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JULY 2012 | ISSUE 67 GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS In this issue The Genetics Society News is edited • New Honorary Members by David Hosken and items for future • Punnett’s Square issues can be sent to the editor, by email to [email protected]. • Meetings The Newsletter is published twice a • Summer Student and Travel Reports year, with copy dates of 1st June and 26th November. Collecting saltwater samples in the Dead Sea, part of a fieldwork grant. See page 39 A WORD FROM THE EDITOR A word from the editor Welcome to issue 67. not fail (why not at trip to Lisbon instead?). It includes the amusing elcome to another issue of the dialog; WNewsletter. We include the usual interesting range of articles, ‘Columbus: “But your guidelines student reports, meeting reports and say that a lot of preliminary data so on, but I am also very pleased are not required for proposals of to include the biographies of our high impact”. newest Honorary Members, a group Ferdinand: “And you believe that? of outstanding geneticists who have Hahahaha! What an idiot”.’ all made great contributions to the The article makes some excellent field. I wonder what they would points and makes them well. It is make of an amusing, yet somewhat a must-read, and reviewers and depressing commentary published panels should remember that if in a recent issue of Genome Biology it cannot fail and if we know the (Goodbye Columbus: Genome answers beforehand, it is not Biology 2012 13:155)? really science. The article places Columbus before Read on and enjoy, and I can only the King and Queen of Spain after hope that the summer weather his funding application to sail west where you are, is a darn sight to seek the Indies has been rejected. better than here. The reasons for the rejection are explained and Columbus is advised to seek funds for something he has Best wishes done before, something that will David Hosken The article places Columbus before the King and Queen of Spain after his funding application to sail west to seek the Indies has been rejected. 2 . GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS . ISSUE 67 Issue 67 . July 2012 For more details please contact: The Genetics Society C/O Portland Customer Services Commerce Way, Colchester CO2 8HP CONTENTS Switchboard: +44 (0)1206 796 351 Fax: +44 (0)1206 798 650 Email: [email protected] Web: www.genetics.org.uk The Genetics Society Journals Heredity Meeting Announcements 4 - 8 www.nature.com/hdy Managing Editor: Professor Roger Butlin 2012 Autumn Meeting Heredity Editorial Office, The University of Sheffield, 2013 Spring Meeting Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN 2013 Autumn Meeting Genes and Development PopGroup www.genesdev.org External meetings Diary Editor: T. Grodzicker, Genes & Development, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury, New York, 11797, USA Sectional Interest Groups 9 President Prof Enrico Coen, John Innes Centre, Norwich Genetics Society Business 10 - 21 Vice-Presidents Honorary Secretary Notices Dr Chris Smith, University of Cambridge Life Membership Dr Rebekka Oakey, Kings College London Lecture and Medal nominations Dr Elizabeth Fisher, University College London Lecture and Medal Winners Honorary Secretary Dr Tanya Whitfield, University of Sheffield New Honorary Members Local Representatives Honorary Treasurer Dr Hiro Ohkura, University of Edinburgh Genetics Society Sponsored Events 22 - 28 Scientific Meetings Secretary Scottish Drosophila Conference Prof Dirk-Jan de Koning, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala Mammalian Genetics and Development Conference Newsletter Editor Prof David Hosken, University of Exeter Archaeal Meeting Yeast Group Postgraduate Representative Adam Hargraves, Bangor University Population Genetics Group Ordinary Committee Members Dr Anne Donaldson, University of Aberdeen Features 29 - 34 Dr Colum Walsh, University of Ulster Punnett’s Square Prof Chris Ponting, University of Oxford Prize Winning Member Dr Jane Rogers, The Genome Analysis Centre, Norwich Prof Julian Lewis, CRUK London Laboratories Dr Ian Henderson, University of Cambridge Travel Reports 35 - 38 Dr Jon Slate, University of Sheffield Transposable Elements Dr Matthew Hurles, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Dr Judith Mank, University College London Microtubules Prof John Whittaker, GlaxoSmithKline, Harlow RNA Binders Dominique Kleyn, BioIndustry Association Design and Print Fieldwork Reports 39 - 40 Round & Red Creative . 15 Poole Road Woking . Surrey . GU21 6BB Salt-lake viruses Tel: 01483 596 226 . www.roundandred.com Studentship Reports 41 - 49 Advertising in Genetics Society News DNA Methylation represents an opportunity to reach CPR5 Protein a large community of professional Topoisomerase geneticists. For rates please email Drosophila Immunity [email protected] Quercus Genetics Harmless to Ozone www.genetics.org.uk . 