A tropical cleaner wrasse finds new clients at the frontier.
By: Luiz, O. J., E. M. P. Madin, J. S. Madin, A. H. Baird, and A. S. Grutter. | Find with Google Scholar »
|
Dear all,
A quiet week with lots of furiously busy marking going on! Stay warm this weekend!
cheerio
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 27th June – 1st July
Wednesday 29th: Department morning tea on the Hill, 10.30am
Thursday 30th; Genes to Geoscience seminar: Professor Andrew Storfer (Washington State University) 1:00 – 2:00pm; E8A-280 (Tea room). “Sympathy for the (Tasmanian) devil: evolutionary responses to an infectious cancer”
Coming up
July 5th; Formal Department meeting for S1 grades. All academic staff to attend.
Digital Teaching Lab Inductions Semester 2: E8A – Mon 25th July, E8C – Thu 28th July, F7B – Fri 29th July.
July 13th: Information on research partnership opportunities with University of Groningen. 1-2pm in the Biology tearoom.
July 31st; Applications for international PhD scholarships due
Aug 20th; Open Day
October 31st: Applications for domestic (APA) PhD scholarships due
General News and Announcements
Help needed to sell the Department
We need your help to sell our department! Matt Bulbert and Dan Bateman are working on unique selling points for the department. This information will feed into a package that will be distributed to schools via career advisors.
This what we would like you do:
- Provide up to 3 points that you feel sets the Department of Biology Macquarie apart from the departments of a similar nature at other universities.
- Any photos that you may have related to your work: and yes the more spectacular the better – we are entering the realms of marketing here.
Examples of unique selling points:
University rankings:
– 1st in NSW in earth and marine sciences (QS) – 2015
– A few years ago ranked 1st in Australia and 14th in the world for Ecology (Thomson Reuters)
– Macquarie has the highest concentration of behavioural researchers in Australia (possibly in the South hemisphere)
Anything that you feel is important to you we are very happy to receive. We can then collate the information and present it to the department.
Email Dan at: daniel.bateman@mq.edu.au
Thank you in advance for your help!
Nature Masterclass expressions of interest
There are currently openings available for ECRs to attend a Nature Masterclass at the Garvan Institute lead by Markus Elsner, Senior Editor Nature Biotechnology and Alex Arguello, Associate Editor Nature Neuroscience (details below). Researchers who are interested in taking up this opportunity please let Melanie Bishop know. The department may be able to provide some support for this – applicants will be considered on a competitive basis so please tell us how this will facilitate your research and potential outcomes.
Markus did his graduate work at EMBL in Heidelberg, Germany and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, where he worked on characterizing protein dynamics in living cells. In his postdoctoral studies at the National Institutes of Health he investigated the mechanisms of lipid and protein sorting during membrane transport events. He joined the journal in 2008. Alexander received his PhD from Columbia University in the laboratories of Joseph Gogos and Maria Karayiorgou specializing in mouse and human genetics. Before joining the journal he did a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University. His main research interests include genetics, genomics, systems biology, neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders and mental health.
The details for the Nature Masterclass are:
Date: Monday August 8
Time: 9am – 5pm
Venue: John Shine Room, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, 370 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Participants: Early Career researchers
Bookings close: July 15
Cost: $5,000 for 5 researchers
The Nature Masterclasses are designed specifically to:
- Help increase the quality of your institution’s scientific research output
- Teach practical techniques and strategies for publishing research in top-tier journals
- Engage researchers with a highly interactive workshop
- Provide valuable insights into publishing in high-impact journals
Social media
We are now making a concerted effort to raise our profile using Facebook and Twitter. You can help the cause by liking our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BiologicalSciencesMQ/ and following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MQBiology
Below is a list of our current twitter users in the Department that you can also follow;
Melanie Bishop @MelanieJBishop
Michelle Leishman @MLeishman1
Vanessa Pirotta @vanessapirotta
Thomas White @tomedwhite
Elizabeth Madin @ElizMadin
Ian Jonsen @IanJonsen
Jane Williamson @urchinhunter
Any more twitterers out there, please let Hannah know so she can add you to the list!
Genes to Geoscience seminar: Professor Andrew Storfer (Washington State University, USA – http://public.wsu.edu/~storfer/);
Title: “Sympathy for the (Tasmanian) devil: evolutionary responses to an infectious cancer”
Date: 30 June (next Thursday)
Time: 1-2pm
Location: E8A280 (biology tea room)
Andrew Storfer is particularly known for his founding work on the landscape and conservation genetics of frogs and salamanders in the USA. However, in this talk Andrew will discuss cutting edge findings about the genomics of Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), which he is working on with Australian collaborators. Come along for an engaging talk and up-to-date insight in to the use of genomics in understanding disease ecology and understanding the evolutionary processes surrounding this devastating disease of Australia’s iconic Tasmanian devil. If you would like to meet with Andrew on the day of the seminar, please contact rachael.dudaniec@mq.edu to arrange a time.
