School of BioSciences

Meet Jo Birch, lecturer in the Plant Systematic Research Group and Manager of the University of Melbourne Herbarium whose favourite place to be is outdoors.

Professor Marilyn Renfree, Melbourne Laureate Professor and Ian Potter Chair of Zoology in the School of BioSciences is one of over 60 outstanding scientists from all over the globe who have this year joined the Royal Society as Fellows and Foreign Members.

The loss of fertility in males as a result of climate change, particularly in the tropics, may be a better predictor of vulnerability to extinction.

Meet Dr Lisa Godinho, Teaching Specialist, Senior Lecturer and a coordinator of the Bachelor of Science (Extended) degree. Lisa has extensive experience teaching first year biology and is also the Chair of our BRITE committee (BioSciences Research for Innovation in Teaching Effectiveness).

Meet Professor Roger Cousens, Emeritus Professor in the School of BioSciences. Now formally retired as an employee of the University of Melbourne, he is more active than ever as a scientific writer on the ecology of plants, and an organiser of international ecological workshops.

Some of Australia’s iconic ecosystems are collapsing, which is likely exacerbated by climate change. But we must understand the dynamics of our ecosystems in order to protect them.

The discovery of bacteria inside the algae that live inside corals sheds new light on reef-building corals and could be important for understanding coral bleaching.

Unlike us, plants can’t head to the fridge for a midnight snack, but a new study shows they sense time at dusk to conserve energy produced from sunlight during the day.

Meet John Ahern, a true legend in the School of BioSciences and formerly the Department of Zoology. John is the University of Melbourne’s Diving Officer and it is through his expertise, hard work and dedication over decades that Zoology/ BioSciences has been able to run the aquarium as well as our boats and diving program. John will be greatly missed when he leaves us at the end of this month.

Meet Dr Bo Eng Cheong who just completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne in the Roessner Lab in the School of BioSciences, including one year based in Germany at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. In addition to having a deep passion for understanding plants better, Bo Eng is an avid shopper.

The University of Melbourne and Bush Heritage Australia have been awarded a significant grant of $1.2 million by The Ian Potter Foundation to build an open-source Conservation Knowledge System.

Australia will avoid $A314 billion in damages, at an average return on investment of 30:1 through the continued operation of its biosecurity systems, new research shows

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the VCE Biology Program, a special program that enables year 12  students to complete practical laboratory activities on campus (and this year online) at the University of Melbourne to support VCE Biology curriculum outcomes.We talk to Associate Professor Dawn Gleeson, architect of the program and multiple award winning biology educator, about what inspires her about teaching and why she developed the program.Dawn completed a BSc majoring in Genetics and Zoology and a Dip Ed at the University of Melbourne, and later, a Masters at Monash University.

Meet Courtney Brown, who is in her final semester of a Master of Science (BioSciences) degree, specialising in Genetics. Courtney is a member of the Robin Lab and is researching pesticide resistance in fruit flies.

Meet Michelle McNamara, a Melbourne Enterprise Fellow in the School of BioSciences who has 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry. Michelle applies her knowledge and networks to teaching postgraduate students about biotechnology. Michelle is also the Chair of the School of Biosciences Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Committee; Member of Faculty of Science Diversity and Inclusion Committee; Staff Co-Representative on the Pride in Action Network Committee; and Committee Member of Queers in Science.

Meet Amy LeBlanc, science communicator and Chief Editor of the international news platform BioVox. Amy completed her Master of Science in Zoology in 2017 at the University of Melbourne, with a research project on the female bird song of Superb Fairywrens.She was inspired to pursue a career in science communication after attending Dr Jen Martin’s Science Communication program as part of her coursework: “I realised that I don’t have the fine focus you need to be a researcher. I am much more of a generalist: I am interested in knowing a little bit about a lot of things…Science communication offered me everything I was looking for: constant exposure to new and interesting research; interaction with the amazing diverse people behind the studies; and an environment of continual learning and curiosity. I was hooked!”Now living in Belgium, Amy reflects on her international experience, working in science as a non-researcher and how she integrates her personal and professional pursuits.

Learn more about the coursework and research opportunities available in 2021 and beyond.

Meet David Martin, Master of Science (BioSciences) graduate from the University of Melbourne whose studies on overabundant koala populations on French Island helped inform Park Victoria's koala management planning. David is a passionate botanist and has spent the past three years pursuing “adventures in ecology” that have developed his expertise in botany, wildlife management and the establishment and management of biodiversity offsets.David currently works at the environmental consultancy Kleinfelder in Newcastle, and has previously worked for SLR Consulting, GHD and Anne Clements and Associates. He has also collaborated with agencies and organisations such as Parks Victoria, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and Operation Wallacea (OPWALL).

Meet Emily McColl-Gausden, a PhD candidate in the Quantitative and Applied Ecology Group (QAEco) in the School of BioSciences. Emily’s research uses environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect animals in water. A major focus of her PhD is conducting the Great Australian Platypus Search, a large-scale platypus survey where she and other researchers are sampling hundreds of sites across Victoria and New South Wales to try to understand why they are occupying certain areas, and not others. Emily completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Melbourne. “I feel lucky to have great supervisors and a great research group to support me.’’

