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VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 1AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ISSN 1443-0193
Australian BiochemistThe Magazine of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc.August 2020, Volume 51, Number 2
PAGE 2 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Table of Contents
The Australian BiochemistEditor Tatiana Soares da Costa
Editorial Officer Liana Friedman © 2020 Australian Society for Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology Inc. All rights reserved.
Front CoverDocumenting
key techniques – recording practical processes for the
online world.Image courtesy of Brett Drummond,
MStranslate.
3 Editorial Committee4 From the President6 ASBMB 2020 Meeting: Education Symposium and Research Symposium9 Australian Biochemistry Lunchtime Seminar Series10 Special Education Feature: Focus on Remote Teaching
Editorial: COVID-19 Hits Our Classes!Student PerspectivesApart, Yet Together: COVID-19 Chat CamaraderieEnhancing Engagement by Building Relationships and a Sense of Community in an Online Biochemistry CourseRe-establishing a Sense of Community Online: Lessons Learnt from the Sudden Migration Online During COVID-19 RestrictionsMaintaining the Chemistry Foundations for Our Future Biochemists: Our COVID-19-driven Curriculum TransformationEngaging Biochemistry Students through Technology, Case Studies and Individualised AssignmentsFrom Desk to Dining Room: My Transition to Lecturing in the Time of PandemicEngaging the Online Biochemistry Student in Asynchronous, Flexible Learning ActivitiesThe Challenge of Asynchronous Problem-based Learning OnlineThe Fast and the Curious: Taking a Capstone Unit Online in Record TimeEffectively Teaching Biochemistry Practicals via Simulations in the Absence of Face-to-face InstructionCoVideo-19: Moving a Biochemistry Laboratory OnlineAll You Need are Grades. Grades are All You Need…
32 Publications with ImpactLife in the Lysosome: Using and Abusing the HostA Complex Consortium of Complex I ConstructionThe First Cut is the DeepestFlow Directs Form: a Novel Role for the Cadherin FAT4 in Shaping the Lymphatic VasculatureFailure of a DNA-protective Clamp is the Cause of Fanconi Anaemia
40 SDS PageRemaining FOCUSed at HomeMaking Peace with Uncertainty… and Getting Your PhD Done, Too
43 Competition: COVID-1944 Off the Beaten Track Programming, Pythons and Policy47 Nominations for 2021 ASBMB Awards and Medals50 Great Expectations Happiness in My DNA 54 Cell Architecture: an ASBMB Special Interest Group55 Intellectual Property
What the Current Pandemic Teaches Us Aboutthe Value of an Intellectual Property System
58 Honours for ASBMB Members59 Election of 2021 ASBMB Council59 Annual General Meeting of the ASBMB60 New ASBMB Members62 Our Sustaining Members68 ASBMB Council69 Directory
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 3AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Australian Biochemist Editorial Committee
Dr Doug FairlieOlivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe UniversityHeidelberg VIC 3084Email: [email protected] Phone: (03) 9496 9369
Editorial OfficerLiana FriedmanEmail: [email protected]
Associate Professor Tracey KuitSchool of Chemistry and Molecular BioscienceUniversity of WollongongWollongong NSW 2522Email: [email protected]: (02) 4221 4916
Dr Nirma SamarawickremaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClayton VIC 3800Email: nirma.samarawickrema@ monash.eduPhone: (03) 9902 0295
Dr Sarah HennebryFPA Patent Attorneys101 Collins StreetMelbourne VIC 3000Email: [email protected]: (03) 9288 1213
EditorDr Tatiana Soares da CostaDepartment of Biochemistry and GeneticsLa Trobe Institute for Molecular ScienceLa Trobe UniversityBundoora VIC 3086Email: [email protected]: (03) 9479 2227
Dr Erinna LeeLa Trobe Institute for Molecular Science and Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research InstituteHeidelberg VIC 3084Email: [email protected]: (03) 9496 9369
Joe KaczmarskiResearch School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberra ACT 0200Email: [email protected]
Dr Gabrielle Watson Monash Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash UniversityClayton VIC 3800 Email: gabrielle.watson@ monash.eduPhone: (03) 9902 9227
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From the President
Well, I am seeing fewer loaves of sourdough on Twitter these days. Which is a good thing because it
means I can feel less guilty about buying the stuff from a bakery.
Sourdough aside, 2020 continues to be a big outlier in the lives of all of us. Amongst everything, one thing that I have found very interesting is the way that so many researchers at universities and institutes have turned at least part of their attention to addressing SARS-CoV-2 – either directly or indirectly. I saw a list at one major university of all the academics who were devoting attention to this issue – it ran to at least 150 separate projects. And one of the most interesting observations was that medical and biomedical research made up far fewer than half of that total. There were studies centred in the humanities, business, architecture – just about every field of academic endeavour represented on the campus.
Although the cynic could interpret that pivot as opportunism, to me it really epitomised the value of universities as institutions of scholarship – that here is a reservoir of smart people who are trained to think innovatively and who, when an extraordinary situation like this arrives, are able to say, “You know, the skills we have honed in the field of X over recent years could potentially be valuable if we turn our attention to aspect Y of the crisis.” My own lab has looked to contribute, and it really has made me feel quite proud that they have temporarily put aside their own projects to turn their talents to something of such pressing need. Whether or not a major breakthrough comes from our own work, I hope they will be able to look back and appreciate that their abilities allowed them to get in and try to make a difference at a time of urgency.
Science, universities and the governmentOn that note, I wrote in the April 2020 issue that it would
be interesting to see whether COVID-19 results in any substantial shift in the attitude of the government and the public towards basic research. In general, it seems that the Federal and State Governments in Australia have paid fairly close attention to what their science/medical advisors have told them, which is heartening. That seems to have not so much been the case in some other countries – I think we can be grateful that we aren’t facing the 74,000 new daily cases that we are seeing in the USA as I write this piece.
On the other hand, the Federal Government’s treatment of the higher education sector this year does not seem, to me at least, to reflect this apparent respect for the body of scientific data that is the direct result of the training of students in STEM disciplines. The recently announced (well, announced in a very small font between the lines) reduction in support for STEM courses that will reduce the cross-subsidisation of research from teaching is a major change that seems likely to have a significant impact on the way universities are able to operate. In this regard, we keenly await the outcome of current discussions between university Vice-Chancellors and the Government on possible changes to the costing model for research funding.
Our current system in Australia differs significantly from places like the UK and New Zealand, in that those countries fund the full cost of research when they award competitive grants (to my knowledge). In contrast, as colleague Mitchell Guss pointed out to me many years ago (to my consternation at the time), every time an university gets a research grant in Australia, it loses money. While that slightly pessimistic view doesn’t account for long-term gains (to ranking, reputation, etc – which are very hard to account for quantitatively) that result from the research grant, it is unambiguously true in the short term and one of the reasons that universities have looked to international student fees in recent years. We shall see what transpires from these latest discussions.
ConferencesSince April, we have been thinking hard about what
we can provide to the membership in 2020, now that ComBio2020 has been shifted to 2022. Here is what we have come up with.
On 29 and 30 September this year, we are going to hold two back-to-back half-day online meetings in Zoom. One will be an Education Symposium (Tuesday 29 September) – organised by the Education Special Interest Group – that will be focused on remote teaching, with the intention of having academics share their experiences of the great 2020 online teaching experiment. What is working, what isn’t, what have we
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learned? Everyone is invited to submit an abstract by 17 August to talk about their experiences this year. I think it will be a fascinating session and I hope people share the things that didn’t work as much as the things that did.
The second day (Wednesday 30 September) will be a Research Symposium – organised by Tatiana Soares da Costa and our steadfast State Representatives – that will provide an opportunity for us to hear from a couple of plenary speakers, with Professor Glenn King (University of Queensland) already confirmed, and from the winners of the 2020 ASBMB awards.
Neither of the symposis will have a registration fee and I strongly encourage you to attend virtually to get involved in the community and to hear some great talks.
Regarding 2021, the planning for the November FAOBMB Congress in Christchurch ploughs on – with the organisers trying to think flexibly about the meeting. I’m not sure what the chances are that speakers from the USA, for example, will be able to enter New Zealand even by then, so the meeting might well be a blend of online and face-to-face. That’s already old hat for anyone involved in education now, so hopefully we will still be able to have a strong meeting – Australia might
have even earned bubble status in the eyes of our trans-Tasman colleagues, and I imagine many people might be keen for a bit of travel by then. Our other planned event for 2021 is the expanded East Coast Protein Meeting – so we will be keeping a keen eye on domestic travel arrangements in the coming months.
In summaryI’d like as usual to thank the ASBMB Executive, State
Representatives, Council members and the National Office for all their work in shaping and running ASBMB – it truly is a team effort.
Please let me know if you have questions, comments or suggestions for the Society. I am keen for us to play as strong a role as we can in supporting and promoting Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Australia – and your input as members plays a valuable part in shaping that role.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that nominations for the full range of ASBMB awards are open for 2021 – get in and nominate someone – or twist someone’s arm to nominate you!
Joel Mackay President, ASBMB
From the President
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Photo: Chris Montgomery on Unsplash.
ASBMB EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
Teaching Remotely: Sharing PracticeTuesday 29 September 202010:30 – 14:30 AEST Online
The COVID-19 crisis has challenged educators around the globe to continue to support teaching and learning. It has been a time of significant learning and innovation. Teaching Remotely: Sharing Practice provides a platform for educators and students to share their insights and experiences to recognise good practice and to transform the student learning experience as we move forward.
Participants will hear from students and educators through expert presentations, panel discussion and interactive workshop sessions designed to allow educators to reflect on their teaching and learning practice.
The themes of the symposium include innovative approaches to online biochemistry practical teaching, online assessment strategies, synchronous active learning tutorials or approaches to live lectures.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
We are pleased to advise that the Opening Address, The new normal in science teaching: blended learning for 21st century graduates, will be given by Professor Elizabeth Johnson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education, Deakin University.
MORE INFORMATION
www.asbmb.org.au/education/education-symposium
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
The Program Committee invites members of the ASBMB community to submit an abstract to present their practices. We invite submission for:
1. Short-form presentations (8 min) and Q&A (5 min) should address the following points:
- Educational challenge(s) addressed
- Actions taken to address the challenge(s)
- Evidence of what you learnt
- Next steps and future actions
2. Workshop sessions (25 min) and Q&A (5 min). The sessions should comprise an interactive format that encourages active participation and interaction with the workshop attendees. Ideally, the workshops will showcase ideas that other members, especially those who are currently transitioning to online teaching, could readily adapt and use in their own online delivery.
KEY DATES
Abstract Submission Deadline 24 August 2020
Notice of Acceptance 1 September 2020
Registration Deadline 25 September 2020
CONTACTS
Chair
Nirma Samarawickrema, Monash University
Organising Committee
Matthew Clemson, University of Sydney
Amber Willems-Jones, University of Melbourne
Maurizio Costabile, University of South Australia
Tracey Kuit, University of Wollongong
ASBMB EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM
Teaching Remotely: Sharing PracticeTuesday 29 September 202010:30 – 14:30 AEST Online
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ASBMB RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Wednesday 30 September 202010:00 – 16:00 AEST Online
Please join us to celebrate and hear presentations from our 2020 ASBMB award winners and invited plenary speakers.Registration is free for this special online event.
CONFIRMED PLENARY SPEAKER
Professor Glenn King, Institute of Molecular Bioscience,University of Queensland
Deadly cures: a spider-venom peptide for treating ischemicinjuries of the heart and brain
MORE INFORMATION
www.asbmb.org.au/meetings/asbmb-2020/research-symposium
CONTACTS
Chair
Tatiana Soares da Costa, La Trobe University [email protected]
Organising Committee
Melissa Pitman, SA Pathology and University of South Australia
Kate Brettingham-Moore, University of Tasmania
Kate Quinlan, University of New South Wales
Benjamin Schultz, University of Queensland
Dominic Ng, University of Queensland
Monika Murcha, University of Western Australia
Erinna Lee, La Trobe University and Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute
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Join Us From Your Office
Australian Biochemistry Lunchtime Seminar SeriesMondays 12 noon AEST
Upcoming Speakers3 August Sally‐Ann Poulsen, Griffith University
10 August Rhys Grinter, Monash University
17 August Norelle Daly, James Cook University
24 August Yu Heng Lau, University of Sydney
31 August Irina Vetter, University of Queensland
7 September Martin Scanlon, Monash University
14 September Claudia Vickers, University of Queensland
21 September Bostjan Kobe, University of Queensland
28 September Begona Heras, La Trobe University
Zoom Meeting ID939 0914 4171
https://anu.zoom.us/skype/93909144171
ContactThomas Huber, Australian National University [email protected]
In the COVID-19 crisis, we learned quickly to more effectively use digital communication. Embracing the new normal and the enduringly supportive biochemistry community, we organised a lunchtime seminar series to foster the interactions of like-minded Australian biochemists. Importantly, the seminars also give our students and postdocs the opportunity to regularly hear high profile presentations from the many outstanding biochemists in Australia. We invite speakers from a wide range of areas including biological chemistry, chemical biology, structural biology and synthetic biology. We hope that you will join us and a large number of researchers from many institutions every Monday at lunchtime, and look forward to many interesting talks and lively discussions.
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ASBMB Education Feature
The ASBMB Education Feature is coordinated by Nirma Samarawickrema([email protected]) and Tracey Kuit ([email protected]).
We are pleased to present this special ASBMB Education Feature, which highlights how biochemistry educators across the country have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. For those in higher education, it was the thunderbolt from the blue that changed our teaching and learning approaches overnight. Institutions across the country were forced into widespread innovation as they paused to recalibrate their semester, transforming face-to-face classes to online, redesigning laboratory and tutorial sessions and reimagining assessments.
Closing institutions in response to pandemics is nothing new in higher education. When the Black Plague struck in the 14th century, both staff and students fled Oxford and Cambridge Universities. As a consequence of the 1918 Spanish influenza, the University of Montana conducted classes in the open, while Elon College converted their gymnasium to an infirmary and Stanford University isolated anyone affected by the flu, and made wearing face masks mandatory. In more recent times, when epidemics such as SARS (2003) and Ebola (2014–2015) struck, many universities developed alternative ways of facilitating learning. History shows that adapting to pandemics or epidemics is not new to higher education. They have weathered these upheavals, evolved and emerged stronger.
Our sophisticated contemporary technologies enabled the overnight switch, facilitating learning online to reach our students located across the world, although this transformation was challenging to students and educators alike. Students reported unprecedented stress, loss of peer and teacher support networks and strain on establishing social connections, which makes university fun. The vibrancy of life on a university campus is a key
component of the student experience. Behind the scenes, educators rose to the challenge and transformed curricula and assessments to suit remote delivery, sometimes with limited technical and instructional support to help ease that transition.
Despite COVID-19’s disruptions and challenges, our students and educators have demonstrated amazing resilience and show promise of emerging from the pandemic with new skills. Through this special feature, we showcase innovation of educators as they strive to provide the best learning experience for their students. We share with you reflections from our students and educators on how they adapted in response to the global emergency – one inspiring the other; while our educators balanced asynchronous and synchronous online approaches to promote collaboration and teamwork, built virtual communities to provide peer feedback, simulated practicals and laboratory work and assessed presentations via Zoom to train the future biochemist.
We are proud to share this work with you, which represents 13 different stories from ten institutions across Australia. We hope you enjoy reading this compilation of how biochemistry educators across the country transformed their teaching. We also look forward to showcasing their dedication and talent through a special Online Education Symposium on Tuesday 29 September from 10:30am to 2:30pm, so save the date! See: www.asbmb.org.au/education/education-symposium
Our special thanks to our contributors for sharing their work and to our wonderful reviewers: Maurizio Costabile (University of South Australia) and Daniel Czech (Monash University).
Nirma Samarawickrema (left) and Tracey Kuit.
COVID-19 Hits Our Classes!Nirma Samarawickrema (Monash University) and Tracey Kuit (University of Wollongong)
FOCUS ON REMOTE TEACHING
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ASBMB Education Feature
Student PerspectivesWe share with you reflections from students enrolled
in Monash University’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science (BBiomedSc) course, a flagship course of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science.
Settling into uniI started off the semester with a
great degree of both excitement and trepidation. Chemistry being my favourite area of study brought with it excitement, that extended to biochemistry. However, I was also quite anxious about various aspects of the unit, namely the workload, and whether I would be able to keep up with the highly competitive biomedicine cohort. The onset of the pandemic and the accompanying confusion further added to my concerns, particularly regarding access to resources such as lecturers, teaching assistants, etc. Contrary to my expectations, I found that these concerns were misplaced, and indeed, the small online workshop classes meant that I was able to make greater use of my teaching assistant and by slightly varying my study methods, maximise my learning. For example, collating and cross referencing all the information I received, with the learning objectives, and creating diagrammatic representations to which I could add each week allowed me to keep track of and expand my learning. Keeping track of my learning and motivating myself to take advantage of the available resources was also the biggest issue I faced. With regards to motivation, I found the use of a journal with daily targets worked best, providing me with a boost with each target I ticked off. Overall, the online learning environment, though challenging and requiring a high degree of flexibility, was in my case a fruitful experience allowing greater opportunity for reflection and personal development.
Jeffrey PhilipYear 1 BMS1011 student, Monash University
Labs in the online worldAdapting to the online learning
transition this semester was unpredictable and challenging. Yet, my Human Molecular Cell Biology unit as a second year Biomedical Science student at Monash University was incredibly accommodating during the transition, making it as enjoyable as possible. At the beginning of semester, I was most looking forward to my practical
classes and interacting with my peers, academics, and teaching assistants. Whilst for some of my units, this became incredibly strenuous, the academic team of molecular biology ensured that students did not lose these invaluable opportunities.
Our practicals became weekly workshops, where we discussed case-based scenarios with peers and a teaching assistant. I found this incredibly useful as it enhanced my understanding of the clinical world and practicality of the lecture content. The teamwork activities strengthened my skills and knowledge, as we leant on each other for support over the course of the semester. Whilst the lack of face-to-face communication was difficult, convenience of online communication provided efficiency. The lecturers were prompt in their responses to questions from students and were enthusiastic about supporting our learning.
Personally, a challenge that I struggled with was ensuring I remained motivated. However, I was consistently comforted by friendly videos posted each week reminding students of what needed to be completed for that week. These videos alleviated stress for students and boosted morale. After a rocky start, this semester has been exceptionally smooth in molecular biology, though like many of my peers, I’m excited to return to face-to-face learning.
Bethany HansenYear 2 BMS2021 student, Monash University
Collaboration and peer learning online
Studying the Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Monash for 2 years and attending in-person lectures, workshops and laboratories, made the thought of having to switch to fully online learning intimidating at first. Nevertheless, the support of my academics and their efforts to keep students engaged with interactive activities has helped me explore a new domain of learning Biochemistry.
As a visual learner, I’ve enjoyed meeting on-campus with friends to draw and annotate complex diagrams, such as intracellular signalling pathways, using the whiteboards in our physical study spaces. With the guidance of our facilitators, we discovered that we could transfer our collaboration online to the same effect, using video conferencing screen-sharing. Additionally, our lecturers ignited a spark of interest for creating our own visual representations of content using online science illustration tools, such as BioRender and others.
As a kinaesthetic learner, not attending face-to-face workshops while exploring the complexities of
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ASBMB Education FeatureBiochemistry was a novelty to me. Nonetheless, being able to post our study group’s answers to the workshops on an online forum shared with other students kept us engaged and motivated. The forums were a great way to incentivise participation, as we were only able to access our peers’ responses to the questions after posting our own. Furthermore, watching videos of my academics
picking out the best responses fostered an environment of healthy competition.
Overall, I feel empowered with my new digital competencies in studying Biochemistry and I am grateful for the opportunities provided by Monash educators.
Alexandra ChurchillYear 3 BMS3031 student, Monash University
Who remembers covertly passing notes in class? How exciting it was to receive a crumpled message from a friend at the far corner, or even to be the messenger to partake in the excitement. Well, we were able to recreate this sense of camaraderie in COVID-19 times, with all those elements, perhaps even with a knowing wink of the eye.
This all took place in our subject entitled ‘Advanced Studies in Biochemistry’, offered to Honours students undertaking Bachelors of Biomedicine and Science. The subject comprises five modules, one of which includes the intended learning outcome of demonstrating skills in oral scientific communication. To assess skill development, students must give a three-minute oral presentation on a topic that encompasses a methodology used in their research project. The presentation includes how the methodology is used, its history and major breakthroughs, etc; while assessment is based on five criteria: structure, logical flow, level of detail, quality and clarity of visuals and delivery. Presentations, which are the first of several in their Honours, would normally be given in an auditorium to an audience of peers – a solo flight, a coming of age milestone in each student’s quest to become a researcher.
Students keenly awaited their opportunity to present, but March 20 came and went. All the students could see were postponement notices as the COVID-19 situation rapidly unfolded. Students waited patiently while academics scrambled for an alternative, a bigger venue? Any venue? In the end, ‘Stay Home. Stay Safe.’ became the new mantra and auditorium-based talks were postponed indefinitely.
So, armed with this new mantra and a new way of communicating, Zoom came to the rescue. Though this was a new experience for us all – for students to present remotely and for academics to chair the sessions from the comfort of their respective homes. We were fortunate that our Honours students were not unduly stressed at the prospect of a new mode of delivery. A new date was set, and we hoped for the best. Of course, we prepared for any eventuality…. and by way of insurance, prayed to the internet gods to have mercy.
