Congratulations to Scott and Bec Dalzell on the birth of Isaac James on Wednesday 28 May. He weighed 3.37 kg (7 lbs 7 oz) and was 50.5 cm (20 ins) long. A great little brother for Alexander.
 

Congratulations to Heidi Parkes who was recently awarded the Dr Mohammad Asghar Prize for the highest marks in LAND2003.

New Varieties of Wheat

Kaye Basford and Mark Dieters recently attended the launch of three new wheat varieties: EGA Kidman, EGA Bounty and EGA Stampede. Mark was heavily involved in breeding the third variety, in collaboration with DPI&F.

It is expected that these varieties will contribute to the profitability of primary industry in Queensland by increasing the size of the annual wheat harvest through increased yields and capturing the needs of niche markets.

EGA Kidman was developed to meet the Asian sponge and dough market estimated to be worth $1 billion. In contrast, EGA Stampede is a high-yielding feed wheat earmarked for the feed grains markets, with yield advantages of 12pc over other varieties.

EGA Bounty, on the other hand has been bred as a hard wheat suitable for early to mid sowing with intermediate maturity. It offers yield increases of between 6-9pc over most popular varieties, plus is said to exhibit a "very good" combination of resistances to stem, stripe and leaf rusts.

International Wheat Genetics Symposium

During the last week of August, the Brisbane Convention Centre hosted the International Wheat Genetics Symposium. Over 400 scientists attended this symposium. The major topic of discussion was how to cope with wheat in a world of changing environment. LCAFS PhD student, Vivi Arief, was invited by the Symposium Committee to deliver a talk about her thesis entitled Marker/trait associations identified in spring wheat using 25 years of CIMMYT international trials which was received very well by the audience.

Sandra Micallef, Ian Delacy and Mark Dieters also presented a poster describing the achievements of the CAGE (Cimmyt-Australia Germplasm Enhancement) project. The CAGE project which is funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) aims at improving communication and data management between various projects, which GRDC has in collaboration with CIMMYT (Centre for the Improvement of Wheat and Maize) in Mexico. You can find more details about this project at http://cage.lafs.uq.edu.au.

Environmental Weeds of Australia DVD - software recently published for the identification of invasive plants in Australia.

Invasive plants threaten the natural environment and biodiversity of Australia, as well causing significant loses to agricultural production and negatively impacting on human health. The Environmental Weeds of Australia DVD is an interactive software product intended to serve as a comprehensive tool for the identification of weed species that invade natural habitats in this country. Recently published by the Centre for Biological Information Technology (CBIT) in the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences, this product was developed here in LCAFS as part of the Education Program of the former Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management.

Environmental Weeds of Australia homepage

The Environmental Weeds of Australia DVD uses the Lucid3 software platform and contains a massive database of more than 1,000 invasive plant species. It offers detailed descriptions of these weeds, links to relevant website information, a search engine, a cross-linked glossary and thousands of full colour images. The resource was compiled by Sheldon Navie under the supervision of Steve Adkins.

This product, which took four years to develop, is the latest in a series of Lucid-based weed identification tools produced by Sheldon and Steve. It is the culmination of more than ten years of work, starting with a much smaller key to the Suburban and Environmental Weeds of south-east Queensland (published in 2002). These tools are used by a wide variety of land managers (e.g. bushcare and landcare groups, local and state government officers, farm managers and home gardeners) as well as students at university and high school level.

For more information visit http://www.cbit.uq.edu.au/software/enviroweeds/ or contact Sheldon Navie at s.navie@uq.edu.au.

Welcome to the following new research higher degree students:

Mohammad Mobashewer Alam, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Graeme Hammer, Genetic mapping and modelling of tillering in sorghum.

Sheena Chen, (MPhil), Principle Advisor: Bhesh Bhandari, Enhancing of the antimicrobial properties of oil by forming nanoemulsions.

Laurent Donges, (MPhil), Principle Advisor: Bhesh Bhandari, Bacterial contaminants in UHT milk.

