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ANZSCDB Newsletter Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and INCORPORATED Winter 2012

Welcome to the mid provide a real chance for post year issue of the docs and students to strut their ANZSCDB newsletter. stuff and get noticed locally. It has already been a We are very happy to support busy year of activities these initiatives, a process I and meetings so far witnessed first hand at the NSW for the society, and meeting in March this year. The we round up some increased funding for the yearly of the activities that state meetings has allowed the have occurred and invitation of interstate speakers, highlight upcoming which has proved a bit of a draw meetings and society card for these meetings. In related events. In this issue we the next few weeks we will be take some time to celebrate one calling for new representatives. of the senior members of the Each year one of the state/ ANZSCDB community, Patrick NZ representatives steps Tam. Patrick has reached the down and we are now calling age where the combination of for nominations for keen and experience and wisdom peak, engaged new representatives, and it is only right and fitting in particular from the ACT that we acknowledge the and from Tasmania (who are important contributions Patrick currently not represented). Read Up On: has made to our discipline This opportunity is an excellent throughout his career. We way to engage with your President's Report preview COMBIO in Adelaide and peers, to advance and promote celebrate the awarding of the wider interest in our field society’s top awards for 2012. and to serve the Society. It Profile on Patrick Tam also provides the chance to In this newsletter we also “tick the box” on society and Notifications of launch a new section called committee involvement for your “Your Opinion” where members CV come grant and fellowship Meetings in 2012 can have a say about issues time. Please contact me or relevant to the society, with our the Secretary Ian Smyth if you Hunter meeting 2012 first opinion piece by Professor are interested in being a local Jenny Stow, who tackles issues society Rep. relevant to all over-committed NSW Meeting academics and researchers. COMBIO2012 COMBIO, our annual meeting, Member News State/NZ Chapter Activities will be held in Adelaide at the A real effort has been placed on Adelaide Convention Centre 23 trying to build the activity of the - 27 September. This COMBIO is Your Opinion society locally through the use of building as one of the strongest the society’s state and territory line-ups of international Last word from the representatives. The society’s speakers that we have ever Secretary local reps play an extremely had at our annual meeting. important role in coordinating International speakers we have and delivering the “grass roots” confirmed for the meeting so far President's Report activities of the society. Regional include: meetings are the real focus and · Brenda Andrews, University of it is pleasing to see the 4 stand Toronto, Canada alone meetings in Victoria, NSW · Ted Baker, University of Queensland and South Australia going so well. These meetings Auckland, New Zealand

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· Gerald Crabtree, Stanford University, USA coordinators for pulling together hopefully, a view of things · Raymond J. Deshaies, such a strong plenary and to come in the ANZSCDB Howard Hughes Medical symposia program. If you have President’s Medal Plenary lecture Institute, California Institute of not registered, do so! I look at ComBio2012. However a Technology, USA forward to seeing you all at brief précis of Marilyn’s scientific · Richard Dixon, Samuel COMBIO. contributions is outlined Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK, USA · Seth Grant, The University of Edinburgh, UK · Jeff Hasty, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA President’s Medal · James Hurley, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, here. Marilyn is a University USA Annoucement of Awards Laureate Professor and the Ian · Michael Karin, University of It is a great pleasure to Potter Chair of Zoology at the California San Diego, La Jolla, announce the awarding of Department of Zoology, The USA the Society’s two awards, the University of Melbourne. The · David Kramer, Michigan State President’s Medal and the central focus of research of University, USA ANZSCDB Young Investigator her laboratory is to understand · Robin Lovell-Badge, National Award. The President’s Medal the control of reproduction and Institute for Medical Research, is the highest honour that the development in mammals. The London, UK Society bestows on its most laboratory studies a wide range · Chris Marshall, Institute of highly acclaimed members and of mammals, from wallabies to Cancer research, London, UK this year’s highly worthy winner women, with an emphasis on · Susan McCouch, Cornell is Prof Marilyn Renfree. Australian mammalian fauna, University, Ithica, USA particularly marsupials and · Andrew McMahon, Harvard monotremes and the evolution University, USA of reproduction. She has · Anne Osbourn, John Innes received numerous previous Centre, Norwich, UK awards including the Gottschalk · Dale Sanders ,John Innes Medal (Australian Academy of Centre, Norwich, UK Science), the Mueller Medal · John D Scott, Howard Hughes (ANZAAS) and the Gold Medical Institute, University of Conservation Medal for 2000 of Washington, Seattle, USA the Zoological Society of San · Michael Shen, Columbia Diego. She received the Whitley University, USA Book award in 1987 with Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe for their textbook As you can see there is a Reproductive Physiology of dazzling array of international Marsupials. She was elected a speakers in the area of cell A full account of Marilyn’s Fellow of the Australian Academy and developmental biology and research contributions will of Science in 1997, and a Fellow as such this meeting offers appear in the December of the Australian Institute of extraordinary value for the Newsletter as part of our annual Biology in 1998. She currently range and depth of speakers COMBIO round-up and Marilyn serves as the Vice President and that are on offer. Well done will present a retrospective Secretary (Biological Sciences) to the organizers and stream of her career in research and of the Australian Academy of

Page 2 Science. I warmly congratulate metabolism in healthy cells and membership for the Society, Prof Renfree on her award. cell models of disease. She that of the emeritus member. has published a number of high We acknowledge that it is often The ANZSCDB Young profile papers in this area of difficult for previous members Investigator Award recognises research recently. Aleksandra who have retired to maintain the up-and- coming leaders has been an active member their membership. We therefore in the discipline of Cell and of the society acting as a WA have introduced the emeritus Developmental Biology. The representative of ANZSCDB. category of membership aim of the YIA is to draw We look forward to her talk whereby individuals who attention to the achievements and congratulate her on her retire from their positions and of our best and brightest and achievements. who have maintained 5 years provide a bit of a leg up in the of continuous membership tough funding milieu that we all Membership Issues prior to their retirement can face. This year's winner is Membership remains a central be recognized as emeritus Dr Aleksandra Filipovska. focus of the ANZSCDB executive members where membership and growing the membership fees to the society are waived. remains the most effective I would like to thank Cynthia way of building the Society’s Jensen for bringing this concept influence and strengthening its to our attention, which I think ability to advance the discipline is a great initiative. If you of cell and developmental think you would like to take biology. I urge everyone to try advantage of this please contact and help with this issue and the secretariat to arrange. As become an advocate for the always new members and Society. Membership does have renewals can join online at Aleksandra is an ARC Future its privileges! Travel support to http://www.anzscdb.org/ Fellow at the Centre for Medical COMBIO for PhD students and ANZSCDB-Membership.html. Research at the University of eligibility for the society’s prizes Western Australia. Her work are dependent on individuals has been focused on identifying being active members of the mammalian mitochondrial Society. On the other end of the RNA-binding proteins and spectrum we have also recently investigating their role in RNA developed a new category of

