Short-Term Exposure to Lambda-Cyhalothrin Negatively Affects the Survival and Memory-Related Characteristics of Worker Bees Apis mellifera
By: Liao, Chun-hua, Xu-jiang He, Zi-long Wang, Andrew B. Barron, Bo Zhang, Zhi-jiang Zeng, and Xiao-bo Wu. Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology 75, no. 1 (2018): 59-65. | Find with Google Scholar »
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Dear all,
Thanks to the Department’s Diversity & Inclusion group who organised a very successful lunch – the food was amazing!
A reminder that the curriculum architecture project is well under way and feedback has been requested from across the university – the deadline is Monday 25th June – please see details below in the L&T section.
Next week is my last week before a month’s break, so if you have anything urgent please catch me this week or better still, see our marvellous Deputy HoDs anytime in July.
Cheers,
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 25th – 29th June
Mon 25th: Informal Seminar and Discussion – Dr Amy Zanne, George Washington U; 2.30pm; 6WW (E8C)-146.
Wed 27th: Department Morning Tea; 10.30am – 11am; E8A 280 Biology tearoom.
Wed 27th: Special Seminar – Dr Jamie Stavert; 1.00pm – 2.00pm; E8A 280 Biology tearoom.
Wed 27th: Informal Seminar and Discussion – Dr Amy Zanne, George Washington U; 3.00pm; 6WW (E8C)-212.
Thurs 28th: R Users Group – Loops and beyond: Elegant and readable iteration with the purrr package; 3.00pm to 5.00pm; E8A 280 Biology tearoom
Following week 2nd – 6th July
Tue 3rd: Formal Department meeting for grade finalisation: 1-3pm; Biology tearoom
Wed 4th: Department Morning Tea; 10.30am – 11am; On the Hill W19F
Coming Up
July 17th: iLearn Workshop – Engaging Software for S2 with Kath McClellan; 10.00am -12.00pm; 6WW(E8C) 212.
July 18th: 6WW (E8C) Teaching Labs Induction; TBA.
July 20th: 4WW (F7B) Teaching Labs Induction; TBA.
July 24th: 14EAR (E8A) Teaching Labs Induction; TBA.
July 24-25th: Research Enrichment Program – Outlook Conference “The Future of the Human Landscape”; Incubator Building, MQU.
General News and Announcements
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
Biological Sciences Special Seminar
Date/Time/Venue: Wednesday, 27th June 2018, 1 – 2pm, 14EAR (E8A)-280 Biology Tearoom.
Speaker: Dr Jamie Stavert, UNE Endeavour Postdoctoral Fellow. Title: Pollination in a changing world. More information at https://goto.mq.edu.au/biologyseminar2018-abstracts
MolSci Weekly Seminar – Date: Tuesday, 3rd July 2018. Time: 1 – 2pm. Speaker: Professor Karen J Edler, Department of Chemistry, University of Bath (UK). Title: From Micelles to Materials. Website: https://goto.mq.edu.au/6s
Informal seminar and discussion Monday 25 June, 2:30 pm in E8C146. Dr Amy Zanne, George Washington U (http://phylodiversity.net/azanne/People.html). The fungal strategy
project and fungal function (fun-fun) database. Further info <mark.westoby@mq.edu.au>.
project and fungal function (fun-fun) database. Further info <mark.westoby@mq.edu.au>.
Informal seminar and discussion Wednesday 27 June, 3:00 pm in E8C212. Dr Amy Zanne, George Washington U (http://phylodiversity.net/azanne/People.html). The distributed
collaborative experiment on wood decomposition, and experiences when coordinating a collaborative experiment. Further info <mark.westoby@mq.edu.au>.
collaborative experiment on wood decomposition, and experiences when coordinating a collaborative experiment. Further info <mark.westoby@mq.edu.au>.