Binh Ho, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Bhesh Bhandari, Use of nanoparticles to control the ripening of fruits.

Ellen Iramu, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Doug George, Asexual propagation and characterization of genetic diversity of slippery kabis (Hibiscus manihot).

Margaret Jewell, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Ian Godwin, Eco-turf: molecular genetic approaches to improving water use efficiency in turfgrass.

Benjamin Jones, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Richard Haynes, Use of organic matter amendments/clays to improve rehabilitation of bauxite refinery residue sand.

Thao Thi Thu Le, (MPhil), Principle Advisor: Hilton Deeth, Maillard reactions and protein cross linking during storage of milk powder.

Yen-Yiu Liu, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Richard Haynes, Effects of land application of contaminated effluents on soil properties and the size, activity and diversity of soil microbial communities.

Purwatiningsih, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Errol Hassan, Evaluation of insecticidal efficacy of Acarus calamus L. on Plutella xylostella L.

Asad Shabbir, (PhD), Principle Advisor: Steve Adkins, Biological control of parthenium weed.

Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded their doctorate or masters degree:

Nicholas Bromet (PhD), Weed Management Using GPS Guidance.

Janine Conway (MPhil), Isolation and pathogenicity testing of fungi and oomycetes from root rot lesions of Platysace lanceolata.

Sisunandar (PhD), Cryopreservation for germplasm conservation of coconut (Cocos nucifera L)

The Vien Huynh (MPhil), Encapsulation of lemon myrtle oil and its biological functionalities.

These theses are available for borrowing. Email your request to lcafs@uq.edu.au.

New Grants

Ian Godwin, CP Grof and ND Muller, $1,177,246, eSorghum as a bio-fuel feedstock for arid environments.

Mark Dieters and Rob Cramb, $886,288, Enhancing on-farm incomes through improved silvicultural management of teak and paper mulberry plantations in Luang Prabang Province of Laos PDR.

Jacqui Batley and Dave Edwards, $849,000, Characterising genetic variation in Brassica napus.

Bob Gilbert, Marion Gaborieau, Ian Godwin, $420,000, Graft copolymers from starch and synthetic monomers.

Bob Gilbert, $315,387, Controlled nutrient release for more efficient agricultural water use and reduced environmental insult.

PJ Halley, Bhesh Bhandari, JA Cicero, LC Ward, and TM Nicholson, $370,000, A Novel Rheological and Chewing and Swallowing model for the Smart Design of Texture Modified Foods for Increased Aged Health.

Mike Gidley, GR Monteith, SJ Roberts-Thomson, PN Shaw, and RG Dietzgen, $270,000, Nutritional properties of mango fruits: linking plant genomics to cellular bioactivities.

PF Alewood, Hilton Deeth, and MC Broome, $210,000, Markers of milk quality in commercially produced UHT milks and milk powders.

Dion Harrison, Daryl Joyce, and KM Davies, $89,815, Australian native plant species as models for understanding the regulation and roles of betalain pigment synthesis.

Neal Menzies and Gunnar Kirchhof, $71,917, Assessment of Soil Management Options under Power Line Easements.

Bhesh Bhandari and Allan Coombes, $30,000, ProGel.

Daryl Joyce, $16,000, Australian consumer perceptions of 'LoveBerry'.

Olena Kravchuk, $11,000, Biometrical services for project 2171 - Greenleaf Enterprises Pty Ltd.

Mark Turner, $10,000, Chilled Fruit Snack.

Scott Dalzell, $5,500, Importing, quarantining, evaluation and storing of Leucaena spp.

Library Update

Research skills for staff and postgraduate students
Since May 2008, the St Lucia NRAVS Liaison Librarians have been conducting research skills training for staff and postgraduate students. Our next session will be held on 31 October, from 9-12, in eZone 2 (Level 2) of the Biological Sciences Library. This hands-on session will cover the following topics:

- search strategies for database searching;
- choosing suitable databases;
- demonstrations of effective database searching;
- setting up alerts;
- finding journal impact factors using JCRWeb;
- effective internet searching;
- searching for open access material (such as UQ eSpace);

Please email Jo Spicer if you are interested in attending this session - j.spicer@library.uq.edu.au

The UQ Gatton Library will be running two training sessions during Research Week 2008.

