What's On at UWA

The Seminar: Deep inspiration (DI) produces a pronounced bronchodilator response in healthy humans but this response is impaired in obstructive lung diseases including both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). How stretch of bronchi causes bronchodilation is still unclear although oscillatory stretch of isolated airway smooth muscle (ASM) reduces force production, suggesting that DI in vivo may directly inhibit ASM contraction. Loss of the response in disease could be due to a fundamental change in the ASM or a change in the loads applied to the muscle. For example reduced airway compliance in disease could impair the response to DI by limiting the stretch of smooth muscle, while loss of parenchymal attachments in COPD may prevent the loads from lung inflation being transmitted to the airway.

The Speaker: Peter completed his PhD in 1997 at the University of Western Australia working on developmental changes in bronchial compliance and airway responsiveness using isolated bronchial segments. After working at Queen’s University in Canada for four years on quantitative bronchoscopy and calcium sensitisation of airway smooth muscle he returned to Perth in 2002 as an academic staff member in the then Department of Physiology. His current research interests focus on the bronchodilator effects of deep inspiration (DI) where by taking a deep breath in causes bronchodilation in healthy people a response that fails or is impaired in both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He has a productive collaboration with clinical colleges at the Queen Elisabeth II Medical Centre allowing him to obtain human lung samples from patients who are undergoing lung resection to treat lung cancer. He is also an associate editor for the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.

FAWA’s junior seminars are a great opportunity to discover whether finance is the right fit for you. Learn more about what units and majors will maximise your chances of success in breaking into finance. The presentation will feature students who have worked in a number of different industries including Investment Banking, Private Equity, Management Consulting, and Accounting.

All welcome to attend the School of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 2012 Seminar Series (RPH). On a weekly basis we have local/guest speakers presenting to a wide audience typically in the fields of immunology, molecular biology and cancer related research. This week we are privileged to have Professor Ruth Ganss a local speaker from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, present on "Reversing Angiogenesis: Molecular Mechanisms and Implications for Therapy". Event is sponsored by Life Technologies and light refreshments are provided. For further inquiries please contact using the provided email. Look forward to seeing you there!

The Seminar: A summary of activities completed during the presenter’s 2009 Australian Learning and Teaching Fellowship (ALTC) and proposed activities of a 2011 ALTC Project Grant will be provided. The presentation will demonstrate a combination of technologies (including the Moodle software package) that can present (securely and guaranteed 24/7 access) educational environments (both real and simulated) in which the various components enhance each other and effect significant benefits for student learning. These technologies can solve many emerging issues threatening effective teaching and learning of university curricula with significant laboratory practical requirements. The example used in this presentation will be innovative strategies for teaching and learning human “Histology” – the microscopic structure of cells, tissues and organs. But, these strategies, and the learning management systems, can be adopted for delivering course content for many other image intensive disciplines within university curricula and those requiring significant laboratory practical classes. A proper understanding of what various pedagogies and technologies could and could not offer in the context of general and specific educational goals is emphasized in order to promote their benefits, outline challenges they pose, and prudently avoid pitfalls. Most importantly, this presentation will demonstrate creative approaches enhancing the acquisition and delivery of the highest quality teaching resources to students worldwide and not just confined to our students locally.

The Speaker: Professor Geoffrey Meyer completed his PhD in the School of Anatomy and Human Biology, at the University of Western Australia. He has received a number of teaching awards including a UWA Excellence in Innovation in Teaching Award, an International Excellence in Innovation in Teaching, Learning and Technology Award and was a 1999 Australian University Teaching Award Winner. In 2006 he received a University of WA Teaching Fellowship and in 2008 was the Vice Chancellor’s Invitational Lecturer for “Teaching Month 2008”. Professor Meyer was awarded a prestigious ALTC (Australian Learning and Teaching Council) Fellowship in 2009 and is currently the Project Leader on an 2011 ALTC Project Grant. Geoff Meyer’s research activities focuses on developing innovative, computer-aided, learning and teaching tools. He is the creator of the award-winning web-based, “Meyer’s Histology – Online Interactive Atlas” and “Meyer’s Histology - Learning and Teaching Resources” an innovative learning management platform that enables histology teachers to add/share their own content and customise the resource to suit the specific curricula for his/her cohorts of students. More recently, Professor Meyer has been creating more dynamic learning tools (advanced 3D graphics and animations) to facilitate better instruction of structure-function relationships.

