News

Churchill Fellowship

The Churchill Trust is proud to announce that a new Churchill Fellowship will be offered from 2022 to honour the memory and legacy of the late Saskia Beer, made possible through the generous sponsorship of Colin and Maggie Beer.

Churchill Fellowships are an internationally recognised award, providing access to expertise from around the world. Applicants are empowered to design their own projects, enabling them to explore international best practice and innovation that can be applied in Australia. There is a high level of visibility and credibility associated with becoming a Churchill Fellow, as well as a responsibility to share the knowledge and skills gained overseas with the Australian community. No prescribed qualifications are required to apply for a Churchill Fellowship and the subject of proposed projects is limitless, provided there is evidence of a benefit to Australia.

Application deadline: 28 April 2022

More information about this fellowship can be found here.

EFSA Traineeships Call 2022

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based in Parma, Italy is opening positions for trainees.

The position

Under the supervision of your traineeship adviser within the unit of assignment, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Get a first-hand experience into the work of a scientific EU Agency, developing new competencies and skills in line with your personal interests and professional aspirations;

  • Contribute to the overall objectives of the unit by supporting in drafting documents and reports, handling scientific and/or administrative work, and ensuring timely communication of outcomes;

  • Contribute to specific projects and activities with new ideas and innovative solutions;

  • Contribute to the planning and monitoring of the unit’s activities;

  • Participate in several trainings which will help you grow professionally.

Application deadline: 25 April 2022

More information about the position can be found here.

Publication: Exploring the Impact of Terminators on Transgene Expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a Synthetic Biology Approach

Publication: Exploring the Impact of Terminators on Transgene Expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a Synthetic Biology Approach

Exploring the Impact of Terminators on Transgene Expression in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with a Synthetic Biology Approach

Katrin Geisler, Mark A Scaife, Paweł M Mordaka, Andre Holzer, Eleanor V Tomsett, Payam Mehrshahi, Gonzalo I Mendoza Ochoa, Alison G Smith.

Life (Basel) 2021 Sep 14;11(9):964

https://doi.org/10.3390/life11090964

Publication: Construction of DNA Tools for Hyperexpression in Marchantia Chloroplasts

Publication: Construction of DNA Tools for Hyperexpression in Marchantia Chloroplasts

Construction of DNA Tools for Hyperexpression in Marchantia Chloroplasts

Eftychios Frangedakis, Fernando Guzman-Chavez, Marius Rebmann, Kasey Markel, Ying Yu, Artemis Perraki, Sze Wai Tse, Yang Liu, Jenna Rever, Susanna Sauret-Gueto, Bernard Goffinet, Harald Schneider, Jim Haseloff.

ACS Synth Biol. 2021 Jul 16;10(7):1651-1666

https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.0c00637

Publication: Subtelomeric assembly of a multi-gene pathway for antimicrobial defense compounds in cereals

Publication: Subtelomeric assembly of a multi-gene pathway for antimicrobial defense compounds in cereals

Subtelomeric assembly of a multi-gene pathway for antimicrobial defense compounds in cereals

Li Y, Leveau A, Zhao Q, Feng Q, Lu H, Miao J, Xue Z, Martin AC, Wegel E, Wang J, Orme A, Rey MD, Karafiátová M, Vrána J, Steuernagel B, Joynson R, Owen C, Reed J, Louveau T, Stephenson MJ, Zhang L, Huang X, Huang T, Fan D, Zhou C, Tian Q, Li W, Lu Y, Chen J, Zhao Y, Lu Y, Zhu C, Liu Z, Polturak G, Casson R, Hill L, Moore G, Melton R, Hall N, Wulff BBH, Doležel J, Langdon T, Han B, Osbourn A.