3 2012 Autumn Meeting At the cutting edge of molecular biology 25 years of Genes & Development Thursday 8 – Friday 9 November. The Royal Society, London Genes & Development has been named one of the Top Speakers Joan Steitz Scientific Organisers Five Research Journals in the field of Molecular Biology Sharon Dent Hans Clevers Anne Ferguson-Smith, and Genetics (1997-2007). Genes & Development has a Steve Smale Elaine Fuchs Terri Grodzicker and 5 year Impact Factor of 14.198 and is ranked #1 among Jerry Workman Nick Hastie Nick Hastie Developmental Biology research journals. Ken Zaret Rich Losick (2009 Thomson Reuters JCR) Titia de Lange Eileen White Features Steve Elledge Steve West Further information and registration will be available via Steve Jackson Chairs The 2012 Genetics our web site, at www.genetics.org.uk in due course. Susan Gottesman Terri Grodzicker Society Medal recipient Elisa Izaurralde Rudi Grosschedl Narry Kim Winship Herr Jim Manley Davor Solter for registration, visit www.genetics.org.uk 2013 Spring Meeting A joint meeting held by the Genetics Society and BSHG Genomics for Health and Society 19 April. The Royal Society, London This meeting is jointly organised by the Genetics Society and the Speakers British Society of Human Genetics, and brings together excellent Kate Bushby University of Newcastle speakers with a broad range of perspectives on the medical and Sir John Burn University of Newcastle societal implications of genomics. Each speaker is an expert in their Jim Lupski Baylor College of Medicine, Houston own domain, from DNA fingerprinting to consumer genomics, from Mark Henderson Head of Communications, Wellcome Trust genealogy to genomic medicine, from the legal implications of Jane Kaye University of Oxford genomics to the therapeutic opportunities. Mark Jobling University of Leicester Alec Jeffreys University of Leicester Genomics promises to revolutionize medicine and health care, with the potential for highly personalised treatments for the very first time. A full list of speaks will be available soon on This meeting will focus on these and related issues, with presentations the Genetics Society web site. on clinical and societal issues that arise from these new horizons. Discussion of the legal implications of genomics, neuromuscular Scientific Organisers diseases and clinical genetics will be included. Matt Hurles, Chris Ponting and Bill Newman for registration, visit www.genetics.org.uk 2013 Autumn Meeting From Genes to Shape Thursday 7 – Friday 8 November. The Royal Society, London How does digital information in a linear DNA sequence lead to Speakers include the dynamic shape of individual cells, such as pollen tubes and Anja Geitmann Université de Montréal neurons, and growing multicellular structures such as flowers Ray Goldstein University of Cambridge or wings? Recent advances in genetics, imaging, cell biology, Verônica Grieneisen John Innes Centre, Norwich biophysics and computational biology are being used to address Max Heiman Harvard Medical School this problem at a mechanistic level for the first time. Frank Jülicher Max Planck Institut, Dresden Stan Leibler Princeton and Rockefeller Universities This two-day meeting brings together scientists working at Sophie Martin University of Lausanne the interface of these disciplines to unravel the mechanisms Benedicte Sanson University of Cambridge underlying shape generation from the subcellular to the tissue James Sharpe EMBL-CRG, Barcelona scale. Topics include cytoskeleton dynamics, cell polarity, growth Jan Traas ENS, Lyon and deformation of cell sheets and formation of primordia and appendages. The meeting will highlight unifying principles by Meeting organisers ranging over microbial, plant and animal systems. Enrico Coen and Buzz Baum for registration, visit www.genetics.org.uk Population Genetics Group The Population Genetics Group (PGG or PopGroup) is a yearly international meeting held in the UK. It is an informal meeting covering all aspects of Evolutionary Genetics with typically 150-200 participants, and an excellent place for PhD students to present their work. University of Glasgow, 18th – 21st December 2012 Popgroup45 (Nottingham) was a smoothly run Speakers include and highly successful meeting, with a particularly high standard of presentations and cutting edge Rod Page (University of Glasgow developments in the use of advancements in Mike Arnold (University of Georgia) sequencing technologies for population genetics Charlie Baer (University of Florida). applications; we hope to maintain this high standard at the next meeting. Opening Reception The meeting has so far obtained sponsorship from Held on December 18th at Jurys Inn, the Genetics Society,