SEB Bulletin January 2007
Interested in applying for a travel grant? Visit www.sebiology.org
Deadlines for applications for the next two rounds are: 31st March 2007 and 30th June 2007
| Olivier Faivre | University of Cambridge | Neurobiology Conference, 29 March - April 07 2007, Gottingen |
| Ivone Giffard Mena | University Montpellier | SEB Annual Main Meeting 2007, Glasgow |
| Mette Kallestrup Hagensen | Arhaus University Hospital | American Physiological Society Conference, Virginia. |
| Dr Lewis G. Halsey | University of Birmingham | Research course at Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg in collaboration with CNRS |
| Miss E Kewley | University of Birmingham | 41st Meeting of the Brazilian Physiological Society, August 2006 |
| Daniel Kinsman | University of Sheffield | FESPB Conference Lyon, France, July 2006 |
| Tammy Laberge | University of Miami | National University of Singapore Jan 8 - 10 Feb 2007 |
| Ms Vicky Schaerlaeken | University of Antwerp | "SICB meeting in Phoenix January 2-7, 2007." |
| Mr Martin Tresguerres | University of Alberta | Collaboration with Dr Carlos Luquet at Universidad Nacional del Comahue |
| Mr Eric Tytell | Harvard University | World congress of Biomechanics, 29/07 - 05/08 2006, Munich |
Research Visit to the Gamperl Lab, Ocean Sciences Centre, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Temperature is a critical environmental factor that influences all life. For example, Atlantic cod is a very temperature sensitive species that behaviourally regulates its' body temperature to within ± 0.2oC of its preferred temperature. It uses thermal corridors, such as one running up the Grand Banks of the eastern coast of North America, as 'highways' for migration. Temperature also affects changes in the rates of biochemical and physiological processes, and the stability of biological molecules, thus affecting the ability of an animal to perform at different temperatures.
Evidence suggests that Atlantic cod are limited in their ability to adapt acutely to new thermal regimes due to restrictions imposed by the cardiovascular system. Similarly, it is thought the heart performance regulates swimming performance in rainbow trout because the aerobic scope (i.e. maximal metabolic rate - resting metabolic rate) shares the same temperature optimum as cardiac scope. How the Atlantic cod heart function reacts to acute temperature change, especially extreme temperatures such as 0oC, and whether adrenaline may mitigate any negative affects of temperature had not been examined.
I met Assoc. Prof. Kurt Gamperl at the SEB@Barcelona meeting in 2005 where we discussed the relative merits of the Atlantic cod in-situ perfused heart set-up he'd developed in relation to my doctoral thesis. He subsequently invited me to the Ocean Sciences Centre in St. John's to undertake some experiments to examine the affect of temperature on Atlantic cod heart function. With generous support from an SEB travel grant and the German Academic Exchange Programme (DAAD), I was able to do just that.
A series of experiments were undertaken to investigate, a) how cardiac function is affected by acclimation of Atlantic cod to three different temperatures, 0, 4 and 10oC when tested at their native temperatures, b) how cardiac function is affected by acute temperature change by testing cardiac function of the above acclimated fish at reversed temperatures, and finally c) examining the effects of resting (5nM) and maximal doses of adrenaline (200nM) at both native and reversed temperatures.
With excellent support from all at the OSC, everything went like clockwork. The first two weeks were spent learning how to get a working heart into the apparatus and performing a few pilot studies to determine the limits of the set-up. The following 4 weeks were then used to run the experiments. The results seem, in part, surprising, though the data must still be critically analysed. It appears, a) as expected, resting and maximal cardiac ouput as well as resting and maximal power generation decreased with temperature, b) acute temperature reversal seems to have had no detrimental effect on cardiac function, except when 10oC fish were taken to 0oC, and c) a maximal dose of adrenaline did little to improve cardiac function at any of the temperatures or during acute temperature change. Though the results seem curious, they parallel swim tunnel experiments I have recently undertaken as part of my doctoral thesis at the Alfred Wegener Institute where, again I saw no difference in the critical swimming speed of Atlantic cod when temperature was acutely reversed.
Given the opportunity for such a research visit again I would not hesitate. The experiments were well designed, the experimental technique worked flawlessly, and the level expertise on which I could draw from within the Gamperl Lab, and the OSC in general, was excellent. Similarly, the opportunity to visit St. John's and see it transform from winter into summer was fantastic. A big thanks to all that helped, namely (but not only) Kurt Gamperl, Lene Petersen, Paula Mendonça, Isabel Costa and The Mortons.
Glenn Lurman
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Lab visit to the University of Geneva
I study plant stress physiology at Hacettepe University and my reseach group has prepared some projects related to environmental stresses-photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence. We have two fluorometers (FMS-2 and HandyPEA) but I have wanted to improve my knowledge on chlorophyll fluorescence. There are few scientists who study on this subject in Turkey and I have had to learn theoretical and practical basis of chlorophyll fluorescence in a main research laboratory. I was accepted by Prof.Dr. Reto Strasser who is one of the authorities on this research area to study in his laboratory in University of Geneva with the funding of the Society for Experimental Biology and the Company of Biologists. These were big opportunities for me to improve my scientific experience.
During the course of the visit, I made several experiments and measurements with fluorometers and I got good results. Some of these experiments were “effect of high salt stress on the photosynthetic approaches of chickpeas” and “dynamics of different plants”. We have been preparing some papers with our results. In addition, we have some plans for future collaboration and I am taking part in a UN Development Project whose scientific co-ordinator is Prof.Dr. Strasser.
As well as my comprehensive studies, I had a chance to see some parts of Switzerland and understand the life style. I will never forget the kindness of those working in the laboratory. Everything was wonderful. Also, I will always remember the hospitality and friendship of people, especially Prof.Dr. Reto Strasser, Dr. Gert Schansker, Georgina Ceppi and Abdallah Oukarroum.
Indeed, I am thankful to the Society for Experimental Biology and the Company of Biologists for granting me the opportunity to study in the Bioenergetics and Microbiology Laboratory of Geneva University in Switzerland for 4 months. It is very nice that this chance is given to young scientists, regardless of their nationality or belief. I am so happy being a member of the Society for Experimental Biology.
Nuran Cicek
Hacettepe University, Turkey
8th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology
The 8th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology meeting was held in Adelaide, Australia in August 2006. I would like to thank the SEB for the travel grant which helped me to attend this conference.
The conference hosted over 1000 participants with over 600 hundred posters. Talks started at 8.30 in the morning with a plenary lecture, these were then followed by concurrent sessions covering a wide range of subjects and the days finished with a final plenary lecture. The large number of concurrent sessions meant that it was always possible to find an interesting and informative talk to go to.
I am in the 3rd and final year of my PhD so this was the perfect opportunity to present a poster on my work entitled 'Characterisation of the GA receptor genes in Arabidopsis'. The poster generated lots of interest allowing me to receive feedback on the work carried and gets lots of ideas of future directions for the work. The conference gave me the chance to meet with people I had previously only had e-mail contact with and to make some interesting contacts for the future.
We were given the opportunity to meet with peers in a more relaxed atmosphere with the welcome drinks, cocktail party and conference dinner. There were also outings available to visit the surrounding countryside including one to a local wildlife park.
So once again thank you to the SEB, Rothamsted Research and Nottingham University, who awarded me grants to visit this fascinating country and attend an interesting conference.
Jayne Griffiths
Rothamsted Research