Presentation day arrived. As we were a little
apprehensive about students using Zoom for the first time, we made the meeting open to students 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start to give presenters an opportunity to test their screen-share functionality and sound. Of course, being digital natives, the students had few issues. We decided to allow comments to only be visible to the co-host, a setting in Zoom, in order not to distract the participants. A little introduction was made by David Stroud to garner enthusiasm from the ‘crowd’ and off we went! Student after student presented and everyone paid rapt attention. We know that because before long, the chat was alive with comments! The note passing had begun, and pleasingly, these were notes of encouragement to each other:
‘Everything you said made perfect sense and was super clear!’‘Slow (in a good way) and articulate.’‘A bit fast, could relax a bit haha, but overall good presentation.’‘The only thing miiiiight be that using a mouse to point out parts of the diagram could help. But brilliant!’‘It sounded like you were improvising as you spoke, which I respect.’It was an honour indeed to be the note messenger, to
deliver the constructive comments to each presenter. Of the 13 presentations, each student received 10 to 12 notes, which meant that virtually everyone had a voice and gave an encouraging comment to their peers.
Students reflected that presenting via Zoom was fantastic because it mirrored their practice runs in front of their own computer. As an audience, students said it was easier to pay attention to the speaker and they could always increase the volume if someone spoke softly. Importantly, the camaraderie shown via peer feedback was much appreciated, and everyone ended on a high. The only change students recommended was to have the presenters’ face on video for eye contact throughout, which some but not all students managed to achieve when setting up their workspaces; and for there to be applause at the end.
There were two distinct benefits of our experience with Zoom-based student presentations. Firstly, the camaraderie and mutual support experienced by
Apart, Yet Together: COVID-19 Chat CamaraderieSaw Hoon Lim, Michael Griffin and David Stroud, Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 13AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Featurethe students in this process is evident, with students cementing their friendships further since giving their talks. Secondly, moving scientific presentations online is indeed the way of the future, showing financial and time benefits (1,2). The COVID-19 pandemic was the impetus we needed to shake up our whole student presentation approach.
It looks like we will not be hanging on to the “good old days”, except maybe for the note passing!
References1. Achakulvisut T, Ruangrong T, Bilgin I, Van Den
Bossche S, Wyble B, Goodman DF, Kording KP (2020) eLife 9:e57892.
2. Bonifati A, Guerrini G, Lutz C, Martens W, Mazilu L, Paton N, Salles MAV, Scholl MH, Zhou Y (2020) arXiv:2004.07668.
Dr Saw Hoon Lim (left) is a Senior Lecturer in the
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne.
Associate Professor Michael Griffin (centre) is a Principal Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science andBiotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne.
Dr David Stroud (right) is a Senior ResearchFellow in the Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science andBiotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne.
As the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality with countries, cities and towns going into lockdown, universities were forced to close campuses and move teaching online. The rapid transition to teaching online required academics and students to quickly adapt to interacting in the online space. As I attended numerous professional development sessions to up-skill on technology, I constantly questioned how to maintain the engagement in online classes, particularly problem-based tutorials where body language and facial expressions can be crucial in gauging student understanding. Face-to-face classes provide opportunities to build connections and establish relationships with students, and generally such relationships develop through informal conversation. Having never taught online classes, I wondered whether students would engage and interact in the same way!
A couple of years ago, I adopted a Students as Partners (SaP) approach to enhance engagement in my Protein Science course (Advanced Biochemistry, 120–140 students) (1,2). Student partners were involved in selecting topics for part of the course and co-creating assessment, providing an opportunity for students to be involved in what they learn and negotiate the terms of
some assessments. This has been the most effective strategy I have implemented to increase participation and engagement. I was therefore concerned that engagement in the course, something I had worked hard to develop, would be jeopardised by the transition online, where there are limited opportunities for social interaction and students might feel isolated. One way to counter this would be developing an online community for students to connect both academically and socially, to feel like they were part of the class.
Protein Science communityA Protein Science community was created within
the course, incorporating spaces for social interaction (Microsoft® Teams) and a platform for discussing biochemistry (online Discussion Board). Social or informal conversation are just as important to relationships and learning, as engaging academically in the course content (3). Creating the Protein Science community provided students with alternative opportunities to interact and build relationships with each other and staff. Students could choose which community space was most comfortable for them to engage, and there were no formal requirements to
Enhancing Engagement by Building Relationships and a Sense of Community in an Online Biochemistry Course
Chris Love, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University
From left:Saw Hoon Lim, Michael Griffin
andDavid Stroud.
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ASBMB Education Feature
Dr Chris Love is a Senior Lecturer in the School of
Environment and Scienceat Griffith University.
access the community.I used Microsoft® Teams as an online space for social
interaction for students in the course. Photographs of my dog and of the sunset from my backyard were used to initiate informal conversations and make connections with students. Students responded with pictures of their own pets and activities they were undertaking during isolation. Such informal conversations reduce barriers between students and staff, and the conversations and relationships grew over the trimester, and have continued beyond the final exam.
The online discussion board was focused on biochemistry for students that would prefer to discuss topics relevant to the course content, over interacting socially. In addition, online discussion boards were beneficial in providing a voice for students, improving their communication skills, and promoting knowledge extension and metacognition. I started the discussion board with a thread on coronavirus proteins after the first structures of the spike protein complexed with an antibody were published. This topic was related to the real world and the need for a COVID-19 vaccine but also directly related to course, which studies the structure and functions of proteins. Although coronavirus proteins dominated the discussions, threads were also started on topics covered in the lectures.
Comments on the Protein Science community were provided in the student evaluations of the course and all were positive. Below are representative examples of students’ comments stating that they felt connected despite being online:
‘I also enjoyed that the course introduced ‘community’ channels since the move online and promoted engagement from students and faculty. I enjoyed the discussion board element as well and found that this encouraged me to do wider reading around the topics covered in the course.’‘The extra steps taken to ensure that the students could still communicate with each other (about both
course content and engaging in discussions regarding proteins) helped with still feeling connected despite learning taking place online. Also, the opportunity for the students to be involved in some way with choosing topics and the assessment plan helped very much with feeling connected to the course content.’Overall, the online Protein Science community was
a successful way to develop relationships between staff and students, and maintain student participation and engagement online. It should be noted that not all students participated in the community, and there was no requirement to participate. Students were provided with opportunities to engage but at the same time, many students may have been struggling in the online environment, and despite the benefits, participating in the community increased their workload. Certainly, some students will always prefer face-to-face to online classes, however, this pandemic will change the future of teaching in higher education.
References1. Healey M, Flint A, Harrington K (2014) Engagement
through partnership: students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. Advance HE.
2. Matthews KE (2017) Int J Students Partners 1(2):1–9.3. Beins A (2016) Transformations J Inclusive
Scholarship Pedagog 26(2):157–175.
It was week five of a ten-week term at UNSW when COVID-19 restrictions ended face-to-face teaching and classes moved online.
Some changes were easy. I was familiar with recording lectures and uploading them. And transitioning a mid-term test and final exam online required minimal set up – and saved me hours in photocopying – as I had already created a large online question bank in case digital
testing ever became an option (the current laboratories have no computers).
Within a day of halting face-to-face teaching, my course had forty virtual classrooms (channels) set up in Microsoft® Teams. This represented a phenomenal effort from technical staff as they manually added over 650 users – a process that Microsoft® and Moodle have now collaborated to automate.
Re-establishing a Sense of Community Online:Lessons Learnt from the Sudden Migration Online
During COVID-19 RestrictionsRebecca LeBard, School of Biotechnology
and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 15AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education FeatureThe challenge
I chose synchronous delivery for activities replacing laboratory classes. The students in the biology course I convene are predominantly in the first term of their first year at university. Having just transitioned from a school environment, I felt the move to self-directed online study would be too challenging. A number of students requested synchronous classes for social interaction and motivation classes, and facilitating contact was also important as the course includes group assignments.
A Teams automated email notified each student of their online classroom, and I posted an announcement on the course learning management system. But would the students find their classes? And would the sense of community developed transfer online?
Make engagement easyAs the Monday of our first class approached, I became
increasingly concerned students would not ‘show up’ for classes. Tentatively, I wrote a message asking students to post an emoji in their virtual classroom to let me know if they had found it. It was so exciting as the smiley faces started to trickle in, increasing in number and type of emoji, and escalating to animated GIFs.
Set expectationsTutors were instructed to write a post in their channels
the day prior letting students know how the class would run and how to prepare (see example below). Similarly, at the end of the class, the tutor would write a summary of what was done, and anything that needed to be followed up. Short videos would work well here too.
Facilitate connections quickly
Each tutor was asked to ‘check-in’ at the start of each class. I felt it important that every student contributed within the first 10 minutes of the class.
Check-in activities varied. Many tutors directed students to an ‘Answer Garden’ activity as they arrived in the virtual classroom. This prompted students to share their best tips for staying motivated at home, or their biggest worry about online learning. This helped gauge how the group was feeling and stimulated conversation.
Once all students were present, the tutors asked each student a question to check their microphone and camera function. This allowed students to communicate any issues early, such as if they could only type in the chat as they needed to be quiet (e.g. if someone in their household was sitting an online exam). With the commonality of isolation, questions about the pros and cons of the ‘new normal’ worked well for this activity.
Make learning funAll my students had met and spent a few weeks in face-
to-face classes together and it was important tutors re-established this same sense of community in the course.
Some tutors wore costumes, others shared their work from home setup or introduced their pets. The term was definitely a change from the formal laboratory attire and protocols usually present in the course, but appropriate for the cohort and the time and situation we suddenly found ourselves in. When asked what was the best aspect of studying at home, I did not expect to see so many photos of students in their pyjamas!
Classes were as interactive as possible. Students surveyed members of their households when tallying genetic traits (can you roll your tongue?).
Measuring successFeedback from student emails and my individual
student evaluations showed students overwhelmingly appreciated the transition online. Unfortunately, the course evaluation is frustratingly unavailable to me and I have been unable to get this rectified.
However, attendance for each class was typically close to 100% and many online activities classes extended to the full three hours timetabled for the laboratory classes! For some activities, such as when students isolated DNA using ingredients found at home, household members joined. And the messages typed across channels from the final classes are filled with students expressing gratitude to their tutors.
I think these are excellent measures of success.
Dr Rebecca LeBard is an education focused academic
in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at
UNSW [email protected]
PAGE 16 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 17AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Feature
Chemistry for Health Sciences (CZB190) is a first year prerequisite for all biochemistry subjects at QUT. In addition, CZB190 develops laboratory-based experimental skills and reasoning. With a cohort of over 220 students, the shift to at-home learning due to COVID-19 was a mammoth task for CZB190 staff and students. We want to showcase how our effective collaboration as lecturers, sessional academics and centralised learning support staff resulted in a supportive experience for CZB190 students as they adapted to the online chemistry classroom.
LecturesGiven the size of the CZB190 cohort, synchronous
lectures delivered online would be impractical due to potential bandwidth issues and the added degree of difficulty in engaging with students. Rather than risk such a disillusioning experience for students, lectures were instead pre-recorded and placed online for students to access. To ensure that clarity was maintained, some particularly visual lectures (such as organic chemistry) were supplemented with annotated lecture slides. We also wanted to allow students to learn actively, therefore each lecture had up to ten anonymous GoSoapBox questions for students to self-check their understanding.
WorkshopsWorkshops for CZB190 operate on the basis of
differentiated instruction, providing students with a worksheet of questions (in a biochemistry context) with three levels of difficulty: Guided, Exam and Extended. This is due to differences in the chemistry experience students have before enrolling in their degree. Traditionally, students would work collaboratively on their chosen set of questions while sessional academics assist them. With the change to online teaching, sessional academics pre-recorded themselves answering all of the questions and these were placed online one week after the question sheets were made available.
PracticalsCZB190 usually runs five laboratory practicals for
students; this semester, one practical was cut due to the shortening of the semester. The students had been able to do one practical face-to-face prior to COVID-19 restrictions occurring. The remaining three practicals
(potentiometric acid–base titrations, aspirin synthesis and spectrophotometry) were filmed and edited by CZB190 sessional academics and placed online for the students to watch and prepare practical reports (worth 30% of their final mark) based on the data produced by the sessionals in the videos. Despite not being able to conduct those experiments by themselves, students still had the opportunity to analyse experimental data and relate theoretical concepts to practical approaches. Every practical was also complemented by a Zoom Q&A session run by sessional academics to allow students to clarify concepts and assessment expectations. An extracurricular Kitchen Lab program was also embedded into CZB190. Kitchen Lab provided students with an Articulate Rise module stepping them through how to perform chemical experiments at home using common household items, giving our students an experiential opportunity to still develop the motor skills and techniques necessary for the biochemistry lab.
CommunityPerhaps the most important thing missing in an online
format is the interpersonal connections made between all of us. To ensure our students still had a chance to connect, we provided a persistent learning space in the form of a discussion board. As a teaching tool, the boards allowed us to answer questions along with
Maintaining the Chemistry Foundationsfor Our Future Biochemists: Our
COVID-19-driven Curriculum TransformationJoshua Wang, Branka Miljevic, Jasmine Jensen and Roland Agoston,
Queensland University of Technology
Fig. 1. Transformation of learning opportunities offered to CZB190 students.
PAGE 18 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Feature
Joshua Wang is aSTEM Educator in
Chemistry at Queensland University of Technology.
Corresponding author:[email protected]
videos or diagrams to supplement core unit knowledge. The transparency of the content allows the entire cohort to benefit from answered questions, and we have seen a significant uptake (502 posts) in the use of this communal learning space by students this semester.
Collaborative Zoom Chemistry Clinics were also run on a just-in-time basis by an academic external to CZB190. These sessions offered a relaxed, flexible and social environment to collaboratively discuss concerns, practice concepts and just chat. The sessions were scheduled at 7–8pm on a Wednesday, based on student preference polls, and were organised ad-hoc to tackle emerging areas of concern for CZB190 students. Anonymous student evaluations conducted via Mentimeter (n=8) indicated that the sessions were accessible (4.75/5), helpful (4.875/5), relevant (4.875/5), developed discipline-specific skills (4.625/5), developed confidence (4.75/5) and promoted community:
‘I didn’t think I would need these meetings, but just listening to others’ questions and general help, it seriously improved my confidence and skills’. For students in health degrees, learning a seemingly
disparate discipline like chemistry can be a challenge, let alone in an online format where stress and isolation are compounded. Our cohesion as a teaching team allowed us to rapidly offer flexibility and options for our students
(Fig. 1), which resulted in comparable academic results to previous years (Fig. 2). Together, we did our best to meet our students where they are at, giving peers the ability to seek help from one another and the teaching staff as they work at their own pace, in their own way.
Dr Branka Miljevic is aSenior Lecturer in the School
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Queensland University of Technology.
Jasmine Jensen is a Sessional Academic at Queensland University of Technology.
Roland Agoston is a Sessional Academic at Queensland University of Technology.
Fig. 2. Comparison of cohort results before and after curriculum transformation (practical 4 reports yet to be marked).
Engaging Biochemistry Students through Technology, Case Studies and Individualised Assignments
Sarah Myer, School of Health and Wellbeing,University of Southern Queensland
Biochemistry of Human Diseases is an advanced third year biochemistry course in the Biomedical Science program at the University of Southern Queensland, and while it is routinely offered both on campus and online, a number of adaptations occurred as it moved solely online due to the recent pandemic. In any semester, the
online class management software Moodle is essential, but it was even more so this semester, serving as a vital hub of course communications and organising weekly notes, class recordings, discussion forums and links to external sources.
The course is designed around online lectures and
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 19AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Feature
Dr Sarah Myer is a Lecturerin Biomedical Science inthe School of Health and
Wellbeing at the University of Southern Queensland.
on campus tutorials. TechSmith, a screen recording software, is used to pre-record lectures which are uploaded to the Moodle class page. While missing live lecture interactions, students balancing other demands appreciate being able to review the lectures on their own schedules and pace, pausing for note taking as needed.
Tutorials are normally offered on campus with live remote access through Zoom and class recordings are uploaded to Moodle for those unavailable for real time participation. With all classes moving online, the live tutorial was taught through Zoom, which allowed for normal dynamic class interactions as participants could see each other and computer screens could be shared as needed. A surprising number of students were nervous to participate by Zoom, however the real time participation numbers were similar to what would have occurred on campus. Students who were nervous or concerned about privacy left their cameras off during class or used a virtual background. First year students in a larger foundations course tended to leave their cameras off, however the third year biochemistry students seemed to enjoy the class interactions that the cameras allowed and it encouraged the sense of community. Being able to share computer screens allowed for normal inclusion of class materials and included a white board feature.
Medical biochemistry case studies that challenge students to apply their biochemistry knowledge are a student favourite in tutorials. Having class online with significant asynchronous participation made it challenging to complete the case studies together and to ensure student engagement. To address this issue, students were assigned case study sections to complete in advance with their answers posted in a discussion forum for participation points towards their final course mark. Forum settings prevented students from seeing other posts with answers until they added their own post and forum posting closed once class began to decrease academic integrity issues. When this transition was made mid-semester, engagement increased in both live tutorials and the forums, and increased the interactions between the traditional on campus students and online students. This format will continue to be used in future semesters and student case study groups may also be set up using group features of Zoom or Moodle.
To address the academic integrity concerns in online education, a number of precautions in addition to the tutorial forum settings were implemented, including individualised assignments and submitting assignments through Turnitin to deter plagiarism. For the first
assignment, each student investigated the biochemical causes of a different disease through a primary literature review and then designing an experimental proposal for an extension of the disease research. For the second assignment, the students explored the challenges of science communication with the public, analysing the publicly available information on their disease topic, and creating a work for the public that communicated the basic disease biochemistry.
For the final examination, the quiz feature of Moodle allowed for online exam delivery within a timed format. A pool of extended answer questions was used which required students to analyse and integrate course material from both the lectures and tutorials, and were less likely to be answered through a basic internet search. While the exam could have been completed as a take home exam and submitted directly through Turnitin, the timed feature of the quiz settings was deemed significant and exam answers could still be submitted manually through Turnitin if desired. For other classes that use multiple choice questions, Moodle can be set to deliver the questions from a question pool with varying order of both the questions and the answers within the question. The exam duration can also be adjusted to accommodate individuals with special needs.
While many of these adaptations will continue, lecture presentations in future semesters will be recorded with Panopto rather than TechSmith, as it has additional features such as adjusting the playback speed, video search features and incorporating in-video quizzing to increase engagement, feedback and comprehension. Other tools such as formative quizzes, HTML5 activities, and student polls through Moodle and Zoom will also be added to existing biochemistry course content. While moving classes online can be challenging, there are also many great opportunities for innovative teaching methods and student engagement.
PAGE 20 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
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VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 21AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
SIMPLE, RAPID & EFFICIENT TISSUE CLEARING
Standardise, simplify and accelerate each step of the tissue clearing process using the X-Clarity system. Preserved tissues are embedded in a hydrogel matrix and lipids are actively extracted through electrophoresis to create a stable and optically transparent tissue-hydrogel hybrid that is chemically accessible for multiple rounds of antibody labeling and imaging. Native cytoarchitecture remains intact and even endogenous fluorescence proteins are preserved for robust fluorescence imaging downstream.
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Ultrafast Clearing, Reliable Results For Whole Tissue Imaging
ASBMB Education Feature
Dr Nathan Croft is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Monash University.
I can, just very occasionally, be organised. A task’s impending peril can send my stress gauge flailing into action as though I’m being chased by a monster with nothing but a spoon to defend myself. Other times – perhaps the vast majority of times – that internal gauge offers up such sage advice as ‘don’t worry about it, you can finish that up in a day’ and dares me into doing just that. It’s not a very good gauge. Heading into 2020, there was a very large monster, and I’d lost my spoon.
That monster wasn’t even COVID-19. Not yet. It was my transition to Senior Lecturer at Monash University. I had a chunk of second year Biochemistry to start teaching in Semester 1, a wedge of content to wrap my head around and plan new lectures for, and a cohort of 300+ students to try and get on my side. I’m an immunologist and biochemist in a biochemistry department, with ten years of postdoc strife life under my belt. What did I know about biochemistry? Less than a second-year undergrad, surely. Imposter syndrome. It knows no bounds.
With this fear hounding me, I started working on my lectures in January, chipping away at them daily, diligently reading the associated textbook, eyes widening over concepts or fundamentals I’d taken for granted, things I’d never truly appreciated (read: understood) or flat-out forgotten. It was, in all honesty, invigorating. Academic life in the slipstream of endless papers – pumped out day after day, often by your peers, often in journals you feel you won’t ever ascend the ranks of – is daunting at the best of times. Being forced to take a student’s view of a textbook was, well, a refreshing reset.
And I took that vigour with me. But not to the lecture hall. That option was derailed, as we all know. Instead, I first introduced myself to the students in a short video, giving them a heads-up as to what I’d be teaching in the coming weeks and so that I was less of a stranger to them. Then, I set about recording my lectures from home, using the video capture software Panopto and annotating my PowerPoint slides on the fly using my laptop’s stylus, and recording my face via my webcam.
I won’t lie, giving lectures asynchronously was something of a relief for this essentially first-time lecturer. I could re-record any stumbles or places where I may have said something stupid. It also helped that my wife, a professional actor and voice-over artist, coached me through exercises to improve my intonation and enthusiasm of delivery. My initial reticence and self-consciousness to the process was likely typical of an Englishman, but it was a process as enlightening as it was rewarding and I’d argue that as academics we don’t get taught enough about effective delivery.
Throughout my lectures, I sprinkled crumbs of missing knowledge or questions left unanswered, all in an attempt to hold the attention of students – albeit asynchronously – and pique their interest about side-topics clearly stated as ‘not going to be assessed’. I then recorded a separate Q&A video specifically discussing these points.
So my weeks of teaching ran as follows:1. Record lectures one week in advance, rudimentary
editing via Panopto’s online interface and splitting each lecture into two or three approximately 20-minute segments to make it easier to digest (let’s face it, no-one wants to open an hour-long lecture, even with the temptation of the 2x speed button).
