January 2009 . ISSUE 60 GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS www.genetics.org.uk IN THIS ISSUE Genetics Society News is edited by Steve Russell. Items for future • Evolution Of Sexual And Asexual issues should be sent to Steve Russell, preferably by email to [email protected], or hard copy to Department of Genetics, Reproduction Meeting University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH. The Newsletter is published twice a year, with copy dates of 1st June and • A Guide To Undergraduate Summer Projects 26th November. • John Thoday: An Appreciation • John Edwards: An Appreciation Two adult strepsipteran females (Family Xenidae) dissected from a Polistes paper wasp. From the fieldwork report by Dino McMahon on page 39 of this issue • My Favourite Paper (Image © D McMahon) • Student Travel and Fieldwork Reports A WORD FROM THE EDITOR A word from the editor There is a focus on some more research studentships: we have historical aspects of UK recently increased the stipends genetics in this issue with and the lab expenses for these appreciations of both John awards. Our Postgraduate Thoday and John Edwards, student committee rep, Tom both of whom made important Nowakowski, has written a contributions to the short piece aimed at budding development of genetics young scientists who are research and teaching in considering embarking on a Britain. We also have a short research career. I think it’s report on a remarkable film of useful for group leaders to the 1948 International Genetics consider some of the problems Congress, which was shown in undergraduates face and try Cambridge recently and and encourage them by helping contains the only known them find summer projects or moving images of Ronald funding. Tom’s guide provides Fisher and JBS Haldane. By all some pointers here. accounts it was a fun event, with wizened members of the By the time you receive this it As we reported in the last University shouting out the will be 2009 and the 200th Genetics Society News, there names of people they anniversary of Darwin’s birth. were moves afoot to merge the recognized. There are a huge number of Biosciences Federation and the events around the UK marking Institute of Biology. Both As usual, we have reports from this and the Darwin200 organisations have voted on recent Genetics Society website is a useful guide to this and, as our VP for External meetings including enjoyable what’s on Affairs John Brookfield reports, one-day events on the evolution (http://www.darwin200.org). there are proposals to move of sex and on the contributions The Genetics Society is forward and generate a single model organisms can make to sponsoring two events: a one- strong voice for UK bioscience. understanding human disease. day Darwin and Development We also have a crop of student Symposium as part of the 2009 As ever, anything you would reports on the meetings they International Society for like to write about in the attended with the aid of Developmental Biology general area of genetics, Genetics Society sponsorship, Symposium in Edinburgh and science policy or education, several more are available on a joint Genetics Society/Royal please get in touch. the Society website. It’s great Society discussion meeting on to see the enthusiasm radiating Genetics and the Causes of Cheers from these reports and it’s clear Evolution over two days at the that the students, most of Royal Society. Unfortunately whom give poster or oral all may not be quite so rosy in Steve Russell presentations, can get a great the Darwin-fest garden: our University of Cambridge deal out of attending relevant Taxi Driver has some issues conferences. As well as travel with the showbiz-style grants, the Society provides an presentation of museum increasing number of summer exhibitions. 2 . GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS . ISSUE 60 Issue 60 . January 2009 NEWS . FEATURES . REPORTS . LISTINGS For more details please contact: The Genetics Society . Roslin BioCentre CONTENTS Wallace Building . Roslin . Midlothian . EH25 9PP Tel: 0131 200 6391 . Fax: 0131 200 6394 email: [email protected] Website: www.genetics.org.uk The Genetics Society Journals Heredity (www.nature.com/hdy/) Managing Editor: Professor Richard A Nichols, School of Biological Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London REGULARS Genes and Development (www.genesdev.org/) European Editor: Winship Herr, Center for Integrative Genomics, Meeting Announcements 4 - 9 University of Lausanne, Switzerland Common Disease Genetics President Darwin and Development Prof. Brian Charlesworth, University of Edinburgh Genetics And The Causes Of Evolution President-elect External Meetings Diary Prof. Veronica van Heyningen, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh Genetics Society Business 10 - 14 Vice-Presidents Prof. J. Steve