The aim of this course is to give the participants an introduction to the facilities available in MS Excel from a statistical point of view. As well as an introduction to Excel, spreadsheet functions and graphics, we concentrate on performing basic statistical methods, producing charts and tables, and discuss the limitations of Excel when it comes to more complex statistical analysis.

Semiparametric regression is concerned with the exible incorporation of nonlinear functional relationships in regression analyses. Assuming only a basic familiarity with ordinary regression, this short-course explains the techniques and benets of semiparametric regression in a concise and modular fashion. Spline functions, linear mixed models and Bayesian hierarchical models are shown to play an important role in semiparametric regression. There will be a strong emphasis on implementation in R and BUGS.

Registration for the course is available online at http://scg.maths.uwa.edu.au/?id=347

All welcome to attend the School of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 2012 Seminar Series (RPH). On a weekly basis we have local/guest speakers presenting to a wide audience typically in the fields of immunology, molecular biology and cancer related research. This week we are privileged to have 2 presenters, Abbie Creamer (Honours Student) from Murdoch University present her proposal presentation on 'ETS1 Modification of the Hormone Responsiveness of Breast Cancer' and Dr Jacky Bentel from Anatomical Pathology (Royal Perth Hospital) present on 'Harry Potter and the 2012 AACR Advances in Prostate Cancer Research Conference'. Series are sponsored by Life Technologies and light refreshments are provided. For further inquiries please contact using the provided email. Look forward to seeing you there!

Microalgae Energy Farms for Low Cost Biodiesel Production Presented by Dr Peer Schenk

ABSTRACT: From start to finish, biodiesel production from microalgae requires optimisation of all steps towards cost effectiveness and energy efficiency, as current limitations exist mainly in the industrial feasibility of microalgae systems. Our team is developing improved non-GM Australian microalgae strains, as well as low cost algae cultivation and harvesting systems to provide a cost & energy effective biodiesel production module. This module utilises microalgae's potential as zero-waste biorefineries, producing not only bioenergy, but also protein-rich animal feedstock and high-value products such as Omega-3 fatty acids. Our research group maintains a growing collection of marine and freshwater microalgae from Queensland, whereby high lipid yielding strains are screened and selected for improvement. We use adaptive evolution methods incorporating mutagenesis and high throughput selection for high-lipid yielding strains. These are then used in especially engineered "Split-System" cultivation units that incorporate both, a low cost photobioreactor (PBR) coupled with several extensive raceway ponds. In the PBR, optimal culture conditions are maintained with daily culture harvested into the raceway ponds to stimulate lipid biosynthesis. Several harvesting and lipid extraction.

Autotrophic Production of Algal Biofuel: What is the best technology line-up Presented by Dr Skye Thomas-Hall

ABSTRACT: Microalgae have the potential to produce 10-20 times more biofuel feedstock per unit area than any terrestrial bioenergy crop. However for this to be economically viable, three important technology stages need to come together: i) cultivation of high lipid species must be relatively contamination free and highly productive (ideally AFDW in excess of 30 g m-2 d-1); ii) the biomass needs to be harvested quickly using energy efficient technology; and iii) the harvested algae should be processed into stable products before value is lost. Cellana LLC was formed in 2008 with the primary aim of developing the technology pathway to make algal biofuels economically viable. Cellana’s 2.5ha Kona Demonstration Facility (KDF) is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and has been producing high quality algal biomass since 2009. The production can be tailored to customer needs for different fractions of the algal biomass, including lipids for biodiesel, protein for animal feed, essential fatty acids (i.e. EPA, DHA) and accessory pigments (e.g. lutein, ß-carotene, lycopene etc) for the nutrition and cosmetic industries. Cellana’s KDF is primarily a research facility, designed to test many algal species simultaneously (up to 12) in realistic outdoor conditions. The large scale hybrid system can grow 2 species simultaneously and has excellent flexibility that enables cultivation conditions to be optimized for each individual strain. The facility is also set up to test a variety of harvesting and dewatering techniques on each species grown at demonstrations scale (up to 780,000 L). Presented is an overview of strain selection at small scale (lab <1 L) and mid scale (outdoor 200 L). Growth parameters that can be altered for optimizing cultivation at mid scale and large scale (60,000 – 130,000 L). The majority of the presentation is on harvesting and processing techniques used by Cellana and in the wider algae industry, focusing on cost versus efficiency of methods trialed at Cellana’s Kona Demonstration Facility (KDF). Best handling and storage practices are also presented along with data analysis specifically focusing on lipid quality.

