From crime to body lice: Sydney Uni hosts international genomics conference

The 54th Annual Conference of the Genetics Society of Australasia will be held at the University of Sydney from 26 to 29 June.

Over 250 local and international delegates will present a program covering a diverse range of topics from cats and crime, climate change and pollution, to kangaroo genomics, forensics and body lice.

Conference chair is Dr Kathy Belov, from the University of Sydney Veterinary Science Faculty, whose recent research on comparing immune-related genes in opossums with those in humans has been internationally acknowledged.

The plenary speakers will include such major researchers as:

Professor Richard Gibbs (Baylor College of Medicine): Richard Gibbs is director of the Human Genome Sequencing Centre, Baylor College of Medicine (UK). After developing technologies for rapid genetic analysis early in his career, he became a key player in human genome projects and has overseen numerous recent projects, including the rat genome and human chromosomes 3 and 12.

Professor Scott Edwards (Harvard University) : Scott Edwards holds a chair in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, and is curator of Ornithology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Professor Win Hide (University of the Western Cape): Win Hide focuses his research in two areas: unravelling the gene deregulation processes which initiate the development of cancers, and determination of the interactions of genes that protect the body from pathogens such as HIV.

Hide's major interest in development of health solutions in South Africa revolves around the establishment of a cadre of international quality health science professionals, able to lead in the management and development of solutions for epidemic problems in Africa.

Dr Marilyn Raymond (National Institutes of Health): Marilyn Raymond has been closely involved with application of genetic markers in the cat for forensics. Her involvement in the first ever introduction of an animal DNA fingerprint into a court resulted in the conviction of a murderer in Canada. She has subsequently refined an STR genotyping system for genetic individualisation of cat specimens including baseline population data for forensics.

Professor Ruth Hall (University of Sydney): Ruth Hall is senior principal research scientist at the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences at The University of Sydney. Well known for her discovery of integrons, she investigates the mobility of DNA in bacteria, particularly where it is important in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and the evolution of new pathogens. Her focus is on identifying and unravelling new mechanisms for gene movement that are important in the dissemination of resistance genes. She also studies the biochemistry of these processes.

Dr Marilyn Renfree (University of Melbourne): Marilyn Renfree's primary research interest is the developmental biology, reproductive physiology and endocrinology of mammals and she has worked on a wide range of species from mice to elephants, but most of her research has been on marsupials, because of their ingenious alternative solutions to reproduction. As well, a public forum will be held at the Australian Museum in the evening on Wednesday 27th, on the popular topic "DNA and Crime'.

Further information is available online at: www.gsa2007.org.