Page 1 Profile

recognition in the field of up. How many of us can say that developmental biology stems their job is done and dusted? Mapping from two major contributions What a wonderful feeling that - pioneering the application of must be!” micromanipulation and whole mouse embryo culture in Minding the gap his own experimental and It was during Patrick’s unravelling the cellular and undergraduate days in Hong molecular mechanisms of cell Kong that his future career fate determination and body path and perhaps the path of fate patterning during embryonic mouse embryology were set. development. His education at the University of Hong Kong started with a Fiona Wylie Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Human Neuroscience. However, according to Patrick, something was amiss. “I noticed Let’s face it, most of us are that a particular discipline, in happy if we end up even those days called Embryology, partially reaching the lofty was missing from the curriculum research goals set in our at my university. I had found early academic years. But to one book on it in the library completely answer the major there by Boris Ivan Balinsky question set at the beginning of entitled An Introduction to one’s career and in a way that Embryology, and that was all.” impacts on almost every other Patrick went to the Department researcher in that field…well, of Zoology about a possible that is just showing off!! course, only to find that nobody in the whole place had expertise in this area. So, Patrick decided In November of this year that this was just not right, and the Hong Kong Society of that he had to learn something Developmental Biology will Setting the bar high from the about this ‘missing’ subject. host a two-day Symposium start entitled From Embryology Patrick’s research goal from At that time, students such to Disease Mechanisms. The almost day one was to as Patrick thinking about line-up of speakers comprises understand how genes and heading overseas to pursue leading scientists from around cellular signals in the developing post-graduate research had to the world presenting on a embryo work together to have a Masters level degree range of topics including assemble the required cells to be competitive for the , organogenesis and tissues in the places they highly sought-after British and developmental disorders. are supposed to be and doing Commonwealth Scholarship. So, And it is all to honour the 60th the task for which they are Patrick went to a professor who birthday of one of science’s assigned. Indeed, his PhD was working on sex reversal most successful and favourite project undertaken in the late in fish, which was at least an developmental biologists… 70s was “to characterise the area related to developmental Patrick Tam, who is “60 years & developmental fate of an active biology, if not exactly still gastrulating”. multiplying population of cells in embryology. However, not really the epiblast of the gastrulating wanting to study fish biology, Born and raised in Hong Kong, mouse embryo.” And, over Patrick proposed that he should Patrick has called Australia home the ensuing 30 years, that is work instead on mammalian for over 20 years, joining the precisely what he did. development, and so was sent Children’s Medical Research to the animal house to find Institute (CMRI) in Sydney to According to fellow something to work on. “There I establish a research program developmental biologist Peter saw the rats and thought: Okay on mammalian embryology in Koopman, Patrick Tam is the I’ll study rat embryos, and that 1991. He is now Head of the only scientist he knows who is basically how I started.” Mice Embryology Research Unit and started out with such a lofty were not even featured on his the Deputy Director of CMRI, and difficult goal, and can say horizon then. as well as an NHMRC Senior that the task is now complete. Principal Research Fellow and a “Patrick now knows what every Place and timing are everything Professor in the Sydney Medical group of cells in the gastrulating After completing his Masters School of the University of mouse embryo is fated to in Reproductive Physiology Sydney. Patrick’s international become and where it will end in 1977, Patrick secured his

Page 2 Profile scholarship and travelled to embryo that he reckoned was Rosa Beddington, who had England to take up a PhD at the soul of the embryo. So, with started her PhD in the same the University College London no thesis committees or neatly year as Patrick. “I heard on (UCL). “At that time one of the planned-out projects in those the grapevine that there was giants of developmental biology, days, Patrick’s PhD instructions another student in a different Anne McLaren, had moved were as follows: “Here is the lab city working on gastrulation, from Edinburgh University and there is the library, so go but our two supervisors weren’t to UCL to set up the Medical and find out - What are these in regular communication. So I Research Council Mammalian cells doing there?” And nearly contacted Rosa and suggested Development Unit, and I joined 30 years later, when Patrick that we should meet, and Rosa the Unit as the first student in and his team managed to do came back to me and said “Yes, her new lab,” recalls Patrick. just that, he remembers feeling Patrick, we should meet, but not “The scientist I actually worked exquisitely satisfied. in Oxford or London - let’s meet with directly was Michael Snow, in Cambridge.” So, we met up in who is as accomplished a On that same note, Patrick a pub and talked about science, comedian as he is a scientist. recalls an event in 2007 at deciding then and there on He was incredibly fun to work Cambridge University to what we would pursue while not and interact with in the lab. I celebrate Anne McLaren’s 80th treading on each other’s toes. also remember that his radio birthday where he gave a talk on That was a truly great beginning was on all the time, and during his career work. “Anne gave me of a lasting friendship.” the cricket season, he listened a big thumbs-up and a wide grin continuously to the games at at the end of my talk, while Mike Rosa Beddington was to be the Lords and tried to bring Snow, who was retired from one of Patrick’s major scientific me up to speed with this sport, science for a long time by then, influences, particularly in his although I was never converted.” came up to me after the talk work on embryo manipulation. and told me that I may have got “After I had graduated and “I was very fortunate in that the right answer to his question. taken up a faculty position when I joined the field of It was great to be recognised back in Hong Kong, I spent mammalian development in that I’d done something useful, a sabbatical year in Oxford the late 70s, it had just started and it’s always good to hear that with Richard Gardner in the to bloom. At that time, you from your mentors! mid-80s. I actually worked a could count on a few hands lot with Rosa because I was the number of people working struggling to learn how to do in the field and there were the micromanipulation. She was three major centres in the UK a step ahead in using Richard’s working on mouse development. technology and adapting it There was Richard Gardner’s to do cell transplantation lab in Oxford where he, Janet in post-implantation mouse Rossant and Ginny Papaioannou embryos. Before that time, most were transplanting inner cell experiments on embryos at this mass cells into the mouse developmental stage were done blastocyst for lineage analysis. inside the animal. So Rosa and Then we had Martin Johnston I worked out how to culture in Cambridge studying the the embryos and perform the polarisation of blastomeres micromanipulation to test cell and testing the inside-outside fates. That changed my whole model for pre-implantation career - I learnt so much and I development. And the third was am eternally grateful to her.” Anne’s Unit in London, focussing on germ cell differentiation, Mastering the technique of in gastrulation (Mike Snow), vitro embryo manipulation and X-chromosome inactivation culturing opened up a whole (Marilyn Monk), parthenogenesis new world in finding out what and embryo cryopreservation A fatemapping experiment revealing a cell does in a different place (David Whittingham). These the contribution by different groups and how it does it. Embryo groups were jokingly known of endoderm cells (red versus green micromanipulation remains as the Oxford, Cambridge and fluorescence) to the tissue of the a very powerful part of the London “mafia” of mammalian embryonic gut developmental biologist’s toolkit. development. It provides the flexibility to A key developmental figure transplant cells of different types When Patrick joined the McLaren One of the most important into an embryonic environment lab, Mike Snow had recently and pivotal interactions that and test the impact of genetic identified a small group of Patrick set up at that time was backgrounds, functional cells in the 6.5-day-old mouse with one of the Oxford ‘mob’, attributes and lineage potentials on cell and tissue differentiation