Research Enrichment Program – Outlook Conference
July 24-25, Incubator Building, Macquarie University – “The Future of the Human Landscape”
The Outlook Conference (Research Enrichment Program Outlook Program) will bring together leading thinkers in diverse disciplines, spanning molecules to landscapes, and from scientific, historical and social viewpoints. Speakers at 2018 Outlook conference include Professor Tim Flannery (Writer and Social Commentator), Professor Angela Moles (UNSW), Associate Professor Greg Downey (MQ) and Professor Rob Brooks (UNSW). The objective of Outlook is to immerse participants in the frontiers of adjacent, and more distant disciplines. Speakers will present their vision for humanity’s future. These talks will not recount personal research findings, but will be future-scoping exercises. Our goal is to identify promising areas for high level trans-disciplinary collaboration, for novel applications, and to expose postgraduate students and early career researchers
R Users Group – Loops and beyond: Elegant and readable iteration with the purrr package, next Thursday (28th June) @3pm in the Biology Tearoom. We will take a look at loops, covering the basic building blocks and syntax needed to iterate over data. Then we will discuss the limitations of loops, and introduce functional programming as an alternative. I will go on to show you how you can create easily readable code, eliminate loops, and streamline your workflow with the powerful and elegant purrr package, a core package in the life-changing tidyverse. This workshop will be targeted at people with minimal programming experience, but seasoned users will benefit as well. Come with the latest version of R loaded on your laptop, or come a few minutes early so we can help you load it!
RESEARCH STORIES, OUTCOMES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Add to the SCATLAS! Scoop a Poop App Evaluation – help needed! A Beta version of the ‘Scoop a Poop’ App for iPhone (Android will be ready soon) requires testers. Keen people can grab a kit to collect a possum poop, test the App, and provide some comments. We need help fairly quickly, and would also like children aged 10 and up to trial the app. If you can help please contact <michelle.power@mq.edu.au> or <koa.webster@mq.edu.au> for an App link and to collect the scoop a poop kit. Remember, iPhones only for the moment please.
Who will be the next winner of Science and SciLifeLab’s Prize for Young Scientists? The Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists is now open for entries! This is the sixth year that Science and SciLifeLab will present this award, which offers four recent PhD graduates a life-changing opportunity. Recent doctoral graduates in the life sciences may submit a 1000-word essay based on their thesis work. Four winners — in the categories of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology and Environment, Genomics and Proteomics and Translational Medicine — will be selected for this international award. Make sure your recent PhD graduate doesn’t miss out on this opportunity! Application deadline: July 15th, 2018
The winners will: Have their essay published by Science! Receive up to 30,000 USD in prize money. Be honored in Stockholm, Sweden in December!
Looking for Work Experience? Intern Opportunities for PhD candidates – please see http://aprintern.org.au/available-internships
2018-19 Fisheries Scientific Committee Student Research Grant round now open – Visit the FSC website to access the online application form. Applications close 11.59 pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 31 July 2018.
LEARNING AND TEACHING
Feedback wanted on the proposed curriculum architecture. The university is proposing a new curriculum architecture, which will govern the structure of our coursework degrees. For an overview, see ‘ 10 Things to Know About the Curriculum Architecture‘ and for further on principles and proposed changes, see ‘ Our Curriculum Architecture – Renewing the Light‘, which also has links to all the relevant documents and feedback forms.
The deadline for feedback has been extended to Monday 25 June.
The deadline for feedback has been extended to Monday 25 June.
iLearn workshop – Engaging Software for S2 – Echo 360 now has the Active Learning Platform embedded in it and this opens a range of engagement opportunities! We will introduce you to, and show you how to use, three different engagement technologies (ALP, MEAP and PLD). You decide how you will use them and what is right for you and your unit! We will then teach you any-iLearn-thing you want to know / help troubleshoot any issues you are having in iLearn for S2 (e.g. gradebook category weightings, setting up user overrides for quizzes, setting up marking rubrics in Turnitin, sharing quickmarks with tutors, etc…), and show you how to create videos/record lectures using Echo360 Personal Capture on your laptop. Come a long for the full two hours (presentations 10-11am) or just drop in (from 11am-12pm).
- iLearn workshop – Engaging Software for S2, with Kath (Tuesday 17th July, E8C212, 10am-12pm) sign up here.
S2 2018 Teaching Lab Induction Dates: If you intend to work, demonstrate, or teach in the Department’s Digital Teaching Labs next semester, and you haven’t done an induction this year (for 14EAR – E8A), or the past 2 years for other spaces, then please contact Prasanth Subramani <prasanth.subramani@mq.edu.au> to put your name down for the following induction dates.