2. Post lectures on a Monday morning, sending a note out to students via Monash’s learning management system, along with a brief description of the content and a ‘key concepts’ bulletpoint outline to aid the students in digesting the lectures.
3. Post my Q&A video at the end of the week, allowing students enough time to ponder the questions before hearing my thoughts.
4. Hold an informal consultation drop-in hour on Friday afternoons via Zoom.
Two additional steps helped. One was seeking early anonymous feedback via the website Flux. The second was in watching the stats for student engagement via Panopto. Both of these informed me as to what the students enjoyed. The ‘key concepts’ document was a hit, interacting on-screen with a stylus is apparently a must, they appreciated the scattered questions, and science puns help break up the content. Plus, their attention span on a per-lecture basis let me see where I may have lingered too long or waffled on.
I’ll close with a piece of advice received from a long-time colleague in the USA, following discussion of my new position in late 2019. “Be contagious,” he told me. Perhaps not the best choice of words to offer now, but it’s advice I’d gladly pass on. Speak to your students with a passion about what you’re teaching. They’ll take care of the rest.
From Desk to Dining Room: My Transitionto Lecturing in the Time of Pandemic
Nathan Croft, Department of Biochemistryand Molecular Biology, Monash University
PAGE 22 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Feature
Functional Proteins and Genes is a second-year biochemistry unit delivered across three campuses of Western Sydney University (WSU) to approximately 500 students from diverse courses including Zoology, Medical Science and Nutrition and Food Science. The learning activities are typically face-to-face lectures, laboratory sessions and workshops, which align with the popular ‘Absorb – Do – Connect’ formula of William Horton, lending itself to ease in transitioning to online teaching (1). With COVID-19 restrictions, the teaching team decided to move from completely synchronous to near fully asynchronous by providing online activities designed to inform students (i.e. Absorb). This included pre-recorded lectures, practical demonstrations and feedback workshops (Fig. 1A). The learning flexibility and autonomy, which is a characteristic of this approach, can be beneficial for some students, where asynchronous study inherently requires reflective practice to promote deep learning (2,3). However, it is well recognised this can lead to significant transactional distance, which is heightened given the rapid, unscaffolded, move online (4).
To support students with the integration of these learning activities and their engagement, the team developed several synchronous and asynchronous touch-points with students. Firstly, we implemented weekly online video conferencing sessions. These sessions, held at the same time each week, generated the ‘teacher presence’ that allowed students to ask questions and get feedback
in real-time (5). The conferences were considered the only synchronous teaching activity of the course. They were non-compulsory, which recognised that some students perceived they were autonomous learners, not requiring regular contact with the academics. The sessions were recorded and available through the student learning management system (LMS) allowing asynchronous accessibility. Approximately 20% of the cohort engaged with the live sessions, which was not dissimilar to attendance at face-to-face lectures.
In Functional Proteins and Genes, cohesion of learning and peer support comes predominantly from participation in laboratory sessions, although we recognise that extracurricular interactions such as social media networks, peer assisted study sessions and interactions in other units are also important. The teaching team was aware that the greater transactional distance may cause students to feel more socially isolated from both academic staff and peers. As well as developing skills, laboratory classes are a key driver of a sense of belonging and identity, facilitated through interaction with staff, teamwork with peers and the sharing and discussion of class generated data.
To mitigate the loss of these interactions, our second touch-point utilised LMS discussion boards encouraging sharing of practical results. Students were prompted to upload conclusions, for example a practical where different biochemical techniques were used to identify an unknown sugar (i.e. Do) and sugars in banana (i.e.
Engaging the Online Biochemistry Student in Asynchronous, Flexible Learning Activities
Christopher Jones, Ming Wu, Liza Cubeddu and Jo-Anne ChuckSchool of Science, Western Sydney University
Fig. 1.A. Schematic showing the asynchronous and synchronous components of the online version of Functional Proteins
and Genes, a second-year biochemistry unit. Content from any of the asynchronously delivered sessions could be discussed in the weekly synchronous activity.
B. Still image from a video feedback session where three academics discussed answers to a quiz. This was made available for asynchronous viewing.
Lectures
Practicals
Discussion Board(Moderated)
General feedback
Weekly on-line conference
A. B.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 23AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education FeatureConnect). After reading and contributing to the discussion board, students used the consensus to discuss their confidence in their own data and results. The use of the discussion board was curated by academics who replied to student comments, allowing not only guided discussion, but helping to remove some feeling of isolation (6). This interaction was important and allowed the teaching team to direct students to make links to material delivered asynchronously, and to provide detailed just-in-time support for increased confidence and competency. Student feedback suggests this was successful, however, again levels of participation were similar to the web conferences, suggesting the same students are interacting in both formats. It should be noted that this is only one measure of engagement, and should not be used as an indicator of success.
Our third touch-point was recorded feedback for quizzes and practicals (Fig. 1B), where the academic team discussed answers, expectations and highlighted areas where students were missing key concepts. There is some concern that the lack of hands-on laboratory sessions will lead to a skill deficit in this biochemistry cohort. Academics delivering the recorded practical sessions guided students on key skills (e.g. using a micropipette), but it is likely that some deficiencies will arise. However, skill development is scaffolded through the course and students will have an opportunity to practice and refine their laboratory skills in subsequent units. Assurance of these skills is embedded in course level learning outcomes rather than outcomes at the unit level.
Our fourth touch-point used the LMS to engage students with the university and expose them to broader themes in the international biochemistry community. Every week a biochemistry song parody was posted (Funny Video of the Week) sourced from video sharing sites. The aim was to try and break down the perception amongst our students that biochemistry is ‘hard’, and to get students to spend more time on the LMS. Students also see what a research biology laboratory looked like, recognise equipment introduced in the undergraduate classes, giving authenticity and a sense of identity to development as a scientist. The attrition rate in the unit is not significantly different to a normal semester, suggesting that the asynchronous online delivery, and the engagement tools we have provided to support that mode of delivery, have resonated with students.
References1. Horton WK (2011) e-Learning by Design. 2nd Edition.
Pfeiffer.2. Hiltz SR, Goldman R (2004) Learning Together
Online: Research on Asynchronous Learning Networks. Routledge.
3. Means B, Toyama Y, Murphy R, Bakia M, Jones K (2010) Evaluation of Evidence-based Practices in Online Learning: a Meta-analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. US Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development.
4. Moore MG (1997) Theory of transactional distance. In: Keegan D. Theoretical Principles of Distance Education. Routledge, pp22–38.
5. Zilka GC, Cohen R, Rahimi ID (2018) J Inform Tech Ed Res 17:103–126.
6. Sharan Y (2014) An Psicol–Spain 30:802–807.
Dr Christopher Jones is a Senior Lecturerin Biochemistry in the School of Science
at Western Sydney [email protected]
Dr Ming Wu is a Senior Lecturer in the Schoolof Science at Western Sydney University.
Dr Liza Cubeddu is an Associate Professorin Biochemistry in the School of Science
at Western Sydney [email protected]
Dr Jo-Anne Chuck is an Associate Professorin the School of Science and Head of
Teaching and Curriculum, Learning Futures,at Western Sydney University.
From left: Christopher Jones, Ming Wu, Liza Cubeddu and Jo-Anne Chuck.
PAGE 24 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Feature
I teach third year biochemistry to a cohort of around 50 students. Like many lecturers, over time I have moved away from teaching solely in a declarative style, increasingly including peer-assisted, problem-based learning (PBL) activities in my lectures. PBL was always envisaged as a face-to-face experience. With videoconferencing, the face-to-face environment can be somewhat replicated. However, academics confronted by an inscrutable wall of students posting black screens in Zoom will have a new-found appreciation for the immediate power of eye-contact, facial expression, body language and even the collective gasps and laughter of face-to-face classes! With the current COVID-19 pandemic, not only has teaching and learning moved online, but it has also demanded we afford students greater flexibility and therefore more of the delivery is asynchronous. PBL is challenging, conducting it in an asynchronous setting exacerbates these challenges. Below are some major issues that need to be considered to improve asynchronous delivery of PBL based on my experience.
PacingI recorded a video answering a problem on viral
replication in 15 minutes, while the same face-to-face workshop previously took 90 minutes. The extra time in class included interaction between the students, explanations of why answers were wrong, interesting discussion points, repetition and reinforcement, and alternate explanations when students did not initially understand. In facilitating a face-to-face class, it is much easier to control the pace of delivery. Information to solve problems can be slowly revealed, and the class can advance once understanding and consensus is reached. I suspect the blind alleys and unexpected circuitous routes taken in face-to-face classes are where most of the learning takes place.
Pacing can be somewhat controlled online if additional data and prompts are slowly revealed to students, ideally conditionally released upon receiving responses from students (see Accountability below). Now, I do not post entire answers but provide a series of hints and/or additional information to promote thinking and lessen the number of students who just wait for the final answer.
CollaborationThe benefits of peer instruction are unequivocal.
Students working together in small groups develop social and communication skills and explaining concepts to
each other cultivates higher thinking. This is much more difficult to achieve in asynchronous settings. Students need to be organised into study groups to collaborate at mutually convenient times. Alternatively, this can be achieved to some extent, using discussion boards where students can share their progress on problems. This is an approach I have adopted with some limited success. However, the same drawbacks occur as with oral discussion, some students ‘lurk’ and read, but do not contribute, while others dominate the conversation. Motivating students to collaborate relies on increasing engagement and creating accountability.
AccountabilityOutlining collaborative goals is important but motivating
individual students to contribute to discussions can only be achieved by making them accountable. The intrinsic accountability of informal peer and instructor judgement provides much of the motivation for participation in face-to-face classes. This is diminished in online settings due to perceived anonymity, and further still, when learning is asynchronous. It has not helped that in the current situation there was not a large opportunity for students to bond in the face-to-face classes before lockdown.
Serious consideration should be given to decrease anonymity by asking students to introduce themselves in synchronous classes or create posts in asynchronous forums describing something unique about themselves. Staff can also create similar introductory videos or posts.
Additional accountability can also be introduced through formal peer evaluation or continual assessment. This does require much more work from the instructor and not all PBL tasks warrant assessment. Another way to make students feel more accountable is via immediate encouragement and feedback. While straightforward in face-to-face classes, it is more difficult in an asynchronous environment due to far less teacher immediacy.
ImmediacyTeacher immediacy is defined as the close interactions,
both verbal and non-verbal between students and teachers, which provide the perception of closeness and is vital for student engagement. Providing immediate and personal feedback to students is one way to reclaim some of the immediacy lost in the online environment. An approach I have used is the creation of asynchronous video messages, often as a supplement to written material. These asynchronous videos do not allow for
The Challenge of AsynchronousProblem-based Learning Online
Julian Pakay, Department of Biochemistry and Genetics,La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 25AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Education Featurethe spontaneous dialogue of synchronous classes but can be useful where the problems are difficult, and further reading and reflection is required before answering. I also ensure I capture videos of myself to ensure that I convey as many of the non-verbal elements associated with face-to-face conversations as possible.
ConclusionPacing PBL tasks appropriately, encouraging students
to collaborate, making them more accountable and improving engagement are important considerations in any mode of PBL. However, they become much more difficult in an asynchronous setting and make a strong case for retaining as much synchronous teaching as possible. But being aware of them and the fact that they need to be approached differently in an asynchronous setting will greatly improve the students’ experience where synchronous classes are not possible.
Some informal feedback in response to the question, ‘What was good and what was bad about the online group-based worksheets?’ highlight that the experience
for students is very group-dependent:‘It provides the opportunity for students to work together to answer the workshop questions. It’s a partial self-learning process that provides a longer retention of the knowledge gained.’‘More effort is needed to create interaction between students. Sometimes even in face-to-face settings it’s hard to generate discussion; online, it feels very faceless and depersonalised and makes discussion incredibly unlikely.’
Dr Julian Pakay is a teaching-focused Senior Lecturer and
Director of Learning and Teaching in the Department
of Biochemistry and Genetics at La Trobe University.
If you asked me a decade ago how I envisaged the future of education, I would have grudgingly admitted that online was the likely direction. However, in the past five years, Australian higher education has undergone a learning and teaching renaissance with new purpose-built active learning facilities, sticky campuses and transformation in practice toward active learning. Year after year, we witnessed declining lecture attendance but laboratory and workshop classes that were full to the brim. This took a tremendous amount of work (and resourcing) but it felt that we were finally delivering pedagogically-sound, evidence-based learning and teaching. So, when novel coronavirus cases began increasing exponentially and we moved learning and teaching entirely online, it seemed to me that our inevitable future had returned.
In first semester, I help coordinate a biochemistry capstone unit, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, with almost 500 third year Biomedical Science students. A large part of the unit revolves around developing transferable skills and applying knowledge in preparation for work. Going into 2020, I had never felt more confident in my preparation for teaching. Then COVID-19 struck. It seemed impossible to move an entire skills-intensive, 12-point unit online in under a week. And yet, we found ways. Workshops were rapidly switched to Moodle lessons, oral assessments became Zoom compatible, teamwork was conducted over Microsoft® Teams, Facebook messenger and Google Docs, and Moodle discussion forums became hotbeds of activity. In weekly
Zoom sessions with tutors, students discussed their progress and were now seeing much more of each other’s work, rather than working towards an end-point in class. This is where the educational richness resided, the ability for students to see how they were performing relative to their peers, to stimulate creativity and foster collaboration. To our great relief, over 90% of the cohort substantially engaged with the Moodle site throughout the semester.
Surprisingly, one of the most successful teaching developments was the inclusion of a moderator within our live-streamed lectures. Every 20 minutes or so, lecturers would pose questions and clarify problems in student understanding. Having a moderator helped students feel like they were in the room with the lecturer, despite being stuck at home. The anonymity of the discussion forum also helped broach the divide between expert and learner. Even students who only listened to the recording later reported that they liked hearing this two-way interaction.
Start, Stop, Keep was perhaps the most valuable tool we employed this semester. After the first four weeks
The Fast and the Curious: Taking aCapstone Unit Online in Record Time
Daniel Czech, School of Biomedical Sciences, Monash University
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ASBMB Education Feature
Dr Daniel Czech is a teaching academic within the School
of Biomedical Sciencesat Monash University.
Effectively Teaching Biochemistry Practicals via Simulations in the Absence of Face-to-face Instruction
Maurizio Costabile, School of Clinical and Health Sciences,University of South Australia
At the University of South Australia (UniSA), Biochemistry is taught in second year. The student cohort is diverse, with students enrolled in Laboratory Medicine, Medical Science, Nutrition and Food Science and Pharmaceutical Science degrees. The course is taught via weekly lectures, fortnightly tutorials and three practical sessions during semester. The university leadership kept staff informed of potential changes to teaching in response to COVID-19, and with the rise of cases in the state, UniSA stopped face-to-face teaching in mid-March. By this point, 58 students had completed the first two face-to-face laboratory practicals. Due to the decision, all practicals were moved online for the current and remaining students. The first question which came to mind was, how do we teach practicals online? And secondly, how do we teach hands-on skills remotely? The first question was addressed using a suite of online simulations, progressively developed since 2013. Simulations are widely used and shown to be useful as teaching aids in STEM (1). One simulation covered mathematical skills specific to the practicals; the second teaching students how to read and set a pipette.
Separate simulations were developed which covered the three practical sessions. In practical one, the principles of pipette skills and accurate delivery of volumes, amino acid solubility, the correct order of reagents to prepare the Biuret reagent and demonstration of the Beer-
of the online semester, we opened a short student survey seeking feedback on their learning experience so far. They were asked to tell us something we should start doing, stop doing and keep doing, and to rate their overall learning experience. We sorted over one hundred comments by the overall rating, which helped to order the feedback. From this, we created a summary of common issues, including to start using practice questions within lectures, stop closing discussion forums too early, and keep the reminders about the following week. Discussing this summary of feedback with the student representative, we were together able to come up with an actionable list of improvements, or explain which ideas were pedagogically important to keep (such as higher order application type questions) or infeasible to change this semester (like a dashboard to manage numerous forum notifications). It was clear to us that closing the feedback loop mid-semester was much more effective than it is at the end of semester.
A few years ago, I was catching up with an interstate colleague at a conference. What she casually remarked over lunch has lingered on my mind ever since: “The next ten years will determine whether universities still exist.” It wasn’t until this semester that the manifestation of this existential crisis became tangible to me. Today, I am still blown away with the pace and scale of change
that universities have faced in the past four months, and how agile and adaptable the academics and education support staff have been. That’s really how paradigm shifts happen. There’s slow, difficult momentum change followed by a sudden, seismic shift. Perhaps it’s not so surprising then that we are challenging the very nature of how universities function. Everything is changing. Even the iconic lecture theatre is on the brink of extinction. As we cross what I hope is the high-water mark of 2020, I now realise that it’s not the buildings and classrooms that make a university, it is the people. Wherever they are, however they’re engaged, the meeting of minds in the pursuit of knowledge is what really makes a university tick.
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Dr Maurizio Costabile is a teaching focussed senior
academic in the School of Clinical and Health Sciences at
the University of South [email protected]
Lambert law are covered. The second practical covers protein estimation using the Biuret, Folin-Ciocalteau and A280 methods, while the third covers enzyme kinetics, investigating alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme kinetics simulation was the first simulation developed and introduced in 2014. Since its introduction, no student who has used the simulation has failed the written practical report (2). Thus, there already existed a robust evidence-base for its use, demonstrating that a simulation was educationally effective in teaching Biochemistry. Student feedback had also shown that the simulation was valued as a novel learning resource: ‘The sim was great, it’s a new way to learn compared to what I am used to’ (student comment). To deliver the remaining practicals, students used the simulations in conjunction with practical report sheets populated with sample experimental data. These were then submitted and marked independently by two teaching staff.
The second issue of how to teach hands-on lab skills remotely is more challenging to teach effectively via simulations. However, following the relaxation of practical teaching restrictions from late April, there was an opportunity to teach these hands-on skills. By this time, all students had completed the online practicals, and their reports had been assessed. However, students had not learnt how to correctly use laboratory equipment such as a pipette and spectrophotometer. It was decided to re-run practicals one and two for the students that had had no opportunity for face-to-face teaching. Student feedback was highly encouraging, and 12 students indicated they would attend. This number of students could be accommodated in the same class, while still maintaining social distancing. The session began with a safety induction and laboratory orientation, followed by the pre-laboratory instruction.
Overall, the two-staged approach worked very well, with all students completing the practicals. The background information provided in each simulation
proved valuable since some of the content had not yet been taught in lectures (e.g. enzyme kinetics). When the scores for the practical one report were compared, the mean score (±SD) for students taught via face-to-face was 7±1 (n=55) and 7.3±0.84 (n=28) for students that just used the simulation. For practical two, the mean scores were 7±1 and 7.1±0.92, respectively, indicating no significant difference in student performance. Also, using simulations as an alternative to traditional teaching has broad applicability, with the simulations being made available to academics from the University of Adelaide, University of Otago and University of Genoa. In addition, student feedback from the hands-on sessions was also highly positive, with students happy to be offered a chance to learn important practical skills.
In terms of the challenges noted, some students indicated they were kinesthetic learners, needing to ‘do’ to understand and learn concepts. In all cases, students were strongly encouraged to use email and Zoom to ask questions. While the simulations could only be accessed via the online Moodle environment, in a minority of cases, network stability proved to be an issue. In some cases, students were sharing the internet at home with multiple family members, which affected loading times and ease of use. These issues were rectified by accessing the simulations when the home network load was reduced.
In conclusion, the experience at UniSA has demonstrated that online simulations can be effectively used to teach Biochemistry laboratory concepts when face-to-face teaching is not possible. While online learning is becoming more widespread, we should not forget that students still value the provision of hands-on learning.
References1. de Jong T, Sotiriou S, Gillet D (2014) Smart Learn
Environ 1:3–19.2. Costabile M, Timms H (2019) Developing an online
simulation to teach enzyme kinetics to undergraduate biochemistry students: an academic and educational designer perspective. In: Plews RC, Amos ML (eds.) Evidence-based Faculty Development Through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). IGI Global, Chapter 15, pp281–302.
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ASBMB Education Feature
Well, what a start to the decade! Here, at the University of Melbourne, we kicked off 2020 with a new learning management system, Canvas, and that invigorated feeling that comes with a new year. We were eager to meet our student cohorts and filled with the excitement of inspiring another set of budding biochemists and molecular biologists.
Enter COVID-19... and just like that, everything changed.
Terms like ‘self-isolation’, ‘social-distancing’ and ‘virtual campus’ became part of the vernacular. While people hoarded toilet paper and hand sanitiser, academics the world over had to overcome major hurdles in their scramble to convert their classes to online learning.
How do you deliver the learning outcomes of weekly three- to five-hour laboratory-based teaching online? At the outset, you need to identify which learning outcomes of laboratory-based teaching can never be achieved online. They include development of the motor skills required to do an experiment, and analytical skills during the design, set-up and execution of that experiment. Then, you have to re-evaluate learning outcomes to avoid the risk of collective student disappointment on completion of the courses. And while we hoped to recover at least three weeks of face-to-face teaching at the end of semester, we realised there are no guarantees, and thus, factored in a contingency plan.
The process we have taken to transition our face-to-face laboratory-based practical subjects (level-2 and -3) has involved identifying and addressing multiple challenges. Early on, we gave our students a voice in Zoom sessions where we communicated our plans for online delivery; acknowledging the limitations of an online offering, including the inability to teach certain practical skills. Student feedback noted the disconnect associated with analysing data they had not generated themselves and their difficulty in understanding how the data were generated. In response to their concerns, we introduced videos (augmented with animations for any non-visible processes) that faithfully represent the experiments outlined in our laboratory manuals. The videos (see Fig. 1) provide a connection between protocol and outcome, whilst illustrating how to perform techniques correctly and addressing key points associated with experimental design and safety.
