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JANUARY 2014 | ISSUE 70 GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS In this issue The Genetics Society News is edited by Manuela Marescotti and items for future • In remembrance of Professor Sanger issues can be sent to the editor, by email • Meetings to m.marescotti@brainwave-discovery. • Student and Travel Reports com. The Newsletter is published twice a year, with copy dates of 1st June and 26th November. Cover image from the Genetics Society forthcoming Spring meeting Psychiatric Genetics: Pathways and Prospects. Featured on page 4. A WORD FROM THE EDITOR A word from the editor Welcome to issue 70. experience has been also added to this newsletter. Dear Readers, Moreover, the Genetics Society First of all I would like to thank has organized a new Science Tanya Whitfield for her availability Communication workshop, for advising me about this following the success of the one newsletter issue. As usual, our that took place in 2013. newsletter shows how much the Lastly, I am very pleased to Genetics Society encourages the include a piece about Frederick scientific research studies based Sanger that has been very on the use of genetics to shed light kindly written by Don Powell. on many biological mysteries, as An exquisite portrait of the well as the events celebrating the famous biochemist has been outcomes and the new goals in made, pointing out his enormous the field. In fact, this newsletter contribution to genetics in the includes reports from scientists at light of the historical times he different stages of their career that went through and the impact have benefitted of our Society’s of his family on his work. support, in order to fuel their Surprisingly, such a brilliant interest in genetics in the last few scientist has always shown a months. modest attitude. In that regard, he wrote in 1988 “Of the three In addition to that, reading this main activities involved in issue you can see that improving scientific research, thinking, scientists’ skills in communicating talking, and doing, I much prefer their research studies and results, the last and am probably best at is also among the aims of the it. I am all right at the thinking, Genetics Society. In fact, recently, but not much good at the talking.” an internship of a PhD student at “The Naked Scientist” science radio talk show broadcast live by the Read on and enjoy. BBC has also been supported by Best wishes, our Society. A report of this great Manuela Marescotti I am very pleased to include a piece about Frederick Sanger that has been very kindly written by Don Powell. An exquisite portrait of the famous biochemist has been made, pointing out his enormous contribution to genetics in the light of the historical times he went through and the impact of his family on his work. 2 . GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS . ISSUE 70 Issue 70 . January 2014 For more details please contact: Genetics Society c/o Portland Customer Services Charles Darwin House, 12 Roger Street, London, WC1N 2JU CONTENTS Switchboard: +44 (0)1206 796 351 Fax: +44 (0)1206 798 650 Email: [email protected] Web: www.genetics.org.uk Meeting Announcements 4 - 8 The Genetics Society Journals 2014 Spring Meeting Heredity 2014 Communicating Your Science: www.nature.com/hdy Managing Editor: Professor Michael Bruford A Genetics Society Workshop Heredity Editorial Office, Cardiff University, Cathays Park, 2014 Autumn Meeting Cardiff, CF10 3AX External Meetings Diary Genes and Development www.genesdev.org Sectional Interest Groups 9 Editor: T. Grodzicker, Genes & Development, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 500 Sunnyside Boulevard, Genetics Society Business 10 - 15 Woodbury, New York, 11797, USA Obituary 16 - 18 President Prof Enrico Coen, John Innes Centre, Norwich Genetics Society Meeting Report 20 - 21 Vice-Presidents From Genes to Shape Prof Chris Smith, University of Cambridge Prof Rebecca Oakey, King’s College London Genetics Society Sponsored Events 22 - 26 Prof Elizabeth Fisher, University College London 19th European Meeting of PhD students in Honorary Secretary Evolutionary Biology Dr Tanya Whitfield, University of Sheffield UK Genome Science Meeting Honorary Treasurer 1st UK Workshop on Drosophila Developmental Prof Hiro Ohkura, University of Edinburgh Cell Biology Scientific Meetings Secretary Features 29 - 33 Prof Dirk-Jan de Koning, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala Blue Skies and Bench Space: Adventures in Cancer Research Newsletter Editor Dr Manuela Marescotti, The Brainwave-Discovery Ltd., Interview with Mark Henderson, JBS Haldane Edinburgh prize lecture 2013 Postgraduate Representative Kay Boulton, University of Edinburgh Travel Reports 35 - 40 Epigenomics as a Discovery Tool in Current Ordinary Committee Members Biology Dr Ian Henderson, University of