.

Following week 5th – 9th September

Tue 6th: Department Meeting; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Wed 7th: Departmental Seminar – Chris Reid; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).

Thu 8th: GGREP Masterclass on “Trait Ecology”; TBA.

Coming up

Sept 8 and 15th; GGREP Masterclass on “Trait Ecology”

Sept 13th: MRes information session for students, 1-2pm in the Biology tearoom

Sept 15th; Department Secret Safety Activity

Sept 19th: ECR research showcase day.

Sept 20th: Graduation for Biological Sciences, 2.30-4pm. Register for the academic procession here

Oct 26th; Faculty Safety day

Oct 31st: Applications for domestic (APA) PhD scholarships due.

General News and Announcements

Open Day in pictures

ATA Scientific Encouragement Award

PhD candidate Chathu Perera was this week handed the ATA Scientific Encouragement Award by Dr Will Lawler from ATA Scientific. Dr Lawler spent this week at Macquarie University not only to meet with Chathu, but also to demonstrate the Phenom desktop Scanning Electron Microscope. Dr Lawler set the microscope up in the Faculty’s Microscopy Unit in E8A, and spent a busy week analysing samples for Chathu, as well as staff in Biological Sciences, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Engineering and others.

The photo below shows Chathu with the award, and the Phenom desktop electron microscope. L-R: Ms Chathu Perera, Professor Michelle Leishman (HoD Biological Sciences and Chathu‘s co-supervisor), Dr Will Lawler (ATA Scientific), Professor Damian Gore (Department of Environmental Sciences and Chathu‘s co-supervisor).

Further details of Chathu‘s award, and how to apply to ATA for support, are here.

Wanted: 3 Minute Thesis Contenders!

We need articulate and clever PhD students in Biology to compete in this years 3 minute thesis competition (Faculty level competition is held on the 7th of September). Basically you captivate the audience with your PhD work compressed to a 3 minute time slot. Why bother? Kudos, possible travel, if you get to the inter-institutional level and… for the rest of your life you will be asked what you did your PhD on – may as well get a snappy response honed now. Contact Adam Stow <adam.stow@mq.edu.au>if interested.

Weekly Department Seminar

Day/Date/Time/Place: Wednesday, 31st August, 1pm, E8A-280 (Tea Room).

Speaker: Dan Warren

Title: Learning to love terrible species distribution models

Abstract: Species distribution models are widely used in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology in order to estimate species environmental tolerances and potential distributions. These models are tractable when other approaches often aren’t, but suffer from a number of fundamental issues stemming from data quality, conceptual confusion, and a lack of systematic methodological testing. Novel methods are being developed that incorporate more biological reality into the modeling process, but in order for these methods to gain prevalence the field will have to change how we think about, and build, these models. In this talk, I will showcase some novel simulation results that illustrate problems with the ways we build, evaluate, and interpret our models, and discuss how forward progress in estimating the underlying biology will require a substantial paradigm shift in the field.

New Visiting Scholar

Angela Rana is a new Visiting Scholar from the University of Sydney until 31 July 2017. Angela will be working in the parasitology group with Michelle Power and Koa Webster researching the common brushtail possum.
Please make her feel welcome.

“For my honours thesis I’ll be looking at problem solving abilities in the common brushtail possum. Studies that have looked into problem solving in animals have consistently found variation in their problem solving abilities, and various factors may explain this variation. This includes factors such as age, sex, social rank, stress, and personality. For my study, I’ll be looking specifically into physiological stress and personality as possible predictors of problem solving abilities. I’ll be using the common brushtail possum as my model species as problem solving helps animals exploit new resources and invade new niches, and brushtail possums are particularly good at exploiting food and shelter from the human-modified environment.

My work will involve trapping possums and keeping them in captivity for a maximum of 2 weeks. While they are in captivity, I will collect scats daily for analysis of stress hormones, present them with one or two problem solving tasks, and test for personality using a range of behavioural measures.”

email:  <aran8255@uni.sydney.edu.au>

New PhD Candidate

Sonu Yadav has arrived this week from India to commence her PhD in Rachael Dudaniec’s lab on the landscape genomics of Australian grasshoppers. Sonu will investigate the role of genetic adaptation, landscape connectivity and environmental variables in determining species’ ranges and phenotypic traits along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. Sonu can be found in E8C247.

Invitation To SAGE Town Hall Meeting

In June 2016 Macquarie University was successful in its application to join the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena SWAN Pilot. The Athena SWAN Charter has been successful in improving gender equity in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) disciplines in the UK for over 10 years. By joining the Australian pilot, Macquarie University will step-up its efforts to improve gender equity in STEMM for both staff and students.

Join Chair of the Macquarie SAGE Pilot Self-Assessment Team, Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes, and members of the Australian Academy of Science to learn more about this initiative in a Town Hall event.

Dr Wafa El-Adhami, SAGE Executive Director, will present the guest address. Some of the discussion points will include:

• Changing the gender equity landscape in STEMM
• Objectives of the SAGE Pilot
• Purpose and benefits of Athena SWAN Awards
• Bronze Institutional Application process and the SAGE Pilot program
• How students, faculty members, staff and leaders can get involved.

Register now to join this open session where students, faculty and staff from all areas of STEMM can learn about the aims of the SAGE Pilot.

