Many scientists in the school study humans and human health: how the body develops, how it is affected by mutations, pathogens and the environment, and how it has evolved.
Particular areas of focus are the study of how life begins and carries on to the next generation, and how basic mechanisms of reproduction and development are disrupted by harmful chemicals and pollution in our environment as well as by genetic disorders. We study fundamental genetic mechanisms underlying development, homeostasis, disease, and physiology using powerful biomedical organisms such as fruit flies, zebrafish, marsupials, mouse, and humans themselves. We study how the body is assailed by pathogenic agents such as fungi and mosquito-borne pathogens that cause malaria and dengue fever and explore new strategies to combat these. Finally, we address our place on earth as a species, how our genomes have evolved and how our existing populations are structured.
The supervisors below have projects available in the area of biotechnology and translational research.The Conservation and Climate Change Group applies ecological and evolutionary principles to the field of wildlife, conservation and applied biology across a wide range of land animals (including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, a wide range of invertebrates, and some plant groups). Particular interests include the management of native and invasive species; habitat use and ecology of mammals and reptiles; first-principles modelling of individual, population, and evolutionary dynamics; application of genomic techniques to biodiversity management; and terrestrial animals as bioindicators of environmental disturbance.The living cell possesses extraordinary capabilities that allow it to sense and respond to its environment, metabolise nutrients required for growth and division and undergo changes in cell shape and function. All of these processes are under the control of the hereditary instructions or genes it expresses, from among the thousands in its genome.The Evolution and Behaviour Group examines the behaviour and evolution of land animals at several levels, from genes to populations. Research on behaviour includes: visual signalling in birds, reptiles and insects; acoustic signalling in birds and amphibians; and chemical signalling in insects. Research in evolutionary biology investigates the evolutionary process that produced the diversity of life we see today. This includes the study of macro-evolutionary patterns of phenotypic diversity, phylogeny and taxonomy; biogeography and patterns of speciation; the origin, structure and maintenance of hybrid zones; sexual selection, including female choice and sperm competition; the evolution of co-operation in birds and invertebrates; and inter-specific relationships.Marine biologists in the School of BioSciences work on a diversity of topics across marine organisms, their conservation and management. We conduct our research in temperate and tropical marine environments, from estuaries to the deep sea.
Together we investigate the:
- Behaviour, ecology, evolution and biodiversity of marine organisms;
- Effects of human disturbance on habitats, species and communities;
- Technologies to improve the productivity of aquaculture and its environmental performance;
- Adaptation of aquaculture and fishery management for climate change;
- Ecological aspects of marine protected areas and fisheries management.
Life is dependent on plants: as the only organisms able to make their own food, these primary producers are vital to the world's ecosystems. From food, medicines, clothing and the air we breathe, we could not exist without them. Indeed, all of the research that occurs within the School of BioSciences is built upon the foundation of plant functions. Research groups in Plant Biology study a broad range of topics including:
- Plant diversity, classification, biogeography and conservation
- Plant growth and development
- Plant cell wall biosynthesis and cell-cell communication
- Plant nutrition and genetic engineering of crops to improve human nutrition (biofortification)
- Plant breeding systems and self incompatibility
- Plant defence against herbivory; plant secondary metabolites including cyanogenic compounds and the oils of eucalypts
- Plant interactions with fungal pathogens
- Evolution of plant, algal and protozoan cells, e.g., evolution of endosymbionts, the malaria parasite with its remnant chloroplast, and bio-mineralisation and bioadhesion of algal cell walls.
Students working in the plant biology field are eligible for support in the form of the generous scholarships and awards from the Botany Foundation.
Researchers in the Centre for Anthropogenic Pollution Impact and Management investigate the fate, behaviour, toxicity and management of pollution in the environment including in water, soil, air, light and waste. Our research covers human health and ecological sustainability including traditional pollutants (e.g. metals, nitrogen and hydrocarbons) as well as emerging contaminants such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics. Outcomes from our research are used by government, industry and the community to make decisions and more safely manage polluted environments.The Population and Quantitative Genetics Group investigate the causes and consequences of genetic variation in natural populations. A broad range of statistical techniques such as Genome-Wide Association and Genomic Selection methods are used to explore the pattern and effect of molecular variation at the whole genome level. Biological models of interest include humans, plants and insects with an emphasis on biological questions related to human health and agriculture.The Quantitative and Applied Ecology Group work across a wide spectrum of organisms and environments. Our research focus includes; environmental decision making, ecosystem management, conservation biology, and community and population ecology. The group also forms part of larger research centres: The ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) and theThreatened Species Recovery (TSR) hub of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP).The Reproduction and Development Groups study the very beginnings of life and factors that influence the growth and health of the embryo, foetus and offspring.Basic