by Adele Gonsalvez As a bioinformatic newbie, there is a lot to wrap your head around – from understanding basic programming language to what commands you need to use. In my experience, one particular gem is when you are trying to run a command and you receive one in a Continue Reading
Lab Blog
IT’S MOVING DAY: Threatened Species Edition
by Andrea Schraven (PhD Student) Moving house, city, or country always has its challenges, from adapting to a new environment to establishing connections with unfamiliar neighbours. For threatened species, the concept of moving from one area to another is no less daunting. However, in the realm of conservation management, ‘moving Continue Reading
Australia’s best kept secret: the dunnart
by Kiara Jones (Honours Student) Since starting my Honours research project last year, the question I have been asked the most is: “What is a dunnart? How have I never heard of this adorable Australian native?” These little predators resemble a small European mouse, but they are actually marsupials and Continue Reading
When Cells Rebel: the dark side of evolution
by Patra Petrohilos (PhD Student) I love dystopian horror. I love to relish in the thrill of disgust from the comfort of safety – a comfort bolstered by the knowledge that such grotesquerie could never actually happen in real life. Zombies don’t exist. Monsters aren’t trying to escape from the Continue Reading
How to catch a Tasmanian devil
by Dr Elspeth McLennan (Post-doc) Tasmanian devils are nocturnal. We set traps during the day and overnight curious devils will come to investigate. The traps we use are made of strong PVC plastic fashioned into a cylinder with a spring trap door (see cover picture). The traps are baited with Continue Reading
Koalas and Chlamydia: How can genomics help?
by Luke Silver (PhD Student) The mention of a koala infected with Chlamydia will often be met with rounds of laughter or even concern, “can I get Chlamydia from touching a koala?” For koalas, Chlamydia is no laughing matter with up to 100% of individuals in some populations infected with Continue Reading
Making bioinformatics more accessible
by Dr. Kate Farquharson (Post-doc) In the AWGG lab, we are generating genomic resources for diverse Australian vertebrates, including birds, marsupials, amphibians and reptiles. However, following bioinformatics instructions can sometimes feel a bit like this: And for non-model organisms, it can feel like being asked to draw an owl when Continue Reading
My Favorite Culture Shock: Australia’s Wildlife
by Meadhbh Molloy (PhD Student) I remember when I learned about the Tasmanian devil and DFTD in my Conservation Medicine textbook as a new master’s student in Virginia, USA. Since I was a child, I loved learning about different animals from all over the world but admittedly, I did know Continue Reading
What my PhD has taught me: Turtles are awesome
by Holly Nelson (PhD Student) So, you probably think Tasmanian Devils are adorable and Koalas are super cute. Well, let me tell you about turtles and four quick reasons why they’re awesome. 1. Free rent: Imagine having a portable, self-contained home acquired at birth, the Sydney housing market would be Continue Reading
Diversity in the Dark: the hidden wonders of subterranean life
by Toby Kovacs (PhD Student) Australia is famous for its unique flora and fauna, harbouring some of the most unique and highly endemic groups of organisms. When I’m sitting around with my family discussing Australian biodiversity, often the first places we think of are the rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef Continue Reading