Monash Magazine, Edition 1 (June 2012)

7/29/2019 Monash Magazine, Edition 1 (June 2012)

1/36

AustrAliAuChinAu indiAu itAlyuMAlAysiAusouth AfriCA

Delivering impact june 2012

t f


2/36

uArchAEology

06Ae a ad WORDS Clarisa Collis

An archaeological dig in northern

Australia is re-writing the history

of human art and cognition.

uBusinEss

08Aae bdr&D aaWORDS Lynne BlundellScience and industry are looking at new

ways to work together to bridge the

increasing cost of medical research.

uEDucAtion

11Vae vee ba veWORDS Melissa SweetThe demand for universities to produce

'global' graduates may herald a new era

of international university collaborations.

u infEctious DisEAsE

12

Mba aab dw a e

WORDS Julian CribbA biological development is arming

the fight against one of the worlds

most prevalent infectious diseases.

uconsErVAtion

18 te be b a eWORDS Mandy ThooScientists have created embryo-like cells

from adult snow leopards, bringing new hopefor the survival of endangered big cats.

usports MEDicinE

20cea ead eeded WORDS Catherine Norwood

Amateur players in contact sports could

do well to learn when to stay down.

uthE huMAn gEnoME

24ta medee meaWORDS Dr Gio Braidotti

Southeast Asia has its first genomicsresearch centre able to apply the latest

technology to tropical diseases.

uoccupAtionAl hEAlth

26Wae- a e -eeWORDS Alexandra RoginskiSleep or rather, lack of it may be

weakening our law enforcement.

upuBlic hEAlth

28 Mee admae a ea aeWORDS Dr Gio Braidotti

After a disappointing start, the science

of genomics may yet deliver breathtaking

advances in disease treatments.

uAgEing

32nmbe aWORDS Alexandra RoginskiEpidemiologists are testing whether

the ubiquitous aspirin can help

people live healthier for longer.

uhistory

34reaae mbee

WORDS Alexandra RoginskiArchives of an Italian merchant city offer new

insights into life at the start of the modern era.

03new

35revew

DEliVEringiMpActProfessor Ed Byrne Vice-chancellor and President

Wcom to t rst issu oMONASH magain; an citing

communications initiati aim at ibiting t scinc w ar

pursuing an t knowg w ar buiing across t wor.

Monas Unirsity is nam atr an Austraian nginr an soir,

Sir Jon Monas, a grat min wo p to sap Austraia as a

morn nation at t bginning o t 20t cntury. W ar prou to b

muating is is work, contributing constructiy to t utur wit

knowg tat w accru an sar troug rsarc an ucation.

Troug tis magain w ar sowing, wit a moicum o pri, our

aanc goba capabiitis in rsarc an ucation, an t utur-

buiing tat w ar unrtaking wit our many intrnationa partnrs.

In just or 50 yars, Monas as bcom t argst unirsity in

Austraia, wit a goba ootprint matc by w otr igr ucation

institutions. Our si Austraian campuss ar compmnt by a strong,

an paning, intrnationa prsnc an coaborations. Tis incus

campuss in Maaysia an Sout Arica, an ucation an rsarc

cntr in Itay, a joint rsarc acamy (wit t Inian Institut oTcnoogy Bombay) in Mumbai, Inia, an t Soutast Unirsity-

Monas Unirsity Joint Rsarc Grauat Scoo (Suou, Cina).

You can ra about our nwy cmnt aianc wit t Unirsity o

Warwick on pag 11, a wor rst in ow unirsitis may oprat in t utur.

Our status as a goba unirsity, o cours, is bas on mor tan a bricks-

an-mortar prsnc. W a a, an continu to a, a positi inunc

on pops is w byon Austraian sors. As ary as t 1960s, wn

our unirsity was sti in its inancy, Monas rsarcrs wr pionring aras

as irs as ic saty an uman rtiity, particuary in-itro rtiisation.

Mor rcnty, our pop a ma important aancs

intrnationay in ssning t impact o isass suc as maaria an

inuna, as w as crucia braktrougs tat a a signicantyto t wors unrstaning o stm c scinc an cancr.

Tis magain is a rction o our commitmnt to rsarc tat maks

a irnc. Our rst issu ors a gimps at t wonru irsity o

our rsarcrs intrsts an spciatis rom ancint rock art an t

insigt it ors into ary uman cognition, to tropica micin; t wors

nangr big cats, to anmark rsarc into t us o aspirin.