Jones, University College London Sectional Interest Groups Prof. John Brookfield, University of Nottingham 2009 Annual General Meeting Prof. Ian Jackson, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh The Sir Kenneth Mather Memorial Prize Honorary Secretary Society grants Prof. Patricia E Kuwabara, University of Bristol Postgraduate Rep News From The Biosciences Federation Honorary Treasurer Prof Josephine Pemberton, University of Edinburgh Genetics Society Meeting Reports 15 - 20 Scientific Meetings Officer Evolution Of Sexual And Asexual Reproduction Dr Andrew Ward, University of Bath Human Genetic Disease: From Model Organism Newsletter Editor to the Clinic. Dr Steve Russell, University of Cambridge Postgraduate Representative Genetics Society Sponsored Events 21 - 22 Mr Tom Nowakowski, University of Edinburgh 2nd Mammalian Genetics, Development and Disease Meeting Ordinary Committee Members Dr Hilary Ashe, University of Manchester 4th London Fly Meeting Dr Mark A. Beaumont, University of Reading Dr Ewan Birney, European Bioinformatics Institute Dr Tanita Casci, Nature Reviews Genetics Dr Liam Dolan, John Innes Centre, Norwich Dr Alison Dunn, University of Leeds FEATURES Prof. Adam Eyre-Walker, University of Sussex Dr Anne Ferguson-Smith, University of Cambridge Dr DJ de Koning, Roslin Institute, Midlothian 1948 International Genetics Congress 23 Prof. Graham Moore, John Innes Centre, Norwich John M Thoday, FRS 24 - 26 Dr Tom Weaver, Medical Solutions PLC John H Edwards, FRS 27 - 30 Dr Tanya Whitfield, University of Sheffield My Favourite Paper 31 - 33 A Taxi Driver Writes 34 - 35 Design Round & Red Creative . 15 Poole Road Woking . Surrey . GU21 6BB Fieldwork and Studentship Reports 36 - 40 Tel: 01483 596 226 . www.roundandred.com New World House Mice Scilly Butterflies Printing Transylvanian Strepsipterans RPM Print & Design . Spur Road . Quarry Lane Chichester . West Sussex . PO19 8PR . UK Student Travel Reports 41 - 52 Tel: 01243 787 077 . [email protected] Plant Biology 2008 Evolutionary Biology Advertising in Genetics Society News represents an Pig Veterinary Science opportunity to reach a large community of professional geneticists. For rates please email [email protected] Human Genome Variation Complex Traits DNA Replication Auxins 2008 www.genetics.org.uk . 3 SPRING MEETING 2009 Common disease genetics: applying knowledge to health - what’s next? Friday 8 May 2009 The Royal Society, 6–9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are an important and exciting new chapter in human genetics research. We now know of well over 200 variants that influence susceptibility to a wide range of complex diseases. But where do we go from here? The aim of this meeting is to look back on the achievements of the past two years and reflect on how knowledge from this first generation of GWASs can be applied to improve human health in the most informed and ethical manner. Importantly, it will also discuss the best direction in which to take future research in this area. Speakers: Scientific Organisers: Mark Walport (The Wellcome Trust, London, UK). Tanita Casci (Nature Reviews Genetics, London, UK) Complex disease genetics: progress and challenges. Peter Goodfellow (Department of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK) David Clayton (Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, John Todd (Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge, UK). Cambridge, UK) The role of genetic association studies in the study of common complex disease: achievements and limitations. Featuring: The Genetics Society Balfour Lecture 2009 by Matt Hurles Inês Barroso (The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, (The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK). Complex UK). From GWAS hits to new biology – obesity as an disease genetics: widening the focus to all classes of example. variation. Nazneen Rahman (The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, This meeting will include the Annual General Meeting of the UK). Clinical utility of breast cancer genes: current practice Genetics Society and will conclude with a panel – audience and future prospects. discussion. Kari Stefansson (deCODE, Reykjavik, Iceland). Registration: The impact of personalised genetic risk information. Registration will be open shortly via the Genetics Society website www.genetics.org.uk Theresa Marteau (Kings College London, London, UK). The risks of knowing genetic risks. Registration fees Members: £30. Non-members (academic): £80 Nick Wareham (MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, UK). Non-members (non-academic): £135 Life after GWAS — what about the environment? Undergraduate members may attend for free but must register in advance of the meeting. A Genetics Society Symposium in association with ISDB 2009 Darwin and Development 6th - 10th September 2009,