- 6WW (E8C) teaching labs – Wednesday 18th July, 2018.
- 4WW (F7B) teaching labs – Friday 20th July, 2018.
- 14EAR (E8A) teaching labs – Tuesday 24th July, 2018.
Taronga Zoo PACE Opportunities – There are 4 positions available for PACE internships at Taronga Zoo, a non-for-profit organisation supporting over 350 species in Session 2, 2018. This is a fantastic opportunity to conduct research on a variety of animals, in a unique research environment. Applicants must have a background in animal behaviour, behavioural ecology or related disciplines. Interested students will need to have sufficient elective space to enrol in FOSC300 in 2018 S2. If applicants are not successful in obtaining a Taronga position, they can withdraw interest in the unit. You can find a description of the positions, the application process and contact details on the PACE website Taronga Zoo opportunities. The application process closes on the July 1st, 2018.
Need help with unit development or anything L&T? Talk to our friendly Faculty L&T team contact – Natalie Spence (x1943, natalie.spence@mq.edu.au)
Interested in mentoring Students from Refugee Backgrounds in S2? Please fill in this Expression of Interest form or email Associate Professor Anina Rich <anina.rich@mq.edu.au> if you have questions.
BLOGS AND OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST
Plant of the Week!
This week, Styphelia tubiflora, Red Five Corners.
This delightful little shrub comes to life in winter, producing an abundance of crimson at a time when few other plants are in flower. Look for Styphelia tubiflora on poor sandy soils, usually in heaths and dry sclerophyll Eucalyptus woodlands on sandstone ridges and hillsides.
Ally Training provides participants with an overall understanding of why LGBTIQ inclusion is important to the Macquarie University community and explores challenges often faced by people who identify as LGBTIQ and the impact of Homophobia, Transphobia & prejudice. Participants who complete the training will be able to join the MQ Ally Network if they so wish.
Key Takeaways:
- Introduction to the diversity of identities within the LGBTIQ+ community
- Gain an understanding of discrimination and bias that affect people in the LGBTIQ+ community
- Know what the Ally Network is and what it takes to be an active and effective Ally.
- Develop your skills to actively speak out against Homophobia, Transphobia and prejudice
- Learn to refer people to appropriate local resources, support services & assistance
If you’d like to attend Ally training please complete this poll so that we can find an appropriate time. https://doodle.com/poll/qpzsmvaq4enu5n45 Each session will run for approximately 2 hours. For more information or if you have any questions please contact <workplacediversityinclusion@mq.edu.au>.
Looking for a Room to Rent? Vivian Cumbo has one in her house on the Central Coast. It’s close to Woy Woy CBD, the rail station and M1 freeway. The house has an open plan living area with beautiful windows that show off the views of the water. The room for rent is a large double room that can be furnished or unfurnished. It also has a spacious built-in wardrobe. You can check it out at https://flatmates.com.au/P404451. If you are interested, please drop her an email at <vivian.cumbo@mq.edu.au>
Quantitative Advice Forum returns – http://quantitative-advice.gg.mq.edu.au/ We are pleased to announce that the Quantitative Advice Forum is once again up and running – http://quantitative-advice.gg.mq.edu.au/ . This forum is for any and all questions about stats, maths, and programming, at all levels from basic to advanced. The format is similar to StackExchange and similar forums, but you’ll be talking with people from around the Department in a more relaxed environment. Ask your own questions, or share your knowledge and help your colleagues. A huge thank you to Drew Allen, who has agreed to administer the forum.
aaRgh (ask an Rgeek for help) – Second Thursday of every month 3 – 4pm, Biology Tearoom – 14EAR (E8A) 280. Frustrated? Having an R-related problem? We will also run regular afternoon tea sessions where you can get one-on-one help, or just introduce yourself and chat. Snacks provided!
to different ways of thinking. REP Outlook is free and open to all. Please register for REP Outlook here
Department Writing Workshops for HDRs and ECRs – Running weekly for most of the year: Fridays 2-4pm in room E8B 111. Those interested in attending a session should email Ken Cheng <ken.cheng@mq.edu.au> by Wednesday 12:00-noon, preferably with a draft attached of what they are working on and some indication of what they especially need help with.