Ten Tips From The Library [for completing your thesis]
This session will provide advice for those undertaking research at UQ.
Date: Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Time: 10am-10:30am
Venue: eZone 1, Lower level, Gatton Library

Alerting Services and RSS
Alerting services and RSS feeds are an excellent way for researchers to remain up-to-date with new developments in their field.
Date: Wednesday, 24th September 2008-09-09 Time:10-11:30 am
Venue: eZone 1, Lower level, Gatton Library.

Please email Jacky Cribb if you are interested in attending these sessions - j.cribb@library.uq.edu.au

Conferences

Horizons in Livestock Sciences; the Future of Agriculture - Value or Volume?
New Zealand
28 to 30 October 2008
URL: http://www.livestockhorizons.com

This conference, the 5th in the successful Horizons in Livestock Sciences series, will explore the drivers of change in livestock research and the livestock industries, including demands and constraints, cutting-edge science for future animal-based agriculture, and industry transformation using case studies from the meat, dairy and fibre sectors.
The conference is jointly hosted by AgResearch New Zealand, and CSIRO livestock Industries, Australia.

International Microbial Biotechnology Conference and Workshop on Metagenome
Indonesia
11 to 13 November 2008
URL: http://www.imbc-indonesia.com

Microbial diversity can be transformed into "biodiamond" (valuable biological resources) with proper tools such as biotechnology, bioinformatics, and advances in molecular biology. Exposure to the fast development in these studies would allow us to better understanding and utilization of microbes, in the field of bioenergy, management of greenhouse gasses, isolation of beneficial microbes (probiotics) for human, animal, and plant health, ecosystem sustainability in agriculture, animal, husbandry and aquaculture; as well as control and treatment of emerging diseases.

This conference aims to provide a platform for international microbiologists, biotechnologists, and bioinformaticians, policy makers, and private sectors to interact and exchange the latest ideas and techniques in microbiology and biotechnology for exploration of largely untapped microbial resources, especially with respect to Asia. IMBC 2008 will also include special sessions that focus on Microbe-Macrobe interactions, Microbial utilization for bioenergy and mitigation of global climate changes, Bioinformatics, and Trends in microbial diagnostics.

In addition, there will be a workshop that focus on how the rapid developments in the fields of genomics and bioinformatics to for metagenomics analysis. These sessions will provide a better appreciation of microbial communities and its impact on our health, and sustainable food production.

The Third International Genetically Modified Food Conference- Biofuels
Jordan
18 to 19 November 2008
URL: http://www.tc-center.com

After the success of the International Conference on Genetically Modified Food which was held in 2006 2007 under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister. The conference discuss on each time sub titles in the Genetically Modified Food, like the issues of Biosafety, Genetically Modified Seeds & Fodders, which made the presence get great benefit.

And in light of the global food crisis, and continuing price rises of oil depletion and the approaching confiscation, and the starting search for alternative sources, is talking recently about the Biofuels as an effective solution for this problem; the Technical Consultancy Center has decided to held the Third International Genetically Modified Food Conference- Biofuels on 18-19/11/2008 in cooperation with many related govermental and civil society organizations. ign and Arab Experts will lecture in this conference to acknowledge the presence with the latest updates in this issue.

3rd Congress of European Microbiologists - FEMS 2009
Sweden
28 June to 2 July 2009
URL: http://www.kenes.com/fems-microbiology/

The 3rd Congress of European Microbiologists spans topics in microbial physiology, genetics and biology and their application in the areas of health, environment, food and industry. Key topics to be addressed include biodiversity, biofilms, clinical microbiology, eukaryotic microbes, marine microbiology, microbial stress response, microbes in alternative energy generation, molecular microbiology & genomics, and virology.

General Interest

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