Having satisfied ourselves about the content, we had to decide how to deliver and manage our Practical Workshops. The University of Melbourne was keen for all classes in the ‘virtual campus’ to be delivered according to the original timetable. Consequently, we incorporated a variety of learning approaches to enable
students to complete set tasks in the allocated time. We recorded lectures and supplemented them with real-time academic-led interactive Zoom tutorials. As our focus is on active learning, the Practical Workshops have been structured to provide the interactive group-based synchronous component, delivered in Zoom. Generally, demonstrators will lead activities with 8–12 students in breakout rooms to provide a familiar educational space in which students can assess techniques and data with their peers. Learning activities will include student-directed active learning (in fours, pairs or individually) for data analysis and reflective tasks, as well as in-depth discussion of practical processes and experimental design. We have also made available through Canvas supplementary asynchronous activities incorporating pre- and post-‘prac’ activities to scaffold student learning and reinforce concepts.
We have tailored our approach to deliver effective experiences to our different student cohorts. For level-2 students, we created an electronic Online Companion with additional activities (i.e. experimental simulations, virtual experiments, real-time quizzes, and experimental design problems) that complement our protocol-based laboratory manual; following the approach outlined in Fig. 2. Level-3 students are provided resources through Canvas, while the use of Microsoft® Teams enable smaller breakout groups for collaboration. OneNote provides the platform for laboratory notebooks and collaborative written work.
Finally, we developed a suite of resources to supplement student learning and support our casual staff in the delivery of the new content. For use by both
CoVideo-19: Moving a Biochemistry Laboratory Online Amber Willems-Jones, Leon Helfenbaum and Iza Orval, Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne
Fig. 1. Documenting key techniques – recording practical processes for the online world. Photo: Brett Drummond.
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ASBMB Education Feature
students and staff, we created a suite of videos designed to convey the safe, correct use of key instrumentation commonly found in a biochemistry laboratory. In our level-2 subject, we tailored virtual experiments (Fig. 3) to the assessment of student understanding and their ability to apply theory to ‘practice’. We have also adapted simulation experiments using web-based software specific to our subject content to create multiple data sets. In the level-3 subject, previously generated data
is made available for critical analysis, interpretation and troubleshooting as described in laboratory manuals and online content. To provide a cohesive experience, we have written comprehensive instruction booklets and coaching slides for our demonstrator staff.
Has our experience given rise to any benefits of teaching online versus face-to-face? We think so. We have been able to reflect on and improve our teaching by overhauling and enhancing our resources to promote development of critical thinking skills. We believe that our refinements will enable students to engage comprehensively with the technical aspects of experiment design and to better interpret results. Furthermore, our new video library of experimental procedures and equipment usage will not go to waste when we return to the laboratory en masse.
While we are confident that the students who take our online subject(s) will exit with a deep understanding of the subject material and not simply a superficial interpretation of experimental data, we are also acutely aware that there is no substitute for the laboratory-based practical experience.
Dr Amber Willems-Jonesis a Senior Lecturer in the
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at
the University of Melbourne. [email protected]
Dr Leon Helfenbaumis a Senior Tutor in the
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at
the University of [email protected]
Iza Orval is a Senior Tutor in the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology at the University of Melbourne.
Fig. 2. The Techniques in Molecular Science re-design approach to establishing level-2 online subject content.
Fig. 3. Workflow jumble for level-2 colony-screen PCR activity.
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ASBMB Education Feature
“When are we ever going to need to know this?” is a question that high school teachers probably hear all too often. I’ll bet the answer never came back as, “You will need to teach it to your kids during a global pandemic!”
As teachers, we want our students to be motivated by academic curiosity and a desire to learn. We want grades to be a testament of their learning journey, rather than the primary goal – admittedly a challenge in the current system that ranks grades above all else when determining entry into medical schools or postgraduate opportunities. How do we cultivate a culture of learning fuelled by a desire to uncover and understand?
We need to continually deliver authentic and relevant experiences. We need to build this link into every learning activity and to force reflection on its relevance to the students’ future academic and professional careers, using the lure of grades if necessary. To us, the relevance and the implications of the course content are obvious and significant. But we don’t always guide our students to this same realisation.
Teaching during COVID-19 has made us realise how much of this link is established in face-to-face sessions. Holding up tubes containing DNA and enzymes, telling stories of great scientific discoveries, and physically observing DNA bands appear under UV light are events that spark joy and bring theory to life. Exploring ideas together in a dynamic learning environment and spreading our love for the discipline with R0>>1 has been difficult to replicate online (Fig. 1).
A significant challenge of teaching during COVID-19 has been the rapid move to online assessment. We were encouraged to be diligent in risk assessment and to minimise the potential for academic dishonesty. Strategies included avoiding high-value assessment items, and spreading mark allocations among more continuous assessment tasks of lower weighting.
Proctored final exams were swiftly rejected by the student body. So, we listened to the student voice and shifted some weighting from the final exam towards take-home exams and assignments.
The shift towards an open-book style assessment was welcomed by our team and by the students. Final exams written with pen and paper and without Google at one’s fingertips are no longer relevant today. In fact, an excellent exam question might encourage students to use many of the molecular biology tools available online in order to address a real-world scenario. When challenged with a genuine laboratory scenario, students were able to demonstrate critical thinking as well as creativity, flexibility and adaptability – aligning learner outcomes closely with the skills needed to succeed in a 21st century workforce (Fig. 2).
The shift of assessments from the final exam towards a greater proportion of continuous assessment led to mixed feedback from the student cohort. The changes meant that 70% of the course assessment
All You Need are Grades. Grades are All You Need… Matthew Clemson, Alice Huang, Giselle Yeo and Gareth Denyer,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
Fig. 1. Some aspects of face-to-face teaching are difficult to replace in an online learning environment.
Fig. 2. Authentic open-book assessments encouraged students to integrate knowledge, apply concepts, plan and design experiments to address genuine laboratory scenarios (published with student permission).
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ASBMB Education Feature
was completed during semester, allowing students to enter the final exam period with greater certainty about their performance. However, a general increase in continuous assessment across all units of study meant that students were impacted by an increased workload during semester.
Constructing the new assessments was a fantastic team-building experience. We enjoyed answering each other’s questions and providing feedback. We worked together to mitigate student cheating attempts. Our questions were closely aligned with course learning outcomes and were designed to reward students who had engaged with both practical and lecture components. Answers were not simply Google-able. Nonetheless, we could see our questions posted on a variety of ‘homework help’ websites soon after it was released. Even our entire take-home exam was easily downloadable. Reassuringly, no meaningful answers were ever suggested by these sites.
We are living in an information age, with easy access to shared data. Assessments with simple, black and white answers are easily shared undetected within the cohort, so we needed to be more creative in question design.
We have access to an enormous bank of real data from previous years as a consequence of well-curated electronic lab notebooks, allowing us to generate individualised data sets for analysis and interpretation in assessment tasks. As personalised assessment tasks substantially increase the time commitment for rubric development and marking, we diverted most of our demonstrator resources towards this undertaking.
ConclusionsTeaching during COVID-19 has been an enormous
task, but having an innovative, enthusiastic and highly supportive team of education focused academics has transformed this disruption from an unwelcome obstacle into an exciting and enjoyable new challenge. It has highlighted the true value of face-to-face teaching in aspects such as the practical component of the course. It has also ushered in a long-overdue overhaul of our approach to course assessment. When academic life returns to normal, the indelible mark that has been left on our course will most certainly live on.
Dr Matthew Clemson is a Lecturer inBiochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology
in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences (SOLES) at the University of Sydney.
Dr Alice Huang is a Casual Academicin SOLES at the University of Sydney.
Dr Giselle Yeo is a Postdoctoral Research Associatein SOLES at the University of Sydney.
Professor Gareth Denyer is Professor of Biochemical Education in SOLES at the University of Sydney.
Clockwise from top left: Giselle Yeo, Gareth Denyer, Matthew Clemson and Alice Huang.
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Publications with Impact profiles recent, high impact publications by ASBMB members. These short summaries showcase some of the latest research by presenting
the work in a brief but accessible manner. If your work has recently been published in a high profile journal, please email [email protected].
Publications with Impact
A Complex Consortium of Complex I ConstructionFormosa LE*, Muellner-Wong L, Reljic B, Sharpe AJ, Jackson TD, Beilharz TH, Stojanovski D,
Lazarou M, Stroud DA, Ryan MT*. Dissecting the roles of mitochondrial complex I intermediate assembly complex factors in the biogenesis of complex I. Cell Rep 2020;31(3):107541.
*Corresponding authors: [email protected], [email protected]
Central metabolism for powering cellular processes culminates in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the mitochondria. Complex I is the first and largest enzyme of the OXPHOS system, composed of 45 subunits, seven encoded by mtDNA. Assembly of mitochondrial complex I from its individual protein constituents is facilitated by a fine-tuned coordination of numerous assembly factors. The inner workings of these assembly factors and how they come together to build a functional complex I is an ever-growing field of discovery, especially since defects in this process cause a suite of mitochondrial diseases. The mitochondrial complex I intermediate assembly (MCIA) complex – consisting of proteins NDUFAF1, ECSIT, ACAD9 and TMEM126B, and in association with TIMMDC1 – represents a group of known, albeit poorly characterised, assembly factors. In this study, we sought to gain new functional insights into these proteins in the hope of unravelling another piece of the web that is complex I assembly.
By combining genome editing, proteomics and traditional biochemical approaches, we sought to determine the contribution of each component of the MCIA complex to the assembly of complex I. Knockout analysis of each component of the MCIA complex revealed each was required for complex I to assemble. Interrogating the MCIA complex further identified a hierarchy of stability that was centred around ACAD9, while TMEM126B was not required for the stability of other MCIA factors. Interestingly, MCIA complex assemblies seen on blue native PAGE were critically dependent on ACAD9, NDUFAF1 and ECSIT. An alternative series of assemblies were observed in TMEM126B knockout mitochondria, which perhaps represents a perturbed assembly pathway. We also analysed the behaviour of mtDNA-encoded proteins and revealed a striking dependency of mtDNA-encoded complex I subunit, termed ND2, on the MCIA complex for its stability. We also observed that ND2 was in direct association with NDUFAF1 and ECSIT through cross-linking and co-immunoprecipitation analysis. We concluded that the MCIA complex is built on an ACAD9-NDUFAF1-ECSIT core, while other components interact
more transiently.Through proximity-dependent biotin identification
(BioID) and co-immunoprecipitation experiments, we also identified and characterised two new components of the MCIA complex: TMEM186 and COA1. Unlike other MCIA components, neither were absolutely necessary for the formation of complex I on blue native PAGE. We were able to show however, that the complex I subunit ND3 was strongly enriched with TMEM186 and that TMEM186 interacts with the core components of the MCIA complex to aid in the efficient assembly. For COA1, a predominant role in the stability of the MCIA complex was identified, as well as a strong association with newly synthesised ND2.
The overarching complexity of complex I assembly
The MCIA complex – composed of core components NDUFAF1, ECSIT and ACAD9, as well as TMEM126B, COA1 and TMEM186 – is responsible for the stability and assembly of the ND2 module of complex I. mtDNA-encoded subunit ND2 is strongly associated with the core components and COA1, while ND3 exhibits a strong interaction with TMEM186.
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Publications with Impactbecomes clearer as our knowledge of this process grows and the MCIA complex plays a pivotal part in this process. Given the findings presented in this study, we were able to designate a functional role of the MCIA complex in the assembly and stability of the ND2-module, and further understand the interplay between the proteins from which it is composed.
Alice Sharpe, Luke Formosa and Mike Ryan Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Monash Biomedicine Discovery InstituteMonash University
The Newton group at the Peter DohertyInstitute for Infection and Immunity.
Clockwise from top left: Linden Muellner-Wong, Boris Reljic, David Stroud, Alice Sharpe, Luke Formosa and Mike Ryan.
Life in the Lysosome: Using and Abusing the HostNewton P, Thomas DR, Reed SCO, Lau N, Xu B, Ong SY, Pasricha S, Madhamshettiwar PB,
Edgington-Mitchell LE, Simpson KJ, Roy CR, Newton HJ*. Lysosomal degradation products induce Coxiella burnetii virulence. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2020;117(12):6801–6810.
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a unique zoonotic bacterial pathogen that resides in a lysosomal-like niche replicating to high numbers within the cell. In collaboration with laboratories at the University of Melbourne, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Yale University School of Medicine, the Newton lab identified a number of host proteins that impact the pathogen’s ability to form a successful intracellular niche for replication. In particular, host proteins necessary for trafficking the pathogen to the lysosome as well as those required for the establishment of the degradative lysosomal environment were identified. Additionally, the ability of pathogens to sense changes in their environment and respond accordingly is essential for replication. This study revealed that C. burnetii uses a two-component system to detect specific amino acids present within the lysosome and, subsequently, upregulates expression of genes necessary for replication within the host.
Coxiella burnetii is a unique intracellular bacterial pathogen responsible for the zoonotic human disease, Q fever. Infection occurs following inhalation of contaminated aerosols, primarily from exposure to infected ruminants. Upon inhalation, C. burnetii infects alveolar macrophages and establishes a unique spacious intracellular vacuole, the Coxiella-containing vacuole (CCV). Establishment of infection requires passive trafficking of the C. burnetii containing phagosome through the host endocytic pathway until maturation of the lysosome. It has been widely established that C. burnetii requires a functional Dot/Icm Type IVB secretion system (T4SS), which is regulated by the PmrA/PmrB two-component system for intracellular replication. This virulence apparatus is responsible for the secretion of a large repertoire of effector proteins into the host cytosol that subsequently manipulates host cell processes,
creating a permissive replicative niche alongside maintaining cell homeostasis. Our lab is interested in exploring the interaction of these effectors within the host cell to further our understanding of both C. burnetii pathogenesis and human cell processes.
Here, we employed a high throughput genome wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen alongside a reporter assay to identify host proteins essential for efficient T4SS effector translocation. Of particular note, our screen confirmed the critical importance of protein families that are involved in the host endocytic trafficking pathway. Not surprisingly, almost 40% of known lysosomal proteins also decreased effector translocation following silencing with siRNA. Given this, we investigated the receptors responsible for delivering the majority of lysosomal proteins to the correct compartment, namely M6PR and LRP1. Simultaneous silencing of both LRP1 and M6PR not only reduced effector translocation, but also impacted the degradative capacity of the lysosomes and the ability for C. burnetii to form spacious replicative CCVs. Additionally, the importance of proteolysis within the lysosome was
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Publications with Impactvalidated using a TPP1 CRISPR KO cell line. TPP1 is transported to the lysosome by M6PR, where it generates tripeptides from degraded proteins, and removal of this protein decreased effector translocation.
Taken together, this data led us to the hypothesis that protein degradation, and subsequent breakdown products, may signal to C. burnetii an environment that is suitable for effector translocation. Indeed, during starvation conditions, in which autophagy is induced increasing the amount of cellular material delivered to the lysosome, effector translocation increases. To determine whether protein breakdown products such as amino acids could be a signal for the T4SS, we used luciferase reporter strains and observed activation of the two-component system in the presence of several
amino acids. Importantly, addition of these amino acids directly increased effector translocation and subsequent RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated up regulation of a significant number of genes associated with both the T4SS and known effectors.
This study has not only enriched our current knowledge of C. burnetii pathogenesis and contributed to identifying host–pathogen interactions that enable a successful infection, but also determined the different environmental triggers that are sensed by pathogens to aid virulence.
Patrice Newton and Hayley NewtonDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology
Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityUniversity of Melbourne
Schematic representation of Coxiella burnetii replication within host cells.1. C. burnetii enters the host cell and passively traffics through the endocytic pathway until it reaches the lysosome.2. Lysosomal-like environment is the result of receptors such as M6PR recognising mannose-6-phosphate on
lysosomal targeted proteins (e.g. TPP1) in the Golgi apparatus and transporting these enzymes to the lysosome.3. Breakdown products, including amino acids produced by hydrolases such as TPP1, are detected by the C. burnetii
sensor kinase PmrB.4. PmrB activates the response regulator PmrA leading to the up regulation of genes associated with the T4SS.5. Effectors are secreted through this translocation system, resulting in expansion of the CCV and replication of
C. burnetii.6. Micrograph shows large vacuoles containing Coxiella (red) surrounded by LAMP1 (green). DAPI stained nuclei
are in blue and scale bar represents 10 µm.
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Publications with Impact
FAT4 is a huge, atypical cadherin, with demonstrated roles in planar cell polarity (the organisation of cells within tissues), cell adhesion and regulation of Hippo pathway activity, a key signalling axis controlling cell growth and organ size. FAT4 mutations were recently found to cause Hennekam syndrome, features of which include neurodevelopmental defects, lymphedema (the accumulation of fluid in tissues) and lymphangiectasia (dilated lymphatic vessels). This discovery highlighted a crucial, but previously unrecognised, role for FAT4 within the lymphatic vasculature. Our investigation has revealed an important cell autonomous role for FAT4 in directing the polarity of lymphatic endothelial cells in response to flow that is essential for lymphatic vascular development. This work is the first to show that FAT4 is involved in the transduction of mechanical signals within tissues, paving the way for exciting future studies. Our work reveals that FAT4 is essential to build lymphatic vessels during development and helps to understand how mutations in FAT4 cause human disease.
The lymphatic vasculature has several functions, including the transport of extravascular fluid from our tissues back to the blood vasculature. The structure of lymphatic vessels is specialised to perform this function; initial lymphatic vessels have specific ‘loose’ junctions that enable the uptake of fluid and cells into the lymphatics, while larger collecting lymphatic vessels are specialised for the propulsion of lymph back to the bloodstream. Unidirectional flow of lymph through the lymphatic vasculature is dependent on valves, similar to the valves in our heart and veins. Deficiencies in lymphatic vessel development and/or function lead to the accumulation of fluid within tissues (lymphedema) and dilation of lymphatic vessels (lymphangiectasia). These lymphatic defects, along with unusual facial morphology and mental retardation, are characteristic of Hennekam syndrome.
To investigate the role of FAT4 in lymphatic vascular development, we analysed lymphatic vessel structure in Fat4 deficient mice at several embryonic stages. At E14.5, Fat4 deficient embryos exhibited a striking accumulation of subcutaneous fluid, indicative of a lymphatic vascular defect. Closer inspection of the lymphatic vasculature within the skin of these embryos revealed significant defects including increased vessel width and decreased vessel branching, compared
to control counterparts. Later in development, the mesenteric lymphatic vessels of Fat4 deficient embryos formed significantly fewer, and less mature, valves compared to controls. These lymphatic defects were largely recapitulated in embryos in which Fat4 was selectively removed from lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), demonstrating a cell autonomous role for FAT4 within LECs.
To investigate the role of FAT4 in LECs, we analysed several measures of polarity, including nuclear shape and relative position of the Golgi apparatus in migrating cells, at several developmental stages. Defects in polarity were observed from the onset of lymphatic vascular development at E11.5, when LECs are first emerging from the cardinal veins to form a primary lymphatic vascular plexus. These polarity defects were also observed later at E14.5 in the sprouting lymphatic vessels of the skin and at E18.5 in valve forming cells of the mesenteric lymphatic vasculature.
To investigate the mechanism by which FAT4 controls LEC polarity, the localisation of FAT4 was assessed
Flow Directs Form: a Novel Role for the CadherinFAT4 in Shaping the Lymphatic Vasculature
Betterman KL, Sutton DL, Secker GA, Kazenwadel J, Oszmiana A, Lim L, Miura N, Sorokin L, Hogan BM, Kahn ML, McNeill H, Harvey NL*. Atypical cadherin FAT4 orchestrates lymphatic
endothelial cell polarity in response to flow. J Clin Invest 2020;130(6):3315–3328.*Corresponding author: [email protected]
The elegant structure of mouse P0 mesenteric lymphatic vasculature associated with the gastrointestinal tract. Smaller calibre pre-collecting lymphatic vessels, stained with CD31 (magenta), contact the gut wall and drain into larger collecting lymphatic vessels, which are invested with valves, stained with laminin alpha 5 (cyan) and PROX1 (yellow). These collecting lymphatic vessels converge and terminate in the centrally located lymph node.
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in primary human LECs under static conditions and following exposure to laminar flow. Under static
conditions, FAT4 was found to be uniformly distributed along cell–cell junctions, while under conditions of laminar flow, FAT4 was redistributed and polarised in the direction of flow. In the absence of FAT4, primary human LECs failed to polarise in response to flow. These striking observations are the first to our knowledge to demonstrate an important role for FAT4 in coordinating cell responses to mechanical signals.
In conclusion, we have established an essential, cell autonomous role for FAT4 in the control of lymphatic endothelial cell polarity that is critical for lymphatic vascular development. These data help to explain why mutations in FAT4 are detrimental to lymphatic vessel function and how mutations give rise to disease in Hennekam syndrome patients.
Drew Sutton, Kelly Betterman and Natasha HarveyCentre for Cancer Biology, Universityof South Australia and SA Pathology
Harvey lab members (from left): Anna Oszmiana, Luis Arriola-Martinez, Jan Kazenwadel, Genevieve Secker, Kelly Betterman, Natasha Harvey, Saba Montazaribarforoushi and Drew Sutton.
Publications with Impact
Fanconi anaemia is a devastating syndrome associated with bone marrow failure (median age 8) and high predisposition to cancers (median age 20). Patients are also hypersensitive to chemotherapy agents, making cancer treatment for Fanconi anaemia patients challenging. A hallmark of Fanconi anaemia is the absence of a covalent attachment of a single ubiquitin to the FANCD2 protein, in a process called monoubiquitination. Unlike polyubiquitination, which plays a well characterised role in destruction of targets by the proteasome, the biochemical function of monoubiquitination is enigmatic. The Deans lab at St Vincent’s Institute has, for the first time, described a function for this unusual modification on FANCD2, and its partner protein FANCI. Through biochemical reconstitution experiments, they show in a new eLife paper that ubiquitin acts to clamp the FANCI:FANCD2 dimer, in long arrays, on damaged DNA.