A rsarc is a journy o iscory an I tak pasur

in initing you to join us on ts traorinary tras.

2

Monash Delivering Impact

ISSUe #1, JUNe 2012 PUBlIShed 3 TIMeS A YeAR BY MONASh UNIveRSITY

Building H, Level 9, 900 Dandenong Road, Cauleld East, VIC 3145, Australia

CRICOS PROvIdeR NUMBeR: 00008C ISSN2200-386X (PRINT) ISSN2200-4459 (ONlINe)

eNqUIRIeS

MANAGING edITOR: Dorothy Albrecht ASSOCIATe edITOR: Stacey MairTelePhONe: +61 3 9903 4840 eMAIl: [email protected]

SUBSCRIBe TO The MONASh MAGAzINe:www.monash.edu/monashmag/subscribe WeBSITe:www.monash.edu/monashmag

WRITTeN ANd deSIGNed:Coretext, www.coretext.com.au

The INfORMATION IN ThIS PUBlICATION WAS CORReCT AT The TIMe Of GOING TO PReSS.

vIeWS exPReSSed WIThIN The MAGAzINe ARe NOT NeCeSSARIlY The vIeWS Of MONASh UNIveRSITY.

COPYRIGhT MONASh UNIveRSITY. All RIGhTS ReSeRved

AUSTRALIAuCHINAu INDIAu ITALYuMALAYSIAuSOUTH AFRICA

DELIVERING IMPACT JUNE 2012

The fy in thesunscreen ointment

COveR PhOTO: iSTOCKPhOTO.COM

JUNe 2012 Ma uve

junE 2012

usociEty

15Dema mb deWORDS Catherine NorwoodPeople elected to parliament are just ordinary

citizens. Are they qualified for the job?

ugEology

16o a ede eeWORDS Tim Treadgold

A computer model recreating the origin

of the Andes in South America may have

brought science a step closer to one day

being able to predict earthquakes.


3/36

3

Working BEyonD thEEurEkA! MoMEnt

Ma a ve a de eea b aadem

exeee, b b e ma a e wd.

GlobalMa a ve bave amb deam ad b a a ed ee wd-a dvee ad w w ead me e e. MONASHmaaze a a me e: ae e amb w e e e wd.

iVfProfessors Alan Trounson and Carl Wood achieved the world's first IVF

pregnancy in 1973. The Trounson and Wood team went on to achieve

Australia's first (and the world's fourth) successful IVF birth in 1980. In

fact, 12 out of the first 15 IVF babies are Monash babies. Monash research

continues to make an impact in reproductive science as the treatment

becomes more accessible worldwide.

rad ae (eabe)In 1964, work by Monash researchers

led to the world's first laws requiring

that seatbelts be installed in all new

cars. This started in the states of

Victoria and South Australia and

soon spread overseas. Although

seatbelts were available, not

everyone used them; doing so

became compulsory (again first in

Victoria) in 1970. By 1974, the state

had recorded a 40 per cent decrease

in road deaths and injuries. During

this time, many other countries adopted

similar legislation.

ieza eameInfluenza is sometimes dismissed as a virus that manifests itself in

symptoms not much worse than a bad cold. In fact, it affects up to 500

million people each year and can have fatal complications. In 1986, a team

from our Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (formally the

Victorian College of Pharmacy) designed and synthesised the anti-flu drug,

Relenza. Relenza first became available in Australia in 1999 and is now

used globally.

60,000Ma Aaa ae ve,e we ve 60,000 de, d4200 eea de, ad e a ba amew a w de me a 250,000 adae.

6 te ve ae x Aaa ame;eaa ame Maaa ad s Aa,a eda ad eea ee pa, ia,a eea aadem (w e ida ie te, Bmba) Mmba, ida, ad e sea

uve-Ma uve j reea gadaes (sz, ca).

A$264mMa eeved A$264 m eea me 2010 (e mee ea meed a) ad e axmaeA$90 m a ea ze, a ad awad.

Professor Alan Trounson


4/36

4 JUNe 2012 Ma uvArChAeology

rockan

art

Jawoyn elder Margaret

Katherine at the

Gabarnmang rock art

site decorated with

paintings that cold

pre-date the images

in the Lascax and

Chavet caves.