Page 3 Profile in a developmental context. excitement for interesting new being in medical research for results or ideas, happy to have all this time is that while you The Australian phase long discussions about some are immersed in basic research After working in Hong Kong for new data or concept from a you cannot ignore what is the nine years following his PhD paper or from our lab.” implication of the knowledge and a postdoctoral stint in the that you glean from your University of Texas, Patrick Indeed, according to Peter research and how that may be started to think about heading Koopman, Patrick is often relevant to a medical and clinical to Australia, to either the CMRI able to fully understand the setting.” He emphasises how or Monash University. Mouse significance of other people’s important and encouraging it development had not gained a data better than the people who is to interact with the clinical hold down under at that stage did the work. “This is simply colleagues whose patients and he knew of only a couple of because Patrick knows so much his research might eventually labs engaging in developmental and is able to slot every new impact. “Our program here at biology. But he also knew that observation into the complex CMRI can provide pointers for some key people were returning matrix of existing knowledge the clinical research, and in from stints overseas about that - he lives and breathes turn, the feedback from clinical same time, including household developmental biology.” science can tell us if we are names like Peter Koopman, heading in the right direction.” Richard Harvey and Seong- Seng Tan. “Gradually the field An impressive and important built up from then, and it is body of work very pleasing to see that we Amongst many findings along now have a thriving community, the way, Patrick’s three decades working on many areas of of research has given the development.” developmental field a complete geographical map depicting the Richard Harvey also recalls the location of every progenitor slow start that developmental cell of the mouse embryonic biology had in Australia and germ layers, and how they got how Patrick became one of its there during gastrulation and significant fathers, with his deep early organogenesis. He also appreciation of the embryo uncovered a quite surprising and its patterning processes. phenomenon that cells moved “Patrick’s work significantly to a new location in the influenced the way we all embryo can adapt to their new think about the origin of organ environment and acquire new Expression of the Twist1 gene, the systems and their function, and cell fates, even well into the study of its function in craniofacial organ regeneration. Patrick is gastrulation process – that is, morphogenesis and limb development respected internationally for they maintain a high degree of is a major research focus of the CMRI his experimental skills, and for plasticity. It turns out that it is Embryology Unit. the insights and attitude he not where the cells come from brings to scientific problems or how they get to their final Not finished yet and collaborations. He has also location during gastrulation that “We now have a pretty good helped to teach a generation of determines their final functions, knowledge of the basic body young embryologists in Australia but rather what happens to plan of the mouse embryo and overseas. His influence them with respect to inductive through the fate-mapping on many aspects of Australian signalling at their destination. studies,” Patrick explains, “and science continues to be strong. “ the work that we are continuing Patrick's career body of work from this will address the One of those he has influenced on embryonic patterning and developmental basis of birth directly is David Loebel, who progenitor cell lineage not defects and the molecular has worked with Patrick in only contributes an enormous mechanism of transcriptional Sydney for over a decade after amount of knowledge to regulation and signalling in returning from postdoctoral basic science as a whole, but development. My team at work overseas. “Patrick Tam also potentially translates CMRI is currently studying how is synonymous with hard work to advances in stem cell the embryonic head develops and dedication – both to his differentiation and technologies and what are the genetic and own research and to science in for regenerative and genetic signalling switches that drive general (although I think he therapies of developmental early development of the has given up expecting anyone disorders. And this side of the craniofacial structures.” else to work as long and hard coin is increasingly important as he does). In the lab, Patrick in Patrick’s current work. Craniofacial abnormalities, both has never lost his genuine “Something I have learned from major and minor, are common

