News & Events

Phenomena.... The Australian Phenomics Network Quarterly Newsletter

Volume 7, March 2008

Volume 6, December 2007

Volume 5, October 2007

Volume 4, June 2007

Volume 3, March 2007

News Items Listed Below

APF–AGRF Establish Alliance to Facilitate Quality Service in mutation detection in mouse gene variant strains

The APF Reaches Out to the Scientific Community at ISSCR, IBRO and ComBio 2007

China-Australia Symposium on Sustaining Global Ecosystems

The APF Establishes New Linkages in China

Japanese Centre of Research Networks for Infectious Diseases visits the ANU

KOSEF Visits the APF

Professor Lu, Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Visits the APF

APF Visits RIKEN at Tsukuba

Professor William Paul Visits the APF

Singapore's Agency For Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR) sign collaborative agreement with The Australian Phenomics Facility

New NH&MRC Australian Phenome Bank Available Online

 

APF–AGRF Establish Alliance to Facilitate Quality Service in mutation detection in mouse gene variant strains

The APF has recently formed an alliance with the AGRF (Australian Genome Research Facility) allowing a joint approach for providing a streamlined, consistent, high quality service spectrum for researchers.

This partnership will involve several services of the AGRF including the genotyping and mapping team utilising the Affymetrix and Sequenom technologies and the Sequencing, Bioinformatics and R&D teams. The APF will maintain a standing at the forefront of mouse variant strain mapping with the design and analytical expertise remaining centralised to the facility. However, in a forward approach the link with AGRF will allow the APF to utilise the latest mapping technologies and offer the best possible service for the most difficult of projects.

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Researchers Presenting in the Health and
Environment Workshop

China-Australia Symposium on Sustaining Global Ecosystems

August 2007

Following on from the series of visits in China, Dr Ed Bertram went on to speak about the APF at the Health and Environment Workshop, part of the China-Australia Symposium on Sustaining Global Ecosystems that was held in Beijing from 8-10 August.

The Health and Environment workshop was hosted by Professor Philip Kuchel, Head of Biochemistry from the University of Sydney. This Symposium was organised by the Australian Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of Science and covered 5 themes including sustainable water, land, air, energy and health.

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Members of the Young Scientist Exchange Scheme.
Jion Chen, Zhongzhou Yang, Qingshun Zhao, Rob Saint, Ruth Arkell, Steve Winslade and Ed Bertram

The APF Establishes New Linkages in China

July 2007

In July 2007 Ed Bertram, Head of Scientific Programs travelled to China for 19 days on the Young Investigators Exchange Program hosted by the Australian Academy of Technological Science & Engineering and China’s Ministry of Science & Technology.

The first day in Beijing was spent meeting representatives from China’s Ministry of Science & Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Natural Science Foundation of China to discuss the current funding programs for researchers.

The following week featured visits to a number of research facilities in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai and Harbin. These included a visit to Professor Hong Tang, Director of the Centre of Infection and Immunity at the Institute of Biophysics in Beijing to discuss the possibilities of a joint research programme. The team also visited Fudan University to meet Professor Tian Xu, Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Development.

Following on from the series of successful research institutions in China, Ed joined 5 other young investigators from Australia, who’s research areas together cover a broad cross section of Australian science.

These series of visits were successful to the APF in establishing a new program of research with Professor Hong Tang from the Institute of Biophysics and Prof Hualen Chen at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute.

The APF would like to thank the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology for their support and organisation of the visit especially Elizabeth Meier and Min Gu.

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Dr Yoshiyuki Nagai (second from right, front row
and Japanese colleagues visit the APF)

Japanese Centre of Research Networks for Infectious Diseases visits the ANU

February 2007

By invitation of the National Centre of Biosecurity, Dr Yoshiyuki Nagai, Director of the Center of Research Network for Infectious Diseases and a team of researchers from Japan visited the ANU for discussions on similar interests in the Asia-pacific region around infectious disease research and biosecurity. The team spent time at the APF with Ed Bertram, Head of Scientific Programs and CEO Steve Winslade.