Increased DNA damage has long been associated with the phenotypes of Fanconi anaemia. For example, the chemosensitivity of Fanconi anaemia patient cells is caused by failure to repair chemotherapy-induced DNA damage. FANCD2 in particular is known to localise at sites of chemotherapy-induced DNA damage that blocks DNA replication. But getting a closer look at what the protein does when it gets to these sites has gone uninvestigated in the twenty years since it was first reported.
To address this problem, Winnie Tan – a PhD student in the Deans lab – set about recreating the monoubiquitination reaction in vitro using recombinant proteins. But this process requires nine different proteins in addition to the FANCD2 and FANCI substrates and branched DNA molecules, all of which were required in milligram amounts. Furthermore, an entirely new purification system was required in order to isolate the substrates once monoubiquitinated. But after several years establishing the perfect conditions for capturing the FANCI:FANCD2 complex in different states, her results were conclusive. The monoubiquitinated proteins do not change their binding affinity for several other proteins (which had been a previous hypothesis in the field),
Failure of a DNA-protective Clampis the Cause of Fanconi Anaemia
Tan W, van Twest S, Leis A, Bythell-Douglas R, Murphy VJ, Sharp M, Parker MW,Crismani W, Deans AJ*. Monoubiquitination by the human Fanconi anemia core
complex clamps FANCI:FANCD2 on DNA in filamentous arrays. eLife 2020;9:e54128.*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Andrew Deans
andWinnie
Tan.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 37AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Publications with Impactbut they do promote the retention of FANCI:FANCD2 complex on DNA. Indeed, after monoubiquitination, FANCI:FANCD2 is very difficult to displace from DNA. With the help of Andrew Leis at the Bio21 Institute, Winnie was able to see the reason for this DNA retention using electron microscopy. Ubiquitin completely changes the conformation of FANCI:FANCD2 complex, leading to its conversion to a clamp. Not only this, the clamped complex decorates long sections of DNA in a filament-like structure that was completely unexpected.
The team is now working to characterise how these filament-like structures guard the replication fork from breaking down during DNA repair. They also know that understanding the role of FANCD2 in Fanconi anaemia could lead to new treatments. FANCD2 and FANCI have similar roles in cancer cells too. Stopping them from protecting damaged DNA in cancer cells could be used to enhance the success of chemotherapies and radiotherapies. A second paper from the St Vincent’s Institute team describes the development of a high throughput assay to search for such inhibitors of the FANCD2 monoubiquitination reaction (1). They are also looking for activators of the complex, that may be beneficial in suppressing the severe phenotypes of Fanconi anaemia.
Andrew Deans and Winnie TanSt Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research Reference
1. Sharp MF, Murphy VJ, Twest SV, Tan W, Lui J, Simpson KJ, Deans AJ, Crismani W (2020) Sci Rep 10:7959.
TNF is a master inflammatory cytokine that drives the transcription and production of inflammatory molecules, including other cytokines, to help organisms respond to damaging insults and infection. The dramatic success of TNF inhibitor drugs in treating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, such that three of them figure in the top ten best selling drugs in the world, clearly demonstrates TNF’s major inflammatory role. Despite their obvious success, you might be shocked to learn that it is still not entirely clear why these drugs are so effective. It is less surprising when you realise how fiendishly
complicated TNF signalling is. For example, in some situations, via its receptor, TNFR1, TNF activates cells to produce and secrete inflammatory molecules but in others, it induces a very different outcome, namely cell death. It had been assumed that TNF causes inflammation by promoting production of cytokines, but sometime ago, our lab proposed that TNF-induced cell death might also contribute to TNF-induced inflammation. This led us to ask a simple question about how RIPK1, which is a key molecule downstream of TNFR1, helps determine whether cells live or die in response to TNF, and the consequences on the inflammatory response.
The First Cut is the DeepestLalaoui N*, Boyden SE*, Oda H, Wood GM, Stone DL, Chau D, Liu L, Stoffels M, Kratina T, Lawlor KE, Zaal KJM, Hoffmann PM, Etemadi N, Shield-Artin K, Biben C, Tsai WL, Blake MD, Kuehn HS,
Yang D, Anderton H, Silke N, Wachsmuth L, Zheng L, Moura NS, Beck DB, Gutierrez-Cruz G, Ombrello AK, Pinto-Patarroyo GP, Kueh AJ, Herold MJ, Hall C, Wang H, Chae JJ, Dmitrieva NI,
McKenzie M, Light A, Barham BK, Jones A, Romeo TM, Zhou Q, Aksentijevich I, Mullikin JC, Gross AJ, Shum AK, Hawkins ED, Masters SL, Lenardo MJ, Boehm M, Rosenzweig SD, Pasparakis M,
Voss AK, Gadina M, Kastner DL*, Silke J*. Mutations that prevent caspase cleavage of RIPK1 cause autoinflammatory disease. Nature 2020 Jan;577(7788):103–108.
*Corresponding authors: [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected]
Schematic representation and negative-stain electron microscopy images showing unmodified FANCI:FANCD2 (left), monoubiquitinated FANCI:FANCD2 (middle) and FANCI:FANCD2 filamentous array (right). Activation of monoubiquitinated FANCI:FANCD2 can rescue Fanconi anaemia phenotype. Inhibition of monoubiquitinated FANCI:FANCD2 sensitises cells for chemotherapy.
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Publications with Impact
Najoua Lalaoui
andJohnSilke.
Normally, RIPK1 contributes to the TNF transcriptional response, but if this response is impaired, for example by a pathogen, RIPK1 switches roles and activates a caspase-dependent cell death called apoptosis. Because TNF is such an important component of the response to pathogens, some of them go a step further and try and block caspase-8 activation too. However, this doesn’t help the pathogen because blocking caspase-8 triggers an ‘explosive’, RIPK1-dependent, necroptotic cell death. It was believed that this necroptotic function of RIPK1 is unleashed because it is no longer inactivated by caspase-8 cleavage and this was of particular interest to us because necroptosis, where cells release their contents, is believed to be particularly inflammatory. We therefore asked what would happen if we mutated the caspase cleavage site in RIPK1 to stop it being cleaved by caspase-8. To the surprise
of many, we found that cells with uncleavable RIPK1, instead of dying by necroptosis, are primed to undergo a very rapid, caspase-8 dependent, apoptosis. Because of this, homozygote RIPK1 cleavage mutant mice die during embryogenesis, and although heterozygote mutant mice are viable and develop normally, they are hypersensitive to inflammatory stimuli. This ‘academic’ discovery was taken to another level when we started to collaborate with a group from NIH, led by Dan Kastner, that had identified three independent families of patients who suffered recurrent fevers and inflammation and who were heterozygote for mutations in the same RIPK1 cleavage site. It was a particularly exciting time working together on these unexpected findings but the biggest shock was that these patients did not respond to anti-TNF drugs but did respond to inhibitors of IL-6, another inflammatory cytokine. This opens up a whole new set of questions about RIPK1 cell death and IL-6 but the most gratifying thing of all was to hear how the lives of these patients were transformed by the treatment. This highlights how basic medical research can lead to discoveries that can help people’s lives.
Najoua Lalaoui and John SilkeWalter and Eliza Hall Institute and Department
of Medical Biology, University of MelbourneA simplified model of the fiendish TNF-TNFR1 signalling pathway circa 2019. To discover why it’s too simple, please read our paper.
‘Word Search’ ResultThe winner of the April competition is Sabrina Davies, School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia. Congratulations to Sabrina, who will receive a gift voucher.Solution: Carbohydrate
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C
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Shimadzu_HIC-ESP print.pdf 1 24/03/2020 12:05:32 PM
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What a year 2020 has been so far! Many institutes, universities and workplaces have experienced restrictions of some degree, which has tested our ability to adapt whilst staying motivated and productive. As a PhD student, working from home in the last few months has been challenging. At first, it seemed like a fun change of scenery. Some of the perks included flexible work hours, lack of daily commute and easy access to the fridge! After the novelty wore off, moments of self-doubt and lack of motivation began to creep in. I have had to learn to adapt to these challenges to maintain FOCUS. Here are some of the strategies that I have implemented to stay motivated, healthy and happy whilst working from home.
FlexibilityThe realisation that lab work has to be sadly put on hold
can be a bitter pill to swallow and take some adjustment. This enforced ‘break’ can be used as a great time for learning, preparation and reflection. This may take the form of reading papers that you just haven’t had time for, organising/updating your lab book or even learning a new skill from home. For those that are nearing the end of their PhD, this time can be used to finally get some thesis writing done. Whilst at home, I have found that adapting my goals with a focus on returning to the lab has kept my morale up. Creating a cohesive lab plan to hit the ground running when restrictions loosen has given me newfound motivation. A flexible and adaptable mindset will aid you throughout your project, not just whilst working from home.
Organisation Regardless of your work environment, organisation
can help you feel in control of your PhD project. This is particularly pertinent in this challenging time so you can keep yourself in check and on task. Firstly, setting out a checklist of your daily tasks can be useful and a real morale booster when you complete a task. There is no better feeling than ticking a task off a list! Secondly, creating an outline of your deadlines and long-term goals gives perspective to what you are working towards, which can be sometimes easy to lose sight of. Having something constantly in your view, like post-it notes or a diary, with your goals/deadlines keeps them at the forefront of your mind. If you are like me and don’t class yourself as an organised person, this is the time to organise, plan and get on top of things that you may have felt slipping to the back of your mind.
CommunicationMaintaining communication with family, friends and
colleagues is a great way to boost your own morale as well as theirs. It can also provide a well earnt break from the daily grind. Utilising your social circle is an invaluable tool and can be a fantastic resource to restoring motivation and keeping yourself on task so you can still achieve your goals. You can also get involved with social events organised by your institution/university. Further, you can be proactive and organise such events yourself to help bring some normality back to the people around you. For example, you can organise trivia/games night or weekly coffee catchups online. At work, keep your lines of communication open with your supervisor and lab group. One way to do this is to have regular scheduled meetings with your team to keep them in the loop with your progress. They can also give you feedback and further guidance to assist with any problems that may arise.
Understanding These changing work conditions can be a tougher
challenge than we may acknowledge. It’s more than likely that your colleagues, friends and family are experiencing similar challenges to you so be kind to yourself and others. Having unrealistic expectations can promote unnecessary pressure and stress. Ways to combat this are generally associated with good communication skills. If you have a deadline with your supervisor and you don’t think you will achieve it, the best course of action is to be upfront and set a new time that is suitable to you both. Your supervisor will appreciate this much more than just missing the deadline and for them to have to chase you up on why you have missed it.
SDS Page: Short Discussions for Students Page
Remaining FOCUSed at HomeDan Hawkins, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 41AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
SDS Page: Short Discussions for Students Page
Stay balanced Keeping a healthy balance between work and play is
vital for your brain, body and mind. This means being disciplined about when you do need a break, when it’s time to stop for the day and work over the weekend. On the other side of the scale, there are several sources of procrastination you may find around your home. A useful tip for staying engaged for longer is to outline the duration that you are going to spend working on a task. For example, you may have a figure to prepare, so give yourself an allotted time (e.g. 30 mins) to complete that task. After the set time has finished, take a short break (e.g. 10 mins) and reset to re-evaluate what you would like to achieve in the next time slot. It is completely fine if you don’t complete that task in the allocated time, it is
the consistent application what counts. Staying active by going for a quick walk/run can really refresh the mind and give new perspective and motivation towards a task that maybe you have struggled to focus on. It is important to stay energised, rested and safe.
Dan Hawkins is aPhD candidate at the La Trobe Institute for
Molecular Science. [email protected]
I have a chronic illness, so I always knew that my PhD journey would be difficult.
I commenced my candidature four years ago and, since then, there have also been heartbreaking bereavements and other medical issues. I’ll be honest. My PhD has been the easiest part of my PhD journey.
And now there’s COVID-19.We are all living in a new world of limitations, with a
loss of freedom, lack of control, and bucket-loads of uncertainty. We are all concerned about the present. How do we survive physically, emotionally and financially? How do we support others?
At the same time, we fear for the future. What will it look like? Will we be able to graduate or get a job?
The burden of all these unknowns is exhausting. But, as a chronically ill person, I am very well acquainted with feelings of limitation and uncertainty. I have lived with them for years.
Many chronically ill people take things a day, an hour, or a minute at a time. Sometimes, simply being is enough to manage, and that’s OK.
Here are some tips that have helped me throughout my PhD journey and my journey with chronic illness. Perhaps they might help you too.
Acknowledge it’s hardAccepting that times are tough is the first step toward
making peace with the new reality. Acceptance doesn’t happen overnight. It can be a long journey marked by days where it feels easier, and others where it feels impossible. Sometimes, the best we manage doesn’t feel
enough, and it’s easy to get discouraged. It is OK to feel whatever you are feeling.
Build self-awarenessSelf-awareness pays dividends. There are many ways
to build awareness, including chats with friends, letting your thoughts wander and practising mindfulness. Awareness helps us to identify what is causing us stress and why we feel that way. We can then start to think about things differently, to reframe the disappointments as opportunities for growth, to consider what self-care strategies might be appropriate, and to identify where we need help.
Get supportDon’t go through this alone. Family, friends, colleagues
or professionals will be there to support you. Whether it’s practical help, emotional support, or advice, it’s OK to ask for help. Take full advantage of the many resources provided by your institute or university, including counselling, careers advice and planning with supervisors. If there are hard decisions to make, it’s important not to face them alone.
Revise expectationsCOVID-19 has brought a heightened level of
‘background’ stress that erodes our energy and brain space. Consider this when you place expectations on yourself about productivity and PhD (or indeed any research) progress.
Keep expectations sustainable, flexible and kind. Goals,
Making Peace with Uncertainty…and Getting Your PhD Done, Too
Laena D’Alton, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science
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for example, are useful but may need to be revised due to factors that are out of our control. It can be beneficial to think about them as guidelines and not must-have destinations. In the words of Arthur Ashe, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
Practise self-careAll the standard self-care tips help. Exercise, good
food, spending time with people (however that looks at the moment), fun, laughter and so on. Self-care may need some tweaking to make it COVID compliant, and it will look different for every individual. Sometimes, when you’re overwhelmed, your normal self-care routine might feel temporarily ineffective. Regardless, it’s important to keep practising it because, eventually, you will feel the effects.
Perhaps the most important thing of all is to rest, and in greater quantities than might usually be needed. Rest helps us to recharge physically, emotionally and mentally, and face life’s difficulties. That doesn’t mean that every day is a brilliant day, but it can make bearing the difficult days a little easier.
ReflectLife-changing events have a way of forcing us to think
about what really matters to us. Perhaps set aside some time to think about your priorities in this changed world. Consider what you can control (your behaviour, attitudes, actions, ideas, fun and how you invest your time), and what you can’t (how long this will last, the impact, and the actions of others).
It can be beneficial to practise gratitude, too. This can help us to build a growth mindset, which helps us to grow into more rather than retreat into less.
Find encouragementRemember that you have strengths, and you are learning
and growing, especially during these difficult times. It’s easy to feel discouraged, but it helps to remember that a lot of life’s lessons are learnt in little steps taken each day, not big events. Try listing some of the ways that you have grown and be encouraged by your growth.
You are not the same person as when you started your PhD journey. The same will be said for COVID-19. You’ll grow as a person.
Just as your research is unique, so is your journey. And if you take it a small step at a time, that’s OK. As the saying goes, “Little by little, one travels far.”
ResourcesGraduate Research School – GRS COVID-19 FAQsLa Trobe: Health and wellbeingLa Trobe: Counselling and mental healthLa Trobe: Careers advisersMindfulness exercisesBeyond Blue
Laena D’Alton is a PhD candidate and communications
assistant at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science.
This post originally appeared on the RED Alert Blog on 30 April 2020, and appears here with permission.
SDS Page: Short Discussions for Students Page
Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology IncPUBLICATION SCHEDULE FOR AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST, volume 51, 2020
Issue
April 2020 51(1)
August 2020 51(2)
December 2020 51(3)
ASBMB Content
Profiles of medal, award and fellowship winnersNominations for Executive/Council
Nominations for medals, awards and fellowshipsNotice of AGM/proposed constitutional changes
Annual reportsASBMB online conference report
Copy Deadline
Monday 10 February
Monday 8 June
Monday 5 October
Issue Date
Monday 6 April
Monday 3 August
Monday 30 November
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 43AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Presenting the latest competition for the members of ASBMB. All correct entries received by the Editor ([email protected]) before 7 September 2020 will enter
the draw to receive a gift voucher. With thanks to Joe Kaczmarski and Phillip Nagley.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many Australian scientists have refocused their research efforts. Below are clues to some of the things that they have
been working on over the last few months. Can you name them?
Competition: COVID-19
ANSWER PHRASE (Grey squares) =
1
________-converting enzyme 2
12
Inhibitors ofRNA-dependent RNA ________
4
________ and extra-terminal
domain proteins
5
11 14
6 7
PDB 6LU7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Hint: Stop the chop with DB01601
32
9 10
Hint: What lockdownees reputedly like to bake
Hint: You canbet on this one
Hint: You might feel better with T-705
Hint: A Trump favourite
Hint: This is a brainteaser
8 Hint: A cameloid speciality
Hint: 6WXD and the item number are not wrong
Hint: Hope to check your virus with GS-5734
Hint: Cut that out with 6LU7
Hint: A non-dogmatic enzyme
________ protein
13 Hint: Get to the point Hint: No need to scratch your head with this
Hint: Your blood pressure won’t get too high
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I never wanted to be in policy. I wanted to be a zoologist, or was it a programmer? I do know it was never a lumberjack, at least not yet. When I talk to people about my career path, there are always two questions that get asked. The first is, “do you regret changing careers and not finishing degrees?” and the second is, “but how does zoology relate to policy?”. We will come back to those questions a bit later, but the short answer is that it is all a matter of perspective.
When I first went to university, the goal was to become a video games developer. But as time went on, I became more interested in the data structures and systems that were the basis of all software. It was then that my first desire to enter into research struck and I spoke to potential supervisors about a PhD. Everything was all lined up so naturally I started to question whether spending my life in front of a computer is what I really wanted to do.
Enter zoology. It was a chance to go out and see the world, understand what made different species so different, and why such differences had evolved. But, as someone who knew little of biology, I had no idea what would interest me. Like with programming, my interest was piqued by the data structures and systems of animals. Better known as anatomy and physiology. It was here that I entered research through the PhD program at the University of Western Australia on reptile cardiac innervation.
A PhD is hard. I am sure everyone agrees. I was given some advice on surviving, in particular to make sure you have a hobby or side project because three to four years on a single project is draining. It was this side project that led me into policy and all started when I, perhaps foolishly, volunteered to be on the committee for the University of Western Australia Postgraduate Students’ Association. For the next five years, while working on my PhD, I immersed myself in higher-education policy. This work led me to no small number of arguments with university executives and politicians. This agitation may have been to the detriment of my research career but was also my drive to move into national science policy.
But what about those questions at the start? Well, on the first question, I certainly regret my $60,000 student debt. Otherwise, I have no regrets because of my answer to the second question. The skills I developed on this path in systems, research and evidence all come into play in the policy world.
SystemsWhat ties programming, pythons, and policy together?
For me, the answer is systems. During my time studying programming, object-oriented programming was, and still is, the leading programming paradigm. Every object contains its own data variables and its own functions that could be called on. A program is essentially an organism where these objects interact with each other.
Shifting from programming to zoology may have
Programming, Pythons and PolicyPeter Derbyshire, Policy and Projects Manager,
Science and Technology Australia
Off the Beaten TrackWritten by former researchers who have now established careers outsideof research, Off the Beaten Track is intended to give the readers insights
into the range of alternative careers available to them. Authors describe thepaths they have taken to arrive at their present career and provide a
detailed description of exactly what the job entails on a day-to-day basis.
The Hon Simon Birmingham was federal Minister for Education and Training (left) and I was the National President of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations. While we did not agree on much, we maintained an open and productive discussion, which is essential in the policy world.
Senator the Hon Kim Carr, who has been a stalwart of the science and education policy sector since 2003.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 45AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
seemed a dramatic change but when you see the organ of an animal as an object within a larger organism, there is little difference. This was the focus of my research, more specifically the cardiac system of reptiles. Here I focused on what nerves and hormones allowed reptile hearts to function under varying temperature conditions. I was looking at how the function of an object changed the data variables and how that related to the larger program.
This is how I approach policy. For example, how do different functions of policy affect the inputs and outputs of the research object? How does this relate to the larger program of public policy? How do we change the functions of policy to increase input or output from the organ/program/sector?
ResearchAt the end of the day, there is little difference between
research and policy development. When you write a policy paper, the first thing you do is review the literature to find out what is missing, needs to be examined or re-examined. You then collect the data (if it is good evidence-based policy) before coming to a conclusion about the available data.
At this point, policy and research differ slightly. In research, you make recommendations solely on the data, but in policy, you make evidence-based recommendations but have to take into account the larger organism. Policy work has to be in the realm of what is biologically possible. You cannot implement policy without public or
political will any more than a cold reptile can increase blood flow to muscles without adrenaline.
EvidenceTo anyone with a scientific background, the idea of a
strong evidence base for your work should not be too surprising. Unfortunately, in the policy world, evidence-based policy often takes a back seat to policy-based evidence. What is the difference? Well, evidence-based policy is when evidence is used to develop policy solutions, while policy-based evidence is when evidence is selectively gathered to match a policy decision already made. Problematic, right?
