Endogenous Ethylene Concentration Is Not a Major Determinant of Fruit Abscission in Heat-Stressed Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
By: Ullah, Najeeb, Muhammad Sarwar, Brian J. Atwell, Michael P. Bange, and Daniel Kean Yuen Tan. Frontiers in Plant Science 8 (2017): 1615. | Find with Google Scholar »
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Dear all,
Apologies for cancelling this week’s monthly department meeting – we will roll it over to next month’s meeting instead. A the moment the admin team are deep in the budget process so please be nice to us! Thanks to Grant for looking after everything while I was on leave last week!
cheerio,
Michelle
Save the Date
This coming week 9th – 13th October
Wed 11th: Faculty Safety Fair; 10am – 2pm; Biology Courtyard.
Wed 11th: Departmental Seminar – Dr John Martin, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Wed 11th: Department Morning Tea – come along to the Faculty Safety Fair with your cuppa.
Thu 12th: Smart Green Cites – information session; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Thu 12th: Writing Workshop; 2:30-4:30pm, E8C-212.
Following week 16th – 20th October
Tue 17th: HDR Supplementary Conference; 9.30am – 12.15pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Wed 18th: Departmental Seminar – Ayesha Tulloch, University of Queensland; 1pm – 2pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Wed 18th: Department Morning Tea; 10:30am – 11:30am; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Thu 19th: Writing Workshop; 2:30-4:30pm, E8C-212.
Thu 19th: L&T session – Maurizio Manuguerra – Commitment, engagement and learning in a large cohort of students; 4pm – 5pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Coming up
Every Thursday for the next few months: Writing Workshop; 2:30-4:00pm; E8C-212
Nov 13-14: Department Retreat for Academic Staff; venue Kooindah Waters Central Coast.
Nov 23rd: Todd Philips – Embedding Indigenous content into the Biology curriculum; 4pm – 5pm; E8A-280 (Biology Tea Room).
Dec 5th: Formal Department Meeting for Grading, followed by the Christmas Party.
Department seminar schedule
October 25th: Associate Professor Carla Sgro, Monash University
November 1st: Dr Marc Seid, University of Scranton, USA
November 8th: Associate Professor Bob Wong, Monash University
November 15th: Professor Dan Blumstein, UCLA
November 22nd: Associate Professor Nathan Lo, The University of Sydney
General News and Announcements
FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SAFETY FAIR
Come one come all, be you academic, admin, technical or HDR, to the Faculty of Science and Engineering Safety Fair. The event will take place on Wed. 11 October 2017, between 10:00 am – 2:00 pm in the Biology Courtyard (Building E8A). The event aims to raise awareness of Safety and Health in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Free lunch will be provided at 12:30pm and there will be great prizes to win during the day.
Please register before 6 Oct to help us with catering numbers.
Those who have not register yet, can register at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/faculty-of-science-and-engineering-safety-fair-tickets-38316785537
Reminder Upcycle Competition!
See attached poster for more information.
Closing date for entries 3rd November!
Display and judging: Monday 6th – Wednesday 8th November, with the award announcement morning tea: Thursday 9th November.
We will also be holding a SWAP PARTY with the display. More details to come.
Your Biology Photos Needed
Do you have photos taken from 2016 or this year while doing cool things for Biological Sciences? We are collecting photos that are likely to be used in the annual report, on the Biological Sciences web pages or on the social media pages (facebook and twitter).
We are especially interested in images taken with you doing things, group/team activities and any interesting flora or fauna. Please provide the following information:
- What/who is in the image
- Location is was taken (if off campus)
- Who took the photos
- Year it was taken
Please follow the drop box file request link to submit your images.
Do you have a twitter account with photo you’d like to share with biological sciences? We require your permission to use those images, so please email <sci.bio-adm@mq.edu.au> advising of this.
Phil Dartnell’s and Suchitra’s Farewell Morning Tea
We owe Phil and Suchitra a debt of thanks for helping us through a challenging changeover of Admin staff. Here are some pictures of their farewell a few weeks ago.
Weekly Seminar
Day/Date/Time/Place: Thursday, 11th October, 9:00 – 10:00pm, E8A-280 (Tea Room).
Speaker: Dr John Martin, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.