PhOTO: dR BRUNO dAvId


5/36

5Ma uv JUNe 2012 ArChAeology

WORDS Clarisa Collis

Portray in ii, smingy

immorta, imprssions on t amp,

sot surac o imston ca was,t wors bst known ary uman art

prois a gimps o t tougts an

prspctis o our Ston Ag ancstors.

dp insi t lascaux an Caut-Pont-'Arc cas o soutrn franc,

subim imags o animas gi us t

rst insigt into t intctua snsitiity

o umans ar back in tim, 36,000 yarsin t cas o Caut Ca. T gant

us o prspcti, saing an in in t

paintings an ngraings monstrat

sopistication; an innat abiity to intrprtan attac maning to our surrounings.

dirctor o t lascaux an Caut

cas rsarc programs Prossor Jan-

Mic Gnst consirs bot t scinc

an umanity mboi witin tsancint compositions: Wn staning

in ront o t rock art, iscoring t

way ty portray sct animas,

w ar in ront o t imags ty a in

tir mins; ooking into t spirituaityo mn an womn ong bor us.

Tat sai, as tr is a imit

to ow muc can b intrprt, suc

as t maning o gomtric symbostat accompany t animas, or n

t maning o t animas tmss

bcaus ty ar rom a a

cutur. T uman ink to morn

tims was ong ago brokn an ost.Tis ampis t signicanc o a

ast rock art iscory in Arnm lan

in nortrn Austraia, possiby crat

many minnia bor t lascaux an

an archaeologicaldig in a remotearea of northernaustralia ismillimetre-by-millimetrere-writing thehistory of humanart and cognition.

Dsoul

ancient

ists o


6/36

6 JUNe 2012 Ma uvArChAeology

Caut ca art. T ost o tis art is

not ony a urtr xamp o t artistry o

ary Homo sapiens ancstors, but n

mor signicant, says Prossor Gnst,is tat its uman ink is unbrokn. Tis

ancint art picting wat may b ong-

xtinct mgaauna sows a continuous

connction to t ibrant cutur o prsnt-ay Aborigina Austraia. Tis, says,

as an accssib cutura an spiritua

imnsion to t art an its manings.

T Arnm lan rock art is xpct

to rwin art istory to mor tan 10,000yars bor t arist known art in

wstrn europ. Aray sinc t icat

xcaations bgan in 2010, arcaoogists

a oun on ragmnt o paintingating back 28,000 yars, but ty ar

sti ony scratcing t surac itray.

T rsarc into t Arnm lan

ca art was initiat by t Nortrn

Trritorys Jawoyn pop, or womt sits continu to accommoat t

spirits o tir ancstors. for tis rason

ty n any rsarc to b cuturay

snsiti, an so approac Monas

Unirsity arcaoogist dr Bruno dai.

It migt a sm a straigtorwarassignmnt; to xamin t rock art

corating t sanston was an ca

ciings in tir oman. But t sca ot projct is ast. T Jawoyn omancors som 50,000 suar kiomtrs

in wic 4300 rock art sits a aray

bn rcor. dr dai says it as now

bcom a iong commitmnt or im.

It is an inomnt an xporationtat is stricty gorn by t Jawoyns

notion o country tat intimaty

bons t anscap, t pop, tir

cration an ancstra spirit bings,an t aws o t an stabis

at t bginning o tim its.

dr dai says tat wi on on

an t antiuity o t rock art is part

o t aras arcaoogica rcor,or t Jawoyn pop it mbois

t prsnc o tir ancstors.

A 35,500-yar-o too unart

bnat a spctacuar ri o paintingsat a sit known as Gabarnmang is

anotr car ink to tir ancstors.

But dr dai says tat wi o grat

cutura au to t Jawoyn, t too is

imit rom an arcaoogica prspcti.for xamp, t artacts prcis

unction rmains unknown: W cant

just us wat pop say toay to inormus about t istant past, says. T

ora traition o any cutur is gnray

imit to btwn 300 an 400 yars

bor it bcoms ost in transation.

Nontss, t too rprsntsa continuum in t Jawoyn's cutura

traition tat xtns back tousans o

gnrations; an xtraorinary prspcti

an intity or a pop to possss.dr dai bis t inc suggsts

t Jawoyn a occupi tir ans sinc

Aborigina pop rst arri in Austraia.