Nat Commun. 7;12(1):2563

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22920-8

Publication: Rapid and Modular DNA Assembly for Transformation of Marchantia Chloroplasts

Publication: Rapid and Modular DNA Assembly for Transformation of Marchantia Chloroplasts

Rapid and Modular DNA Assembly for Transformation of Marchantia Chloroplasts

Eftychios Frangedakis, Kasey Markel, Susana Sauret-Gueto, Jim Haseloff.

Methods Mol Biol. 2021;2317:343-365

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1472-3_21

Publication: The bundle sheath of rice is conditioned to play an active role in water transport as well as sulfur assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis

Publication: The bundle sheath of rice is conditioned to play an active role in water transport as well as sulfur assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis

The bundle sheath of rice is conditioned to play an active role in water transport as well as sulfur assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis

Lei Hua, Sean R Stevenson, Ivan Reyna-Llorens, Haiyan Xiong, Stanislav Kopriva, Julian M Hibberd.

Plant J 2021 Jul;107(1):268-286

https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.15292

Biomaker Challenge 2020/21 Final Showcase

 
biomaker-2020-final-showcase-meetup.png
 

You are invited to join Biomaker participants and finalists for a virtual showcase of this year's projects.

Hear from the Biomaker Challenge 2020 finalists and find out more about their low-cost, open-source biological hardware projects.

Schedule:

17:00 Welcome and Introduction
17:10 Overview of 2020 projects
17:30 Finalist Presentations and Demonstrations
18:10 Q&A
18:30 Finish

Finalists

For more information please contact coordinator@synbio.cam.ac.uk

Publication: Plant-expressed virus-like particles reveal the intricate maturation process of a eukaryotic virus

Publication: Plant-expressed virus-like particles reveal the intricate maturation process of a eukaryotic virus

Plant-expressed virus-like particles reveal the intricate maturation process of a eukaryotic virus

Roger Castells-Graells, Jonas R. S. Ribeiro, Tatiana Domitrovic, Emma L. Hesketh, Charlotte A. Scarff, John E. Johnson, Neil A. Ranson, David M. Lawson & George P. Lomonossoff

Communications Biology volume 4, Article number: 619

https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02134-w

Publication: Plant-made dengue virus-like particles produced by co-expression of structural and non-structural proteins induce a humoral immune response in mice

Publication: Plant-made dengue virus-like particles produced by co-expression of structural and non-structural proteins induce a humoral immune response in mice

Plant-made dengue virus-like particles produced by co-expression of structural and non-structural proteins induce a humoral immune response in mice.

Daniel Ponndorf, Yulia Meshcheriakova, Eva C. Thuenemann, Albor Dobon, Alonso Ross Overman, Nicholas Holton, Stuart Dowall, Emma Kennedy, Martin Stocks, George P. Lomonossoff, Hadrien Peyret

Plant Biotechnology Journal, Volume 19, Issue 4.

https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13501

Publication: Bluetongue Virus Particles as Nanoreactors for Enzyme Delivery and Cancer Therapy

Publication: Bluetongue Virus Particles as Nanoreactors for Enzyme Delivery and Cancer Therapy

Bluetongue Virus Particles as Nanoreactors for Enzyme Delivery and Cancer Therapy.

Eva C. Thuenemann, Duc H. T. Le, George P. Lomonossoff, and Nicole F. Steinmetz

Mol. Pharmaceutics (2021) 18, 3, 1150–1156

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c01053

Publication: Efficient Production of Chimeric Hepatitis B Virus-Like Particles Bearing an Epitope of Hepatitis E Virus Capsid by Transient Expression in Nicotiana benthamiana

Publication: Efficient Production of Chimeric Hepatitis B Virus-Like Particles Bearing an Epitope of Hepatitis E Virus Capsid by Transient Expression in Nicotiana benthamiana

Efficient Production of Chimeric Hepatitis B Virus-Like Particles Bearing an Epitope of Hepatitis E Virus Capsid by Transient Expression in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Gergana Zahmanova, Milena Mazalovska, Katerina Takova,Valentina Toneva, Ivan Minkov, Hadrien Peyret, and George Lomonossoff.