Title: Human-wildlife conflict: species we love & hate
Abstract: Has a seagull ever stolen a chip from your hand? Have you ever thrown bread to the ducks? We all have a wildlife story. Some are love stories, like giving a koala a drink on 40 degree day; others are hate stories, like being kicked by a horse. We humans have changed our surrounding environment (building cities, clearing land for farms, etc.) and some species have adapted to exploit these environments. We’ll discuss how ibis are becoming hipsters, how cockatoos are spying on you, why flying-foxes are making a ‘concrete change’ and moving from the bush to the city, and what it means for the future.
HDR Supplementary Conference
Day/Date/Time/Place: Tuesday, 17th October, 9:30 – 12:15pm, E8A-280 (Tea Room).
Please come along to see talks by several of our PhD students. This supplementary conference is for those students who were not able to present in the main June conference. An abstract booklet with the schedule will be emailed around to the department closer to the date. Enquiries: contact <julian.may@mq.edu.au>
Learning and Teaching Seminars
L&T seminar line up, so far we have:
Who: Maurizio Manuguerra
Date: Thursday 19th October, 4-5pm (E8A 280)
Title: Commitment, engagement and learning in a large cohort of students
Who: Todd Philips
Date: Thursday 23rd November, 4-5pm (E8A 280)
Title: Embedding Indigenous content into the Biology curriculum
Both talks will be followed by the Thursday Drinks, Department event!
MQ Centre for Smart Green Cites – information session
Day/Date/Place/Time:Thursday, 12 October in the Biology Tea Room (E8A 280) 1pm-2pm.
Smart Green Cities Centre Overview
Smart-Green-Cities-Member-Meeting-Agenda-12Oct17
Ally Network Training
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. Facilitated by Pride In Diversity.
• November 8th: 2pm – 4pm, Level 4, C5C Manly training room.
• November 22nd: 10am – 12pm, Level 4, C5C Manly training room.
Who should attend? All academic and professional staff, and students at Macquarie who are interested in creating an inclusive culture for all LGBTIQ staff members and students.
SESSION OVERVIEW
• Learn about the diversity of identities within the LGBTIQ community
• Explore assumptions, stereotypes and myths around the LGBTIQ community
• Understand why it is important to have Allies who are prepared to support students and staff who identify as LGBTIQ
• Develop your skills to actively speak out against Homophobia, Transphobia and prejudice.
REGISTRATION: Wednesday 8th November, 2pm or Wednesday 22nd November
CONTACT: Lauren Dillon (Workplace Equity & Diversity Coordinator) on 9850 1975 or lauren.dillon@mq.edu.au
Plant of the Week
This week: White Bottlebrush, Callistemon ‘White Anzac’, a white cultivar of the common red flowered Bottlebrush, Callistemon citrinus, and supposedly from Anzac Cove, N.S.W., but where is Anzac Cove, N.S.W?
Welcome
Victoria Als, a Masters student from University of Innsbruck, Austria is visiting Ajay’s group to study population genetics of ants. Victoria will be at Macquarie till January 2018. Please make her feel welcome!
Biological Sciences Administrative Requests
Please email any admin requests you have to <sci.bio-adm@mq.edu.au>. The email is monitored by the whole Admin Team, so your request won’t sit unanswered in a single person’s inbox should they be away or on leave. If you need to contact the individual admin staff member directly, you will find their contact details in this document.
STEM Speakers in Schools
What is it?
The Speakers in Schools program places Macquarie University academics in schools to connect students and teachers with researchers who inspire, inform and challenge students to question their thinking. Presentations discuss hot topics, global issues affecting society, have inspirational and significant impact for students.
How does it work?
We request that interested schools give us 4 weeks’ notice with some suggested dates, Alison Willard (FSE Future Students) will then liaise with you to see if any of those dates suit your schedule. The FSE Future Students Team provides transport for you (either someone will accompanying and drive you, or you can get a cab charge voucher).
Are you interested?
Please express your interest here:
Did You Participate in an Outreach Activity Recently for the Department?
Don’t forget to fill in the super-quick form here – – ACCESS OUTREACH FORM HERE
Get Paid for Outreach Lesson Plans!
As a Department we want to offer a range of high quality learning activities, for outreach events, that are related to our research and teaching. We are looking for people to help create these lesson plans. We will pay (HDR, MRes, or excellent UG students) 10 hours at Dem rates to develop an idea into a lesson plan (please see attached form) and resources. If you are interested please contact Kath <katherine.mcclellan@mq.edu.au> or Matt <matthew.bulbert@mq.edu.au> to discuss your ideas.