Wi sti bing rsarc an bat,

t gnra consnsus among rsarcrsis tat it was 50,000 to 55,000 yars ago.

dr dais tam as start xcaating

our sits in t past two yars, conscious

aways o t cration an ancstra spiritsin wos prsnc ty ar working. An

tis cutura rspct is just as caruymatc by mticuous miimtr-by-

miimtr xcaations. On miimtr o

simnt masurs about 50 yars in tistorica pro o t soi. digging own

just on mtr transports arcaoogists

troug 50,000 yars. You wou ig

many mtrs at a wstrn europansit to rac tat ar back in tim.

At Gabarnmang t rsarcrs a so

ar xcaat to a pt o 70 cntimtrs,

an at tis a oun inc o

Aborigina occupation 48,000 yars ago.Wit anotr 25 cntimtrs an many otr

parts o t ca to xpor, dr dai ops

to n an pics o rock art (tat a

com o t ca was) ating w byont currnt ns at 28,000 yars back.

W know tr ar or paintings

in t ara bcaus ocr crayons at

to 50,000 yars ago wr iscor

just 30 kiomtrs away nar tnortrn borr o Jawoyn country

in t 1980s. Its just a mattr o tim

bor w n t paintings, says.

Aing wigt to is xpctations ist xistnc, about 12 kiomtrs to t

sout o Gabarnmang, o an xpos

sanston sab aorn wit a painting o

a arg igtss bir rsmbing a spcis

o Austraian mgaauna consir to abn xtinct or 40,000 yars. T imag

o t bir, Genyornis newtoni, raiss two

istory r-writing atrnatis: itr t ast

o t animas, otn rrr to as tunr

birs, suri ongr tan priousy

(Top) A helicopter is

needed to access the

remote rock art sites

scattered acrss 50,000

sqare kilometres of

Jawoyn homeland in

northern Astralia's

Arnhem Land.

(Above L to R) An

ancient image of a large

ightless bird resembles

a species thoght to

have been extinct for

40,000 years.

Professor Jean-Michel

Geneste meticlosly

excavates beneath a

frieze of paintings.

A rendition of the extinct

Tasmanian tiger provides

a cle to the antiqity of

the art.

PhOTOS: dR BRUNO dAvId


7/36

7Ma uv JUNe 2012 ArChAeology

tougt, or Aborigina pop paint tcratur ty wr acuaint wit 400

cnturis ago. A tir possibiity, aing

istory uncang, is tat t painting

sows an abstract intrprtation o an mu.

Rock art spciaist Robrt Gunnsuspcts Genyornis xist on Jawoyn

an mor rcnty tan t ossi inc

inicats. his argumnt is tat t gr

o watring appars inconsistnt wita 40,000-yar-o painting, gin it as

scant protction rom a on-mtr rock

orang. On t otr an, t painting

as sp into t sanston an nwayrs o rock a op or it,

protcting it rom t mnts. So t

inc itr way is usi. T r ocr

pigmnt us to paint t bir is a mixturo iron an oxygn tat as no trac ot carbon n to at t imag, using

t conntiona carbon-ating mto.

To orcom t probm, rsarcrs

ar now sarcing t ayrs o simntbow t painting or cus. In particuar,

ty ar ooking or a ragmnt o r

ocr matc to t painting, so ty

can at t surrouning simnt

using opticay stimuat uminscnc(OSl). Unik carbon ating, wic is

imit to a maximum ag o about

55,000 yars, t OSl tcniu can

x ats back a miion yars or mor.Apart rom its potntia to ra t ag

o t ab bir, t tcniu cou at

som o t Jawoyn rock art to a tim ong

bor europs Paaoitic ra; to a prio

bor t bginning o t most rcntIc Ag an a tim tat currnt knowg

as umans in europ sti oing into

anatomicay morn Homo sapiens.

Aso, Genyornis is not aon among

t xtinct spcis atur in t Arnmlan rock art. Kangaroos an cinas

ming wit animas tat anis rom t

Austraian mainan mor rcnty, suc ast Tasmanian tigr an t Tasmanian i.