Evidence-based policy is perhaps the key reason why we need more scientifically trained policymakers. Being able to analyse data using scientific rigour is something that is still underappreciated in the policy space as well as being able to re-examine policy to ensure it works. Thankfully, you do not need formal training to get involved in the policy space. Government inquiries, royal commissions and reviews are almost always open for public submissions. All it takes is time to read the available background information and evidence.
My final comment is that all too often we view education and research careers with tunnel vision. I have a degree in zoology, I must become a zoologist. What we need to remember is that the skills developed in education, research and our side projects are all that is needed to access diverse career paths.
Off the Beaten Track
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t: 02 9882 2882 f: 02 9882 6468 e: [email protected]
206 / 354 Eastern Valley Way Chatswood NSW 2067 Australia
You can rely on us for the quality of our products and our service,
as well as the company we keep….
Quality equipment, consumables and technical support forlife science researchers
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 47AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
SOCIETY MEDALS, AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS NOW OPEN
Nomination or application forms for all 2021 Medals, Awards and Fellowships can be obtained from the ASBMB website:
https://www.asbmb.org.au/awards/nominations/
Nominations or applications must be submitted no later than 30 October 2020. Nominations or applications must be emailed
to the Secretary of the Society: [email protected] note that hard copies are not required.
There are membership requirements for allnominations/applications. These are outlined on the
nomination forms available from the ASBMB website.
NOMINATIONS FOR MEDALS AND AWARDS
The Lemberg Medal is awarded to a distinguished ASBMB member who will present the Lemberg Lecture at the ASBMB annual scientific meeting. The Medal is presented in memory of Emeritus Professor M.R. Lemberg who was the Society’s first President and Honorary Member. The award will be made to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in biochemistry and molecular biology and who has made significant contributions to the scientific community. An honorarium is provided by ASBMB.
The Shimadzu Research Medal is awarded to an outstanding ASBMB member with no more than 15 years since the award of the PhD degree (or equivalent taking any career disruption into account) at the nominated deadline.The successful candidate will present the Shimadzu Medal Lecture at the ASBMB annual scientific meeting. An honorarium is provided through the courtesy of Shimadzu.
ASBMB Awards 2021
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The SDR Scientific Education Award rewards outstanding achievement in education in biochemistry or molecular biology, especially innovation and creativity in education, with a view to fostering leadership in this important area of the Society’s objectives. The Award will enable the recipient to participate in an international conference with a significant focus on education, or to spend a period of time at another institution for the purposes of undertaking developments in education in biochemistry and molecular biology. The recipient will present a lecture within the Education Symposium at the ASBMB annual scientific meeting. The contribution to travel expenses is provided through the courtesy of SDR Scientific.
The Boomerang Award is awarded to an outstanding expatriate Australian biochemist or molecular biologist to allow them to return to Australia to present their work in a symposium the ASBMB annual scientific meeting and to give seminars at universities or research institutes. This will provide the awardee with exposure in Australia and will facilitate interactions with local researchers. The Award makes a significant contribution to the cost of a return airfare and accommodation for the ASBMB annual scientific meeting, and towards domestic travel expenses to visit at least one other Australian city. Applicants must have been awarded their PhD not more than 10 years prior to the closing date (or equivalent taking any career disruption into account). The contribution to travel expenses is provided by ASBMB.
The Awards Committee will also award several ASBMB Fellowships to postgraduate students who are no more than 2 years prior to the completion of their PhD degree or recently graduated postdoctoral researchers no more than 2 years subsequent to the award of their PhD degree. The contribution to travel expenses is provided by ASBMB. The most outstanding ASBMB Fellowship applicant may receive the Fred Collins Award. These travel grants are awarded to early career researchers, normally resident in Australia, in recognition of their outstanding work in an area of biochemistry and molecular biology. The Fellowships provide funds to assist the recipient to attend an overseas conference in a field associated with biochemistry or molecular biology, or to visit briefly a research laboratory in Australia or elsewhere to access specialised equipment or to learn new research techniques.
The Eppendorf Edman ECR Award is awarded to an ASBMB member with no more than 7 years postdoctoral experience (or equivalent taking any career disruption into account), in recognition of their outstanding research work. The Award provides funds to assist the recipient to attend an overseas conference in a field associated with biochemistry or molecular biology or to visit briefly a research laboratory in Australia or elsewhere to access specialised equipment or to learn new research techniques. The recipient will give a talk at the ASBMB annual scientific meeting. The contribution to travel expenses is provided through the courtesy of Eppendorf South Pacific.
APPLICATIONS FOR TRAVEL AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
ASBMB Awards 2021
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 49AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
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Eppendorf®, the Eppendorf Brand Design, PhysioCare Concept® and Eppendorf Research® are registered trademarks of Eppendorf AG, Germany. U.S. Design Patents are listed on www.eppendorf.com/ip. All rights reserved, including graphics and images. Copyright © 2017 by Eppendorf AG. *The Research plus pipette is an in vitro diagnostic device according to Directive 98/79/EC of the European Parliament and the Council dated October 27, 1998.
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Eppendorf®, the Eppendorf Brand Design, PhysioCare Concept® and Eppendorf Research® are registered trademarks of Eppendorf AG, Germany. U.S. Design Patents are listed on www.eppendorf.com/ip. All rights reserved, including graphics and images. Copyright © 2017 by Eppendorf AG. *The Research plus pipette is an in vitro diagnostic device according to Directive 98/79/EC of the European Parliament and the Council dated October 27, 1998.
> Ideal ergonomics: Eppendorf PhysioCare Concept®
> Ultra light with minimal attachment, pipetting and ejection forces > Spring-loaded tip cone > Available as single-channel pipette with fixed and variable volume as well as 8- and 12-channel pipette
Eppendorf sets standards in ergonomics! This ultralight pipette meets the highest needs in precision and accuracy – combined with ultimate ergonomics and increased flexibility.A spring-loaded tip cone, a secondary adjustment option, an improved volume display – and all that in an ultra light, fully autoclavable pipette.
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PAGE 50 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Early daysIn 1961, when I started at the University of Sydney, I was
determined to be a chemist. After an enjoyable first year in Hans Freeman’s special chemistry class, my desired path was unchanged. In second year, I took Biochemistry and among the segments of the course was molecular biology from Gerry Wake. I was captivated and switched my allegiance from chemistry to nucleic acids and genes. This was a time when, although the structure of DNA was known, the genetic code was still being worked out. For Honours and PhD, I continued with Gerry, one of the luckiest choices of my career. Science in Australia was in a time capsule; we anxiously awaited the arrival of journals six weeks after they were published in the US or UK. There was one copy of the airmail edition of Nature which was fought over by everyone in the Biochemistry department. I worked on replication of the DNA of Bacillus subtilis and developed methods for autoradiography of the chromosome to display it. My PhD worked out well as we showed the bacterial chromosome was probably a single piece of DNA and we had some evidence of bidirectional replication.
Two events in my PhD were earth shattering for a young student. Firstly, Bruce Holloway and his colleagues, Jim Pittard and Frank Gibson, organised a course in techniques in molecular biology at the University of Melbourne, and Gerry found money for me to attend. Secondly, Jim Peacock organised an international meeting, ‘Replication and Recombination of Genetic Material’ in the Australian Academy of Science building. Many of my molecular biology ‘heroes’ came to Australia for this meeting, and gave exciting lectures. Attending this meeting and having the opportunity to present my work allowed me to gain an international perspective of my research and meet highly influential people in my field. These two meetings had an enormous influence on me and my peers.
Postdoc in New York then to PNGUpon completion of my PhD, I chose to go New York as it
was also suitable for my husband. I joined Julius Marmur’s laboratory at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the big smoke. I collaborated on a project of PhD student Larry Grossman working on yeast mitochondrial DNA and its replication. We showed that petite mutants were a consequence of defective mitochondrial DNA. Einstein was a great place to work, many heavies in molecular biology were faculty and the seminar program was an eye opener. New York was a stimulating place to be, art, music and demonstrations, certainly great to see other labs.
After New York, where to go? Papua New Guinea to help with the education of the students from PNG and the Pacific in the medical faculty at the new University. Not the same as NY; I taught the whole of Biochemistry one year. Imagine my dismay at the end of the year when one of my students asked about the structure of glucose, which I had covered in the first lecture of the year. Equipment was rudimentary, our pride was a scintillation counter and I was constantly on the phone to Selby getting instructions on how to check for defective electronic boards. But it was a wonderful time, a country approaching independence and students graduating and being appointed to important jobs in the government. Exciting outdoor adventures included the purchase of a 50-foot sailing boat and we spent time with wonderful colleagues, Margot and Robin Anders. We did medical bacteriology and immunology of leprosy together. In a second spell in PNG, I trapped and studied the native rodents with a colleague, Jim Menzies, travelling all over the country to villages to catch these rats, some almost half a metre long, others soft little tree climbers with prehensile tails. We prepared chromosomes and studied their evolution and relationship to Australian native rodents. We even wrote a small book describing them. I did learn that science can be done anywhere on anything.
Happiness in My DNALiz Dennis
Great Expectations
Protesting outside (old) Parliament House in 1972, having spent the night in the Women’s Electoral Lobby tent on the lawns.
With an early computer
in 1987, elected to the
Australian Academy of
Technological Sciences.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 51AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
To CanberraMore mainstream science called, and I joined CSIRO
Plant Industry in Canberra, where Jim Peacock was setting up a molecular laboratory to study highly repeated DNA in Drosophila. Doug Brutlag and Rudi Appels also joined the lab and we separated satellite DNA using the analytical ultracentrifuge and sequenced the repeated DNA. This was before modern sequencing techniques had been invented and after a year of RNAase digestion and 2D chromatography plates, we had an answer: ‘AATAT’ was the sequence repeated millions of times. This was a very happy time; the lab was exciting, and everybody worked together on the project. Our other colleagues in molecular biology in Plant Industry, Paul Whitfeld and Don Spencer, offered their expertise and support.
But you might ask what we were doing working on Drosophila in Plant Industry, so we somewhat reluctantly turned to plants. First repeated DNA. No kits, making radioactive trinucleotides and restriction enzymes. A course I helped organise at this time was run by Barbara Hohn, supposedly on cosmids but the huge benefit to us was that we learned to make lambda packaging extract so we could make genomic libraries and clone genes. We cloned the first gene for an enzyme in plants, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from maize. We found that the plant switches metabolism from the TCA cycle to the glycolytic pathway in response to low oxygen.
A year’s sabbatical in Paul Berg’s lab (Paul had recently won the Nobel Prize) in the Biochemistry Department at Stanford University gave me a new perspective on how international labs worked and I saw how talented many of the students and postdoctoral fellows were. On returning to Canberra, we used the techniques I had learned in Stanford on transient expression in tissue culture cells to identify the anaerobic response element responsible for gene expression under low oxygen in the promoters of ADH and other anaerobically induced genes. At this time, NSF in the US decided plant science was a priority and established a scheme for postdoctoral fellows to travel to plant labs. We were lucky enough to have four or five top
class postdoctoral fellows join our lab over the space of a few years and they contributed very much to our analysis of ADH.
In collaboration with Jim Peacock, students, postdoctoral fellows and Cyril Appleby, we studied various plant systems including plant haemoglobins, which were known to be important for nitrogen fixation in the nodules of legumes. We found that haemoglobins were present in all plants and probably played a role in low oxygen metabolism. The nitrogen fixing haemoglobins were related to these ubiquitous haemoglobins and probably evolved from them.
Flowering and FLCOur next major research push was to attempt to
understand the molecular nature of flowering and in particular, vernalisation. The timing of flowering, the transition to the reproductive stage, is critical for plants. A requirement for vernalisation (period of long exposure to low temperature) ensures plants flower in the spring, after the frosts of winter and when there is a period of long hours of daylight so that seed can be set under favourable conditions. Vernalisation has many hallmarks of an epigenetic phenomenon, maintaining the early flowering even when the cold stimulus has been removed; a requirement for vernalisation is reset each generation so that the cold stimulus is always required for flowering. We had an interest in epigenetics having, in collaboration with Jean Finnegan, cloned the first plant DNA methyltransferase and described the developmental phenotypes obtained when the level of the transferase was downregulated (1). Pascual Perez of Lima Grain, with whom we were collaborating, found a late flowering mutant and Candice Sheldon characterised the gene responsible (2). This gene was FLC, a MADS box transcription factor that was a repressor of flowering. Vernalisation epigenetically downregulated FLC, allowing plants to respond to the long days of spring and flower. Candice and Jean continued characterising FLC together with Chris Helliwell who joined the group. This was an exciting time and met with great interest
Great Expectations
In Arabidopsis growth room, growing our plants on Petri dishes.
The effect of FLC on flowering. When FLC is present, the plant does not flower (left). When the plant has been
vernalised for four weeks, the plant flowers (right).
+FLCNon vernalised
-FLC Vernalised
PAGE 52 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
worldwide. Jim and I won the inaugural Prime Minister’s Prize for Science in 2000 for this discovery on the control of flowering.
Hybrid vigour and hybrid mimicsAfter a good deal of work on flowering and epigenetics,
Jim and I decided to work on one of the major challenges in biology, the molecular nature of hybrid vigour. Hybrid vigour was noticed by Darwin and first used in maize in about 1928 to produce increased yields of 20–50%, an enormous boost to plant breeding. Presently, hybrids are used in the production systems of rice, canola and many horticultural crops, with resulting large increases in yield. There have been many theories about the genetic basis of hybrid vigour but so far, no complete explanation of how hybrids, grown under identical conditions to their parents, produce up to 50% more yield. There is a major disadvantage to hybrids and that is the next and subsequent generations do not produce the same high yield but give rise to a population that is very heterogeneous and not suitable for cropping. So new hybrid seed must be bought every planting season. As well, hybrids are expensive to produce and so hybrid seed costs the farmers a good deal more than regular seed that they can keep.
We have addressed this problem by making hybrid mimics, lines that have the characteristics of hybrids including their high yield but are stable over many generations. In this way, we hope to provide seed that gives high yield but at a low price to farmers in developing countries. The hybrid mimics are not true hybrids, but have been selected from a high yielding hybrid for hybrid-like characteristics through multiple generations of self-pollination. We first made these hybrid mimics in Arabidopsis, but now we have succeeded in rice. This again was done with a super postdoc, Li Wang (3), and a PhD student, You Zhang. Part of our mission was to determine the molecular mechanism of hybrid vigour and we looked for an epigenetic basis. We did find a process via trans-chromosomal methylation (TCM) and trans-
chromosomal demethylation, where the DNA methylation pattern of one allele is transferred to the other in hybrids. This change in methylation pattern can alter gene activity. This was the work of Ian Greaves and Michael Groszmann. Alas, when we used mutants defective for the TCM process, the level of hybrid vigour was unchanged, indicating that TCM was not important for vigour. Later with a Japanese collaborator, Ryo Fujimoto, we showed other forms of DNA methylation were necessary to obtain full hybrid vigour. The hybrid mimics have helped us increase our understanding of hybrid vigour as both phenomena share phenotypes and gene expression changes. We have found that in hybrids and mimics, early establishment of vigour is important, leading to larger leaves and more photosynthate production, which in turn, leads to more vigour. Other factors including the plant hormone auxin are important and the high yield is associated with increased branching of the reproductive tissue, which is then able to bear more seed.
ConclusionSo, what has the journey been like? Firstly, it has meant
absorption in my work, science has a momentum so there is always something new, whether it is a new finding from
Great Expectations
Celebrating colleagues Ming-Bo Wang and Peter Waterhouse’s Prime Minister’s Prize
for Science in Parliament House, 2007.
Laboratory group with Ming-Bo Wang’s group in a wintry Canberra, 2009.
Hybrid mimic is very similar to the hybrid.Left: F1 hybrid; middle: Parent; right: hybrid mimic.
ParentF6 Hybrid
MimicF1Hybrid
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 53AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Visiting former postdoctoral fellow Junko Kyozuka near Nagano, Japan.
Great Expectations
someone or a new technique. Importantly, it is having great colleagues to discuss ideas and results with. For much of my career, I have collaborated with Jim Peacock and we have been able to complement each other and do significant science. The total of my colleagues who have played important roles in our work are too many to list here, but I am grateful to them all and it has made science so much more fun. Secondly, CSIRO, where I have spent the bulk of my career, has been a great place
to work, the focus on science and the knowledge that a long-term approach is necessary to achieve real progress has been supported. International colleagues have been important, the Multinational Coordinated Arabidopsis thaliana Genome Research Project, the rice and cotton genome projects with which I have been associated have taught me much. For the last ten years, I have had a position at University of Technology Sydney, where we mentor high-achieving postdocs as well as continue our research.
Along the way, I have managed to fit in a long-term partner, two wonderful boys and a group at Tilba where we own 22.5 hectares of an old dairy farm by the beach which we are reforesting.
I have indeed been fortunate throughout my life and can say I have enjoyed nearly every moment of it.
References1. Finnegan EJ, Peacock WJ, Dennis ES (1996) Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 93, 8449–8454.2. Sheldon CC, Burn JE, Perez PP, Metzger J,
Edwards JA, Peacock WJ, Dennis ES (1999) Plant Cell 11, 445–458.
3. Wang L, Greaves IK, Groszmann M, Wu LM, Dennis ES, Peacock WJ (2015) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112(35), E4959–E4967.
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PAGE 54 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
There has been an increasing amount of research in Australia focusing on cell architecture-associated regulatory mechanisms of cell function. Cell architecture research can cross such varied areas as neuroscience, developmental biology, mechanotransduction and cell signalling to name a few, and it has been a challenge to get such a varied audience together to network and exchange ideas. The Cell Architecture SIG came to life in 2018, with its inaugural Scientific Meeting at Macquarie University in Sydney with 68 attendees from Australia and overseas. The motivation for founding the Cell Architecture SIG was to build a sustainable platform for researchers in the field to:• Promote this field of research at the national and
international level• Encourage interdisciplinary research collaborations
in the field of cell architecture research• Build a network of researchers in Australia and
connect with research groups overseas in the area of cell architecture research
• Foster the development of postgraduate students and early/mid-career researchers
With these aims in mind, an annual scientific meeting was established to discuss the latest findings and create opportunities for interactions between scientists at different career stages located at different institutions across Australia and overseas. Our focus is to have distinguished scientists present keynote lectures and to provide postgraduate students and early/mid-career scientists with an opportunity to present their research at a national meeting.
2019 Annual MeetingThe Cell Architecture SIG held its 2019 Annual Scientific
Meeting as the 8th Cell Architecture in Development and Disease (CADD) Symposium on 1 December in Adelaide. The meeting was held at and supported by the University of South Australia. With one of the key topics being the study of the neuronal cell architecture, the meeting was also supported as a Satellite meeting to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Neuroscience Society, which was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The Cell Architecture SIG meeting was attended by 34 researchers and students from various institutions throughout Australia.
The keynote lectures were given by Professor Jenny Stow (University of Queensland), presenting her work on macropinocytosis as an inflammation hub in microglia, and by our international guest, Professor Stephen Robertson (Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand), discussing the genetic basis and cellular implications of filaminopathies. The program was complemented by a balanced mix of presentation from students and early- to mid-career researchers from across Australia with a focus on the molecular mechanisms maintaining and regulating the architecture of various cell types, under normal and pathological conditions. Six presentations were given by students. Prizes for the best student presentations were awarded to Jing Yang Bernard Tee (Griffith University) for his talk on cell architecture-dependent, altered cell migration phenotype in schizophrenia and to Maria
Cell Architecture: an ASBMB Special Interest Group
Thomas Fath, Cell Architecture SIG Chair, presents Jing Yang Bernard Tee and Maria Lastra Cagigas with certificates for their winning presentations.
Keynote lecturer
Professor Stephen
Robertson.
Keynote lecturer Professor Jenny Stow.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 55AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
What the Current Pandemic Teaches Us About the Value of an Intellectual Property System
A series of regular articles on intellectual property. In
this issue, Sarah Hennebry, Patent Attorney, FPA Patent
Attorneys, describes the strengths of the intellectual
property system.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, some have expressed concern that the existing IP system acts as an impediment to innovation and may prevent public access to information needed to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19. More extreme views include suggestions that existing IP rights systems should be abandoned in favour of more open-source approaches to information sharing.
These approaches however, fail to acknowledge the fundamental philosophy underpinning the IP system, which promotes sharing of information and facilitates collaboration. This article explores the inherent value of IP rights and the importance of maintaining existing IP frameworks in the context of the current pandemic.
Patents: the original open-source publication
It has been argued that the provision of IP rights to innovators, including biotech and pharmaceutical companies, hinders access to information needed and impedes future innovation. Such arguments are based on assertions that patents exclude others from using technology covered by patents.
Patents provide a temporary period of monopoly for patent right holders, and enable the patentee to exclude others from using their invention during the period of that monopoly. However, those rights are only granted if the patentee is prepared to share the details of their innovation with the public.
‘Quid pro quo’ is a fundamental principle of the patent system and requires that someone seeking patent rights enters into a contract or bargain with the public at the time of filing their request for patent protection. This means that the patent system provides almost immediate value to the public since the quid pro quo bargain requires the innovator to share their invention even before the patent is granted. Indeed, in most cases, patent applications are published many years before the patent is granted (see my article on the timeline of the patenting process).
You may also recall from another of my previous articles that a patent specification must contain sufficient
Lastra Cagigas (UNSW Sydney) for her talk on the regulation of lamellipodial dynamics and cell adhesion by tropomyosins in fibroblasts.
The meeting was further supported by Abcam and Jomar Life Research.
Future activitiesDue to the limitations in interstate travel this year, the
Cell Architecture SIG is planning to resume its annual meeting in 2021 with an exciting line up of speakers to be announced closer to the date.