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L-R: Dr Stuart Read, Dr Byung-Whan Ho,
Dr Oh-Kab Kwon and Dr Ed Bertram

KOSEF Visits the APF

December 2006

Dr Oh-Kab Kwon, chairman and CEO of the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) and Byung-Whan Ho, Director of International Programs visited the  APF on Thursday 7  December, coinciding with the State visit by the President of the Republic of Korea, Mr Roh Moo-hyun. For more information on KOSEF: http://www.kosef.re.kr/english_new/

In an important new move to strengthen scientific research linkages between Australia and the Republic of Korea, the key scientific bodies of both nations have signed a letter of intent with a main focus on early-career scientists and improved information exchange. Recognising the mutual benefit of scientific and technological interchange, the Australia-Korea Foundation, the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and KOSEF have used the signing to ratify their commitment to encourage and facilitate an innovative new program in both countries.

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Professor Lu Yong Xiang (from file) )

Professor Lu, Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Visits the APF

November 2006

Professor Lu Yong Xiang, Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences along with Cao Jinghua, Deputy Director General, Bureau of International Cooperation and Yongguan Zhu, Assistant Director General met with Professor Chris Goodnow and Dr Ed Bertram of the APF to discuss strategies for collaborations between Chinese and Australian Scientists in mouse genome-phenome research.

Professor Lu Yong Xiang has served as the President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 1997 and actively promotes the development of scientific research and education. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, People's Republic of China.

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Dr Yuichi Obata (second from left), Director of RIKEN BioResource Centre and colleagues with Steve Winslade (third from left), CEO of APF and team

APF Visits RIKEN at Tsukuba

October 2006

The APF team travelled to Tsukuba, just out of Tokyo to visit Dr Yuichi Obata, Director of RIKEN BioResource Center. The APF were the first Australian group to tour this facility and were warmly welcomed. A day of talks from key RIKEN personnel including Kuniya Abe, Head of the Technology and Development Team for Mammalian cellular Dynamics, Atsuo Ogura, Division Head, Bioresource Wakana, Team Leader, Mouse utation Resource Exploration Team and Atsushi Yoshiki, Head of the Experimental Animal Division was followed by a tour of the facility.

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Chris Goodnow (CSO of APF) with Bill Paul

Professor William Paul Visits the APF

September 2006

In September 2006, the APF was privileged to host Professor William Paul, Chief, Laboratory Of Immunology, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease. He met with APF staff and discussed strategies to utilise the facility for infectious disease research.

Dr. Paul is a leading immunologist, well known for his discovery of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and the characterization of its receptor and its signalling mechanisms.

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L-R Ms Yena Lim, Associate Professor Kong Peng Lam,
ANU Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb and Professor Chris
Goodnow, Standing His Excellency Mr Lee Hsien Loong,
Prime Minister of The Republic of Singapore

Singapore's Agency For Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR) sign collaborative agreement with The Australian Phenomics Facility

Monday 19 June 2006

A*STAR's Centre for Molecular Medicine (CMM) have established a partnership with The Australian Phenomics Facility. This project involves screening sensitised libraries of ENU-gene variant mice for susceptibility to type-1 diabetes through a collaboration between Professor Kong Pong Lam from A*STAR and Professor Chris Goodnow at The Australian National University.

A Research Collaboration Agreement and service agreement were signed by Associate Professor Kong-Peng Lam, Acting Executive Director of A*STAR's Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) and Professor Ian Chubb AO, Vice Chancellor, ANU.

The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister of Singapore Mr Lee Hsien Loong, who is on an official visit to Australia. The partnership in leading edge biomedical research represents a new milestone in the bilateral relationship Singapore shares with Australia. It will yield new knowledge and understanding in immunology and pave the way for other research collaborations between the two countries.

