Biology News 2012

‘HEDGEROW FUTURES’ INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM:
3rd -5th September 2012.

Hedgelink’s first International Symposium on Hedgerow Ecology, Conservation and Management ‘Hedgerow Futures’ is to be held at Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent , UK. The meeting will address the following themes: Biodiversity, Connectivity, Ecosystem Services, Sustainability, Management, Relationship with People.

Further information is available at: http://www.hedgelink.org.uk/hedgerow-futures-conference-2012.htm or from the conference convenor Prof. John Dover j.w.dover@staffs.ac.uk

Biology Students with St Peter’s Academy at the Big Bang 2012.

Students from Staffordshire University have been working with local school science clubs to enthuse the pupils about Science and in particular how science is used in real life. 

Undergraduate Biology Students Andrew Bird and Helen Parkinson have been working with the science club at St Peter’s Academy.  Andrew and Helen both joined the club working as STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Maths) ambassadors last November.  Since then the club successfully applied to showcase their activities at the National Big Bang Festival at the NEC in March 2012. The project ‘Green for Go’ involved building renewable energy powered vehicles using recycled materials.  It brought together the school science and technology departments in the research, design and build of the vehicles.  At the Big Bang festival the group had rubber band cars for visitors at their stand to make and race.  Gill Finan the Science teacher at St Peter’s Academy said “the students have been great and really inspired the pupils”.  Helen Parkinson said “the pupils became very engaged with the project and they decided what they wanted to do”.

For more information and video of showcase event please click here.

The Flora of Staffordshire (2011) of which Ian Hopkins is one of the principal co-authors has at long last appeared in print form (Staffordshire Wildlife Trust/£45) after various delays and problems.  The Flora is based on a survey of the county carried out between 1995 and 2008, although the first years of plant recording were originally to provide records for the New Atlas of British and Irish Flora (2002, Oxford University Press), the actual Staffordshire project not beginning until 1998. Kevin Reiling contributed a number of records and he is acknowledged in the new Flora. Various delays meant we were able to update some records of particularly scarce taxa until the middle of 2011. My own contributions to the new volume centre largely on the History chapter and on the Species Accounts - and of course on the extensive amount of fieldwork involved in recording in the various tetrad units (2 x 2 km squares - about 880 such units occur within our survey area) in the county between March and the end of October each year. For a sense of the effort involved, John Hawksford, the Botanical Society of the British Isles County Recorder from 1998 to the present day, and I maintained a rough parity in the number of individual plant records submitted, ultimately c80000 each - the next highest contributer came in at less than 25000!

Click here for details of short courses and CPD in Biological and Biomedical Science (PDF, file size: 158.38KB) .

Please download the current Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 227.07KB) here.

The First Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 237.3KB) is also available here.

The Second Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 231.93KB) here.

The Third Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 231.59KB) here.

The Fourth Biology Newsletter (PDF, file size: 197.79KB) here.

A Staffordshire University lecturer has won first prize at a major national conference. Ian Davies (Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science within the Faculty of Sciences) won the prize for the best education, training and management poster presentation at the recent Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) Congress held at the ICC in Birmingham in September 2011. The IBMS is the professional body for biomedical scientists and its biennial 3-day conference attracts scientists and educationalists from across the UK. Having recently completed a postgraduate certificate in medical education Ian’s poster aimed to identify areas of commonality between the assessment of junior doctors and biomedical scientists working in clinical practice. Ian, who is also a full time biomedical scientist within the NHS, said “registered biomedical scientists are responsible for analysing clinical samples which provide doctors with information to aid the diagnosis or monitoring of a disease. This requires high standards of analytical skills often in busy or pressurised conditions; in addition they must adhere to strict standards of professional behaviour to ensure that their patients’ welfare is protected and that they receive the best clinical care. By adapting and utilising some of the assessment tools used by junior doctors biomedical scientists can demonstrate their ongoing competency to practise together with developing their own skills and knowledge”.

Ian's poster can be accessed here (PDF, file size: 93.34KB) .

IBMS website www.ibms.org

Dr. Dave Skingsley is a founder of a new natural history group for this region - Cheshire Active Naturalists.

Cheshire Active Naturalists is a new society to cater for adults who wish to advance their skills in a variety of natural history-related taxon groups.

