APF - News & Events
News & Events
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Phenomena.... The Australian Phenomics Network Quarterly Newsletter
Volume 9, December 2008
Volume 8, September 2008
Volume 7, March
2008
Volume 6, December 2007
Volume
5, October 2007
Volume
4, June 2007
Volume
3, March 2007
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News Items Listed Below
APF Cris-Crossing North America in July 08
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 |
Dr Geoff Hicks with the Hamilton Machine for generating ES
cell lines
APF Cris-Crossing North America in July 08
Senior APF staff visited key research centres in North America and attended research meetings with our North American collaborators.
One of the highlights was to follow up the Australian Phenomics Network agreement between Monash University and NorCOMM , which will facilitate Australian access to international ES Cell collections. Dr Geoff Hicks (pictured right) of the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, is the project leader of the NorCOMM group in Winnipeg and is enthusiastic about the collaboration with the APN.
The APF also visited the new mouse facility for the combined research/hospital complex in Toronto. This state-of-the-art facility, with robotic cage washing and the latest Techniplast systems, is the very latest in new building design and operating systems. The group then visited the famous Jackson Laboratories with a view to seeing the progress of the large ENU programme at JAX and also understand how they operate mouse services generally. On the return passage from the USA the
APF paid a return visit to Steve Brown at Harwell in the UK, and talked to key partner researchers, and reviewed the progress of the ENU programme at Harwell.
From this survey of key facilities the APF have a strong feel for best practice facility management, the ways in which current overseas programmes are developing and also the sorts of equipment and strategies being employed in their research efforts. In particular the APF learnt a lot about
approaches to centralised Phenotyping and the progress being made in advanced whole of genome sequencing. This will be used to further the work of the Australian efforts.
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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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APF Representatives discussing the Facility's
services to an interested participant
The APF Reaches Out to the Scientific Community at ISSCR, IBRO and ComBio 2007
The APF participated in a number of conferences in 2007 with a dedicated exhibit hall booth. The first of these conferences was the 5th International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting, held in tropical Cairns in June 07. In July, the APF networked with the neuroscience community at the 7th International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) Congress of Neuroscience. Finally, the APF interacted with the participants of ComBio 2007, held by the waters of Darling Harbour, Sydney in September.
The aim of the APF’s participation at these conferences was to promote the research opportunities provided by the APF to the scientific community, as well as to establish the APF as a leading organization in researching human and animal health via the elucidation of the genome-phenome code.
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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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