RNA-protein complexes play essential roles in the regulation of gene expression, by orchestrating the basic growth and maintenance of the cell as well as the complex developmental programs of multicellular eukaryotes. The modes by which proteins bind RNA are diverse and often difficult to predict, limiting our ability to engineer RNA-binding proteins for practical applications. Engineering RNA-binding proteins is attractive because they could be fused to any desired effector domain, enabling selective binding of a specific RNA target to investigate or manipulate any aspect of its metabolism. We have used directed evolution to expand the recognition of Pumilio and FBF homology (PUF) repeats beyond adenine, guanine and uracil and evolved them to specifically bind cytosine. These repeat sequences can be used to create PUF domains capable of binding RNA targets of diverse sequence and structure enabling many potential biological and medical applications.

All welcome to attend the School of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 2012 Seminar Series (RPH). On a weekly basis we have local/guest speakers presenting to a wide audience typically in the fields of immunology, molecular biology and cancer related research. This week we are privileged to have Associate Professor Steven Mutsaers a local speaker from the Lung Institute of Western Australia, present on "Regulation of lung fibrosis through STAT3-mediated pathways". Event is sponsored by Life Technologies and light refreshments are provided. For further inquiries please contact using the provided email. Look forward to seeing you there!

The PHT1 high affinity Pi transporters belong to a highly multigenic family of genes. They are tightly regulated spatially and temporally by Pi supply at transcriptional and post-translational level. Combinations of genetic, cell biology and molecular biology experiment will be presented to dissect elements of this complexity.

All welcome to attend the School of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 2012 Seminar Series (RPH). On a weekly basis we have local/guest speakers presenting to a wide audience typically in the fields of immunology, molecular biology and cancer related research. This week we are privileged to have a national speaker visiting from Sydney, NSW. Dr Miriam Calao from the Virology Lab, Abbot Laboratories, presenting on "Strategies for Purging the Latent HIV-1 Reservoirs: Can HIV-1 infection be eradicated?" Event is sponsored by Life Technologies and light refreshments are provided. For further inquiries please contact using the provided email. Look forward to seeing you there!

LIWA invites you to a free seminar on: "Pleural Fluid Biomarkers" by Professor Jose Porcel from Department of Internal Medicine, Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital, Spain. Time: 12 noon for light lunch with 12.30pm – 1.30pm presentation.

Water Corporation representatives will be on campus to talk about graduate opportunities for all students. (engineering and science highly desired) Please book through http://uwa.careerhub.com.au

The Soil&Water seminar at 12pm on Weds, May 2nd, will be given by Richard Allcock, with an introduction by Tony O'Donnell, Dean of Science. All welcome!

TITLE: "Application of next-generation DNA sequencing to the analysis of long and short PCR products"

Richard Allcock is the Scientist-in-Charge of the LotteryWest State Biomedical Facility – Genomics (LSBFG) based at Royal Perth Hospital. He is also a member of the School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Western Australia and a Founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He has expertise in the analysis of DNA and detection of sequence variants. Under his direction, LSBFG performs next-generation sequencing (FLX/454, SOLID, Ion Torrent) Sanger sequencing and a host of other genetic and genomic analyses. Richard Allcock has analysed many DNA sequence variants and their affect on function, haplotypic arrangements and role in disease susceptibility/resistance. He has published widely in this area, collaborating with many researchers across Western Australia and internationally.

As a sequencing tragic, Richard has established links with Tony O’Donnell and Andrew Whiteley to see how these sequencing technologies can be routinely and cheaply applied to the analysis of agricultural and environmental samples. As part of this collaboration FNAS have funded an ion Torrent PGM sequencer housed at Royal Perth Hospital and it is this device that he’ll be talking about today.