It is run by a group of passionate naturalists who wish to use their skills to benefit other naturalists which in turn benefits wildlife and wildlife recording in

For several years a small research group (of Dr Arthur Callaghan, Ian Hopkins, the late Steve Waters and Dr Rob Manning) at Staffordshire University has studied the biology of fungi of the genera Condiobolus and Basidiobolus. These are close allies of the important group (Entomophthorales) researched world-wide as potential control agents of agricultural pest insects and mites. Strains of the test fungi used in my work are from a small plantation of hybrid larch at Keele, in an area repeatedly sampled as a model habitat (Smith & Callaghan 1987; Hopkins unpublished; Callaghan unpublished.).

For the mainly saprotrophic Conidiobolus spp., there are very few reports on the interactions of our fungi with invertebrates of soil and litter (living or dead) and on the subsequent outcomes of such interactions. My research directly addresses questions on trophic (feeding) abilities of these fungi and on the behaviour of their spores (conidia). For example, in laboratory studies, I have quantitatively compared the ability of Conidiobolus spp. (and Basidiobolus ranarum) to colonise groups of leaf litter arthropod cadavers (mostly mites and collembola) and plant fragments (Manning et al., 2007).  Also, I have used novel methods to disclose the ability of a number of Conidiobolus spp. to kill arthropods of the mesofauna (Manning & Callaghan, 2008). The overall aim was to get at least a preliminary indication of the type of trophic interactions occurring between the selected Conidiobolus spp. and a range of freshly extracted arthropods from the surface and subsurface larch litter.

Ongoing work is aimed at understanding the effect of arthropod cadavers, or other substrates, on conidium germination. In leaf litter, cadavers may be a nutrient-rich substrate for species of Conidiobolus and Basidiobolus, with the potential to act as triggers for localised vegetative sprouting of conidia prior to any subsequent fungal colonisation. The effects of substances leaking from arthropod (mite and collembolan) cadavers, diffusing into a surrounding water agar medium and initiating spore germination is being explored in laboratory experiments.

Following on from preliminary studies (RM thesis), future work will examine the variation of the germination of conidia on the external surfaces of invertebrates to disclose possible specific animal targets.

Staffordshire University student’s success at Bournemouth University on the MSc Forensic and Biological Anthropology: Crime Scene and International Investigations – one finishes as the next one joins!  Karen Redmile has just successfully completed the course at Bournemouth and hot on her trail of success is Kelly Eggleton.
“Forensic Archaeology involves the use of archaeological principles and techniques for the location, recovery, and interpretation of evidence for past events within the constraints of the criminal justice system. Forensic archaeology utilises both field and laboratory skills in the investigation of serious crime, missing persons cases, human rights and mass disasters which ranges from searching for and excavating clandestine graves to the international investigation of crimes against humanity.”

As part of their degree studies both Karen (B.Sc. Biomedical Science) and Kelly (B.Sc. Forensic Biology) completed final year undergraduate projects at Staffordshire University with Professor John Cassella and decided that they wished to make the specialist discipline - Forensic Archaeology their career choice.

We wish both Karen and Kelly success and we will follow their careers with interest.

Delighted after being put forward for the award by his laboratory training officer, Norbert Fai was named the most improved placement student on a Biomedical Science programme during 2010-11. His nomination was jointly agreed by the University of Staffordshire (Dr Pauline Gowland), and by his laboratory training officer at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust ( Jo Battley). Norbert attended the IBMS regional meeting on 15th November 2011 in the Education centre, Women’s Hospital, Birmingham, to pick his award presented to him by Jill Rodney, Chief Executive, IBMS. 
Norbert a third year Biomedical Science student, said: “I started my degree program at Staffordshire University in 2009 and have been receiving my laboratory training at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust for 12 months since September 2010. I feel this acknowledgement shows the Hospital’s appreciation for the learning curve I have moved through during my time in their Pathology department.  This award means so much to me and I would like to thank all the people involved in my placement success; special thanks go to Dr. Pauline Gowland the Co-terminus coordinator (Staffordshire University), Mr Ian Parker the microbiology laboratory manager and Jo Batley the pathology department quality control manager (Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust)”.

Foundation Degree in Biomedical Science – the Employer Perspective

The Associate Practitioner role is a new and very important role in pathology. Many of our Associate Practitioners have worked in the laboratory as Medical Laboratory Assistants prior to becoming an Associate Practitioner so they have laboratory experience but often limited formal qualifications. Working closely with Staffordshire University to develop the curriculum means that the foundation degree offers exactly what the students and the workplace needs. The strong focus on Work Based Learning leads to students gaining credit for structured evidence collected whilst in the laboratory.
The students studying for the University Certificate are kept in a small group with modules specifically aimed at improving their learning skills. This gives the students confidence in their ability and the confidence to give feedback on the course content. In the second and third years the students spend some time with students on the BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science course which helps both the full time students and those on the foundation degree as they can share knowledge and the foundation degree students can pass on their laboratory experience.
Regular communication between Staffordshire University and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire provides feedback on the student’s progress and any issues raised by laboratory or student have been promptly and professionally dealt with by the University. Laboratory based mentors spend time each week with the students to discuss current modules and any issues. There has been a very positive impact on the whole laboratory since the introduction of the foundation degree for the Associate Practitioner.

