Biosciences Seminar Speaker 27 April 2017

Biosciences Seminar Series - Spring 2017
27 April 2017 - 1pm - Zoology Museum

The Real Game of Thrones: Incest, Dominance and Warfare in Banded Mongooses

Dr Hazel Nichols

(Liverpool John Moores University, UK)

Picture by Hazel Nichols

After an Easter Break filled with pleasantly abundant sunshine and good weather, we are delighted to welcome Dr Hazel Nichols to start our Spring Seminar Series. Hazel is a lecturer in Animal Behaviour at the School of Natural Sciences and Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University (UK). Hazel is especially interested in understanding how animal societies evolve and to do so she combines multiple different methods, ranging from behavioural observations to biochemical, genetic and genomic approaches. Using this combined approach, Hazel is trying understand the genetic structure of mammalian societies (e.g. see here), the role of scent communication (e.g. see here) and inbreeding/inbreeding avoidance in cooperative species (e.g. see here), and how cooperation evolved.

Abstract

Cooperative breeders present a particularly interesting case study for inbreeding (and its avoidance) as dispersal is delayed and sexually mature offspring remain with their family to help rear further young. This leads to a situation where groups often consist of close opposite-sex relatives with the potential to inbreed. While the majority of cooperative breeders successfully avoid incest, a small minority inbreed regularly. I will present the results of my work on one such species: the banded mongoose, where 8% of pups are the product of father-daughter or full sibling matings. Why is this species so different?

Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming seminars see here

Biosciences Science Club Events 13 April 2017

Biosciences Science Club Series - Spring 2017
13 April 2017 - 1pm - Zoology Museum

Biogeography and macroevolution of anuran amphibians in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Dr Diogo Borges Provette

(Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil)

from: www.Brasilienportal.ch

We do have a visiting scientist from Brazil this week, Dr Diogo Borges Provette, FAPESP Post-doctoral fellow from the Department of Environmental Sciences at the Centre for Sciences and Technologies for Sustainability, at the Federal University of São Carlos in Sorocaba, Brazil. Diogo is also associated with the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre in Sweden and is Editor for Amphibia-Reptilia at the Biodiversity Data Journal. Diogo is a community ecologist and his research focusses on three different strands - The causes and consequences of species diversity in freshwater ecosystems, eco-evolutionary feedbacks in metacommunity ecology, and the processes driving phenotypic evolution and diversification of Neotropical organisms. Diogo will present us recent work concerning the latter, focussed on understanding the processes leading to the formation of biodiversity hotspots.

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest (AF) along the east coast of Brazil is a global biodiversity hotspot, with many endemic species under threat. There have been many hypothesis to explain the causes of the current high species diversity in the AF, including Plio-Pleistocene refugia, topographic heterogeneity, and environmental gradients promoting ecological speciation. However, there is little consensus on the relative roles of these processes and how they could differentially influence vertebrate groups with distinct dispersal abilities. In this talk I will quickly review the current models to explain the astonishing biodiversity in the AF and show results of a past project developed at the University of Gothenburg and the ideas of my current post doc project in Brazil. 

Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming Science Club Events, see here

BioMaths Colloquium - 07/04/2017

BioMaths Colloquium Series - 2016/17

07 April 2017 - 3pm Maths Seminar Room

(room 224 Talbot Building 2nd floor)

Predator-prey biomass relationships: a role for predator density dependence?

Dr David Murrell

(Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, 

University College London, UK) 

from: phys.org

Our BioMaths Colloquium Series for the spring term starts with a seminar by Dr David Murrell from the Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research at University College London. David is a mathematical ecologist broadly interested in understanding and modelling the key biological processes that maintain biodiversity. Of particular interest are highly plant communities, such as tropical forests, but David's research ranges from bacteria to protists to vertebrates. Related to this, a specific line of research resolves around the processes determining species abundances across space and time.

Abstract

Recent empirical research has shown that increasing ecosystem productivity leads to an increase in the proportion of biomass at lower trophic levels. Thus as prey species increase in abundance/biomass their consumers also increase but at a much reduced rate. Indeed the general empirical results link predator biomass (P) to prey biomass (N) as P ~ N^k, where k<1 for most ecosystems studied. Surprisingly, ecological theory does not provide an immediate answer as to how this relationship may occur. 
I will consider the potential roles for density dependence operating at the level of the predator/consumer to generate these sub-linear increases in biomass at higher trophic levels. Through analyses of simple ecological models I will outline some criteria for generating the empirical pattern and compare these predictions to the rare cases where the models have been applied to data.

The discussions will continue over biscuits and tea/coffee after the seminar. 

Hope to see many of you!