The Seminar: Dr Rubenson will discuss his work aimed at understanding the relationships between in vivo muscle function, locomotor mechanics and it associated metabolic energy cost. Dr Rubenson will discuss projects adopting experimental and modeling approaches in both humans and animal systems. His projects span basic research questions requiring direct muscle mechanics and energetics measurements (e.g. muscle strain, force, muscle blood flow) as well as clinical research questions, in particular into muscle mechanics and energetics in ageing and chronic heart failure.

The Speaker: Dr Jonas Rubenson is an Assistant Professor in the Biomechanics Group within the School of Sport Science, Exercise & Health at UWA. His expertise lies in study of musculoskeletal mechanics, in particular in vivo muscle function during movement and the relationship between muscle function and locomotor energetics. Dr Rubenson received his PhD from the University of Western Australia, where he studied the role of mechanical energetics as a determinant of the energy cost of bipedal running. Subsequent post-doctoral positions at Northeastern University (Boston, MA) and Stanford University (Stanford, CA) saw Dr Rubenson gain expertise in both mechanical and energetic measurements of skeletal muscle in animal models (e.g. sonomicrometery and blood flow measurements) as well as experimental measurement and musculoskeletal modelling of muscle function in humans.

All welcome to attend the School of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 2012 Seminar Series (RPH). On a weekly basis we have local/guest speakers presenting to a wide audience typically in the fields of immunology, molecular biology and cancer related research. This week we are privileged to have a local speaker. Associate Professor Fiona Pixley from the School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, presenting on "Targeting CSF-1 induced macrophage migration to inhibit tumour invasion and metastasis" Event is sponsored by Life Technologies and light refreshments are provided. For further inquiries please contact using the provided email. Look forward to seeing you there!

The Speaker: Dr Watson trained as a molecular biologist in the United Kingdom and conducted his first post doc with Prof Steven Holgate, Prof Newton Morten and Prof. Patricia Jacobs in Southampton , UK performing genetic linkage analysis to Atopy and allergic disease. In 1994 he took up a position as the manager of the Centre for Cell and molecular Biology at the University of Western Australia.

In 1996 he was successful in obtaining NH&MRC funding for a project looking at the molecular aspects of the Murine AIDS virus. Dr Watson then moved to a research position within the WA Health Department at Royal Perth Hospital Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases to study the Hepatitis C Virus which remains one of his main research areas to date.

In 2006 Dr Watson took up the position of Manager of the newly established Geomics Node of the Lotterywset Biomedical facility located within the Department of Immunology and Immunogenetics at Royal Perth Hospital.

Dr Watson has been highly active in organising conferences both local and national (CBSM and ASM) and has previously chaired CBSM 92002-2005). Dr Watson is an ASMWA committee member and is the chair of the WA health Hepatitis C Virus statewide database development group.

He joined the Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases as the Laboratory Manager in December 2008. His most active area of current research is in the area of the Hepatitis C virus with particular focus on molecular immunology and antivirals.

- Obligation free hands on demonstrations - Bring and try your own samples - Patented eye-pieceless optics allows operators freedomn of head movement with the ability to wear glasses - Superb Ergonomics reduces eye strain and fatigue - Pin sharp iomage with long working distances - Bright LED illumination ideal for all Inspection applications and manipulation tasks

Lynx - Stereo Dynascopic Microscope for inspection and material rework

- Wide range of magnification x3.5 - x120 - Patented stereo eyepieceless optical technology provides superb resolution and contrast - Easy hand-to-eye coordination resulting in increased throughput, accuracy and reduced scrap - Long-life, true colour LED illumination for shadow-free viewing of complex surfaces

Mantis - Stereo Viewing Systems Superior imaging for a wide range of inspection & rework tasks

- Patented optical technology for fatigue-free viewing and superb image quality - Wide range of magnification options (to x20) - Long working distances; large depths of field - Shadow-free true colour LED illumination

Dr Sharwood’s research focuses on the molecular engineering of higher plant chloroplasts to improve many facets of plant productivity. Chloroplasts harbour the key biochemical reactions of photosynthesis, a process that underpins all life on earth.