Katie Berger
Quality Manager, Training Officer and Health & Safety Co-ordinator
Pathology Directorate.
University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

Dr Angela Priestman has just completed her first year of research characterising different populations of the screwworm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax. This fly is a significant pest species of the new world tropics but has been introduced into the old world via the trade in animals. The fly lays its eggs in open wounds on cattle (for example) and the resulting larvae consume the tissues causing much harm. Dr Priestman’s work, which is funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aims to compare wild populations of new world screwworm fly with those bred in fly factories and sterilised before release into the wild. Sterilised release male flies should mate normally with wild female flies and, of course, no offspring are produced. This has the effect of reducing fly numbers in a given locality.

The first year of Dr Priestman's studies have focused on establishing the technique, with the assistance of Pete Martin (Experimental Officer), in the Analytical Suite of the Faculty of Sciences. Angela and Pete have submitted their progress report and await confirmation of the second year of funding.

• Dover, J.W.; Rescia, A.; Fungariño; S.; Fairburn, J.; Carey, P.; Lunt, P.; Arnot, C.; Dennis R.L.H. & Dover C.J. (2011) Land-use, environment, and their impact on butterfly populations in a mountainous pastoral landscape: individual species distribution and abundance. Journal of Insect Conservation, 15: 207-220.

• Dover, J.W.; Spencer, S.; Collins S.; Hadjigeorgiou I. & Rescia. A. (2011) Grassland butterflies and low intensity farming in Europe. Journal of Insect Conservation, 15: 129-137.

• Dover, John, Warren, Martin and Shreeve, Tim (2011) 2010 and beyond for Lepidoptera (editorial note).  Journal of Insect Conservation, 15:1-3.
  

• Merry S, Skingsley DR and Orsmond P. Fostering lifelong learning within a social constructivist environment. In: Proceedings of the 17th Improving Student Learning Symposium 2009. Ed C.Rust Oxford Centre for staff and learning development. Ch7 pp168-180 ( 2010). ISBN 978-1-873576-79-3 http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/isl/isl2009/papers/session4/merry.html 

• Skingsley, D. Introduction to the central nervous system. In The New Prescriber: An integrated approach to medical and non-medical prescribing. Ed Lymn, Bowskill, Bath-Hextall and Knaggs. Wiley-Blackwell. Ch29 pp372-382 (2010) ISBN 978-0-470-51987-5

• Skingsley, D. Neurdegenerative disorders. In The New Prescriber: An integrated approach to medical and non-medical prescribing. Ed Lymn, Bowskill, Bath-Hextall and Knaggs. Wiley-Blackwell. Ch30 pp383-393 (2010) ISBN 978-0-470-51987-5

• Skingsley, D. Depression and Anxiety. In The New Prescriber: An integrated approach to medical and non-medical prescribing. Ed Lymn, Bowskill, Bath-Hextall and Knaggs. Wiley-Blackwell. Ch31 pp394-405 (2010) ISBN 978-0-470-51987-5

• Skingsley, D. Schizophrenia. In The New Prescriber: An integrated approach to medical and non-medical prescribing. Ed Lymn, Bowskill, Bath-Hextall and Knaggs. Wiley-Blackwell. Ch32 pp406-415 (2010) ISBN 978-0-470-51987-5

• Dover, J.W.; Rescia, A.; Fungariño, S.; Fairburn, J.; Carey, P.; Lunt, P.; Dennis, R.L.H. & Dover, C.J. (2010) Can hay harvesting detrimentally affect adult butterfly abundance? Journal of Insect Conservation, 14: 413-418.

• Hopkins, Ian J. and Callaghan, Arthur A. (2010) Survival of Conidiobolus spp. and Basidiobolus ranarum in relation to relative humidity and temperature. Fungal Ecology, 3: 148-159.

• Rescia, A.J.; Fungariño, S.G. & Dover, J.W. (2010) Reactivación del sistema socioecológico ganadero de Picos de Europa (norte de España)/ Recovery of social-ecologial livestock farming system of the Picos de Europa (northern Spain). Ecosistemas, 19(2) May.