Page 4 Profile features of human birth defects. Professor Ian Alexander. The The clinicians sometimes ask immediate aim is to generate Patrick what is the point of hepatocyte progenitors for working on a mutation that transplantation into children causes embryonic death or born with liver enzyme a defect not compatible with deficiency, for which the life. “I point out to them that only treatment to date is it is important to study the liver transplantation. “The full outcome and strongest potential efficacy of this cell- impact of genetic changes on based therapy lies in the development. The philosophy ability to deliver a clinical of studying the effect of genetic outcome by engrafting a modifications in the animal relatively small number of model is that it is imperative functional cells rather than to know what are the most numbers in the range of dramatic effects and the worst many millions cells.” Success scenario, so that we can piece in this aim could see direct together with some certainty the clinical translation built on critical downstream activity that Patrick and his team’s many leads to that scenario. Hopefully years of basic scientific by doing that we will start to discovery. understand some of the less life- “Also on the translational threatening (the so called non- side, I have within my Unit a lethal) forms of the related birth Clinical Eye Genetics group defects that could be detected headed by Robyn Jamieson, and possibly treated.” a clinical geneticist and a specialist in ophthalmology To this end, Patrick’s team is at the Children’s Hospital, deriving multipotent stem cells who sees patients with from the epiblast of the mouse congenital cataracts and embryo as resources to study anterior segment defects of gastrulation in culture, in the the eye. These congenital context of lineage specification eye disorders are rare and and differentiation. While the seldom caused by the same epiblast-derived stem cells mutation across patients, are somewhat temperamental so conventional population- in culture, they are unique in wide linkage analysis is not Truncation of the embryonic head resembling more of the germ practical.” Following genetic caused by the loss of function of an layer progenitor cells. The screening and mutation analysis antagonist of WNT signalling activity. goal is to test these stem cell of patient materials, animal lines for any bias towards, models are created for an in- for example, ectodermal depth study of the genotype- about how you set things up (therefore neural), mesodermal phenotype relationship and for and chart the progress.” He (bone and cartilage), or functional investigations. An acknowledges the difficulty in endodermal (pancreas and immediate application of this obtaining funding, particularly liver) differentiation. By knowledge is to offer better- with the bigger objectives in identifying the signature of informed genetic counselling mind, but believes that with such lineage-bias stem cells, for the patients. For Patrick, the right team of people who we hope to enable the isolation it is also exciting to see such can work together with the of an enriched population immediate translational benefits same values and priorities, “the of specific progenitor cells of their studies. funding will follow”. He stresses from the pluripotent stem that reaching scientific goals cell populations. We would needs a long-term commitment thereby bypass the first steps Mapping the development of and a dogged focus…and what in applying cell-based therapies others better example of the success of by harvesting only those cells As Patrick looks back on an this approach than Patrick Tam that are amenable to a directed enormously successful career in himself! differentiation protocol.” science, he finds that the advice he would give to up and coming **************** On cell-based therapies, scientists has changed little Patrick’s team is collaborating over the years. “Don’t give up with the Gene Therapy Unit of on your passion, but persist and CMRI and the Children’s Hospital follow it through. At the same at Westmead, headed by time, be realistic and vigilant

Page 5 Meetings of interest

Page 6 Meetings of interest

Brisbane Cell & Developmental Biology Meeting

October 4 Queensland Brain Institute 2012 The University of Queensland 9am-5pm St Lucia, Australia

Prof. Robin Lovell-Badge, NIMR, UK “The control of neural stem cell fate”

Dr. Quenten Schwarz, University of Adelaide ”Neuronal migration in the CNS and PNS ”

Dr. Michael Samuel, The University of Adelaide “Insights into intra-cellular tension and the inter-cellular microenvironment in tumorigenesis”

4 postdocs and 4 PhD students will be chosen from abstracts to present a 15 minute talk: PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO THE BEST TALKS AND POSTERS

Registration is FREE and abstract submission is now open Please register and submit abstracts at:

http://www.imb.uq.edu.au/cell-and-developmental-biology-meeting

Abstract submission closes Friday 31st August

Refreshments and prizes provided by our sponsors

Page 7 Meetings of interest

Page 8 Meetings of interest

International 17thCongress of the World Muscle Society 9-13 October 2012 • Perth, Western Australia

Spring in Perth is a lovely time to visit with average temperatures of 22 degrees Celsius and blooming wildflowers, the Congress provides the perfect opportunity to visit this beautiful state.

Venture beyond the city to the South West with its pristine beaches, dramatic coastline, stunning forests, unique flora and fauna and delicious fresh food and wine it’s no wonder this region was voted by Lonely Planet in 2010 as one of the world’s top 10 regions to visit.

Mark your diary now for what promises to be a great Congress. Call for Abstracts Closes: 31 March 2012 Registration Early Bird Registration Closes: 30 April 2012 & Abstracts Now Open www.wms2012.com

Foundation Partner

For Further Information Contact:

Supported by WMS T: +61 8 9389 1488 F: +61 8 9389 1499 World Muscle Society E: [email protected] www.wms2012.com

Page 9 Meetings of interest The 13th Hunter Meeting Convenors: Sally Dunwoodie | Jennifer Stow March 19-22, 2013 The Sebel Kirkton Park, Pokolbin, NSW, Australia

Australia’s Premier Meeting of cell and developmental biologists ~ in NSW’s Premium Wine-growing district

Confirmed Plenary Speakers Sergio Grinstein Wieland Huttner (Canada) (Germany) Didier Stainier Fred Maxfield (USA) (USA) Marcos Yoshinori Ohsumi González-Gaitán (Japan) (Switzerland) Ralf Adams Amira Klip (Germany) (Canada) Raphael Kopan (USA)

Registration http://hcbm.mtci.com.au on-Line registration ~ Close of abstract submission for oral presentation: November 14, 2012 close of Early-Bird registration: January 11, 2013 Close of abstracts for inclusion as posters in the printed program: February 22, 2013

Page 10 ANZSCDB Sponsored Meeting Hunter Meeting Convenor: Professor Peter Gunning (UNSW, Australia) Co-convenor: Professor Jennifer Stow, (IMB, University of Queensland, Australia)

March 27-30, 2012, The Sebel- Kirkton Park, Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia

The Hunter Meeting began International Committee member, Session II, Whole organisms, with a half-day pre-conference Wanjin Hong from Singapore included presentations by: imaging workshop leading Nicholas Plachta (EMBL straight into a plenary talk and Australia, ARMI - Australian poster/exhibition sessions and The 5th Pre-conference Regenerative Medicine Institute) continued through until Friday Imaging Workshop was on the topic of Imaging lunchtime with plenary and sponsored by Perkin Elmer, transcription factors kinetics symposium presentations. 10 Thermo Fisher Scientific and Carl in the mouse embryo; Matt invited international presenters Zeiss. The three session themes Francois (the University of and company-sponsored were: Queensland) on Segmental international speakers territories along the cardinal presented in the imaging and 1. Clinical/Preclinical imaging veins generate lymph sacs via main program workshops a ballooning mechanism during and the scientific program. 2. Whole organisms embryonic lymphangiogenesis Social activities included the in mice; Scott Mueller (The Bar-B-Q Under the Stars and 3. Super Resolution and Atomic University of Melbourne) on Rose Garden dinners held at Force Microscopy Intravital 2-photon microscopy the Sebel Kirkton Park and of anti-viral T cell responses conference Dinner held at Presenters in Clinical/ in the skin; Andrey Kan (The Tempus Two Winery. Post- Preclinical imaging included: University of Melbourne) meeting social events included Linda Richards (QBI) - Wiring elucidated A one parameter a boutique winery tour and the developing brain, Carleen automated cell tracking system vineyard restaurant dinner. Cullinane (PeterMac) - Preclinical with no-reference track quality Invited international speakers PET imaging in the development metric; international company were presented with a bottle of cancer therapeutics, Phil presenter, Kevin Francis of a select Hunter Valley red Hogg (UNSW) - Non-Invasive (Divisional Vice President, from award-winning Saddlers Imaging of Cell Death Using a Caliper – a PerkinElmer Creek winery. The Cellular Hsp90 Ligand, and international Company) presented on Non- Biology Meeting Inc is grateful company presenter, Wael invasive Monitoring of Disease to our continuing sponsors, the Yared, Head of R&D for Perkin States in Live Animals using ANZSCDB and EMBO for major Elmer - Fluorescent Molecular Optical Imaging and X-ray Plenary Lecture support and to Tomography, Quantitative Pre- Computed Tomography. our Exhibitors and Workshop clinical imaging: Technological sponsors. foundations, current results and The Super Resolution and future directions. Atomic Force Microscopy included talks by: Kat Gaus (The