Get Kids Interested in Science!
Many of you have children in day care or who attend the vacation care here on campus. The Biology Outreach Committee has been approached by Children’s Services at Macquarie to help develop science-based exploration-activities for Gumnut and Banksia Cottages, and science activities for the Junior Science Academy. If you are interested in helping to develop a science topic into an activity, Kylie Hurd <kylie.hurd@mq.edu.au> and Maria Bennett <maria.bennett@mq.edu.au> would love to hear from you! They would want to meet with you for 30 minutes to discuss how to turn your idea into 20 min day care activity, or a 30 min lesson plan for the Junior Science Academy.
MQ’s Immunisation Policy
The Immunisation Policy addresses the minimum standards of immunisation requirements for staff, students, contractors, and volunteers who undertake activities where there may be an increased risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases as part of the business of Macquarie University. The Immunisation Procedure establishes how the University will meet the requirements of its Immunisation Policy.
The Immunisation policy and procedure have been developed to assist the MQ community with managing the risks associated with potential exposure to vaccine preventable diseases. Immunisation is a control measure related to an identified risk. The expectation is that specific areas refer to the Immunisation Policy and Procedure where a need has been identified through the risk management process.
Potential for significant exposure to vaccine preventable diseases should be considered like any other hazard associated with university work and study. Please note immunisation documentation is a health care record and should be treated in accordance with our Privacy Management Plan. Particular consideration must be given to health care workers/students undertaking frontline activities in clinical settings/placements. The health and safety advisor contact for your faculty/DVC portfolio can assist with risk management and implementation of the immunisation program. If you require assistance please email <ohs@mq.edu.au>.
Share the Air Survey – (smoking on campus)
A key stakeholder “Share the Air” working party has been established to review the current practices and support the University community. A campus community survey is available for completion at https://mqedu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8ea1BasqRRR4zhr
Once the survey data is collated and reviewed, at the end of October, a report on the community position and a possible plan to assist the University to establish that position will be presented to Council for their endorsement.
Nominations for 2018 Graduate Student/Post-Doc Travel Awards
The Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal, Forests, is pleased to announce the initiation of the annual Forests Awards.
Two Travel Awards for postdocs or PhD students consisting of CHF 800 / USD 850 / EUR 700 each will be awarded to attend a forestry related conference.
Eligibility:
- The candidate must be enrolled as a full-time PhD student or a post-doctoral researcher (10 years or less since earning the PhD).
- The candidate must be registered to attend and present an oral talk or poster at an international forestry conference/congress (e.g., IUFRO, Soil Science Society of America, Society of American Foresters…).
Candidates’ Requirements:
- Submit a resume/CV.
- The nominee should include a brief summary (one page) of their research interests, accomplishments, and expected benefits from attending the conference/congress.
- A letter of support from their supervisor is required and should include:
-
- Confirmation that the nominee is a PhD or post-doctoral student, describe the overall strengths of the candidate and eligibility for the travel award; and confirm that they will present an oral talk/poster at the conference.
- Relevance and expected benefits of the nominee’s attendance at the conference.
- The entire application package should be submitted as a PDF file.
Please send your applications for these awards to the Forests Editorial Office at <forests@mdpi.com> by 31 December 2017. The Awards will be granted by the end of February 2018.
Upcoming Interdisciplinary Workshop (note – register now!!):
‘Imagining the real: Alternative (arte)facts from antiquity to the present day’, an interdisciplinary conference sponsored by the Australian Research Council, the MQ Ancient Cultures Research Centre, the Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies, and the Macquarie University Faculty of Arts ‘Modes of Communication’ Research Theme, will be held in the Museum of Ancient Cultures at Macquarie University on October 13–14 2017.
Covering forged artefacts from a wide range of historical periods and cultures, this symposium will examine objects whose authenticity is contested from a range of genres and periods; traditional and emerging techniques used to authenticate them; and the discourses of authenticity and modes of knowledge that both enable their creation, and frame competing understandings of them.
The symposium will run from 3-6 pm on Friday 13th and 10.00-4 pm on Saturday 14th of October, and will include a keynote lecture by Professor John Melville-Jones (UWA) on Friday afternoon (Forgeries or not forgeries? A range of situations’) on Friday afternoon, and a paper by visiting scholar Professor Årstein Justnes (University of Agder, Norway) on Saturday ( ‘Authenticating Forgeries 101: The Post-2002 Dead Sea Scrolls-like Fragments’).
