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

81 community engagement
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
MUCH OF THE COMMUNITY
engagement that took place in 2010
was based around UQ’s Centenary
year. IMB decided to mark the occasion
by resurrecting the Ångström Art
competition. Originally held in 2001,
Ångström Art was the result of an
Australia-wide imaging competition
run by the IMB. Several collections
of images were produced before the
competition went on hiatus.
In 2010, we decided to restrict the
competition to IMB researchers only,
transforming Ångström Art into
a visual showcase of the Institute’s
research. Researchers from all divisions
of the IMB were inspired by the
competition, with 62 images entered
RUNNER UP: ÅNGSTRÖM ART CENTENARY COLLECTION
in total. A judging panel consisting of
Professor Stephen Walker, Dean of UQ’s
Faculty of Science; Mrs Beverley Trivett,
Director of the John Trivett Foundation,
which supported earlier Angstrom Art
competitions; and Mr Nick Mitzkevich,
Director of the UQ Art Gallery; selected
one winner and two runners-up.
Mr Darren Brown from the Stow
group contributed the winning image,
MacBeads (seen on the front of
this report) and runner-up image
RealMacAlien. Dr Michael Landsberg
from the Hankamer group was the other
runner-up for his image, Insect Assassin.
All 62 images can be viewed on the
Angstrom Art website at www.angstromart.com.
These images were displayed
at an internal IMB exhibition, and at
external exhibitions at UQ’s Celebration
of Centenary on Sunday April 18, and at
UQ’s Open Day on August 1.
IMB’s Marketing team also produced
iPhone skins and postcards with the
Angstrom Art images, which have
proven immensely popular at both
community and scientific events. If you
would like some postcards or an iPhone
skin, please contact imb@imb.uq.edu.au
THE IMB WEBSITE (www.imb.uq.edu.
au) continues to be the main portal of
information about the institute, including
its newsletter Output (to subscribe,
please click on the green ‘Subscribe’
button on the IMB homepage). The
IMB News section of the website nearly
tripled the number of hits it received in
2010 compared to 2009, with around
125,000 in 2009 and nearly 350,000
in 2010. The website remains in the
number one position when ‘molecular
bioscience’ is searched in Google.
MICHAEL LANDSBERG: INSECT ASSASSIN
A number of techniques exist for studying
the structure of proteins – the “worker
molecules” of the cell. This image draws
inspiration from the technique of single
particle analysis, highlighting how it is
now possible with current technology to
reconstruct in three-dimensions, images
of individual macromolecular protein
complexes.
The “walls” of the room illustrate various
steps in the process of single particle
analysis – the visualisation of individual
protein complexes, computational
image averaging and three-dimensional
reconstruction – to obtain a final threedimensional
structure.
The structure shown floating in the centre
of the room is around 30 nanometres
in length (around one millionth of a
centimetre) and was determined by
combining over 10 000 images captured
by electron microscopy. It is being
investigated because of its insecticidal
properties.
THE IMB SCIENCE AMBASSADOR
program continued to be a success.
We had some turnover of ambassadors
from our first cohort, ending up with
18 ambassadors in total, including a
mid-year intake. In its pilot year, the
ambassador program was run by
a committee consisting of two staff
members and an ambassador. In 2010,
the committee decided to expand, and
allow more ambassadors a chance
to assist in guiding the program. The
2010 committee was: Phillippa Smith
(Craik group) – Co-ordinator; Dr Richa
Dave (Wainwright group) – Worksheet
Manager; Dr Denis Bauer (Bailey group)
– Vodcast Manager; Maggie Hardy
(King group) – Committee Adviser; Dr
Amanda Carozzi – Postgraduate Student
Co-ordinator; and Bronwyn Adams –
Marketing and Communications Officer.
Each of these committee members did
an excellent job in ensuring the success
of the program beyond its pilot year.