Thomas Fath, Macquarie UniversityChair, Cell Architecture SIG,
Vladimir Sytnyk, UNSW SydneySecretary/Treasurer, Cell Architecture SIG
Nicole Bryce, UNSW SydneyCommunications Officer, Cell Architecture SIGhttps://casig214033823.wordpress.com/home/
Photos: Dennis Fang and Esmeralda Paric, Finć Pictures
Cell Architecture: an ASBMB Special Interest Group
2019 Annual Meeting attendees.
PAGE 56 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
information to enable someone skilled in the same field to be able to reproduce and use the invention. If that information is not provided, there is a good chance that a patent will not be granted. As such, built into the patent system is a requirement which encourages innovators to share the critical details of their innovation. Failure to do so would mean that patentees run the risk of failing to secure patent protection despite having shared important details of their innovation.
During the period of the monopoly, although the public cannot ‘exploit’ or use the patented invention, they are nonetheless permitted to build on the knowledge that has been shared, in many cases, to further innovate or improve their own innovations.
It is generally recognised that getting a pharmaceutical product to market is expensive. Estimates for the typical costs for getting a pharmaceutical product to market range from US$320 million to US$2.8 billion (depending on whether you include costs for failed projects). It is also generally accepted that the temporary monopoly granted to a patentee in relation to the invention, assists innovators in recouping some of these costs.
In the scenario where patent rights aren’t obtainable, the incentive to share one’s innovation with the world is significantly reduced. With no monopoly granted, innovators are instead incentivised to create their own pseudo-monopoly by keeping their innovation secret. Moreover, any such artificial monopoly can theoretically be extended well beyond the usual 20 year monopoly that would be granted via a patent rights system.
Without the obligations imposed by the patenting system to share information, it is entirely possible that the scientific community would not be in the position that it is in now, where a vast repository of knowledge is available both in relation to existing drugs and vaccination approaches, for all to build on.
Arguments which assert that the IP system impedes innovation fail to acknowledge the benefits and requirements of the contract innovators must enter into in order to secure patent protection. The existing IP system provides a framework for sharing information, and that sharing is in part, one of the reasons why we can now have a multipronged approach to vaccine and treatment development.
IP rights provide (funding) opportunities and promote collaboration
By its very definition, IP is an intangible asset. IP rights, however, provide a means for defining and providing scope to that asset. In the same way that a land title sets out the boundaries of a parcel of land, patents and other
IP rights provide a means for establishing the boundaries of what is otherwise an intangible asset. It follows that unless you seek protection of your IP (e.g., in the form of a patent), it is very difficult to define that asset.
Just like tangible assets, IP rights can be sold, licensed and exchanged. This means that IP rights provide opportunities for innovators to benefit from their IP, including through the ability to obtain funds from the proceeds of any sale or license agreement relating to IP rights. Without an IP right defining a given innovation, such opportunities would be elusive.
Perhaps now more than ever before, researchers are recognising the potential to leverage IP assets in order to access alternative sources of funding.
Having a framework which clearly delineates and outlines individual IP rights also assists collaboration, further enabling the scientific community to advance its understanding of various pathologies (and not just in relation to COVID-19). IP rights can be used to facilitate collaboration between large pharmaceutical companies, among smaller innovator groups (including universities and research institutes) and collaboration between both larger biotechnology companies and innovator groups. Again, this is because IP rights systems provide a structure for outlining the boundaries of existing IP that is brought by each party to the collaboration.
Having clearly defined boundaries on existing IP also provides comfort to both parties about to enter into a collaboration as it assists in clearly establishing what each party is bringing to the table, how their existing IP will be used during the collaboration and how any newly generated IP will be handled. Without an IP system to create such comfort, innovators would be disincentivised from collaborating, and sharing of information would be stymied.
IP rights can be shared: compulsory licensing and patent pledges
Contrary to assertions that IP systems hinder sharing of information, existing IP systems provide a framework for access to and sharing of IP rights. In the context of the current pandemic, it is important to remember that various mechanisms exist to ensure access to IP rights in circumstances where there is a public need. For example, many countries, including Australia, have compulsory licensing provisions built into IP legislation, which ensures that a patentee is obliged to provide a license, where warranted.
More specifically, in Australia, a person can apply to the Federal Court for a compulsory licence to a patent in certain circumstances. Those circumstances may
What the Current Pandemic Teaches Us About the Value of an Intellectual Property System
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 57AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
What the Current Pandemic Teaches Us About the Value of an Intellectual Property System
include where demand in Australia for the invention is not being met on reasonable terms, authorisation to use the invention is essential to meet that demand, the applicant has tried for a reasonable period, but without success, to obtain authority from the patentee to use the invention on reasonable terms and conditions; and there is a relevant public interest and benefit to the public in a license being granted to the invention.
In addition, the Patents Act in Australia also contains provisions for compulsory government (Crown) use of patented inventions; and for compulsory government (Crown) use of patented inventions in emergencies.
Provision is made for appropriate remuneration to be paid to the patentee under each of the compulsory licence regimes in the Australian Patents Act. Moreover, such frameworks also provide comfort to patentees with rights to drugs which may have many other uses, that such license agreements will extend only to the use of those drugs in the context of treating COVID-19.
As indicated above, IP rights can also be voluntarily shared. In addition to compulsory licensing legislative provisions, various initiatives from the WHO, individuals, innovators and biotechnology companies have been launched, with the aim of facilitating access to and sharing of IP rights. Two examples are patent pledges and the WHO voluntary patent pool. The Open COVID Pledge was launched in the US on 30 March 2020 by the Open COVID Coalition and similar pledge initiatives have been launched in other countries, including Japan (Open COVID-19 Declaration) and by various groups of research institutes (such as the COVID-19 Technology Access Framework).
The purpose of such pledges are to encourage innovators (such as universities, research institutes and companies) to grant non-exclusive, royalty-free worldwide licenses to patented technologies that could be used in the development of treatments and cures for COVID-19. It is generally proposed that the licenses will be effective until one year after the WHO declares an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To look at one example in more detail, the Open COVID Pledge requires that the patentee (the “pledgor”) agree
not to seek monetary compensation or seek to stop (“injunct”) any entity or individual from using the licensed IP, where the use is for “for the sole purpose of ending the COVID-19 pandemic … and minimizing the impact of the disease…”
It may be that the scope of licenses granted through such pledges are perceived to be an ill-fit for life sciences innovations, including due to lack of clarity over the potentially broad scope of the pledges and how terms such as ‘minimizing the impact of the disease’ may be construed. Given the significant value of IP to pharma companies, it is understandable that there may be reluctance to sign up to a license agreement that does not appear to have the same controls or clarity as compulsory licensing regimes or where de novo agreements are reached between parties.
Nonetheless, and separately to patent pools and specific pledges, some large pharmaceutical companies have voluntarily granted non-exclusive licenses to generic companies seeking to expand the supply of medications that are being trialed for COVID-19 treatment. Further, some large pharma and biotech companies developing coronavirus vaccines or treatments have committed to sharing or waving exclusivities related to some of their new inventions.
ConclusionRather than impeding innovation and research,
particularly in the midst of the current pandemic, the existing IP system provides a framework to ensure the timely dissemination of information pertaining to new innovations, and requires that patentees share sufficient information relating to their invention to enable others to reproduce and make use of their innovations. IP systems provide a mechanism for defining innovation and IP, and thereby facilitate collaboration and sharing of ideas. Further, most IP legislation has in-built provisions to ensure that access to patented technology can be granted where needed, and provides flexibility, enabling innovators to share and grant licenses to aspects of their patented technology.
PAGE 58 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Queen’s Birthday Honour for ASBMB Member
Professor Ryan Lister, University of Western AustraliaRyan Lister is a genome biologist who has made major advances in our
understanding of the epigenome, the molecular code superimposed upon the genome that can regulate the readout of the underlying genetic information. Through landmark technology developments and biological investigations, Ryan’s discoveries have provided new insights into the composition and function of the epigenome in diverse systems including plants, animals, human stem cells, embryo development, and the brain. His work is focused upon understanding how epigenome patterns are established and changed, how they affect the readout of the underlying information within the DNA sequence, their involvement in development and disease, and developing molecular tools to precisely edit the epigenome. Through this, his work is driving advances that will provide benefits to agriculture, human health and medicine.
New Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
On 25 May 2020, the Australian Academy of Science announced the election of 24 new Fellows for their outstanding contributions to science, including ASBMB member, Ryan Lister.
Professor Rob Baxter was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to medical research, to endocrinology, and to tertiary education. Rob is a pre-clinical cancer researcher with primary expertise in biochemistry, cell biology and proteomics, and a background in endocrinology and metabolic regulation, prior to over 20 years in breast cancer research.
His work has a highly translational focus and has contributed to understanding both the regulation of normal tissue and body growth, and the aberrant cellular growth in cancer, with a major focus on the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs). The lab’s achievements include characterising the protein complexes that carry IGFs in the circulation, and discovering how IGFBPs affect cancer growth and survival, chemotherapy resistance and DNA damage repair by modulating cell signalling pathways. He has more than 300 publications that have been cited over 30,000 times (Google Scholar).
Rob did his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Sydney, and after postdoctoral training in the USA and Sydney, worked as a hospital scientist at RPAH, Sydney, for 20 years. He has been a Professor in the Sydney Medical School since 1992 (Emeritus since 2019), and moved to the Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, in 1994, where he was the Director until January 2012. He became a Fellow of the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists in 1987, was awarded a DSc (University of Sydney) in 1990, and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2004. He is a former member of NHMRC Research Committee, former chair of the National Committee for Biomedical Science of the Australian Academy of Science, and current Vice-President of the International Society for IGF Research. Rob joined ASBMB (then ABS) more than 50 years ago, and was awarded the Lemberg Medal in 1997. Other notable awards include the Dale Medal (British Endocrine Society), Wellcome Australia Medal (now known as the GSK Award), and the Ramaciotti Medal for Biomedical Research.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 59AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Annual General Meeting of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc.
The 64th Annual General Meeting of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc. will be held will be held on Wednesday 30 September 2020 at 1300 hours Australian Eastern Standard Time. The meeting will be conducted online via Zoom: https://uqz.zoom.us/j/93586906703
AGENDA1. Apologies2. Confirmation of the Minutes of Annual General Meeting No. 633. Elections to Council4. President’s Report5. Treasurer’s Report6. Fees for 20217. Any Other Business
Briony ForbesSecretary, ASBMB
Nominations are called for the following positions on the Council of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc for 2021: Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, Secretary for Sustaining Members and State Representatives.
President J MackayPresident Elect J MatthewsSecretary B Forbes §Treasurer M Kvansakul #Editor T Soares da Costa #Education Representative N Samarawickrema #Secretary for Sustaining Members S Jay #
ACT M Johnson §NSW K Quinlan §Vic E Lee §Qld B Schulz §SA M Pitman #Tas K Brettingham-Moore § WA M Murcha §
Nomination forms are available on the ASBMB website. Nominations for all vacant positions must be signed and seconded by members of the Society. The nominations must be signed by the nominee to indicate his/her willingness to stand. If more than one nomination is received for any position, a ballot will be held at the Annual General Meeting. All members will be notified of any elections and members not attending the Annual General Meeting may submit a proxy form available from the Secretary.
NOMINATIONS MUST REACH THE SECRETARY BY 16 SEPTEMBER 2020.
# Eligible for re-election
§ Position open
The ASBMB Council for the period 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 is composed of the following members:
Representatives for:
Election of Council 2021
PAGE 60 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
OVERSEASDR MARC JACOBS, NEW ZEALANDMRS RAHIMOT OLADIPO, MALAYSIA
ACTMR HAJIZADEH ARASHDR JOSEPH BROCKDR TOM CARRUTHERSA/PROF TAMAS FISCHERMR MARCO GUARNACCIMS JENNIFER HUNGMS ANUKRITI MATHURMR RICHARD MORRISMRS HAFIZAH PUSHIRIDR TATIANA SOBOLEVADR DANIEL TUIPULOTUMS VANESSA VONGSOUTHI
NSWMRS BASMAH ALMOHAYWIDR SIMON BRAYFORDMISS AMANDA CHAIDR MATTHEW CLEMSONMR BENJAMIN FORDDR MIRO JANCODR HEINRICH KROUKAMPDR REBECCA LEBARDMISS ISOBEL LERPINIEREDR JENNIFER MATTHEWSDR MARINA PAJICDR BISHNU PAUDELMR HARRY RATHBONEDR EMMA SIERECKIMISS MABEL TANMR JOHN TIMMINS
QLDMISS ZAIN AKRAMDR PATRICIA CARREIRAMR JASON CHEKMAREVMISS YULIIA DIDANDR LARISSA DIRRA/PROF FREDERIC GACHON
PROF IAN HENDERSONMR AHMED ISHTIAQDR GREGOR KIJANKAMR LIN LUOMR MOHAMMAD MANIKDR CRAIG MCFARLANEMR TEMITAYO OLADIPOMS NICOLA RICHARDSMR SAIFUL RONEYDR VIKAS TILLUDR PARIMALA VAJJHALAMS SHAN ZHENG
SAMS ROSA COLDBECK-SHACKLEYDR MARTA GABRYELSKAMR BRYAN GARDAMMR RHYS HAMONMRS LEILA HOSSEINZADEHMISS KIMBERLEY MCLEANMRS EBTIHAL MUSTAFAMS STEPHANIE NGUYENDR MICHAEL ROACHDR SUSAN WOODS
VICMISS SANJEEVINI BABU REDDIARDR SIMONE BECKHAMDR PETER BOAGDR MICHAEL CLARKA/PROF CHEN DAVIDOVICHDR DOMINIC DE NARDODR NATHAN HABILAMS AMY HODGEMISS AIRAH JAVORSKYMISS DEVI JENIKADR ANDREW KELLERMS AMIR KENARIDR ROWENA LAVERYMR JEROME LE NOURSMR FUYI LIMISS EMILY MACKIEMRS ZIVA MULLERMS TRANG NGUYENMISS DILARA OZKOCAKPROF GAIL RISBRIDGER
DR PATRICIA RUSUMISS JASCINTA SANTAVANONDMR RAHUL SANWLANIE/PROF FRANCES SEPAROVICMR MARVIN SKULSUPPAISARNDR WILLIAM SMILESMR SANTOSH TATADR PRAVEENA THIRUNAVUKKARASUDR HANMIAO ZHANDR QI ZHANG
WADR MARK AGOSTINOMR AMR ARISHIDR LOIS BALMERDR ALI BANDEHAGHDR KALIA BERNATH-LEVINMS UDITI BHATTDR JESSICA BUCKMS ANINDITA CHAKRABORTYMR YEE SENG CHONGMS STACEY CILEMANOFFMS SABRINA DAVIESMS MABEL GILL-HILLEDR JOEL HAYWOODMR SANG HUYNHMISS KELLY IRVINGMR SIMON KESSLERMS HEIDAR KONINGMR FARLEY KWOK VAN DER GIEZENMR NICHOLAS LAWLERMR DUNG LEMISS LORELEI MASSELOT-JOUBERTMR FINN McCLUGGAGEMS ROSE McDOWELLMR SAMUEL NONISMR SILVANO PATERNOSTERDR CHRISTIAN PFLUEGERDR JOSHUA RAMSAYMS INDRA ROUXDR JASON SCHMIDBERGERMR KIRILL SUKHOVERKOVMR CALLUM VERDONKDR SONG ZHANG
A warm welcome is extended to the following new members who joined ASBMB from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020
ASBMB Welcomes New Members
For further information visit
FA O B M B 2 0 2 1 . O R G
We are excited to welcome you to
Christchurch, New Zealand for the
16th Congress of the Federation of
Asian and Oceanian Biochemists
and Molecular Biologists.
This will also be ASBMB’s annual
meeting in 2021.
Peak Bodies
Hosts
22–25 NOVEMBER 2021
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 61AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
For further information visit
FA O B M B 2 0 2 1 . O R G
We are excited to welcome you to
Christchurch, New Zealand for the
16th Congress of the Federation of
Asian and Oceanian Biochemists
and Molecular Biologists.
This will also be ASBMB’s annual
meeting in 2021.
Peak Bodies
Hosts
22–25 NOVEMBER 2021
PAGE 62 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
DisclaimerThe Australian Biochemist is published by the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc. The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc.
Our Sustaining MembersASBMB welcomes the following new Sustaining Member:SCITECH PTY LTD, VIC
CRISPR-Cas9 knockout cell lines: off-the-shelf, single-gene knockouts to confidently interrogate the relationship between genotype and phenotype without having to establish your own knockout cell line. We provide 700+ knockouts in immortalized mammalian cell lines (HeLa and HEK293T). All knockout cell lines are Sanger sequenced and many have additional western blot data to confirm knockout at the proteomic level.
2,700+ diploid knockout cell lysates: generated from commonly used immortalized diploid knockout cell lines (HeLa, HEK293T, A549, HCT116, Hep G2, and MCF7), derived from single-cell clones. Each knockout cell line is individually cloned and validated by Sanger sequencing. The knockout cell lysates are provided lyophilized with the parental wild-type lysate to allow the biological impact of the knockout to be assessed within a consistent cellular background.
Abcam announces successful acquisition of Expedeon’s Proteomics and Immunology business, enhancing its conjugation capability. This includes protein conjugation technologies and industry brands Lightning-Link and CaptSure. Abcam offer conjugation kits for 50+ labels for applications across the life science industry, including enzymes, metals, oligos, and fluorescent proteins.
More information at www.abcam.com or please note our new phone number 1800 960 553 / (03) 9070 4707.
BMG LABTECH Awarded for Outstanding Product Reviews on SelectScience
BMG LABTECH’s high performance PHERAstar FSX High-Throughput Screening (HTS) microplate reader and the and CLARIOstar Plus multi-mode microplate readers have won a prized Seal of Quality in recognition of the consistently positive reviews they receive from scientists.
The Seals of Quality recognize the top 0.1% of products that consistently receive the highest customer review ratings on the leading laboratory technology website, SelectScience®. The Quality recognition is designed to help scientists immediately recognise instruments and services their peers most value.
“All of us at BMG LABTECH are elated to receive the Bronze Seal of Quality for our two premium microplate readers. It’s a testament to the hard work that goes into constantly developing unique technologies to provide scientist with the very best equipment for their work,” said Tobias Pusterla, International Marketing Manager at BMG LABTECH.
The PHERAstar® FSX is BMG LABTECH’s most sensitive multi-mode reader for high-throughput screening, with fast read times and exceptional reliability. The new CLARIOstar® Plus is BMG LABTECH’s most flexible multi-mode plate reader featuring patented LVF Monochromators™, Enhanced Dynamic Range (EDR), filters, and an ultra-fast spectrometer. This is the ideal reader for assay development and for laboratories with multiple assay detection requirements.
To learn more, visit www.bmglabtech.com or email [email protected]
A Biodiscovery Opportunity! Ready-to-Use Natural Product Bioassay Plates Provided Under CRC-P Grant
BioAustralis: towards the future is a bold endeavour to provide microbial metabolites as a discovery resource, funded in part by an AusIndustry CRC-P grant. Project goals include catalysing the discovery of next-generation leads and unlocking previously unrecognised modes of action. Chemical regulation maintains the ecological balance in our world and each natural product has a role in Nature, be it trying to suppress, induce or potentiate other organisms.
BioAustralis Discovery Plates are the only microbial discovery platform presented as ready-to-use micro-titre plates. The set comprises a collection of 10 x 96-well microtitre plates with over 800 microbial metabolites and semi-synthetic derivatives (1 µg in 1 µL DMSO). The BioAustralis collection is composed of known and rare microbial metabolites sourced mainly from Australian microorganisms with diverse biological activity: http://www.bioaustralis.com/pdfs/catalogue.pdf.
The conditions of supply are generous: research must be conducted in an Australian institution; plates will be delivered free-of-charge; BioAustralis does not have an interest in any intellectual property; recipients are encouraged to publish their results; preference will be given to researchers with innovative bioassays.
To register your interest, please email [email protected] or [email protected] by 30 September 2020.
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 63AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Isolating Primary and Stem Cells? FREE Collagenase Sampling Program!
The demand for safer biologicals and biopharmaceuticals has led Worthington to introduce several Animal Free (AF) enzymes for primary/stem cell isolation, tissue culture research and vaccine bioprocessing. Scientists working in regenerative medicine applications including the isolation of stem cells, tissue transplantation, artificial organ development and vaccine production would benefit from AF enzymes since there is no risk of potential BSE/TSE and/or mammalian viruses contaminants. In addition, the use of AF enzymes eliminates many of the quality and regulatory issues and concerns associated with enzymes purified from animal sources.
The lot-to-lot variation which is typical of enzyme preparations makes it important to pre-test a particular lot of enzyme you are planning to use in your experiment. Many years ago we found that the most practical approach for the researcher is to pre-sample several different lots of collagenase at a time and select the best of the group. As the world’s leading manufacturer of collagenase, Worthington is able to offer the greatest number of different lots at any given time and recommend specific lots for an application. Regular grades of Worthington Animal Free Collagenase are also available for sampling.
There is no charge for participating in the collagenase sampling program. Under the program, individual researchers are provided with 100 mg samples of up to three different lots of collagenase for evaluation in their own assay systems. A period of 60 days is allowed for your evaluation of these samples. A minimum of 3 grams of each lot will be placed on HOLD, reserved in your name. When you determine which lot
RayDrop Benefits:• Continuous production• Droplet size 40 um to 130 um• Exchangeable nozzle• Easy to use• No coating/surfactant needed
Discover more by contacting your friendly SDR Scientific Technical Sales and Support Specialist on +61 2 9882 2882 or by clicking here.
Capella Science ‘Precise’ Micropipettes
The new ‘Precise’ range of micropipettes from Capella Science provide the perfect combination of ergonomics and precision. Reduced operating force, via a magnetic-assisted piston and ultra-smooth action, leads to improved accuracy, reliability and comfort. The advanced design ensures your hands won’t get tired even during extended bench work.
