Antibiotic Discovery: Combatting Bacterial Resistance in Cells and in Biofilm Communities
Penesyan, A., Gillings, M. and Paulsen, I. (2015) Antibiotic Discovery: Combatting Bacterial Resistance in Cells and in Biofilm Communities. Molecules 20: 5286-5298, doi:10.3390/molecules20045286 | Find with Google Scholar »
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Dear all,
It is Friday, and there are drinks up on the Hill at 4:30…don’t miss out!!!
cheerio
Mariella
General News and Announcements
New to the Department?
Please come and see me (Mariella) in person! I would love to meet you!
Spring Safety Fair
For your calendar: The date is Wednesday September 30th 11 – 2. There may be massages at the end of the fair!!!!!
The Great Easter Treasure Hunt (and hot – x- buns)!!!!
When: Thursday, April 2, 2015, 10:30
Where: Lakeside at the new meeting place, half way between the Hill and E8
What: delicious hot-x-buns & a chance to win fame and glory in the treasure hunt….list will be provided in due time!
Departmental Seminar Series
David Shuker (University of St Andrews) – Sexual selection, sexual conflict and sex allocation in a parasitic wasp
Wednesday, April1, 2015 1-2pm, E8 Tearoom
The study of the behavioural ecology of parasitic wasps has to a large extent focused on patterns of sex allocation. Nasonia vitripennis is no exception, being an example par excellence of adaptive sex allocation under local mate competition (LMC). However, the mating systems that shape sex allocation also shape other traits. Here I will discuss recent data that explores how sexual selection and sexual conflict over mating shape reproductive behaviour in Nasonia, focusing in particular on the evolution of polyandry in this “mostly monandrous” wasp. Importantly though, our work also shows how sexual selection and sexual conflict themselves influence, and are influenced by, sex allocation under LMC. Our work has thus revealed new insights into the constraints on adaptive sex allocation in Nasonia. I will finish by considering genomic conflict over sex allocation and the possible role of genomic imprinting.
Learning and Teaching Centre Workshops
Up your skill as a supervisor/tutor/teacher with workshops run by the Learning and Teaching Centre.
Check out the attachment for more information.
Biology Tearooms
What: Cups, plates, saucers and cutlery for communal use.
Where: E8A280, E8B215, E8C212, W19F.
Details: Courtesy provision by the Department to be cleaned, dried and put away after use.
Items left on tearoom counters overnight will be discarded and signs will be displayed in tearooms to that effect.
Return these communal items to the respective tearoom after use.
Milk, tea & coffee
What: Provided by the Department for consumption at work – tea and coffee.
Where: W19F and E8A280, other tearooms if required for specific meetings with advance notice provided to admin.
When: During the week.
Tea, coffee and sugar are available in the tearooms and these are topped up as needed, or when advised.
NB: W19F kitchen counter will be cleaned Friday 27.3.15
Volunteers
These students want to work for YOU!!!!!
Reproductive success
Congratulations to Ian Wright and partner Josie on the birth of daughter. Freya Molly was born 21st Feb, weighing in at 3.22 kg. She’s well as is her mum, Josie.
MRes year 1 cohort
We have a new group of MRes students starting. Some of you may already have met them. I attach their short biographies. Please do contact them if you have a suitable MRes project for them….
House-sitter wanted
We are looking for a house sitter from May 12th to July 23rd. We live on the Central Coast, in Koolewong. The house is a 10 minute stroll from Koolewong station, right next to Brisbane water national park, with views over Brisbane water itself. It’s quiet, with a great cafe in walking distance, and fantastic beaches a short drive or bus ride away.
The train from Koolewong to Macquarie runs every 30 minutes, and takes just over an hour.
The only real requirements would be to keep the plants, fish, and axolotls alive.
If you’re interested, please send me an email at robert.lanfear@mq.edu.au
Ian Potter Foundation Grants
If you want to request co-funding from the Department, please come and talk to me.
Round 2 grants open on Monday next week, 30 March for EOIs. The external closing date for EOIs is Monday 11th May. Given submitting institutions need to rank their applications, the Research Office requires all intending applicants to please submit their EOI to research.preaward@mq.edu.au cc to sci.research@mq.edu.au by Tuesday 28th April. This will allow time for relevant ADRs/RO Director to convene to make a recommendation on the MQ ranking.
ECA Research Grants 2015
The Ecological Consultants Association of NSW supports ecological research in Australia and would like to award two grants each year to assist researchers to carry out their ecological projects. Please see the information attached, which includes information on the grant and an application form.
ECA Research Grant Application 2015
Masterclass video conferences between high schools and researchers
I am looking for anyone (academic, PhD, postdoc) who is interested in participating in a video conference with high schools, on the following topics:
- Protein synthesis
- Genetics, in particular understanding pedigree and determining recessive and dominant genes within diseases
- Negative feedback
University L&T grants
The deadline for applications for University ISP and Extension grants is Thursday 2 April
http://staff.mq.edu.au/teaching/awards_and_grants/grants/internal/applying/
We have set a Faculty deadline for the grants of Friday of this week, 27 March, so that we can provide feedback. [We had also asked for expressions of interest here, but have received none: https://wiki.mq.edu.au/pages/viewpage.action?spaceKey=sciencestudentcentre&title=Awards+and+Grants
Students for Sustainability (S4S) professional conference
The University of Western Sydney (UWS) will be hosting a national Students for Sustainability (S4S) professional conference on the 15th and 16th September 2015. The conference theme “HOPE for the future” will explore the social and environmental impacts of our society and focus on empowering our youth with knowledge and skills to lead into an uncertain future. The S4S conference will provide students with the opportunities to network with like-minded peers and industry professionals, to professionally present and share their game changing solutions or stories of success, whilst advancing their own knowledge of current and emerging sustainability issues outside of their discipline areas. The conference streams will focus on food, ethics and environment with the underpinning notions of sustainability, design and innovation.