Life (2021) 11(1), 64

https://doi.org/10.3390/life11010064

Publication: Adaptive laboratory evolution of the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801 for improved solvent tolerance

Publication: Adaptive laboratory evolution of the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801 for improved solvent tolerance

Adaptive laboratory evolution of the fast-growing cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801 for improved solvent tolerance.

Vaibhav Srivastava, Ruth Amanna, Stephen J.L. Rowden, Shinjinee Sengupta, Swati Madhu, Christopher J.Howe, Pramod P. Wangikar

Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering (2021) Volume 131, Issue 5, Pages 491-500.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.11.012

Publication: An Efficient Agrobacterium‐Mediated Transformation Protocol for Hexaploid and Tetraploid Wheat

Publication: An Efficient Agrobacterium‐Mediated Transformation Protocol for Hexaploid and Tetraploid Wheat

An Efficient Agrobacterium‐Mediated Transformation Protocol for Hexaploid and Tetraploid Wheat.

Sadiye Hayta, Mark A. Smedley, Martha Clarke, Macarena Forner and Wendy A. Harwood

Curr Protoc. 1(3):e58.

https://doi.org/10.1002/cpz1.58

Publication: A Mechanistic Model of the Regulation of Division Timing by the Circadian Clock in Cyanobacteria.

Publication: A Mechanistic Model of the Regulation of Division Timing by the Circadian Clock in Cyanobacteria.

A Mechanistic Model of the Regulation of Division Timing by the Circadian Clock in Cyanobacteria

Paul K. Grant, Gregory Szep, Om Patange, Jacob Halatek, Valerie Coppard, Attila Csikász-Nagy, Jim Haseloff, James C. W. Locke, Neil Dalchau & Andrew Phillips

Biophysical Journal (2020) Volume 118, Issue 12, Pages 2905-2913

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2020.04.038

Virtual Meetup: Join our Monthly Biomaker Catch-Ups

New monthly virtual meet up for anyone interested in the intersection of biology engineering and computer science.

The SynBio IRC, along with the OpenPlant Biomaker Challenge, are pleased to announce a new series of informal monthly catch-ups to promote discussion of synthetic biology and bioengineering.

The monthly sessions will be held on Zoom, and will be an opportunity for Biomaker teams (and others interested in the intersection of biology, engineering and computing) to drop-in, ‘show-and-tell’, share their progress on bioelectronics projects, discuss ideas and ask questions.

Anyone is welcome to to present their ideas and bio-electronics projects, or just to listen in an hear more about this year's Biomaker teams and their progress.

The meetings will be held at 15:00 (GMT) on the final Tuesday of each month:

For more information see the Cambridge Synthetic Biology Meetup Group, or contact the SynBio IRC coordinator Steph Norwood at coordinator@synbio.cam.ac.uk.

Publication: Interpretation of morphogen gradients by a synthetic bistable circuit

Publication: Interpretation of morphogen gradients by a synthetic bistable circuit

Interpretation of morphogen gradients by a synthetic bistable circuit.

Paul K. Grant, Gregory Szep, Om Patange, Jacob Halatek, Valerie Coppard, Attila Csikász-Nagy, Jim Haseloff, James C. W. Locke, Neil Dalchau & Andrew Phillips

Nature Communications (2020) 11: 5545

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19098-w

Publication: A bipartite transcription factor module controlling expression in the bundle sheath of Arabidopsis thaliana

Publication: A bipartite transcription factor module controlling expression in the bundle sheath of Arabidopsis thaliana

A bipartite transcription factor module controlling expression in the bundle sheath of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Patrick J. Dickinson, Jana Kneřová, Marek Szecówka, Sean R. Stevenson, Steven J. Burgess, Hugh Mulvey, Anne-Maarit Bågman, Allison Gaudinier, Siobhan M. Brady & Julian M. Hibberd

Nature Plants (2020) 6:1468–1479

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-00805-w