Boden research conference

The 2015 Boden research conference, Comparative animal genomics down under, was held at the University of Adelaide.

A main aim of the 2015 conference was to foster interaction and collaboration between scientists on the sequencing and analysis of the genomes of Australia’s vertebrates. 

‘Australia is home to a multitude of weird and wonderful animals that have fascinated scientists for centuries,’ said Professor Frank Grutzner, Lecturer in Genetics at the University of Adelaide. He explained:

The past 200 years have led researchers from discovery of the most basic biology of many Australian vertebrate species to sequencing their entire genomes.

Only 10 years ago the sequencing of individual species was a multimillion dollar project that usually took more than five years—like the Platypus genome, which was the subject of a successful Boden conference in 2008.

Now the sequencing of hundreds, if not thousands, of species is underway.

The conference was opened by Professor Jenny Graves AO FAA, who has been involved in comparative genomics in Australia since its infancy. More than 80 delegates attended the conference, including world-leading Australian and international scientists, early- and mid-career researchers, and PhD, honours and undergraduate students. They engaged in lively discussions on a broad range of topics and species, including comparative genomics, genome and developmental biology, wildlife health and conservation, and domestic animal genomics.

The Academy’s Boden conference fund enables active biological sciences research workers in rapidly advancing fields to discuss current advances and problems.