Abstract: Although cancer rarely acts as an infectious disease, a recently emerged transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) is virtually 100% fatal. Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) has swept across nearly the entire species’ range, resulting in localized declines exceeding 90% and an overall species decline of more than 80% in less than 20 years. Despite epidemiological models that predict extinction, populations in long diseased sites persist. Here, I report results from genetic analyses of Tasmanian devil population genetic structure, gene flow and genome-wide scans for selection imposed by DFTD. Overall, Tasmanian devils have low genome-wide levels of genetic diversity and high rates of gene flow, suggesting spread of DFTD to remaining uninfected populations is imminent. However, I also show genomic evidence of a rapid, parallel evolutionary response to strong selection imposed by DFTD. Specifically, I identify two genomic regions that contain genes related to immune function or cancer risk in humans that exhibit concordant signatures of selection across three populations. Future work will be focused on functional genomic analyses of these candidate regions. Nonetheless, DFTD spreads between hosts by suppressing and evading the immune system, and my results suggest that hosts are evolving immune-modulated resistance that could aid in species persistence in the face of this devastating disease.
Go Green and improve the air you breathe
(http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/how-houseplants-can-help-reduce-indoor-pollution/7230094)
If you have enjoyed the recycled plant wall in Mariella’s office, here is a chance to make one for your own office. We will be running a workshop to help build a plant wall. The workshop will run in spring (towards the end of October). We will help you build the wall and supply glue, tools and some odd bits and pieces. We can also help you with plant selection.
Meantime, you could start collecting material like empty drink bottles, some fence pailing, wood, strong cotton material, ropes. There is no limit to what you could use. Take some plant cuttings and start growing them now indoor. The plant wall does not have to be big it can be as simple as one column with 3 plants in drink bottles. Drop by Mariella’s office to have a look at the green wall, if you have not seen it yet. You can send Rekha a photo of the space or wall and we can start planning.
Rekha & Mariella
Proposed NSW Government’s Biodiversity Conservation Bill, Local Land Services Amendment Bill and other reforms
The NSW Government’s proposed Biodiversity Conservation Bill, Local Land Services Amendment Bill and other reforms are open for public comment with submissions due next week on Tuesday.These may have significant implications for biodiversity across NSW. If you want to have your say, here is a link to some useful websites with all the information that you need to make a submission.
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/biodiversitylegislation/review.htm
New Publications
Understanding modern extinctions in marine ecosystems: the role of palaeoecological data.
By: Kosnik, M. A. and M. Kowalewski. | Find with Google Scholar »Drought x CO2 interactions in trees: a test of the low-intercellular CO2 concentration (C-i) mechanism
By: Kelly, J. W. G., R. A. Duursma, B. J. Atwell, D. T. Tissue, and B. E. Medlyn. | Find with Google Scholar »Vocal Cues to Identity: Pied Babblers Produce Individually Distinct But Not Stable Loud Calls
By: Humphries, D. J., F. M. Finch, M. B. V. Bell, and A. R. Ridley. | Find with Google Scholar »Circumpolar habitat use in the southern elephant seal: implications for foraging success and population trajectories.
By: Hindell, M. A., C. R. McMahon, M. N. Bester, L. Boehme, D. Costa, M. A. Fedak, C. Guinet, L. Herraiz-Borreguero, R. G. Harcourt, L. Huckstadt, K. M. Kovacs, C. Lydersen, T. McIntyre, M. Muelbert, T. Patterson, F. Roquet, G. Williams, and J.-B. Charrassin. | Find with Google Scholar »Colony Location and Captivity Influence the Gut Microbial Community Composition of the Australian Sea Lion
By: Delport, T. C., M. L. Power, R. G. Harcourt, K. N. Webster, and S. G. Tetu. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Lesley Hughes comments on Climate Change
Professor Lesley Hughes from the Department of Biological Sciences was featured in ABC Online regarding climate change and the 2016 election campaign.
Liz Madin was featured in both Australian Geographic and the International Business Times
Dr Elizabeth Madin from the Department of Biological Sciences was featured in Australian Geographic and the International Business Times regarding new research that she believes will be useful in growing our knowledge of the impacts of human activities on reefs.
Media bites from Michael Gillings plenary at the American Microbiology Society 2016 meeting in Boston
Public Outreach Event at the MIT Museum, Cambridge Mass., Microbial Conversations:
http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/calendar/2016_Microbial_Conversations.html
Article in New Scientist: Microbial mass extinctions were kicked off by human evolution