Researchers are targeting essential microorganisms inside insect pests in an approach that could revolutionise agricultural pest management

Delays to reporting test results and contact tracing from an overloaded system slows the containment of COVID-19. Victoria’s testing strategy needs to recognise this risk and allocate resources accordingly

New research shows atrazine, a herbicide banned in the EU but widely used in Australia, causes abnormalities in marsupial genitalia

Dr Belinda van Heerwaarden will also be joining the School of Biosciences to begin her Fellowship.

A Faculty of Science team has been awarded funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to study the movement of bacteria that live inside corals.

Pest insects, like mosquitoes, are becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides. So how are these genetic invasions threatening pest control?

Environmental microbiologist, Professor Linda Blackall, has been recognised by the Australian Academy of Science for pioneering work that revealed microbes and their functions in natural and engineered systems.

Scientists are investigating novel technologies and management strategies to control insect pests in Australian grain crops through a new research initiative.

Scientists from the University of Melbourne, CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have successfully produced in a laboratory setting a coral that is more resistant to increased seawater temperatures.

SWARM technology has brought together the country’s leading experts from Australian universities to work on our recovery after COVID-19.

Jane Elith, Professor of Biodiversity Modelling in the School of BioSciences at the University of Melbourne, was this week elected an international member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in the USA.

The Conversation: Brendan Wintle and Casey Vinintin explore the 'Intriguing things that sometimes happen in places deserted by people...'

Forecasting the spread of COVID-19, including the likely number of undetected cases, is fraught and difficult, but a sense of the numbers is important for appreciating the challenges ahead

Larger animals tend to live longer than smaller ones, but within the dog kingdom it pays to be short.

Head of the School of BioSciences, Professor Ute Roessner, has been named a Trailblazer on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

We will be running laboratory and issues workshops for VCE Biology students from 13 to 24 July 2020. Book now to secure your school's place.

The swamp wallaby, an iconic Australian marsupial, has accomplished an incredible reproductive feat as the only mammal known to be pregnant and lactating throughout the female’s entire adult life

Ideal for working professionals, these programs are designed to be taken part-time and can be studied anywhere in the world.

Australia’s season of bushfires shows us just how easily our unique biodiversity and ecosystems could be wiped out. Now is the time for long-term planning for climate change to protect them

Anti-viral bacteria used to control dengue-carrying mosquitoes can bounce back from heatwaves, according to new research

University of Melbourne researchers are redesigning wheat to create healthier versions of one of the world’s favourite foods – bread

Anti-viral bacteria used to control dengue-carrying mosquitoes can bounce back from heatwaves, according to new research

University of Melbourne researchers are redesigning wheat to create healthier versions of one of the world’s favourite foods – bread

Two scientists, who today are colleagues, were on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall when it came down 30 years ago. Here they reflect on 1989 and what it meant.

New research shows that revegetation programs need to consider incorporating plants with a varied genetic background for long-term success.

Animals like beetles and birds are teaching us new ways of understanding colour at a nanoscale, which could change the way we manufacture it.

The Highly Cited Researchers list from the Web of Science Group identifies scientists and social scientists who have demonstrated significant influence through publication of multiple highly cited papers ranked in the top 1% in their field during the last decade.

Scientists are facing up to the challenge of food security and sustainability on myriad fronts.

The Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) scheme provides focused research support for early career researchers in both teaching and research, and research-only positions. It supports research in areas of critical national importance by enabling outstanding Australian and international early career researchers to conduct their research in Australia.

Professor Wedell will join the School of BioSciences to take up the Fellowship for her project, 'Sexual conflict and evolutionary dynamics of insecticide resistant genes'.

Through a molecular quirk, two distant mammalian cousins evolved to look more like twins finds new research

A rare insect species, the Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper, was thought to be extinct in Victoria but has now been rediscovered, giving hope for conserving its future

The Wolbachia bacteria has successfully suppressed dengue-fever carrying mosquitoes in a trial, but more work is needed to understand how the insects move to infest new areas

Dr Chris Murray has enjoyed a successful career in dentistry, but to contribute to a better future, he’s leaving a gift in his Will to support his personal passion – environmental preservation.

Like most things in life, careers don’t always have a clear and straightforward path. Hear the career stories of the Faculty of Science's Frances Separovic and Theresa Jones. You just never really know what you are capable of, and sometimes you have to follow your nose and just take the opportunities as they happen.

The BioInspiration Seed Funding Competition is designed to have teams develop creative, nature-inspired solutions to global/ practical/ human technological and design challenges.

Science Magazine has published a feature article on the research being conducted by Madeleine van Oppen to develop more resilient coral.

This is the highest award of the SSR and given in recognition of a career of research and scholarly activities in the field of reproductive biology.

Working with juvenile in vitro embryo (JIVET) production, Bethany’s research could help maximise the offspring from an individual cow over her lifetime.

Kim-Anh Lê Cao and Stephen Leslie have been awarded 2019 Moran Medals from the Australian Academy of Science for their contributions to research.

Professor Lesley Head from the School of Geography and Professor Linda Blackall from the School of BioSciences were on the Australian Academy of Science expert panel that reported that insufficient flows and poor management led to the massive fish kills in the Darling River this summer.