For more information on the conference please visit our website: http://www.uws.edu.au/s4s/students_for_sustainability_conference
PACE Development Grants
The PACE Development Grant Scheme for 2015 is now open. Eligible staff are invited to apply.
The PACE Development Grant Scheme is a competitive fund, offering ‘Seeding grants’ of $1,000 – $2,000, as well as ‘Larger project’ grants of $5,000 – $10,000.
The goal of the PACE Development Grant Scheme is to encourage the expansion of the number of appropriate opportunities for students to engage in PACE in Local and Regional settings. Potential projects might include (but are not limited to): partnership development, activity development, development / evaluation of innovative modes of PACE unit delivery e.g. multi-student, cross-faculty projects, online delivery, on-campus delivery etc. Projects must be tied to accredited or nominated PACE Units.
In 2015 we have two specific foci for these grants:
- Applications that align with the Learning and Teaching Strategic Framework Green Paper.
- Applications that develop opportunities for students to engage in PACE in regional, remote and rural settings.
Please note that although we have these two foci in 2015, we also encourage applications that meet the broader goal outlined above.
For more details regarding the funding parameters, eligibility criteria, selection criteria and application information, please download the PACE Development Grant Scheme 2015 Guidelines and complete the online application form which are available from the PACE website
New Publications
Return Customers: Foraging site fidelity and the effect of environmental variability in wide-range Antarctic fur seals
Arthur B, HIndell M, Bester M, Trathan P, Jonsen I, Staniland I, Oosthuizen C, Wege M, Lea M-A (2015) Return Customers: Foraging site fidelity and the effect of environmental variability in wide-range Antarctic fur seals. PLoS One 10(3): e0120888 | Find with Google Scholar »Taking animal tracking to new depths: synthesizing horizontal-vertical movement relationships for four marine predators
Bestley S, Jonsen ID, Hindell MA, Harcourt RG, Gales NJ (2014) Taking animal tracking to new depths: synthesizing horizontal-vertical movement relationships for four marine predators. Ecology 96:417-427 | Find with Google Scholar »Predicting long-term carbon sequestration in response to CO2 enrichment: How and why do current ecosystem models differ?
Walker, A. P., Zaehle, S., Medlyn, B. E., De Kauwe, M. G., Asao, S., Hickler, T., Parton, W., Ricciuto1, D., Wang, Y-P., Warlind, D., Norby, R. J. (2015) Predicting long-term carbon sequestration in response to CO2 enrichment: How and why do current ecosystem models differ? Global Biogeochemical Cycles, doi: 10.1002/2014GB004995 | Find with Google Scholar »Ecological status of the Mount Afadjato-Agumatsa range in Ghana after a decade of local community management
Ofori BY, Owusu EH, Attuquayefio DK, 2015. Ecological status of the Mount Afadjato-Agumatsa range in Ghana after a decade of local community management. African Journal of Ecology 53:116-120. doi: 10.1111/aje.12165. | Find with Google Scholar »Very high coral cover at 36A degrees S on the east coast of Australia
Madin JS, Kuo CY, Martinelli JC, Mizerek T, Baird AH, 2015. Very high coral cover at 36 degrees S on the east coast of Australia. Coral Reefs 34:327-327. doi: 10.1007/s00338-014-1248-9. | Find with Google Scholar »The Unsolved Challenge to Phylogenetic Correlation Tests for Categorical Characters
Maddison WP, FitzJohn RG, 2015. The Unsolved Challenge to Phylogenetic Correlation Tests for Categorical Characters. Systematic Biology 64:127-136. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syu070. | Find with Google Scholar »Sediment accumulation, stratigraphic order, and the extent of time-averaging in lagoonal sediments: a comparison of Pb-210 and C-14/amino acid racemization chronologies
Kosnik MA, Hua Q, Kaufman DS, Zawadzki A, 2015. Sediment accumulation, stratigraphic order, and the extent of time-averaging in lagoonal sediments: a comparison of Pb-210 and C-14/amino acid racemization chronologies. Coral Reefs 34:215-229. doi: 10.1007/s00338-014-1234-2. | Find with Google Scholar »Habitat, water quality, seasonality, or site? Identifying environmental correlates of the distribution of groundwater biota.
Korbel KL, Hose GC, 2015. Habitat, water quality, seasonality, or site? Identifying environmental correlates of the distribution of groundwater biota. Freshwater Science 34:329-343. doi: 10.1086/680038. | Find with Google Scholar »Sexually selected UV signals in the tropical ornate jumping spider, Cosmophasis umbratica may incur costs from predation
Bulbert MW, O'Hanlon JC, Zappettini S, Zhang SC, Li DQ, 2015. Sexually selected UV signals in the tropical ornate jumping spider, Cosmophasis umbratica may incur costs from predation. Ecol Evol 5:914-920. doi: 10.1002/ece3.1419. | Find with Google Scholar »Sourcing the iron in the naturally fertilised bloom around the Kerguelen Plateau: particulate trace metal dynamics
van der Merwe P, Bowie AR, Queroue F, Armand L, Blain S, Chever F, Davies D, Dehairs F, Planchon F, Sarthou G, Townsend AT, Trull TW, 2015. Sourcing the iron in the naturally fertilised bloom around the Kerguelen Plateau: particulate trace metal dynamics. Biogeosciences 12:739-755. doi: 10.5194/bg-12-739-2015. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Antibiotics and superbugs
Biologist Michael Gillings discusses Antibiotics and Superbugs on 2SERFM The Daily Show.
Read more »