When:  Tuesday 6 September
Where:  P.G. Price Theatre, W5A
Time:  1pm – 2pm
Cost:  Free

http://www.mq.edu.au/about/events/view/science-in-australia-gender-equity-sage-town-hall/

Plant Of The Week

Pieris ryukyuensis – Temple Bells –  by Roger Hiller

Jobs In The Offering

Technician – Marine Biology (UOA): https://www.seek.com.au/job/31663968

Technical Officer – Algal Culture (UTS): https://www.seek.com.au/job/31693661?savedSearchID=11639531&tracking=JMC-SAU-eDM-JobMail4.01-3881

Rob Harcort’s Papers Gain Major Traction

The suppression of Antarctic bottom water formation by melting ice shelves in Prydz Bay

Integrating research using animal-borne telemetry with the needs of conservation management

Royal Society of New South Wales Scholarships

Three scholarships of $500 plus and a complimentary year of membership of the Society are awarded each year in order to acknowledge outstanding achievements by young researchers in any field of science. Applicants must be enrolled as research students in a university in either NSW or the ACT. Applicants must be Australian citizens or Permanent Residents of Australia.

The winners will be expected to deliver a short presentation of their work at the general meeting of the Society in February 2017 and to submit a paper to the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales.*
Self-nominations are allowed for this award. For all nominations, the following is required:

• The letter of nomination should clearly state the significance of the student’s project.
• The curriculum vitae containing a list publications, details of the student’s undergraduate study, and any professional experience.

The Royal Society of New South Wales 3

• An abstract of 500 words describing the project
• For self-nominations, a statement of support from the student’s supervisor, confirming details of the student’s candidature.

2017 Science Awards

Grant applications are now open for the 2017 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

If you’re 18-35, this is your chance to apply for a grant of up to $22,000 to fund your project on an innovative or emerging scientific issue that will benefit Australia’s primary industries.

More information? Visit http://www.agriculture.gov.au/scienceawards.

Applications close Friday 14 October 2016.

Sydney Chapter for Society for Conservation Biology: Upcoming events

Saturday Sept 3rd: Creative Conservation and Conservation Cafe Double Feature: Drawn from

This September, Patrick Shirvington will tell us about his work and how the arts can help us to connect with nature and conservation, then he will take us on an artistic journey of our own. Patrick’s main area of study is the nexus between art and the natural world, believing the process of drawing is fundamental to the cognitive process opening doors to the unseen. He believes this process can guide us on a new journey, enhancing knowledge and creatively visualising further enquiry. Patrick will present his findings and take us through some practical examples before engaging us in a drawing workshop

Price: Students $20, Non-students $35. Get your tickets on Eventbrite (https://creativecafe2016.eventbrite.com.au)

AMSI BioInfoSummer 2016 

The University of Adelaide – Adelaide, South Australia

28 November to 2 December

REGISTER NOW: http://bis.amsi.org.au/register-now/

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN 
Immerse yourself in the field of bioinformatics. This annual, week-long symposium brings together students, professionals and academic researchers from various disciplines including mathematics, statistics, computer science, information technology, engineering, complex systems analysis, and biological, chemical and medical sciences.

AMSI BioInfoSummer 2016 will feature lectures from international guest speakers and industry professionals, specialised workshops including computer and wet labs, a public lecture, a Women in STEM networking event and a COMBINE careers session. This year’s event is hosted by the University of Adelaide from 28 November to 2 December and will explore the following themes:
– Bioinformatics introduction for Biologists and Mathematicians
– Basics of high dimensional data and multivariate analysis
– Analysing long read (third generation) sequencing data and eukaryotic whole genome sequencing
– RNA seq experimental design and analysis
– Coding for bioinformatics

Register now for early bird registration rates, and join us in Adelaide for a week of specialised content to broaden your knowledge of this exciting field!

FIND OUT MORE: http://bis.amsi.org.au

GRANTS AVAILABLE 
AMSI and BioInfoSummer major sponsors offer a number of grants to eligible applicants from AMSI member institutions. These grants can help attendees cover the cost of travel, accommodation, and care for family members or dependent children. To find out if you qualify for a grant, and for more information, please visit our website.

ABOUT GRANTS: http://bis.amsi.org.au/grants/

KEY DATES 
1 August – Registrations Opened
2 October – Early Bird Registrations Close
16 October – Grant Aplication Deadline
28 November – AMSI BioInfoSummer Starts
29 November – Women in STEM Event
29 November – Public Lecture: Claire Wade
30 November – COMBINE Careers Event
1 December – Poster Sessions
2 December – AMSI BioInfoSummer Ends

SEE MORE: http://bis.amsi.org.au/key-dates/

FEATURED SPEAKER: DR XIA YANG 
University of California, Los Angeles

Dr Xia Yang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a faculty member of the Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biology. Dr Yang will travel to Adelaide and join AMSI’s BioInfoSummer program to deliver her talk, “Elucidating Gene Networks of Cardiometabolic Diseases via Systems Genomics”.

MEET THE SPEAKER: http://bis.amsi.org.au/meet-2016-bioinfosummer-speakers-dr-xia-yang/

CONTACT US 
Questions? Email us at bioinfosummer@amsi.org.au

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