BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT MATTERS | June 26, 2015

Dear all,

We have a formal department meeting next week on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 1-2pm. We will resolve Semester 1 marks and all staff are requested to attend or send through their apologies. Agenda and minutes will be sent through early next week.

cheerio

Mariella

General News and Announcements

Lunch time seminar – Monday June 29, 1-2pm E8 Tearoom

Next Monday we have a special seminar by Professor Anil Wipat, from Newcastle University, UK. Professor Wipat is the co-Director of the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Bioexploitation at the university. Title and abstract are appended below.

Model-based design and platform technology for Synthetic Biology: Engineering quorum communication systems in Gram-positive bacteria

Anil Wipat, ICOS group, School of Computing Science and Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Newcastle University, UK

Synthetic biology aims to make biology easier to engineer, with an end goal of enhancing predictability, scalability and the complexity of synthetic biological systems. Computational approaches to the design of biological systems, including modelling and simulation, are essential if we are to reach this goal. Equally important are approaches to standardising information about synthetic designs to promote design exchange and re-use. Our in-silico research is focussed on the development of computational approaches to biological design, with a particular focus on model-based design and the development of platform technology. In this talk I will discuss the application of our design strategies, describe some of our platform technology and outline the use of emerging standards, such as SBOL.  In order to demonstrate the systems in action I will show how they can be used to design and build synthetic quorum communications pathways. In particular, I will discuss our results showing the design of variants of the subtilin quorum communication system in the model Gram-positive bacterium, Bacillus subtilis.  

Department Collaboration grants

Congratulations to Adam Stow, Graham Lloyd and Liz & Josh Madin who successfully applied for Departmental collaboration grants.

Academic cake-walk

For those who have missed our cake & paper celebrations, check these out (and celebrate your next publication with us!)

http://academiccakewalk.blogspot.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442774906038071/

Biology MRes information session 18th August 1-2pm

You are invited to showcase MRes projects / lab groups to potential 2016 year 1 applicants during a Biology Department MRes information session to be held in the Biology tearoom August 18, 1-2pm. Please send your slide to Michelle Power by August 12 (presentation order set by slide receiving order). Applications for domestic students close September 30 and international students August 31.

Faculty funded Remote Area First Aid – next week July 1-2. TWO SPOTS AVAILABLE

Email Sarah Collison if you are interested.

Sustainability

1.e-waste collection

Time to throw out your e-waste. Take it to the tearoom (E8A280) and place it at the back of the room. Friday 10th July will be the last day for drop-offs. We will then arrange for Property to collect it.

IMPORTANT:
Does the item contain a hard drive or have memory capacity? If your item has a hard drive (eg, computer processor) then you need to complete a DATA DELETION FORM.

2. Biology Garden

We’re looking at options to improve the Biology teaching garden. If you would like to be involved in the discussions please contact Samantha Newton <samantha.newton@mq.edu.au> for more information.

July SCB Sydney Conservation Cafe

This month’s Conservation Cafe will be with Michael Ellison, the Sydney Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) Regional Manager. Have a chat at the learning center and then do some whale and seabird watching from Mistral Point in Maroubra (weather permitting).

July 4, 10am (see attached for more details)

Conservation Cafe July 2015

Volunteers

Here is the latest list of volunteers wanting to work for you!

Volunteers 2015 JUNE 22

Plant of the week

Phytolacca octandra – Ink Weed – a pesky weed but a brilliant yarn dye

New to the Department

Kathryn Korbel

Kathryn has recently started working with Grant Hose as a post-doc. Kathryn is a freshwater ecologist with many years experience working for government agencies and in consultancy. Kathryn’s current project centres on developing tools for measuring groundwater health using bioindicators. Current research includes investigating the distribution of stygofauna within alluvial aquifers and using metagenomics to describe groundwater microbial communities.

Zombie Obstacle race

Michael Strack has signed up for a 5 km obstacle race (with zombies!) on 5 September, and is looking for teammates and training partners. You can find event info here, or email him if you have any questions.

Open Day 2015

“Open Day is approaching (Sat 12th Sept) and the first meeting to arrange our activities will be on Thursday 2nd July at 12:0 0 noon in the tea-room .  We welcome everyone to come along and offer suggestions/ideas for lab displays etc. If you arranged or helped with an activity last year & are happy to do the same this year but cant attend the meeting, please email tarun.rajan@mq.edu.au.

Jobs – post-doc @ Westoby lab

Westoby comparative ecology lab will consider appointing a 1-year fulltime postdoc beginning August 2015. This limited-term opportunity arises because a lab member is leaving for a position in UK. Appointees must have entitlement to be employed in Australia – it will not be possible to arrange immigration or visas for this opportunity. The lab is at Macquarie University in Sydney (http://bio.mq.edu.au/research/groups/ecology/).

One project possibility involves comparing phosphorus use across plant species. People may also propose other projects, and we would consider them seriously if persuaded they were interesting to have in the lab.

This is not a position with a formal application process via HR, but expressions of interest will be sincerely and respectfully considered. Criteria are research talent and effectiveness, plus congenial contributions to the life of the lab. Please send CV and expression of interest to mark.westoby@mq.edu.au. Search will remain open until decision is made. (Which does mean that early expressions of interest are rather more likely to be successful.)

Create a welcome video for you unit!

Quickly and easily create a short video to welcome students to your unit, introduce yourself, and generate some excitement about the topic you teach. The LTC Pop-up Studio team will help you to create a high-definition ‘Unit Welcome’ video in a supportive and easy-going atmosphere, for release next session. All you have to do is write up a short script ( i.e. about 300 words; there’s help with that too),  choose some images to include, and turn up at the studio for the half-hour shoot.  Pop-up Studio will look after all the editing after the studio session. Then all you need to do is embed the finished video in your unit and you’re right to go!

