Genomics events

The Australasian Genomic Technologies Association (AGTA) conference will be held 30 October – 2 November 2022 at Novotel Twin Towers, Sunshine Coast.

The Australasian Genomic Technologies Association (AGTA; formerly AMATA) is a not-for-profit association and a registered charity, dedicated to advancing and promoting the field of genomics and genomic technologies in Australasia. AGTA is the principal body for the promotion of genomics research in Australasia; it draws on the breadth of genomics research and technology development across Australasia. This is the 20th anniversary conference. Register here.

The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (SMBE) is holding a regional meeting on November 6-9 in Hamilton and online, on The Role of the Genome in Biological Invasion. Along with an exciting line-up of internationally renowned speakers, the aim is to develop a broad scientific programme that will be of interest to researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of invasion biology, genomics, and biosecurity. In-person numbers will be limited, so please register your interest. Registration has been extended to September 11.

Genomics Aotearoa is pleased to announce that on November 17 at 4 pm Prof John Bowman will be discussing  the origin and evolution of land plants at the latest seminar in this series. Please join with this zoom link. Time to be confirmed.

Abstract
The origin of a land flora fundamentally shifted the course of evolution of life on earth facilitating terrestrialization of other eukaryotic lineages and altering the planet’s geology, from changing atmospheric and hydrological cycles to transforming continental erosion processes. Despite algal lineages inhabiting the terrestrial environment for a considerable preceding period, they failed to evolve complex multicellularity necessary to conquer the land. About 470 million years ago one lineage of charophycean alga evolved complex multicellularity via developmental innovations in both haploid and diploid generations and became land plants (embryophytes), which rapidly diversified to dominate most terrestrial habitats. Genome sequences have provided unprecedented insights into the genetic and genomic bases for embryophyte origins, with some embryophyte-specific genes being associated with the evolution of key developmental or physiological attributes, such as meristems, rhizoids and ability to form mycorrhizal associations. However, based on the fossil record, the evolution of the defining feature of embryophytes, the embryo and consequently the sporangium that provided a reproductive advantage, may have been most critical in their rise to dominance. The long timeframe and singularity of a land flora were perhaps due to the stepwise assembly of a large constellation of genetic innovations required to conquer the terrestrial environment.

About John Bowman
After obtaining a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Prof. John Bowman trained as a geneticist during his PhD at Caltech where he started working on Arabidopsis as a model plant to address fundamental questions in plant development. During his PhD and subsequent postdoc at Monash, he contributed substantially to our understanding of the developmental genetics of flowers. In 1995, he established his own laboratory at the University of California, Davis where his group discovered several gene families whose action determines the polar growth of leaves. He co-organized the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory course of Plant Biology from 2000-2003. In 2006 he moved as a Federation Fellow to Monash, where his laboratory continues to investigate fundamental questions in land plant development with an evolutionary perspective. Elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Sciences in 2014.

25-27 November 2022

Venue: Shakespear Regional Park Lodge & Open Sanctuary (25km N of Auckland City)

Pre-Conference Guided Field Trip: Tiritiri Matangi Island Sanctuary

• Registration closes on 31 October. There is no early bird discount, but spaces are limited in the venue, so save yours! Register and find out more about the event.
• Abstract submission also closes on 31 October. 

For more information, contact Shane Lavery or Priscila Salloum.

Registration is open for the 11th Rosaceae Genomics Conference, set to take place in Nelson, Aotearoa on 13-16 March 2023. Abstract submissions close 25 November.

The 23rd International Congress of Genetics will be held in Melbourne, Australia from July 16-21, 2023. This Congress will cover fundamental discoveries in genetics and applications in medicine, agriculture and the environment.  Proposals are sought for symposia in current topical areas of genetics and genomics that will form part of the scientific program and sit alongside other broader sessions to attract a truly global audience of over 1500 to the Congress.  Submissions close August 1. For full details of the submission process and selection criteria visit the congress website.