Assoc. Professor Johannes Krause

Assoc. Professor Johannes Krause from the Institute for Archaeological Sciences University of Tübingen, Germany gave a special presentation on Thursday 17th May 2012.

The talk focused on Assoc. Professor Krause’s findings obtained by using high throughput DNA sequencing in combination with targeted DNA enrichment to reconstruct the ancient genome of Yersinia pestis from skeletons securely dated to the Black Death pandemic from the East Smithfield cemetery in London, England, 1348 – 1350.

Download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation.

Find out more and download the podcast.

The seminar was titled ‘Life strikes back – How the explosion of knowledge in genomics is enhancing our ability to conserve species’ and explored the positive story unfolding in the field of biodiversity genomics.

Video footage of the presentation is now available to view on the University of Adelaide’s Research Tuesdays website.

Mayor Heather Wright (Town of Walkerville) invites you to take part in a public conversation on the pro-nuclear power debate. Four scientific professionals and commentators offer four perspectives on a subject that still divides public opinion. The speakers are Professor Barry Brook, Professor Corey Bradshaw, Ben Heard and Geoff Russell.

Whether you are ‘for’ ‘against’ or ‘undecided’, this is your chance to hear why all these experts agree that nuclear power is not only the safest energy source but also the one with the lowest environmental footprint.

When: Saturday 9th June 2012
Time:2pm-4pm
Where: Walkerville Town Hall, 66 Walkerville Terrace, Gilberton SA

Tickets to this event are free, however registration by Monday 4th June are essential as seating is limited.

To register go to: http://walkerville5081.eventbrite.com

To submit questions before the event, please email Sonia DeNicola, sdenicola@walkerville.sa.gov.au

Presented as part of World Environment Day 2012

Established in 1980, ASPAB is a professional scientific society that aims to promote, develop and assist the study of  phycology (the study of macro- and micro-algae such as seaweeds and phytoplankton) and aquatic botany (the study of aquatic plants) within Australasia.

The themes for this years conference are:

• Phytoplankton & Oceanography
• Progress in algal biodiversity
• Submerged angiosperms
• Interactions with the environment

Registrations open 30 June.
Abstracts due 30th August.

Download the Conference poster

More information can be found on the ASPAB website.

Dr Carlos Vulla, Scientific Director of the Forensic Genetics Laboratory, Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) & Director of the Laboratorio de Inmunogenética y Diagnostico Molecular gave a special presentation on Wednesday 18th April.

The EAAF (Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team) is a non-profit NGO based in Argentina that applies forensic science to the investigation and documentation of human rights violations by providing an independent forensic investigation and recovery of human remains in over 40 countries world-wide. The team was founded in 1984 in response to the need to investigate the disappearance of over 9000 people in Argentina between 1976 and 1983. EAAF combines forensic anthropology, archaeology and genetics to find, exhume and identify victims of disappearances and extra-judicial killings.

Find out more and download the podcast

Professor Andrew Lowe

The seminar, titled ‘Life Strikes Back – How the explosion of knowledge in genomics is enhancing our ability to conserve species’ will explore the positive story unfolding  in the field of biodiversity genomics. Andy Lowe will explain how we now have unparalleled access to information on the genomes of species, and how it’s revolutionising our ability to conserve life.

When: Tuesday 8th May, 5:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Napier 102, The University of Adelaide

Admission to this public seminar is free, however registration is essential.

For more information and to register online visit the Research Tuesdays website.

The session will cover the topic of the North South Interconnector System Project and include the following speakers:

• Josh Smith – Engineering Delivery Manager, Parsons Brinckerhoff
• Colin Bell – Owners Engineer/ Operations Manager, SA Water
• Steve Dangerfield – Stakeholder Management, SA Water

The session will be held at SA Water House and registrations starts at 5:15pm

More information and registration details are available on the AWA website.

Hosted by the South Australian Research and Development Institute and The University of Adelaide, this conference will address the challenges of understanding the movement patterns of aquatic animals and their significance, featuring – Dr Steven Campana as international keynote speaker and numerous national keynote presenters.

The Australian Society for Fish Biology (ASFB) and the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society (OCS) are two independent organisations that aim to promote research, education and management for different groups of aquatic animals throughout the Oceania regions.

Abstract submission and registration for the meeting are now open with details, including registration fees, provided in the registration brochure available on the conference website.
The registration form must be completed and either faxed or emailed to the conference organiser.

There are numerous travel grants and conference prizes for student members of either the ASFB or OCS. For details about eligibility and how to apply refer to the websites of both organisations.

Important key dates:

Closing date for abstracts: 1st May 2012

Notification of abstract acceptance: late May 2012

Early bird registration deadline: 31st May 2012

For more information visit the conference website.

The University of Adelaide is a founding partner in TERN, and two key research facilities are based at the University.

TERN relies on hi-tech equipment in the field and sophisticated data collection and sharing to provide the best, most up-to-date information to environmental scientists about the current state of Australia’s ecological diversity.

Using the resources and expertise provided by TERN, scientists will be able to tackle some of the big issues for the nation’s ecology, such as:

• How Australia’s ecosystems change over time;
• What is the current health of some of Australia’s key ecosystems;
• How introduced plant and animal species affect native species;
• How the spatial distribution of Australian plant and animal species change, and how some become extinct.

The University of Adelaide hosts two of the eight key facilities for the TERN project:

• Eco-informatics – a new, national web-based system of ecological knowledge and observations. This information is available for the benefit of researchers, planners and policy-makers right across Australia.
• Multi Scale Plot Network – a facility coordinating the collection and archiving of scientific measurements and observations. This is key to developing a detailed understanding of Australia’s biodiversity and how our ecosystem works

One of the highlights of the symposium will be a keynote address by Dr Steve Morton, CSIRO Fellow and Chair of the Board of the Environment Institute.

Read the full Media Release

More details about the Symposium and a full program can be ound on the TERN website.

• What are the impacts to the Australian landscape? How has our unique biodiversity been affected?
• Can a compromise be struck between European land use practices and protecting our unique biodiversity, or should we give up now?
• And most importantly, how can we plan for a sustainable future?

The debaters are:

Positive:

Dr Jasmyn Lynch, University of Canberra

Prof. Christopher Johnson, University of Tasmania

Dr David Keith, Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW.

Negative:

Prof. David Bowman, University of Tasmania

Prof. Barry W. Brook University of Adelaide

Prof. Wayne Meyer University of Adelaide

Visiting illuminati from around Australia and the world will also be present at the event.

Find out more and register on the RiAus website