The 2017 BABS Genome Competition is on

BABS researchers are involved in sequencing the genomes of a number of iconic Australian species. These include the koala, the cane toad, and Sandy the Dingo (winner of the PacBio World’s Most Interesting Genome competition). Now, we’re asking: what next?

This year, BABS has launched a new initiative: the BABS Genome Project. We will be using the latest sequencing technologies at the Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics to sequence a brand new genome of an Australian organism. Students and staff of BABS3291 Genes, Genomes and Evolution, will be the first scientists in the world to analyse the data.

Australia has some of the most interesting - and deadly! - animals on earth. If you could sequence one, which would it be? Let us know at the BABS Genome survey. If you are a BABS student and give us the reason for your selection, you could win one of five $50 gift cards.

Honours applications close next Friday (3 June)

We still have space in the group for one more Honours student, with a variety of projects available to work on PacBio SMRT data for bacteria, yeast or cane toad de novo genome assembly. Please get in touch if you are interested. (Better still, fill in the lab application form, making it clear it’s for Honours, not PhD!) The deadline is Friday, 3rd of June. See the BABS website for more details.

UPGMA walkthrough PowerPoint now on GOBLET

A couple of years ago, I made a UPGMA walkthrough for an undergrad course. The slides were available on request but can now be found on GOBLET (the Global Organisation for Bioinformatics Learning, Education & Training website).