and biomedical research of mammalian systems focuses on the genetics and molecular control of early embryo development, sexual differentiation, environmental disruptors of development, stem cell biology, comparative genomics and reproductive physiology. Reproduction is the science of the transmission of life!Research groups in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Domain address both fundamental and applied questions spanning the breadth of the two disciplines. Our research includes quantitative risk assessment, ecological and species distribution modelling, vegetation mapping, integrative pest and disease management, conservation biology, marine and fisheries management, and behavioural ecology. We ask questions at different levels of organization from individuals through to assemblages and study a broad array of organisms that span aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.Research groups within the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) domain use genetic, biochemical, molecular and cellular approaches to investigate and manipulate fundamental biological processes across species that span the tree of life. Researchers study a broad range of species from viruses and bacteria to plants and animals. We share research strengths in plant biology, genetics and reproduction. We are united though the use of molecular approaches but have varied applications and model species which create a rich and interdisciplinary environment with a broad diversity of course and research offerings to students.Supervisors
Alex Andrianopoulos
Microbial and developmental genetics
David Balding
Statistical genomics
Luke Barrett
Marine ecology and sustainable aquaculture
Phil Batterham
Neurogenetics, behaviour and systems biology in insects
Simon Baxter
Applied pest control; pest biology
Joanne Birch
Plant Evolution
Anthony Boxshall
Marine ecology, coastal climate adaptation, pollution impact and management, and environmental sciences
Natalie Briscoe
Ecology and global change biology
Paolin Rocio Cáceres Vélez
Therapies and genetics underlying neuronal cell health
Melissa Carew
Freshwater biological monitoring
Rob Day
Marine ecology, aquaculture, fisheries, climate change effects on marine animals
Tim Dempster
Marine ecology and aquaculture
Andrew Drinnan
Plant development, morphology, anatomy, architecture and evolution
Michael Duffy
Malaria pathogenesis and nuclear biology
David Duncan
integrity of native ecosystems in human dominated landscapes
Berit Ebert
Plant cell wall biosynthesis
Mark Elgar
Evolutionary ecology
Nancy Endersby-Harshman
Insecticide resistance, ecology and population genetics
Mary Familari
Developmental biology
Jane Fenelon
Reproductive and developmental biology
Alex Fournier-Level
Adaptive evolution
Stephen Frankenberg
Mammalian early development and stem cells
Irene Gallego Romero
Human evolution and functional genomics
David Gardner
Reproductive biology
John Golz
Developmental regulation and translational research
Jason Goodger
Plant natural products
Christopher Dean Goodman
Malaria biology and host-vector interactions
Mark Green
Reproductive biology
Xinyue Gu
Molecular entomology, endosymbionts, environmental stress
Gurutzeta Guillera-Arroita
Quantitative ecology
Alexandra Harvey
Embryonic stem cells
Mike Haydon
Plant cell signalling
Joshua Heazlewood
Plant glycomics
Ary Hoffmann
Pest and environmental adaptation
Luke Holman
Evolutionary ecology
Alexander Idnurm
Fungal biology
Greg Jenkins
Marine ecology
Alex Johnson
Plant and food biotechnology
Therésa Jones
Behavioural ecology, Urban Light Pollution and Evolutionary Ecology
Patricia Jusuf
Neural development and regeneration, and disease modelling and treatment screening
Michael Kearney
Physiological ecology, climate change responses, metabolic ecology, insect conservation, grasshopper biology
Mick Keough
Marine ecology
Jose Lahoz-Monfort
Ecological modelling
Edwin Lampugnani
Plant evolution and development
Stephen Leslie
Statistical Genetics/Genomics
James Maino
Insect spatial ecology
Michael McCarthy
Ecology
Geoffrey McFadden
Malaria and endosymbiosis
Kathryn McNamara
Evolutionary ecology
Iliana Medina Guzman
Evolutionary ecology
Rebecca Morris
Marine ecology and coastal climate adaptation
John Morrongiello
Marine and freshwater ecology
Raoul Mulder
Behavioural ecology
Michael Murray
Developmental genetics of Drosophila
Ed Newbigin
Pollen biology
Allyson O'Brien
Marine pollution, ecology, and environmental management
Andrew Pask
Evolution, development and reproduction
Trent Perry
Insecticide biology, neurogenetics, parasitic biology of the blowfly
Suzie Reichman
Pollution impact and management
Marilyn Renfree
Reproductive and developmental biology
Charles Robin
Insect population genetics and molecular evolution
Nick Robinson
Aquaculture breeding and genetics
Ute Roessner
Abiotic stress adaptation and tolerance
Karen Rowe
Ecology and conservation using museum collections and acoustics
Kevin Rowe
Integrative mammalogy: taxonomy, evolution, genomics, morphology, conservation biology
Marc Somssich
Plant-Fungal interactions and plant cell walls
Darren Southwell
Adaptive management and optimal monitoring of threatened species
Perran Stott-Ross
Environmental stress, evolution, entomology and endosymbionts
Devi Stuart-Fox
Evolutionary ecology
Michael Stumpf
Theoretical systems biology
Steve Swearer
Marine ecology, evolution, and environmental management
Gerard Tarulli
Reproductive and developmental biology
Joshua Thia
Population genomics, evolutionary biology, and applied science
Paul Umina
Insect ecology and management
Allison Van de Meene
Plant cell biology using high-end microscopy techniques
Angela Van de Wouw
Plant pathogen interactions
Belinda van Heerwaarden
Climate change adaptation
Madeleine Van Oppen
Marine ecology and evolution
Heroen Verbruggen
Marine genomics and microbiology
Peter Vesk
Ecology, conservation and management; plants and vegetation
Robert Walker
Plant, soil and microbe interactions
Fletcher Warren-Myers
Marine ecology and aquaculture
Michelle Watt
Plant root system discovery and application to human and environmental challenges
Andrew Weeks
Conservation biology
Matt West
Applied ecology and wildlife conservation
Bonnie Wintle
Conservation ecology / CEED
Brendan Wintle
Conservation and ecology
Qiong Yang
Insect pest and endosymbionts