Peer Writing Assistance Session – Are you a HDR? Need help with your writing? Unsure how to structure your argument? Want advice on how to handle HDR life? If you answered yes to any of these questions then come along to a Peer Writing Assistance session! Peer Writing Assistants are current PhD students and HDR Mentors at Macquarie University that are a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ to look over your work and provide constructive advice. We are also available to talk about any aspect of the HDR experience. Sessions can be booked on the HDR workshops page.
Social Network Analysis Mini-conference & Workshop – Social network analysis is increasingly used to study the social behaviour of animals and interactions in complex biological systems. We are holding a workshop to provide students and researchers with an opportunity to learn from leaders in the field and receive face-to-face guidance on applying these techniques to their own data. The workshop, run by Dr Damien Farine (Max Planck Institute of Ornithology) covers all of the knowledge needed to use SNA, including key concepts, methods and R packages.
The workshop is preceded by a mini-conference, after which attendees give a very short talk & present a poster. Each day workshop activities start with a plenary talk from guest speakers including:
Dr Mauricio Cantor (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina) on social interactions and cultural transmission in cetaceans. Dr Stephan Leu (Macquarie University) on using network analysis to model disease transmission.
When/Where: 10 – 13 September 2018, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Attendance is free but places are limited so register soon! Flyer_SNA_NA_final
For details of content – https://sites.google.com/site/drfarine/teaching/sna_workshop For inquiries & registration details – Nicolette Armansin (Macquarie University), <nicolette.armansin@mq.edu.au>.
The workshop is preceded by a mini-conference, after which attendees give a very short talk & present a poster. Each day workshop activities start with a plenary talk from guest speakers including:
Dr Mauricio Cantor (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina) on social interactions and cultural transmission in cetaceans. Dr Stephan Leu (Macquarie University) on using network analysis to model disease transmission.
When/Where: 10 – 13 September 2018, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Attendance is free but places are limited so register soon! Flyer_SNA_NA_final
For details of content – https://sites.google.com/site/drfarine/teaching/sna_workshop For inquiries & registration details – Nicolette Armansin (Macquarie University), <nicolette.armansin@mq.edu.au>.
Franklin Women Event: Perfecting Your Personal Pitch – Happiness Concierge Nicole will talk through how to put together a sound bite that clearly communicates your expertise and helps others see the value you deliver through your research and work.
When: Wednesday 27th June 2018. Time: 5.30pm to 8pm. Where: Club Bar, Hotel CBD, 52 King St, Sydney. Inclusions: An absolutely inspiring guest speaker, delish food, drinks and lots of networking with other inspiring women in the sector! Registration: Essential via our website – spaces are limited. Cost:Franklin Women Members – $33 (+GST) Franklin Women guest – $65 (+GST) For all the details and to register visit:www.franklinwomen.com.au
SUSTAINABILITY
Plastic Free July – Join the Pledge! Plastic Free July is a fun challenge that gets us thinking about the amount of plastic packaging in our lives. Why Participate?Australians use around 100kg of plastic packing per household each year. Those plastics: Break up, not break down. Are mostly down-cycled. End up in landfill or ‘Escape’ and pollute the ocean.
Take the Challenge! Choose to Avoid, Refuse or Replace as much single-use plastic as you can during July. More information See pdfs below or contact Samantha Newton.
ADMIN THINGS
Admin Alert! Admin workload is particularly high, so this is a reminder to submit your Absence on Duty early. Please give a minimum of 3 weeks before you travel domestically, and 6 weeks internationally, for approvals to be processed and bookings made for you. The more notice you give, the easier it is, and the better prices you can get. Any last-minute travel requests may not be processed.
Session 2 2018 Tutor Applications are now open! Click here to apply. Applications close Sunday 24 June. Please contact <caitlin.kordis@mq.edu.au> with any questions.
PURE Training – The PURE system is used to manage researcher profiles, outputs including publications, funding applications, awards, projects and reports. Do you feel like you could use some more PURE training? Please register your interest via an email to <jenny.ghabache@mq.edu.au>.