"This partnership further cements the close collaborative relationship ANU has with Singapore and will enhance research efforts in both countries," Professor Chubb said.

The collaborative research programme will focus on understanding the causes and manifestations of Type 1 Diabetes and other autoimmune and immunopathological disorders. It will study the functions of genes and proteins that are involved in immune tolerance and how their dysfunctions could lead to the failure of an individual's immune system to recognise its own cells and tissues and result in immune cells attacking self organs and tissues - a phenomenon known as autoimmune disease. For example, in Type 1 Diabetes, immune cells attack the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, thereby affecting an individual's ability to regulate blood glucose levels. Other examples of autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

The insight to be gained on the mechanisms leading to autoimmune diseases may enable the identification of predictive or diagnostic markers as well as the development of therapeutics to treat such diseases.

ARC Federation Fellow Professor Chris Goodnow, Chief Scientific Officer of the APF and an expert in the field of immune tolerance, said, "This is an exciting opportunity to bring together world-class expertise in Singapore and Australia, and focus it on cutting-edge problems at the interface between immunology and genomics. The exchange of scientists and skills fostered by this program will deliver great synergies."

Associate Professor Lam, Principal Coordinator of the Immunology group at CMM, said "Immunology is a critical field for Singapore's push towards biomedical science research as it is closely linked to many clinical conditions such as autoimmune diseases, allergy, infections and cancer. The partnership with ANU will also serve as an important link for the cross-training of students and scientists in Australia and Singapore."

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New NH&MRC Australian Phenome Bank Available Online

Tuesday June 13 2006

Database of Murine Strains

Until now, it has been difficult for researchers to determine whether a particular strain of mouse already exists in Australia.

Through an NHMRC Enabling grant the Australian Phenomics Facility has developed an Internet accessible database of murine strains housed in Australia. This database has been titled "The NHMRC Australian Phenome Bank". The Phenome Bank database provides Australian researchers a central location to gain information about strains of mice maintained in Australia, whether alive or cryopreserved. This database will be accessible to all researchers. It includes fields such as phenotype, genotype, affected gene, reproduction efficiency, pathogen status and images of the animals (if data is available). The database can be used to identify whether mice carrying mutations in a particular gene exist within Australia. Researchers may be interested in a particular disease or developmental stage and can search the Phenome Bank database for mice harbouring abnormalities within specific organs, tissues or cell types or biological functions resulting in disease or developmental abnormalities. All researchers in Australia are encouraged to contribute their mouse strain information to this database. (To address security concerns personal information, institutional and animal facility addresses will not be listed on the web page).

To access the database use: http://pb.apf.edu.au/phenbank

The Phenome Bank is always improving with new strains added weekly. The maintenance of strain data will be ongoing. We welcome feedback on how to improve the database . The databases established by ANZSLAS and ANZSCDBI have been incorporated into the Phenome Bank. The strains housed at APF and the ENU mutants generated from library screens are incorporated into the database as they are identified.

The Phenome Bank database will foster exchange and expertise and minimise duplication of mouse resources.

Murine Sperm Cryopreservation

In association with the Phenome Bank database the APF is offering a sperm cryopreservation service. The service is free of charge if the strain(s) are distributable to other researchers. The depositing researcher maintains ownership of the strain and may use MTAs with requesting scientists. A depositing MTA will need to be executed between the depositing researcher and the APF. The depositor will need to pay for mouse shipping costs only. The ongoing maintenance costs are covered by the NH&MRC Enabling Grant. The information of cryopreserved strains will be entered into the Phenome Bank. Researchers may also pay for the cryopreservation and on going maintenance if they do not want the strain distributed.

Contact

For more information on the database or cryopreservation please contact Dr Stuart Read at the Australian Phenomics Facility.

E: Stuart.Read@anu.edu.au
T: 02 6125 1325

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