2010 Annual Report - Institute for Molecular Bioscience - University ...

71 postgraduate research
Postgraduate research
year students completed mini-research
projects as part of the “Introduction
to Research” module of their degrees,
and several Advanced Studies students
completed research projects as part
of their program. We also placed 19
students in summer projects of six to
ten weeks duration as part of the UQ
Summer Research program, which
this year included students from New
Zealand, Singapore, Western Australia
and even a high-calibre candidate from
the University of Belgrade.
Once again, the IMB hosted many
international students, who joined IMB
for up to one year as occupational
trainees, undertaking overseas
research placements as part of their
degree requirements within their
home institution. We also welcomed a
number of Year 10, 11 and 12 students
from schools throughout Queensland
to undertake a brief period of work
experience within research laboratories.
This included the placement of 12
students from Gregory Terrace who
completed a three-week Science
Immersion program as part of their
Year 10 curriculum, and three Year 12
students from Brisbane Boy’s College
who spent an afternoon a week for six
months in a designated laboratory to
complete an extended research project
as part of their Year 12 assessment.
OUR IMB STUDENT ASSOCIATION,
SIMBA, organised a range of social
events throughout the year, which
promoted engagement within our
student body, with students from other
research institutes on campus, and with
members of the community.
The events conducted throughout 2010
included several themed movie nights,
the annual IMB/AIBN Trivia night (which
we won this year!), an opportunity to
band together to join the “Brisbane
Zombie Walk” in October as part of a
charity event for the Brain Foundation of
Australia, and a Movember moustachegrowing
competition to raise money for
men’s health issues.
There were also several IMB-based
BBQs to meet and greet new students,
and the AGM, held in August to usher
in the new SIMBA Executive for 10/11.
We welcomed Wilko Duprez (President),
Drew Ringsmuth (Vice President),
Silmara Rodrigues de Sousa (Secretary),
Kalyani Akondi (Treasurer), Martin Smith
(SIMBAlize editor-in-chief) and Baptiste
Coxam (Event Co-ordinator).
Each year the SIMBA Executive brings
an energy to the role which ensures our
students have a collective identity within
the institute. We continue to be delighted
by their enthusiasm and commitment.
THE IMB EARLY CAREER
Researcher (ECR) Committee also had a
very productive year. In addition to again
running the annual mentoring afternoon
tea, the committee hosted Guntram
Bauer for a session on the Human
Frontier Science program of funding
opportunities, initiated a Brisbane-wide
meeting of ECR representatives from
local institutes to allow ECRs from
different organisations to meet and
exchange ideas, contributed to the
MMRI-run Hugh Kearns session “The
Balanced Researcher” and continued to
arrange for IMB ECRs (and occasional
undergraduates) to meet and lunch with
speakers after the Friday Seminar Series.
They also launched the inaugural
Brisbane Inter-Institute Poster
Symposium held on 8th October at the
IMB, which proved a huge success.
This event brought together researchers
from IMB, AIBN, DI, MMRI, QBI and
UQCCR at UQ as well as scientists
from the institutes at Griffith University,
several from QIMR and some from IHBI
at QUT, with slightly over 60 abstracts.
The atmosphere was wonderful as
young researchers from all over Brisbane
exchanged ideas in this industrysponsored
event. The committee must
be congratulated on organising what is
definitely set to become an annual event.
EMILY KNAUTH: SUNSPOT
Every organism on Earth is reliant
on the sun for survival. Plants and
algae use specialised structures
to capture light and convert it into
chemical energy which is used as a
food and fuel source. The thylakoid
membranes inside the chloroplast,
pictured here, adapt their structure
in response to light and other
conditions and are a key factor in
overall light capture. The algae cell
pictured here has been purposely
stylised to resemble the sun, an
essential part of photosynthesis
and life. Photosynthesis is Nature’s
solar cell.