Page 11 ANZSCDB Sponsored Meeting

University of New South Wales isoforms. Oncogenic mutations consequence of improved T - UNSW) - Single molecule in the Class I p110 subunit of cell-dependent antitumour imaging in cells; Jake Baum PI3K (encoded by the gene responses. (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) PIK3CA) are frequent in human - High definition imaging of cancers and represent an Dr Quentan Schwarz Centre for malaria parasite infection of emerging therapeutic target. In Cancer Biology SA Pathology the human red blood cell – this session Dr Wayne Phillips discussed the role PI3K plays achieving “Superb” resolution; (Peter MacCullum) presented in regulating angiogenesis, Cynthia Whitchurch (University recent data of a conditional following its activation by of Technology, Sydney) - Fast, inducible knock-in mouse angiogenesis inducers such as Live Structured Illumination with an activating mutation, vascular endothelial growth Microscopy; international Pik3ca-H1047R. These studies factor (VEGF). During embryonic speaker, Ueli Aebi (Mueller reveal Pik3ca mutation induced development the migration Inst, Biozentrum Uni, Basel, premalignant hyperplasia in of specialized endothelial Switzerland) - Imaging the ovarian surface epithelium, cells called tip cells may polymer systems of the cell but did not induce cancer. be modulated by PI3K/Akt using AFM; and Carl Zeiss However, Pik3ca mutation plus signalling. In his presentation Australia specialist Dr Simon deletion of the phosphoinositide Dr Schwarz revealed sustained Kinder, presented on Super- phosphatase which opposes endothelial activation of Akt resolution imaging using the PI3-kinase signalling, PTEN, induces the formation of Zeiss Elyra PS1 instrument (or K-ras mutation) promoted structurally abnormal blood progression to ovarian serous vessels due to defects in The Keith Stanley Lecture adenocarcinomas and granulosa endothelial cell migration and was presented by Fiona cell tumours within 6 months. tube formation, revealing that Watt, Cancer Research UK These studies reveal PIK3CA both loss of PI3K-signalling or Cambridge Research Institute, oncogenic mutation alone may amplified Akt signalling may on the subject of Regulation not be sufficient to lead to lead to abnormal endothelial of epidermal stem cell fate by oncogenic transformation. responses that impair intrinsic and extrinsic signals. angiogenesis This session and speaker were In addition to regulating primary generously sponsored by the tumour growth PI3Kinase PI3-kinase gamma activation ANZSCDB, and immediate Past- signalling regulates immune downstream of G-protein President, Edna Hardeman function and immune responses coupled receptors, functions chaired the session. There to tumours. Broad spectrum in leukocytes to regulate cell were two major evening PI3K inhibition is predicted to migration. Dr Manuela Klingler- Poster sessions held with the suppress immune surveillance. Hoffmann, Department of Exhibition, one following the The p110-PI3K delta isoform is Microbiology & Immunology, Keith Stanley Lecture and expressed highly in leukocytes University of Adelaide has another on the Tuesday evening. and modulates immune function. identified a novel mechanism Bart Vanhaesebroeck, Centre that controls PI3K-gamma The Signalling Mechanisms for Cell Signalling, Queen Mary activity. The regulatory subunit session was chaired by Christina University of London, examined p101 undergoes transient Mitchell. The phosphoinositide the functional consequences phosphorylation which regulates 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling of p110-inactivation in mice subcellular localisation of the pathway impacts on both on the growth of solid tumours catalytic subunit p110 gamma human cancer and inflammation and metastasis. These studies and access to its subcellular by regulating cell growth, reveal a potential role for substrates. These intermolecular proliferation, survival, p110-inhibition as a druggable interactions which occur angiogenesis, and metabolism. target to suppress tumour in response to chemokine Mammalian cells express up growth, rather than induce stimulation, may in turn to eight distinct PI3-kinase immunosupression, as a contribute to the regulation of