The speakers, abstracts, and programme may be found at http://www.forgingantiquity.com/conference. Attendance is free, but registrations are requested by 6th October for catering purposes: a registration form may be found at http://www.forgingantiquity.com/conference#Registration. For inquiries or further information contact Malcolm Choat at <malcolm@forgingantiquity.com>.
REP Masterclass: ‘On the Origins of Art’
Friday 20 October 2017 (12-noon – 4:30pm)
Engagement with and appreciation of art could be described as defining of all human cultures. Why? Can we ask or answer the question of where human art came from and why we are an artistic species. Elizabeth Pearce is the chief curator of an exhibition at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart which is exploring these issues. Her exhibition and thinking draw on contributions from philosophy, neuroscience and psychology to explore these issues. In this transdisciplinary workshop, we will explore where human artistic endeavour might have come from.
Click here to register for ‘On the Origins of Art.
REP Masterclass: Making Your Science Matter: Linking Science with Action to Improve the World
Two-hour workshop running on Tuesday, October 24th (2-4 pm)
Instructors:
Dr. Elizabeth Madin, Macquarie University
Dr. Emily Darling, Wildlife Conservation Society
Dr. Marah Hardt, Future of Fish
Prof. Lesley Hughes, Macquarie University
Co-badged with MQU Marine Research Centre
We all want to feel like our research matters…but it is sometimes hard to know how to make it relevant to people and institutions beyond academia. How can we best make our science understood, appreciated, and perhaps even acted upon by policy-makers? These are the kinds of questions we will delve into. Inspired by the book “Escape from the Ivory Tower” by Nancy Baron, this short course will help you improve your ability to design and communicate your science to benefit the world at large.
Participant numbers will be capped (first-in secures a place).
Click here to register for ‘Making your science matter: Linking science with action to improve the world.’
2018 Ecology and Conservation Internship Program with the Australian Wildlife ConservancyIt is an opportunity for promising graduate students to gain valuable field experience in conservation research. The program is designed to introduce conservation biologists to a variety of sanctuaries with a host of different ecosystems, flora and fauna, field techniques and conservation issues. There will be 13 internships offered in 2018, varying in length from 4 – 6 months.
Click on the advertisement – 2018 AWC Ecology Internship Program or contact Chantelle Jackson or Andrew Morton from Australian Wildlife Conservancy for more information.
Additions to the Department Matters
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.
New Publications
Cutting a Gordian knot of tubeworms with DNA data: the story of the Hydroides operculata-complex (Annelida, Serpulidae)
By: SUN, YANAN, M. A. N. A. L. AL-KANDARI, PRITI KUBAL, NITIN WALMIKI, and ELENA K. KUPRIYANOVA. Zootaxa 4323, no. 1 (2017): 39-48. | Find with Google Scholar »The utility of accelerometers to predict stroke rate in captive fur seals and sea lions
By: Ladds, Monique A., David A. Rosen, David J. Slip, and Robert G. Harcourt. Biology Open 6, no. 9 (2017): 1396-1400. | Find with Google Scholar »Suppression of cuelure attraction in male Queensland fruit flies provided raspberry ketone supplements as immature adults
By: Akter, Humayra, Saleh Adnan, Renata Morelli, Polychronis Rempoulakis, and Phillip W. Taylor. PloS one 12, no. 8 (2017): e0184086. | Find with Google Scholar »Geographical variation in bill colour in the Long-tailed Finch: evidence for a narrow zone of admixture between sub-species
By ;Griffith, Simon C., and Daniel M. Hooper. Emu-Austral Ornithology (2017): 1-10. | Find with Google Scholar »Why Study Ant-Plant Interactions?
By: Beattie, A.J. (2017). In: Oliveira, P.O. & Koptur, S. (Eds.) ‘Ant- Plant Interactions: Impacts of Humans on Terrestrial Ecosystems’, Ch 20, pp 410-418, Cambridge University Press. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Michael Gillings was interviewed on Radio National and ABC Online
Professor Michael Gillings from the Department of Biological Sciences was interviewed on Radio National and ABC Online discussing the environmental impact of plastics, fibreglass and invasive species that wash up on Australian shores.