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES – Have you participated in an activity for Biology recently? Don’t forget to fill in the super-quick form here – ACCESS OUTREACH FORM HERE
Photo Competition – JUNE 2018 – Enter to win a $100 Gift Card this month!
This month’s theme is BLACK & WHITE! Your images could be used on our Department website, this newsletter, on our social media and in other biology publications. A lucky person’s name will be drawn each month, and they will receive a $100 Gift Card! Criteria: you must provide caption information including details of what/where/who(names of people)/date & you must have taken all photos & the image was taken in the last five years. Please follow the dropbox file request link to submit your images. Submission close: 30 JUNE 2018 You can enter as many photos as you like – one entry to the draw for each good photo, good luck!
And here are a few more of the excellent entries last month!
Location-W (Fauna Park) Admin Support – Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 10am – 1pm in W19F.
Deliveries – You will notice that we have placed a red “transfer Box” in W19F, put anything in this box that needs to be delivered to the E8 area location. We also have a red “Transfer Box” in E8B Level 2 location, which is for goods to betaken to the W location. These boxes will be emptied every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am. Deliveries from the main “MQ” store will be delivered daily. Any questions please contact Sharyon O’Donnell.
Building Name Changes – Cheat Sheet – If you are trying to identify buildings on campus with new names or old names, please use this link to convert them from old to new or vice versa.
Correct Method for Submitting to Department Matters
Department Matters submissions now have their own email address. Please send all future submissions to the newsletter to <fse.bionewsletter@mq.edu.au>!
Also, please see the following to correctly format your additions, and keep them rolling in!
You may have noticed that we try to keep all the articles to the same format for the Department Matters, however, rest assured, they do NOT all turn up in this format! To help keep your Department Matters looking as good as possible, when sending in additions to the Newsletter, please try to keep these formatting guidelines in mind.
- Please write in third person. The information is coming from the Newsletter, not directly from you.
- Do not use fancy text formatting. Bold heading, normal text, and only italics or bold to highlight. No font size changes will make it through, sorry.
- If sending via email, set your email output to basic. HTML output will add all sort of formatting that will have to be removed before your article can go into the newsletter.
Keeping to these guidelines will streamline your article’s addition to the newsletter. Thank you.
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New Publications
Evolutionary significance of a middle Cambrian (Series 3) insitu occurrence of the pedunculate rhynchonelliform brachiopod Nisusia sulcata
By: Holmer, Lars E., Leonid E. Popov, Mansoureh Ghobadi Pour, Tom Claybourn, Zhiliang Zhang, Glenn A. Brock, and Zhifei Zhang. Lethaia (2018). | Find with Google Scholar »Ocean zoning within a sparing versus sharing framework
By: McGowan, Jennifer, Michael Bode, Matthew H. Holden, Katrina Davis, Nils C. Krueck, Maria Beger, Katherine L. Yates, and Hugh P. Possingham. Theoretical Ecology (2018): 1-10. | Find with Google Scholar »Geographic variation in the foraging behaviour of South American fur seals
By: Baylis, Alastair MM, Megan Tierney, Rachael A. Orben, Iain J. Staniland, and Paul Brickle. Marine Ecology Progress Series 596 (2018): 233-245. | Find with Google Scholar »Antiviral Defense and Innate Immune Memory in the Oyster
By: Green, Timothy J., and Peter Speck. Viruses 10, no. 3 (2018): 133. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Koa Webster was interviewed about Scoop a Poop in Lab + Life Scientist
Dr Koa Webster from the Department of Biological Sciences was interviewed about Scoop a Poop in Lab + Life Scientist:
Andrew Barron contributed an article to The Conversation
Associate Professor Andrew Barron from the Department of Biological Sciences contributed the article ‘Bees get stressed at work too (and it might be causing colony collapse)’ to The Conversation.
Andrew Barron was featured in New Scientist
Associate Professor Andrew Barron from the Department of Biological Sciences was featured in New Scientist< regarding research into bees’ emotions and personalities.
Martin Whiting was interviewed on ABC South East SA Breakfast and ABC Radio Canberra Breakfast
Associate Professor Martin Whiting from the Department of Biological Sciences was interviewed on ABC South East SA Breakfast and ABC Radio Canberra Breakfast in ongoing coverage of his research about blue tongue lizards’ tongues.