Page 12 ANZSCDB Sponsored Meeting leukocyte chemotaxis. Anne Voss (Walter and Eliza Hall delivered by Philippe Sansonetti Institute, Australia) - Regulation (Institut Pasteur, Paris). His talk, Cancer cells interact with of stem cell function through “Microbiota and pathogens: War the surrounding stromal chromatin modifications; and and Peace at mucosal surfaces”, microenvironment to impact Helen Abud (Monash University) provided remarkable insights on the tumour phenotype. - Functional analysis of the Snail into the cell biology of the host Signalling by the Hedgehog family of transcription factors in pathogen interaction in the gut. (Hh) family of morphogens stem cell populations is an emerging therapeutic The Bioarchitecture session target in several malignancies Host-Pathogen Interactions chaired by Helena Richardson, and work was presented was chaired by Rohan Teasedale focused on the regulation of by Dr A. Swarbrick, Garvan Alan Cowman (Walter and cellular architecture (structure), Institute, Sydney which reveals Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ranging from cell-cell junctions, paracrine signalling by Hh ligand Research, Australia), presented microtubules, filamentous actin, predicts for an increased risk a talk with the tantalising title centrosomes to nuclear bodies. of breast cancer metastasis, of Moving in and renovating: Professor Alpha Yap (Institute breast cancer-specific death, invasion and remodeling of Molecular Biology, University of and a basal-like phenotype in the human erythrocyte by the Queensland, Brisbane) opened invasive ductal breast cancer. malaria parasite. Trevor Lithgow the session with an elegant Inhibition of Hh signalling with (Monash University, Australia) description of his lab’s research a monoclonal antibody (5E1) , spoke on The assembly of on the interaction of E-cadherin reduced tumour growth and surface-exposed membrane at the cell-cell junctions with metastasis, revealing epithelial proteins in bacterial pathogens; the microtubule network and to stromal Hh signalling, Matt Sweet (IMB, University of Rho family regulators. Dr promotes breast cancer growth Queensland, Australia) Mapping Weiping Han (Metabolic Medicine and metastasis, suggesting human macrophage anti- Lab, Singapore Bioimaging the future clinical utility of microbial pathways to Gram- Consortium) followed, with a hedgehog-directed therapies in negative bacterial pathogens. description of the function of breast cancer. Tropomodulin 3 in the regulation NewSpec Sponsored late- of cortical F-actin and exocytosis The Stem Cell Biology session afternoon drinks and the Main in response to Insulin signalling. was chaired by Richard Harvey Program Workshop. Chaired Dr Archa Fox (University of WA, and included presentations by by Thomas Zhang, Newspec Perth) then spoke about newly invited international presenter, who introduced International discovered RNA-protein nuclear Hideyuki Okano (Keio University, company presenter Dr Wanxin bodies termed paraspeckles, Japan) - Regeneration of the Sun of Bruker Nano-Surface, which are formed around long damaged CNS using human who spoke on Quantitative non-coding RNAs. Dr Dominic iPSCs-derived neural progenitor Characterization of Biomaterials Ng (Biochemistry and Molecular cells. Perry Bartlett (QBI, The and Molecular Recognition Based Biology Dept, University of University of Queensland, on SPM Technology. Melbourne) then described the Australia) - Activation of role of WDR62 in centrosome different neurogenic precursor The EMBO Plenary Lecture function and mitotic progression. populations in the hippocampus; followed immediately and was The session finished with an

Page 13 ANZSCDB Sponsored Meeting impressive talk by Professor of in vivo models for the control the balance between Anna Akhmanova (Cell Biology investigation of differentiation epithelial and mesenchymal Dept, Utrecht University, The and morphogenesis with states. One of the key findings Netherlands) on the analysis of respect to tissue growth and was that miR-200 affected more the regulation of microtubule regeneration in the adult, than a single step involved dynamics at the cell cortex , and in epithelial to mesenchymal by a novel protein complex. epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Linda Parsons (Peter The session highlighted the transition in cancer. Kazu Kikuchi MacCallum Cancer Centre, importance of combining (Victor Chang Cardiac Research Melbourne) described how in cutting-edge imaging techniques Institute, Sydney) described a Drosophila the basal polarity with biochemical approaches in model of cardiac regeneration in determinant lethal-2-giant- understanding the regulation of the adult zebrafish. Up to 60% larvae (lgl) regulates the cellular architecture. of the ventricular myocardium Salvador Warts Hippo pathway can be removed and the injury by favouring the formation of The Trafficking session was repaired with fully functional inactive Hpo/Rassf over active chaired by Jenny Stow. Invited cardiac muscle cells within 30 Hpo/Sav protein complexes. international presenter, Dennis days. Kikuchi is working towards Parsons is addressing the Brown (Harvard Medical School, defining the origin of these importance of endocytosis in this USA), spoke on New insights reparatory cardiac muscle cells process. into the regulation of water using sophisticated transgenic and acid/base homeostasis cell lineage tracing approaches. The Hunter Plenary Lecture, by protein trafficking in renal Christophe Marcelle (Australian chair Peter Gunning. Professor epithelial cells. Brett Collins Regenerative Medicine Institute, Nobutaka Hirokawa gave (University of Queensland, Melbourne) demonstrated the Hunter Plenary Lecture Australia) PX family proteins with an elaborate video how on ‘Intracellular transport at the interface between skeletal muscle develops from and kinesin superfamily intracellular trafficking and the dermomyotome of somites molecular motors (KIFs): signalling; Phil Robinson in the chicken embryo. He Key regulators for neuronal (Children’s Medical Research described how neural crest function, development and Institute, Australia) Dynamin cells, which migrate past tumorigenesis’. The talk was the Modulators: Inhibitors of the dorsomedial lip of the epitome of great Hunter talks; endocytosis and activators dermomyotome, activate a taking us from the molecular of the actin cytoskeleton; subset of muscle progenitors dissection of kinesin motors to David Williams (UCLA School to differentiation in the their role in trafficking and on to of Medicine, USA) spoke on dermomyotome, and how this new insights into fundamental Trafficking of the light receptor, process is dependent on Notch developmental processes. His rhodopsin, to and along the signal transduction. Yeesim work highlighted the power of cilium of photoreceptor cells. Khew-Goodall (Centre for Cancer molecular genetics approaches, Biology, SA Pathology, Adelaide) in the context of organism Differentiation and demonstrated that a double- biology, to reveal fundamental Morphogenesis was chaired negative feedback loop involving mechanisms of cell and by Sally Dunwoodie and the miR-200 family and ZEB developmental biology. Peter Currie. This session (zinc finger E-box-binding demonstrated the great value homeobox) transcription factors