Studio sessions will become available after June 15th. So make sure you visit the LTC Pop-up Studio webpage to register now. ..

http://staff.mq.edu.au/teaching/learning_technologies/video/

Science HDR students needed for O-Week

Monday 20th of July will be the first day of O Week, as well as the orientation day for all new science students for semester two. We are planning on running the Atrium as a new student hub (as stall will not be running that day) with the support of student groups and mentors, providing food and activities, and thought it would be great if there were some representatives from the faculty of science running some science based activities for the new students as a way to help welcome them to the university and to allow them to get to know the people in their department.

We are planning for these activities to be running between 11-1pm.

If you, or anyone you know in your faculty would be interested in taking part in this please let me (Mariella) know.

Volunteer to curate the publication board

Thank you to Nola Hancock who has tended our publication board (outside the E8 tearoom) diligently for the last 2 years. I am now looking for a new board – director to help keep it updated. Please email me (Mariella)!

Jobs – Research officer

Position title: Living Lab Research Officer

Work type: Fixed term, part time, 6 month

Location: Macquarie University and Coal Loader Platform, Waverly.

Salary: $66,334pa

The redevelopment of the Coal Loader Platform at North Sydney will become one of Sydney’s largest publicly accessible green roof spaces. A total of 10,000m2 roof space will be transformed into a green roof to provide a demonstration site for urban agriculture and biodiversity enhancement and will serve as a valuable community space for recreation, entertainment and teaching. This project is locally important and nationally relevant as a best practice example to integrate sustainability into an adaptive reuse site. Measuring the success will require a mix of quantitative and qualitative techniques to document the technical performance of engineered structures, such as roof gardens and stormwater reuse, and how the community uses the site. The collaboration between North Sydney Council and Macquarie University will provide the evidence of the success of this transformation.

The Role

We are seeking a candidate to support and foster the new research partnership between North Sydney Council and Macquarie University focusing on the Coal Loader Platform. The candidate is expected to liaise with a variety of stakeholders, including North Sydney Council, industry, universities, school and community groups to support the development of an interactive online portal for the Coal Loader Platform, as well as identify and pursue research opportunities that will investigate the environmental and social benefits of the green roofs, specifically at the Coal Loader Platform.

The candidate will be responsible for integrating concurrent research and innovative processes within this public-private-people partnership, and will be expected to perform the following tasks:

• To undertake a desktop study to identify the different types of online platforms to include research, learning, education and collection of systems data relevant to the site.
• Consult with all stakeholders to co-create the interactive online portal to ensure that it is accessible and functional for users and that all stakeholders will directly benefit from the data collected.
• Work collaboratively with the stakeholders and web-developer to design the portal for the successful integration of the identified functions and ensure that the existing data collections are built within the portal, including all data from monitoring sources, so that the data can be captured, analysed and viewed.
• Identify and pursue research funding opportunities for the partnership between North Sydney Council and Macquarie University.
• Conduct research projects using a variety of sources including literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, data collection and analysis, journals and publications and other relevant literature.
• Prepare papers, articles, progress reports, and presentations for the North Sydney Council / Macquarie University partnership.
• Collect periodic Coal Loader Platform user survey samples.
• Maintain accurate records and ready access to all experimental data to Macquarie University researchers and North Sydney Council.
• Liaise with Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability Coordinator to see how the project can support their site learning programs.
• Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned as the partnership develops.

Personal requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to manage one’s time and projects and the ability to work with others to ensure projects are completed on time.
• Experience with stakeholder consultation.
• Experience in researching and analysing data and the ability to collate the information.
• Experience in funding proposal writing.
• Ability to write for a variety of audiences.
• Experience using computer programs such as Word and Excel is essential
• A tertiary qualification or relevant experience in science or social sciences

Enquiries: Leigh Staas, Executive Officer of Climate Futures leigh.staas@mq.edu.au

Applications Close: 5^th July 2015. Send your CV’s to leigh.staas@mq.edu.au

Accommodation needed

Visiting student needs accommodation

Beatrice Baraldi will be visiting Martin Whiting for 3 months and is looking for accommodation from next week. Please contact Martin or Beatrice beatrice01.baraldi@student.unife.it

New PhD student needs accommodation from 1 August

Isabel Damas will be starting a PhD with Martin Whiting and is looking for accommodation from 1 August. Please contact Martin or Isabel isabeldamas.m@gmail.com 

Fresh Science in every mainland state

We’ve added South Australia and New South Wales to the list of states where we’re running Fresh Science this year. It’s now up and running in all the mainland states. Our thanks to University of New South Wales and the Australian Museum, University of South Australia, Flinders University, University of Adelaide and the SA Museum for their support.

We’re extending the deadline to Wednesday 1 July to give early-career researchers in those states have enough time to get their nominations in.

Fresh Science is a national competition that selects researchers with research results, an invention, or a discovery, trains them in how to tell their story, and helps them share their findings with the media and the public.

We’re looking for:

• early-career researchers (from honours students to no more than five years post-PhD)
• with a peer-reviewed discovery that has had little or no media coverage
• and with some ability to present your ideas in everyday English (something we can build on).

Nominate now at www.freshscience.org.au. It’s relatively quick and pain-free.

Or, have a beer with this year’s Fresh Scientists.

Get a taste of what’s happening in labs across the nation with the Fresh Scientists talking at a pub near you. Look out for pub nights in: Melbourne, Townsville, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Sydney.

New Publications

In the Media

Recent Completions