Biosciences Seminar Speaker 30 March 2017

SEMINAR CANCELLED TODAY

Bioscience Seminars will resume after the Easter break

Biosciences Seminar Series - Winter 2017
30 March 2017 - 1pm - Zoology Museum

Quantifying movement demands in elite sport: Highlighting Performance Issues

Professor Liam Kilduff

(Swansea University, UK)

Spring has sprung so it's time to conclude the winter seminar series - and for that we are delighted to welcome Professor Liam Kilduff, a sport scientist from the College of Engineering at Swansea University. Liam is keenly interested in finding out what makes elite athletes excel - and how to use this information to help them train to perform even better. His research interests range from Strength and Power Development to Recovery Strategies to pre-conditioning strategies and athlete monitoring. His 'study systems' include fencing (e.g. see here), international netball players and professional rugby union players (e.g. see here).

Abstract

This presentation will focus on the role of microtechnology within elite and professional sport and demonstrate how this technology is allowing both the

from as-sc.co.uk

researcher and practitioner to work in synergy. It will highlight how microtechnology is currently helping identify key performance issues and the toolbox of strategies developed to provide performance solutions, with a focus on the 4 key performance pillars. 

Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming seminars see here

Biosciences Seminar Speaker 23 March 2017

Biosciences Seminar Series - Winter 2017
23 March 2017 - 1pm - Zoology Museum

Marine mammals in Wales: status and conservation

Dr Thomas Stringell

(Natural Resources Wales, UK)

from: www.walesonline.co.uk

Our winter term seminars continue with a seminar by Dr Thomas Stringell, Zoologist, Marine Biologist and Senior Marine Mammal Ecologist at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), a UK Statutory Nature Conservation Body. At NRW Tom is tasked to provide national advice on marine mammal issues, especially for marine industry developments (e.g. see here). To this Tom brings a wide research experience in marine systems, including biodiversity monitoring for MPAs (sub-tidal reefs, saline lagoons, biogenic reefs, marine vertebrates - e.g. see here), and the conservation and biology of marine turtles and marine mammals (e.g. see here and here). 

Abstract

Several marine mammal species are found in Wales, but three species are routinely considered in environmental assessments: the bottlenose dolphin, the harbour porpoise and the grey seal. In this talk, I'll outline some of the anthropogenic threats and pressures facing these species in Wales and UK,

from: visitwales.com

including underwater noise and collision with renewable energy devices, and highlight some unusual natural causes of mortality. I'll describe some of the monitoring work that Natural Resources Wales contracts out. Based on the threats they face and the results of our monitoring, I'll conclude on the conservation status of marine mammals in Wales.

Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming seminars, see here, and here

Biosciences Science Club Events 21 March 2017

Biosciences Science Club Series - Winter 2017
21 March 2017 - 1pm - Zoology Museum

Engineering an ecosystem engineer: Impacts of green turtle grazing on tropical seagrasses

Dr Marjolijn Christianen

(University of Groningen, Netherlands)

Photo from National Geographic

We do have a visiting scientist from the Netherlands this week, Dr Marjolijn Christianen from the University of Gronenginen in the Netherlands, and she kindly agreed to show us her research on sea turtles and their ecosystem effects.

Abstract

Large mega-herbivores such as green turtles can be critical ecosystem engineers of seagrass ecosystems, with the ability to modify direct and indirect functional pathways. While global populations of turtles are declining, some show remarkable local recoveries with dramatic consequences for the systems they inhabit. In this talk I will discuss the role of mega-herbivores in tropical seagrass ecosystems, by using examples from field experiments in Indonesia and the Caribbean.

Hope to see many of you - everyone most welcome to attend!


For the list of forthcoming Science Club Events, see here

BioMaths Colloquium - 02/03/2017

BioMaths Colloquium Series - 2016/17

02 March 2017 - 3pm Maths Seminar Room

(room 224 Talbot Building 2nd floor)

Towards a 3D distribution model of drugs in the brain

Dr Vivi Rottschäfer

(Mathematisch Instituut,Leiden University, Netherlands) 

Our BioMaths Colloquium Series for the winter term continues with a seminar by Dr Vivi Rottschäfer from the Mathematisch Instituut at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Vivi is a mathematician and Associate Professor in the research group Analysis and Dynamical Systems. Her interests are in dynamical systems and partial differential equations with the aim to find novel applications in pharmacology and ecology. Examples include pattern evolution and how phase separation can explain self-organised spatial patterns in ecology.

Abstract

Development of drugs with adequate action on the brain is highly challenging. Quantitative understanding is needed on the highly complex processes that govern the concentration-profile of a drug, such as transport of the drug from blood to brain and subsequent distribution to the target site. Existing models for prediction of drug distribution and effect consist of systems of ordinary differential equations  to describe the pharmacokinetics of drugs in multiple physiological brain compartments. However, it is important to also take into account local brain distribution, as target expression in the brain can substantially differ between different  regions in the brain.

On the way towards a 3D spatial drug distribution model of the brain, we first developed a 2D model that gives more detailed insight into the change of drug concentration in the brain in both time and space. The model consists of  a system of a partial differential equation and ordinary differential equations  that describe the concentration of free drug in the brain  and the concentrations of free and bound receptors on the surface of the brain cells. In this model we integrate both the drug distribution and target interaction kinetics, to ultimately improve the prediction of drug action in the brain. 

The discussions will continue over biscuits and tea/coffee after the seminar. 

Hope to see many of you!