Page 14 ANZSCDB Sponsored Meeting

Trevor Lithgow chaired the Linda Richards (pictured Sponsors: session Integrating Pathways below) chaired the Cancer ANZSCDB – The Australasian in Cell Biology. Georg Ramm Cell Biology session. Invited Society for Cell and (Monash University), spoke international speaker, Valerie Developmental Biology; EMBO – on the Regulation of the ULK1 Weaver (University of California The European Biology Organisati kinase complex by AMPK. We San Francisco, USA) spoke on welcomed back Nick Brown Dynamic and reciprocal cell- (University of Cambridge) who ECM forces regulate tumor Exhibitors: spoke on Building integrin progression. Liz Musgrove BD adhesions in vivo: a systems (Garvan Institute of Medical BERTHOLD approach; Marc Wilkins UNSW Research, Australia) spoke BIO SCIENTIFIC (University of New South Wales, on Estrogen-regulated genes BIO-STRATEGY Australia) -The Dynamics of as markers and mediators of BRUKER Protein Interaction Networks; endocrine resistance in breast CARL ZEISS Phil Hodgkin (Walter and cancer; David Huang (Walter & FISHER BIOTEC Eliza Hall Institute, Australia) Eliza Hall Institute, Australia) - INTEGRATED - Building a quantitative Molecular control of cell survival JOMAR BIOSCIENCE systems-wide understanding by the Bcl-2 protein family; LEICA of the immune response; Sharad Kumar (SA Pathology, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES invited international presenter, Australia) - Caspase-2 function MERCK MILLIPORE Michael Snyder (Stanford in tumour suppression and MILTENYI BIOTEC University, USA) , spoke on oxidative stress regulation. MP BIOMEDICALS AUSTRALASIA The evolutionary rewiring of NEWSPEC biological networks. OLYMPUS PERKIN ELMER POINT of CARE DIAGNOSTICS PROMEGA QUANTUM SCIENTIFIC

SCI-TECH SIGMA ALDRICH STEMCELL TECHNOLOGIES THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC UNITED BIORESEARCH PRODUCTS

JULY, 2012

Page 15 ANZSCDB Sponsored Meeting 18th NSW Cell and Developmental Biology

Meeting The organizers would like to The annual NSW Cell and Developmental Biology thank the Hunter Meeting for supporting Ueli Abi’s Meeting was held on the 26th of March this year at at this meeting. The meeting was also sponsored the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. by Leica Microsystems, Carl Zeiss, Olympus and This was the 18th of these meetings and was Coherent Scientific (for Nikon) who displayed their attended by approximately 80 researchers from the latest wares and joined us all for drinks and nibbles local research community and not so local. It was during the evening. The organisers would like to great to see colleagues from University of Western again thank the societies and trade sponsors – the Sydney, University of Wollongong, Australian day would not have been possible without their National University and Monash University. We were support. lucky enough to persuade Peter Currie (Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University), Han Weiping (Singapore Bioimaging Consortium) and Ueli Aebi (M.E. Müller Institute for Structural Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel) to come and give keynote presentations and these formed the backbone of the meeting.

Peter Currie kicked off talking about the ‘development and evolution of the muscles of the fins and limbs’ and this was followed by four talks chosen from the extensive collection of submitted abstracts continuing the developmental biology theme. Han Weiping talked about ‘the molecular control of calcium-dependent hormone secretion’ in various tissues before four more talks from abstracts, this time with a focus more on functions at a cellular level. The formal part of the meeting was concluded by Ueli Abi who talked about the mechanobiology of the cytoskeleton and how it impacts on cell and tissue plasticity’. We would also like to thank those who attended and particularly everyone who submitted abstracts. The meeting was sponsored by ANZSCDB and ASBMB and at the end of the meeting Peter Currie We’ll be aiming to sort out the 19th Meeting for a (ANZSCDB) and Peter Gunning (ASBMB) presented similar time next year. prizes on behalf of these societies to Dr. Heidi Bildsoe (Children’s Medical Research Institute) William E Hughes & Anthony Kee. and Dr. Shixiong Tan (Garvan Institute of Medical Research) for their outstanding presentations.

Page 16 Opinion Your opinion

A time for even consortia – why do we The second problem with our stay wedded to the single lab research labs, is that in the change head / small (isolated) lab current model, being a lab model? Quixotic to be sure, head is increasingly viewed by Jennifer Stow, PhD and patently unsuitable for as being a relentlessly com- today’s science, this tradi- petitive, difficult and lonely The way we do scientific tion has an unintended and job. The never-ending focus research is changing dra- sinister effect – it is driving on the track record of the matically and evolving rap- young people out of research lab head for funding, space, idly. Even over the past two careers. recognition and to keep a decades, vast arrays of data lab going, no doubt deters have become available for There are two problems with many young scientists from analysis and technology has today’s ‘old’ research lab research careers. Tradition developed at break-neck model. The first is that it aside, there is no overt rea- speed. However, one aspect can’t keep pace with the ‘big’ son why the job of a lab head of science has remained curi- science of today, where ever- has to be performed by one ously unchanged for past two more complex, technically individual. There are indeed hundred years. And, that is - challenging and data-rich many reasons why a modern- the format of a research lab. research endeavours require day lab should have two or large numbers of contribu- even more lab heads. A prototypical research lab tors to execute projects. As has its roots in the 1800s in most fields, in the cellular The pressure on lab heads to when professors, academics and molecular sciences, a perform as individuals has or gentlemen(!) scientists – research project tackled by increased BUT at the same notwithstanding the dedica- one or two people is rapidly time, so have the number of tion and brilliance of some - becoming untenable, as evi- tasks (many unpaid) required would pursue their own ideas denced by the growing lists of this job. So, a current lab and passions with the help of authors and collaborators head devises and oversees of a small coterie of students on most papers now being research projects, super- and assistants. Inexplicably, published. Yet, most of our vises staff, trains students today we still have the same major grants still fund only and postdocs, applies for model for a research lab, one one, or maybe two salaries, funding, writes papers, peer in which there is a singular and a very small amount of reviews grants and papers, lab head and a small team of research money. attends conferences, sits students, postdocs and tech- on committees, does lots of nicians. We base academic Science is now a team sport, administration and manages and research careers around and this must be acknowl- collaborations with other labs this model, we use it to fund edged in the ways we set and/or industry and clini- research, to publish research up research labs and fund cians, etc. Clearly with this and even to fashion research research. Although program many tasks assigned to the buildings! grants (in various guises) are lab head, having more than heading in the right direction, one person to share the load So, in an age where research these still fund a collection of would be advantageous. The now demands large diverse small labs instead of offering need to keep all these balls in teams of scientists, the ex- the flexibility and scope that the air over time, and sur- pertise of many specialists, is increasingly needed to fund vive constant performance collaborations, networks, project-specific teams. assessment (track records