Tip ejection is almost effortless, via the corrosion-resistant ejector with unique shock-absorbing mechanism. The tip cone is highly durable PVDF and large 4-digit display has a lock setting. There are 9 variable-volumes models, 14 fixed volumes and 12 multi-channel models available. All are calibrated in an ISO-accredited lab and in-house recalibration is easy.
A full 3-year warranty is standard.
The comprehensive range of tips, from 10uL to 10mL in plain or filter-tip format, are manufactured in a state-of-the-art, human-touch-free cleanroom. All are certified DNAse, RNAse, pyrogen, endotoxin, human DNA and PCR inhibitor-free, and non-cytotoxic.
The Capella Science ‘Precise’ range offers truly effortless pipetting.
Capella [email protected] 9575 7512
performs best for you, simply specify the lot desired when ordering.
To become part of this program, or to discuss any of the Worthington products, just call ScimaR at 1800 639 634 or email [email protected] or visit our website www.scimar.com.au
The RayDrop: Easy Encapsulation Available Now from Fluigent and SDR Scientific
The encapsulation of active ingredients (APIs) in polymer is gaining interest in many areas, but current processes have many limitations such as microparticle size distribution, poor repeatability, and more. In the context of a growing demand for controlled droplets for drug delivery, cosmetic, and food purposes, Fluigent has developed a new breakthrough technology leading to outstanding particle size monodispersity and production flexibility: the RayDrop.
Compared to most commercial microfluidic droplet generators, the Raydrop doesn’t suffer from current limitations and drawbacks such as the need of specific coatings or the use of dedicated surfactants, depending on the fluids in play.
It can be used to continuously encapsulate APIs without unwanted interruption for long term experiments. The possibility of automating protocols for different microparticle size production makes the Raydrop a very robust and versatile solution. Fluigent also aimed to make it as easy as possible to implement in laboratories with limited experience in microfluidics.
The RayDrop brings to new markets a droplet-based microfluidics solution: For a Free On-demand webinar, please click here: RayDrop Webinar
Our Sustaining Members
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To celebrate 30 years in 2020, Analytik Jena have released the new qTower3 auto, where real-time PCR meets automation.
On the back of their proven optical system in the qTower3 range, the evolution to the qTower3 auto introduces an automation-friendly design to fit on nearly all benchtops and is compatible to a wide selection of automated systems out on the market. The configuration is flexible – choose to run between 1 to 6 channels, any of which can be added, removed, or interchanged in the field. The thermal block offers accurate temperature control and read speeds of 6 seconds per plate, regardless of plex number and plate format (96 or 384). All units come with optional 21 CFR part 11 to monitor real-time PCR processes and ensure data traceability through electronic signatures, audit trail QA and date/time stamps. Users also enjoy the industry leading 10-year warranty on the optical system (standard 2 years on device system)
The unit shares its technical specifications with the qTower3 G 96 touch manual system.
Arrange a demonstration by calling us on 1800 00 84 53, email [email protected] or visit www.bio-strategy.com.
Bioplatforms Australia is funded by the Commonwealth Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy and supports the research community by providing access to genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics infrastructure. In 2018/19, over 3000 users accessed our facilities and completed 15,000+ research contracts.
This results in amplified DNA with high integrity and fragment length, ensuring that most of the sequences are uniformly represented.
Benefits• Primer free method – TthPrimPol
synthesizes the primers for Phi29 DNA pol
• No primer artefacts – no random extension of primer dimers
• Insensitive to external DNA contamination
• Works with all types of genomes• Reduced amplification bias in
genome coverage for reliable results
• Easy handling in a convenient kit format
• Ideally suited for Next Generation Sequencing
TruePrime® technology: based on the combination of the recently discovered DNA primase TthPrimPol1 and the extremely progressive and high fidelity Phi29 DNA polymerase. TthPrimPol is a thermostable member of the recently discovered PrimPol family of enzymes. PrimPols are endowed with primase and polymerase activities. The main novelty of these enzymes is their capacity to synthesise DNA primers.
BioNovus Life SciencesDavid AntonjukPh: (02) 9484 0931Email: [email protected]: www.bionovuslifesciences.com.au
Tecan Australia is giving away free polo shirts to readers of the Australian Biochemist August 2020 issue.
To receive your free polo shirt, please call Tecan on 1300 808 403 or send an email to [email protected]. Please provide us with your contact name, delivery address and shirt size details.
We also foster collaborations and new partnerships through our national collaborative and inclusive framework initiatives. These projects address key Australian challenges in health, agriculture and environment using biomolecular techniques. We have completed 10 of these projects and contributed significantly both in the scientific output and application of these data in understanding melanoma, wheat pathogenesis and the impact of global warming on the great barrier reef. These initiatives continue to be a key focus, with 12 active and recently established projects in antibiotic resistance, characterising soil microbiome and building genetic resources to understand and conserve Australia’s unique flora and fauna.
Bioplatforms recently established the Australian BioCommons in partnership with key e-research and infrastructure providers to assist researchers in analysing large datasets by providing access to high performance computing services required for data analysis. We continue to assist researchers in their work and to catalyse new partnerships and initiatives to address uniquely Australian scientific challenges.
Contact: Andrew [email protected]
Single Cell Whole Genome Amplification
TruePrime® Single Cell Whole Genome Amplification Kit from 4basebio uses a novel and reliable method to achieve accurate genome amplification from single or just a few cells. Amplification of a few cells instead of one can improve total coverage breadth if your experimental design allows this. TruePrime® Single Cell Whole Genome Amplification Kit uses alkaline incubation to allow cell lysis and DNA denaturation of genomic DNA with very low DNA fragmentation.
Our Sustaining Members
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 65AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
Sapphire Biomolecular Imager – Resolution Down to 10 μm
The new Sapphire Biomolecular Imager from Azure Biosystems is a next generation laser scanning system that provides you with exceptional data quality through extremely sensitive detection, ultra-high resolution and broad linear dynamic range. Applications include Blot Imaging eg Western blots and Southern Blots of 2D DNA gels, Gel Imaging, Tissue and Small Animal Imaging eg whole zebrafish and 96-Well Plate Imaging.
This system supports long and short wavelengths of near infrared fluorescence (NIR), red/green/blue (RGB) imaging, chemiluminescent imaging, phosphor imaging as well as optical densitometry (OD) of proteins in stained gels. It uses up to four solid state lasers (488, 520, 658 and 784 nm) offering ultimate excitation sensitivity and four colour detection of fluorescent westerns.
The Sapphire Biomolecular Imager offers a photomultiplier tube (PMT) for fluorescence and phosphor imaging, avalanche photodiodes (APD) for near-infrared imaging and a CCD sensor for chemiluminescent and visible imaging.
Chemiluminescent Western blotting takes advantage of the enzymatic reaction between horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled secondary antibodies and an enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) substrate to produce photons of light. The signal enhancement of the enzymatic reaction is useful for detecting small amounts of protein. The Sapphire can deliver chemiluminescent detection with the same sensitivity as film, but with a much broader dynamic range.
The same three detector technology that makes the Sapphire so great for imaging western blots is also flexible enough to image a wide range of gels, whether they are ethidium bromide
Fisher Biotec is offering a selected range of these quality US sourced products to the Australian scientific market at affordable prices and guarantee they will meet and exceed your expectations.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Further information:[email protected] – 1800 066 077
Eppendorf – Celebrating 75 Years of Supporting Scientists
When doing research, the focus tends to be on the future: What’s the next step? In which direction is the field moving? What new discoveries lie ahead?
In these situations, it’s sometimes good to take a step back and think about how we got here. What can we learn from the past when stepping into the future. A lot of this comes back to trust; the trusted methods and technologies that form the basis of our work today often remain a valuable building block for the new developments of tomorrow.
The same principle applies to the manufacturers that support scientists in their work. 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Eppendorf as a company – throughout these years we have gained the trust of generations of researchers in the laboratory with our support and products – most notably, of course the iconic Eppi®. Our scientists and engineers are on a constant mission to build solutions and methods to help address the challenges that today’s scientists face. Who knows what the next 75 years will bring, but let’s go on this journey together.
Eppendorf invites you to chronicle your experience with us, and have the chance to win a UE BOOM 3 Bluetooth box for your lab. Learn more at https://www.eppendorf.com/AU-en/ 75years/#c213899
(EtBr)-stained DNA agarose gels, coomassie-stained protein gels, or even 32P-labeled DNA acrylamide gels and more.
Other key features include image resolution down to 10 microns for high quality image analysis and ultra-wide dynamic range for imaging and quantifying low and high abundance samples simultaneously. This system fully integrates with Sapphire Capture and AzureSpot software programs for perfect imaging and accurate analysis.
SciTech Pty Ltd(03) 9480 [email protected]
Something for Everyone in Your Lab!
Fisher Biotec is now the exclusive distributor in Australia for the Labnet International range of laboratory equipment. Labnet International is a US based, Corning owned company, designing and manufacturing a large range of general laboratory equipment.
Sophisticated design and exceptional service have made Labnet International Centrifuges, Agitators, Incubators, Liquid Handling and Electrophoresis products the lab standard for over 30 years. World-wide, Labnet products feature strongly and add value to research in life science, medical research, forensic biology, and DNA analysis laboratories.
Fisher Biotec recognises the importance of quality lab equipment that is designed for performance and efficiency. With the Labnet range we offer an extensive selection of laboratory equipment that is designed to deliver the best performance possible with small footprints to maximise space.
Our Sustaining Members
PAGE 66 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
DAINTREEs c i e n t i f i cAUSTRALIADaintree Scientific Australia’s range
of QSonica Sonicators are available for both direct sonication with a probe and with cup horns which offer indirect sonication effectively functioning as a high intensity ultrasonic water bath. Indirect sonication eliminates the need for a probe to come into contact with your sample. The ultrasonic energy is transmitted from the horn, up through the water and into a vessel or multiple sample tubes. Multiple samples can be processed at once in sealed tubes. Indirect sonication is most effective for very small samples because foaming and sample loss are eliminated. Pathogenic or sterile samples are ideal for this method as aerosols and cross contamination are prevented.
The horn is mounted within an acrylic cup and the cup is filled with water. Sample tubes are placed in an appropriately sized rack at a fixed distance above the ultrasonic horn. Cavitation is produced in the water, processing the samples within the tubes. The large cup horn, for use with the 700 and 500 watt Sonicators includes a tube rack for eight 1.5 mL tubes.
The small cup horn for use with the 125 watt Sonicator is suitable for sonication of two 1.5 mL tubes or one 15 mL tube.
Contact Daintree Scientific Australia to discuss the QSonica range of Sonicators, stocked in Australia for fast delivery.
Please contactMoina MacaskillDaintree Scientific Australiawww.daintreescientific.com.au(03) 6376 [email protected]
Phasefocus Livecyte delivers all of this and more!
Livecyte uses Ptychography, an emerging imaging technique, that can provide you with data not available with any other instrument. High-contrast, fluorescent-like images are generated using low powered illumination (4-7µW/mm2), in which cells appear as bright objects on a dark background. Livecyte can extract the changes in morphology, motion and dry mass of each cell over time. This leads to a more complete characterisation of cell phenotypic properties. Tracking and analysis of individual cells, along with population metrics, to monitor cell speed and directionality of migration together with cell proliferation can allow greater insights into biological processes. Livecyte offers the versatility to measure and monitor sensitive cell types such as primary cells, patient derived cells and stem cells. Livecyte can also perform correlative fluorescence and brightfield imaging.
Achieve more from one experiment. Contact us at ATA Scientific and discover more.
[email protected](02) 9541 3500
Reveal Complex Individual Cell Behaviours and Unlock Unique Insights in Every AssayLivecyte – not another microscope!
Individual cell segmentation and tracking using traditional label-free methods such as brightfield or phase contrast is challenging due to lack of inherent imaging contrast. Fluorescent labels enhance cell contrast but the high intensity light required to excite fluorophores can alter cell behaviour and induce cell death largely due to photodamage.
So, how do we do this better?Ideally, live cell imaging needs to
identify and track individual cells for prolonged periods without the need for perturbing labels and provide high contrast images under low levels of light intensity, to preserve natural behaviours and allow recovery of cells for subsequent experimentation or downstream analysis. A continuous, large field of view with no loss of resolution or focus that permits even highly motile cells to be tracked during time-lapse imaging can prevent potentially important cells from being lost or overlooked. Information rich reliable data is key where each experiment automatically yields a plethora of phenotypic parameters such as cell thickness, volume, dry mass in addition to kinetic behaviour characterised by cell speed, displacement and confinement ratio.
Our Sustaining Members
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 67AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
With the advent of COVID restrictions and adaptability to a changing world, NewSpec’s Outreach team has focused on inspiring scientific ideas within the family unit, and creating an electron microscopy informational program for kids and parents in a post-COVID educational space. As part of our collaboration with the University of Queensland, we currently offer Zoom introductory and informational sessions on the electron microscope. We hope to once again commence travelling to schools in Term 3, when many schools can resume on-site educational programs. Contact us if you’d like the program at your school or if you’re a distance learner or home school educator who would like the online introduction.
Further information: www.inspirestemeducation.com.au
Laboratories Credit Union (LCU): Banking for the Science Community
Like banks, credit unions accept deposits and provide loans plus a wide array of other financial services. But as member-owned and cooperative institutions (unlike banks), credit unions always keep their members’ interests first.
At LCU, this comes in the form of member benefits such as:• Low fees• Fair rates• Excellent service• The latest products and technology
Lumascopes utilise LED light sources, Semrock filters, advanced optical engineering, and CMOS sensors to provide near diffraction-limited resolution. Powered only by a USB connection, Lumascopes easily record your photos, time-lapse series (from seconds to days) and live videos (up to 30fps) directly to your computer while at the same time offering remote control of the system.
The inverted design accommodates microplates, flasks, dishes and custom labware in addition to slides catering for almost any sample type you might come up with.
Visit www.axt.com.au/products/lumascopes/ for more information.
AXT – Life Science Solutions02 9450 1359 [email protected]
When you call LCU, you will always speak to a person, not a call centre or automated phone system. We give our members not only great personal service but a one call service outcome. Whether it is over the phone or in our branch, members love the service.
At the end of the day, a credit union is people pooling their money to provide each other with affordable credit. We are quite simply, people helping people. Don’t take our word for it, give us a call today and see for yourself.
For more information contact: [email protected] 9859 0550
Compact High-resolution Fluorescence Microscopes Suited to Use in Challenging Environments
AXT have recently added the Etaluma range of compact, inverted fluorescence microscopes to their range of live cell imaging systems. Etaluma’s Lumascopes provide next generation imaging capabilities and differ from conventional microscopes in that their tiny, robust form factor that enables them to be easily incorporated into challenging environments such incubators, hoods and workstations for in situ imaging where others will not operate.
Developed by working scientists, Lumascope’s design is ideal for fluorescence microscopy imaging and measuring the presence, health and signal of labeled cells. Etaluma provides monochrome brightfield and phase contrast alternatives for a variety of applications. By simplifying the design, Lumascopes offer the performance of much more complex microscopes at a fraction of the cost.
Our Sustaining Members
PAGE 68 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
ASBMB Council 2020
TREASURERProfessor Marc Kvansakul Department of Biochemistry and GeneticsLa Trobe Institute for Molecular Science La Trobe UniversityBUNDOORA VIC 3086Ph (03) 9479 2263Email: [email protected]
PRESIDENTProfessor Joel MackaySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySYDNEY NSW 2006Ph (02) 9351 3906Email: [email protected]
SECRETARY FOR SUSTAINING MEMBERSSally Jayc/- ASBMB National OfficePO Box 2331KENT TOWN SA 5071Ph (08) 8362 0009Email: [email protected]
EDUCATION REPRESENTATIVEDr Nirma SamarawickremaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityCLAYTON VIC 3800Ph (03) 9902 0295Email: [email protected]
EDITOR and CHAIR OF COMMUNICATIONS Dr Tatiana Soares da CostaDepartment of Biochemistry and GeneticsLa Trobe Institute for Molecular Science La Trobe UniversityBUNDOORA VIC 3086Ph (03) 9479 2227Email: [email protected]
FAOBMB REPRESENTATIVEAssociate Professor Terrence PivaSchool of Medical SciencesRMIT University, PO Box 71BUNDOORA VIC 3083Ph (03) 9925 6503Email: [email protected]
SECRETARYProfessor Briony ForbesMedicinal BiochemistryFlinders UniversityBEDFORD PARK SA 5042Ph (08) 8204 4221Email: [email protected]
PRESIDENT ELECTProfessor Jacqui MatthewsSchool of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySYDNEY NSW 2006Ph (02) 9351 6025 Email: [email protected]
@ITSASBMB
www.asbmb.org.au
ComBio
www.asbmb.org.au/combio2022
@ComBio2022
VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020 PAGE 69AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
COUNCIL FOR2020PRESIDENTProfessor Joel MackaySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySYDNEY NSW 2006Ph (02) 9351 3906Email: [email protected]
PRESIDENT ELECTProfessor Jacqui MatthewsSchool of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySYDNEY NSW 2006Ph (02) 9351 6025Email: [email protected]
TREASURERProfessor Marc Kvansakul Department of Biochemistry and GeneticsLa Trobe Institute for Molecular Science La Trobe UniversityBUNDOORA VIC 3086Ph (03) 9479 2263Email: [email protected]
SECRETARYProfessor Briony ForbesMedicinal BiochemistryFlinders UniversityBEDFORD PARK SA 5042Ph (08) 8204 4221Email: [email protected]
EDITOR and CHAIR OF COMMUNICATIONSDr Tatiana Soares da CostaDepartment of Biochemistry and GeneticsLa Trobe Institute for Molecular Science La Trobe UniversityBUNDOORA VIC 3086Ph (03) 9479 2227Email: [email protected]
EDUCATION REPRESENTATIVEDr Nirma SamarawickremaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityCLAYTON VIC 3800Ph (03) 9902 0295Email: [email protected]
FAOBMB REPRESENTATIVEAssociate Professor Terrence PivaSchool of Medical SciencesRMIT University, PO Box 71BUNDOORA VIC 3083Ph (03) 9925 6503Email: [email protected]
SECRETARY FOR SUSTAINING MEMBERSSally Jayc/- ASBMB National OfficePO Box 2331KENT TOWN SA 5071Ph (08) 8362 0009Email: [email protected]
STATE REPRESENTATIVESAUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORYDr Matthew JohnsonResearch School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityACTON ACT 2601Ph (02) 6127 0049Email: [email protected]
NEW SOUTH WALESDr Kate Quinlan School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSYDNEY 2052 NSWPh (02) 9385 8586Email: [email protected]
QUEENSLANDDr Benjamin SchulzSchool of Chemistry & Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of QueenslandST LUCIA QLD 4072Ph (07) 3365 4875Email: [email protected]
SOUTH AUSTRALIADr Melissa PitmanCentre for Cancer BiologySA Pathology & University of South AustraliaADELAIDE SA 5001Ph (08) 8302 7892Email: [email protected]
TASMANIADr Kate Brettingham-MooreSchool of MedicineUniversity of TasmaniaHOBART TAS 7008Ph (03) 6226 4609Email: [email protected]
VICTORIADr Erinna LeeOlivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute145 Studley RdHEIDELBERG VIC 3084Ph (03) 9496 5726Email: [email protected]
WESTERN AUSTRALIADr Monika MurchaARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy BiologyUniversity of Western AustraliaCRAWLEY WA 6009Ph (08) 6488 1749Email: [email protected]
ASBMB NATIONAL OFFICEPO Box 2331KENT TOWN SA 5071Ph (08) 8362 0009Fax (08) 8362 0009Email: [email protected]://www.asbmb.org.au
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPSADELAIDE PROTEIN GROUPChair: Dr Erin BrazelUniversity of AdelaideADELAIDE SA 5005Ph (08) 8313 8259Email: [email protected]
AUSTRALIAN YEAST GROUPChair: Dr Alan MunnGriffith University Gold CoastSOUTHPORT QLD 4222Ph (07) 5552 9307Email: [email protected]
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATIONChair: Dr Nirma SamarawickremaMonash UniversityCLAYTON VIC 3800Ph (03) 9902 0295Email: [email protected]
CELL ARCHITECTUREChair: Associate Professor Thomas FathDementia Research CentreMacquarie UniversityNORTH RYDE NSW 2109Email: [email protected]
MELBOURNE PROTEIN GROUPPresident: Dr Michael GriffinBiochemistry and Molecular BiologyBio21 Institute, University of MelbournePARKVILLE VIC 3010Ph (03) 9035 4233Email: [email protected]
METABOLISM AND MOLECULARMEDICINE GROUPChair: Dr Nigel TurnerUNSW SydneyKENSINGTON NSW 2052Ph (02) 9385 2548Email: [email protected]
PERTH PROTEIN GROUPChair: Associate Professor Joshua MylneUniversity of Western AustraliaPERTH WA 6009Ph (08) 6488 4415Email: [email protected]
QUEENSLAND PROTEIN GROUPChair: Dr Brett CollinsInstitute for Molecular Bioscience, UQST LUCIA QLD 4072Ph (07) 3346 2043Email: [email protected]
RNA NETWORK AUSTRALASIAChair: Dr Archa FoxHarry Perkins Institute of Medical ResearchNEDLANDS WA 6009Ph (08) 6151 0762Email: [email protected]
SYDNEY PROTEIN GROUPPresident: Dr Tara ChristieSchool of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of SydneySYDNEY NSW 2006Ph (02) 9685 9926Email: [email protected]
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COPY DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE:Monday 5 October 2020
PAGE 70 VOL 51 NO 2 AUGUST 2020AUSTRALIAN BIOCHEMIST