Cambridge Dr Matthew Hurles, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute The American Society of Human Genetics 63rd Mrs Dominique Kleyn, BioIndustry Association Annual Meeting Dr Malcom Logan, National Institute for Medical Research, London Prof Judith Mank, University College London 23rd European Drosophila Researchers’ Dr Jonathan Pettitt, University of Aberdeen Conference Prof Jane Rogers, The Genome Analysis Centre, Norwich Meiosis meeting 2013 Prof Jon Slate, University of Sheffield Dr Martin Taylor, University of Edinburgh Conference on Transposition and Genome Dr Colum Walsh, University of Ulster Engineering Prof John Whittaker, GlaxoSmithKline, Harlow Dr Eleftheria Zeggini, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge Heredity Fieldwork Grant Report 41 - 42 Design and Print Populations of Alyssum serpyllifolium Advocate Art 01372 274068 Training Grants 43 - 44 www.advocate-art.com An experience in communicating science Studentship Reports 45 - 57 Advertising in Genetics Society News represents an opportunity to reach Protein-protein interactions a large community of professional Arabidopsis thaliana geneticists. For rates please email Drosophila pseudoobscura [email protected] Suppressor screen in C. elegans DNA repair in Pseudomonas Plant host preference Collagen IV mutations www.genetics.org.uk . 3 2014 Spring Meeting Psychiatric Genetics: Pathways and Prospects Friday 4 April 2014. The Royal Society, London Mental illness represents a major problem for affected Speakers individuals, for their loved ones, and for society at large. Many Professor Michael Owen, Cardiff University mental disorders have a substantial genetic component, but Professor Cathryn Lewis, King’s College London until recently very little consistent data existed regarding the Professor J. David Sweatt, University of Alabama underpinnings of these complex and multifactorial conditions. Professor Marcus Munafo, University of Bristol Professor Ricardo Dolmetsch, Stanford University As more and more robust genetic risk variants are identified, we Professor Henrik Walter, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin are now beginning to understand the physiological mechanisms Dr Susan Kelly, University of Exeter that go awry in psychiatric disorders, and therefore how we Professor Hank Greely, Stanford University might treat them more effectively. Now is an opportune time to reflect on recent successes within the field of psychiatric Scientific Organisers genetics, to delineate ways to move forward, and to consider the Dr William Davies, Dr Ian Jones and impact of the discipline across many diverse sectors of society. Dr Jamie Lewis for registration, visit www.genetics.org.uk A Genetics Society Workshop Communicating Your Science A Genetics Society Workshop for PhD students and postdocs April 23rd – 25th 2014, Chicheley Hall, Chicheley Road, Newport Pagnell, Chicheley An important part of science is getting your results and Tutors and Speakers include ideas across to others, through papers, presentations, Enrico Coen (author and Professor of Genetics at the John Innes theses, grant proposals, conversations and interviews. Centre, Norwich) Your audience may include specialists in the field, those Nicola McCarthy (Chief Editor of Nature Reviews Cancer) from other disciplines, industry, or the general public. Mark Miodownik (author, broadcaster and Professor of Materials & Society, UCL) How can you best communicate your science? Tim Radford (freelance journalist and former science editor at This workshop brings together experts in different The Guardian) fields - writers, broadcasters, publishers, industrialists, Chris Smith (broadcaster, medical doctor, lecturer in Virology, computer scientists, and presenters - to help you Cambridge University) explore and develop your communication skills. Working together with others on the course you will learn how to structure presentations, develop writing Organisers skills, bridge disciplines and have hands-on experience Enrico Coen, Dominique Kleyn, Jonathan Pettitt, of broadcasting. Jon Slate and Chris Smith The Genetics Society will cover costs of travel, accommodation and meals for successful applicants. The course is open to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers working in genetics and related areas The deadline for applications is 3rd March 2014. You can apply online at: www.genetics.org.uk/Events.aspx 2014 Autumn Meeting Genetic Approaches to Study the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Thursday 27 – Friday 28 November 2014. The Royal Society, London This meeting proposes to bring Speakers Danielle Posthuma, University of Amsterdam together leading researchers David Bannerman, University of Oxford from across the globe that use Hiromu Tanimoto, Max Planck Institute für Neurobiologie Ilana Witten, Princeton University genetic approaches