Page 17 Opinion

for grants and fellowships), ‘joint- lab head’ model simply our narrow definition of a re- makes it difficult to take time needs to be encouraged and search lab, which only offers out – for instance, to raise offered – or requested- more a career for a single lab head families. With two lab heads, often. Our funding models with no other role in the lab the job of keeping the re- need to keep pace with the offering a formal career posi- search going while having need for highly collaborative tion. Flexible research teams time off to have kids or just research, particularly fellow- with two or more heads, coping with families, would be ships, which focus so narrow- project managers, supervi- much more achievable. We ly on individual performance. sors, ‘lieutenants’ and techni- now live in a very interactive cal specialists are really more society and to keep abreast The physicists routinely pub- suited to today’s science. of this trend, research has to lish hundred-author papers There are no rules about how ensure that it offers interac- and increasingly large con- to do research or set up labs, tive, collaborative careers. sortia are publishing the big only dogma and tradition, and For instance, I believe that human genetics and genome we need to encourage and the opportunity to share the sequencing studies. To tackle support younger scientists to load of running a research lab the big projects of the future, think ‘outside the box’ in es- would keep many more young cell and developmental biolo- tablishing their niche careers women in the workplace at gists will likely need to con- in research more senior levels. sider big, collaborative net- works as an alternative to the ************* So is this achievable? Of ‘small lab’ tradition. There is Professor Jennifer Stow course, and there are already still plenty of scope for ambi- Deputy Director (Research) many examples of married tion, accolades and achieve- Institute for Molecular couples or close collaborators ment in these collaborative Bioscience who have run joint labs over settings. Science after all, is University of Queensland the years – even Nobel prize pursuit of knowledge for the winning combinations – from common good – not pursuit of [email protected] the Curie family to the likes an individual CV. of Brown and Goldstein, and others! So the notion of hav- Finally, it is of utmost impor- ing two or more lab heads is tance that we create attrac- clearly tenable, it is possible tive and effective careers to in our current research and move research into this cen- academic settings, and the tury. This means rethinking

Page 18 Membership News Membership News as opposed to one or the other, could Nature or nurture...turns out drive the development of many common to be both! congenital abnormalities including different forms of heart disease and Professor Sally Dunwoodie, Head of the conditions like cleft palate. Indeed, the Embryology Laboratory at the Victor same molecular pathway disrupted by Chang Cardiac Research Institute the period of hypoxia, in this case FGF in Sydney, is the senior author on a signalling, has key roles in many other landmark study published in the April processes during embryogenesis. 13 issue of Cell (Sparrow et al. Cell 2012; 149: 295-305). Together with collaborators from around the world, Dunwoodie’s team showed for the first time how both ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ could interact to increase the likelihood of sporadic congenital birth defects. Their study indicates that defects ranging from spinal malformations to heart abnormalities could be brought on by low oxygen levels or hypoxia during early pregnancy, even for brief periods, and therefore, that many of these defects could be prevented.

Dunwoodie and her colleagues studied individuals with congenital scoliosis Dunwoodie says the findings may help us (lateral curvature of the spine) and to pinpoint why some people in families found that having just one, instead develop diseases and others don’t, and of two functioning copies of a Notch importantly, how we could develop simple signaling pathway gene that governs strategies that mothers could adopt to cell division was a major risk factor for decrease the chance of such defects the abnormal formation of vertebrae in occurring. embryonic development. Knowing that gestational hypoxia can disrupt embryonic The research team have begun similar development, the researchers then used a studies on congenital heart defects, which mouse model genetically altered to carry affect around 1 in every 100 babies born the scoliosis mutation in combination with in Australia every year. the environmental ‘insult’ of hypoxia. Surprisingly, they found a marked increase in both the incidence of spinal abnormalities in the offspring and the severity of the defects. In humans, congenital scoliosis occurs in around 1 in 1000 live births.

The results potentially provide a mechanism by which interactions between altered genes and the environment,

Page 19 Membership News

promoted by a signalling protein called The glue that binds us Rho.” Rho is concentrated at the cell-cell A research team from The University junctions of interphase epithelial cells, in of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular which Rho signalling activity is necessary Bioscience (IMB) led by Professor for coordinating cell-cell integrity…”like Alpha Yap, Dr Aparna Ratheesh and Dr the conductor of an orchestra, making Guillermo Gomez have discovered the sure that all the players work together.” driving signals for adhesion proteins to ‘glue’ cells together into tissues. Their findings were recently published in Nature Following major discoveries in 2010 and Cell Biology (Yap et al. Nat Cell Biol. 2012 Jul; 2011 by the Yap lab on how this adhesion doi: 10.1038/ncb2532). integrity breaks down, this latest research has pinpointed a network of proteins that ensures Rho is activated at the right place and at the right time. In summary the team implicated the centralspindlin complex acting together with the cadherin-associated protein, α-catenin, to regulate Rho signaling at the interphase zonula adherens.

“Many of the proteins in this network have been implicated in cancer, meaning this discovery will provide valuable insights into how adhesion in healthy tissues is disturbed in diseases such as cancer and inflammation,” Professor Yap said.

“Healthy tissues require their component This work was financially supported by cells to recognise and adhere to one the Human Frontiers Science Program, another,” Professor Yap said. “This the National Health and Medical Research adhesion is achieved through specialised Council of Australia, the Australian bundles of proteins whose formation is Research Council, and the Oncology

Page 20 Membership News

A message from our Secretary...

The ANZSCDB is represented in each state/territory/NZ by two members, typically appointed out of synch for 2 year terms. These representatives serve on the National Council of the Society and are charged with advancing the fields of Cell and Devel- opmental Biology at a local level. Increasingly this has involved organizing a yearly symposium with the Society’s support, as well as promoting the opportunities afford- ed by membership.

Each year at the AGM one of the state/NZ representatives steps down. We are now calling for nominations for keen and engaged new representatives in each state and territory and in particular from the ACT and from Tasmania (who are currently not represented). This opportunity is an excellent way to engage with your peers, to advance and promote wider interest in our fields and to serve the Society.

Applications will be accepted before the 1st of September to the Society secretary ([email protected]). Candidates may join the Society at the time of application if they are not already members. Please include a 3-4 line summary of your research interests and the name of a nominating Society member.

Also, as required by our Constitution, I hereby announce that the 2012 ANZSCDB Annual General Meeting will be held at 6pm on Wednesday, September 26th as part of the ComBio meeting in the Adelaide Convention Centre. Relevant docu- ments/room information will be circulated to members beforehand.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Ian Smyth Secretary, ANZSCDBI

Page 21 bioediting

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