Prossor Gnst says xtinct spcis

pict in t lascaux an Caut

cas, incuing wooy mammots,wooy rinocros, ca bars, ca ions

an aurocs (t ancstors o omstic

catt) simiary inicat t ag o

t sits. extinct animas proi a

rrnc point tat w can rat to.An so or rsarcrs ik Prossor

Gnst an Mr Gunn it is art, a uniuy

uman orm o xprssion, tat bcoms

cntra to apprciating our ary intct.Mr Gunn says rock art is iky to

accompany any inc o uman

occupation at t Jawoyn sits, n

40,000 or mor yars back: An in contrast

to europ wr t rock art is mostyconn to isoat prios rom 10,000

to 30,000 yars ago, tr is a continuousrcor o imags tracking t prsnc

o pop across Jawoyn country.Mr Gunn says tis consistnt

crati ort, rct in ayrs o

imags suprimpos on top o ac

otr, wi aso assist in oping t

rst niti timin o t irntAborigina art stys in Jawoyn country.

dr dai says prious stuis a

bary touc upon rock art irsity

in Jawoyn country, as monstrat

by t act tat currnt art istory asno rcor o 90 pr cnt o t stys

rprsnt in t Jawoyn rock art.

Jawoyn Association cutura an

nironmnt managr Ray War says ttro o sits waiting to b riscor

in rmot Jawoyn country cou oub t

tay o Jawoyn art stys known to t wor.

Atr ocating mor tan 4300 art sits

an 40,000 paintings sinc 2004 witicoptr piot Cris Morgan, Mr War

stimats tat ss tan a t imags

aorning Jawoyn country a bn

rcor. Anotr aspct o t rsarc istat it is inking a nw gnration o Jawoyn

pop to traitiona cutur, wic Mr War

says is ping to prsr o knowg.

T knowg o tis rock art an

t storis portray continus to bpass to rs an tis is again tring

troug to young Jawoyn pop. Spurr

by t arcaoogica rations, toays

community rs ar making a pointo saring tir knowg wit t

Jawoyn Associations 590 mmbrs.

It is t rs tmss wo rust

tis rsarc b on an wo supris

t work. Jawoyn community mmbrsparticipat in a stags o t work wit t

arcaoogists in t wi igging an

in t unirsity aboratoris, dr dai says.

T arist Jawoyn art aso ors trst o umankin a prcious insigt into

t irsity o our ary cogniti abiitis,

rationsips wit t natura wor, an t

bi systms tat a grown rom tis.

T work o ts somtims ancint,somtims rcnt, mastru artists ras

to us an innat ntusiasm or obsration,

or communication, or rcoring ourxistnc an irntiating our umanityrom t rst o t anima wor crating

in many ways, our sns o sou.

We know there are

older paintings in

the area becase

ochre crayons

dated t 50,000

years ago werediscvered just 30

kilometres away

near the northern

border of Jawoyn

contry in the

1980s. Its just

a matter of time

befre we nd

them.

Dr Brno David

Elegant images of

animals adorning the

Chavet-Pont-d'Arc

caves in sothern

France.

Dr Brno David is leading the cltrally

sensitive research examining the rock art.

PhOTO:PeTeRCAR

TY


8/36

8 JUNe 2012 Ma uvBusiness

PhOTOS: PAUl JONeS

WORDS Lynne Blndell

A goba cin in rsarc anopmnt (R&d) uning combin

wit a parmacuticas marktpac

tat as nr bn mor comptiti is

canging t conntiona rationsip

btwn acamia an inustry.Traitionay, ac o t otr;

a rasonaby straigtorwar paymnt

or knowg. But a nw mo is

mrging tat brings t skis o acotr togtr, n at t ab ,

to coaboratiy probm-so.

Community xpctations o mica

rsarc ar ig, an rising, as tcnoogy

in rcnt cas as ir astyimpro tratmnts an curs. But

t scinc an tcnoogy n to

mt ts xpctations an ir t

nxt gnration o atcar prouctsan srics is now otn byon t

rsourcs o any on organisation.

It was tis impication or utur rsarctat in 2009 brougt rsarcrs rom

t Monas Institut o ParmacuticaScincs (MIPS) an t Unirsity's

dpartmnt o Cmica enginring into

a working rationsip wit tcnicians

rom t goba parmacuticacompany GaxoSmitKin (GSK).

T objcti was to combin

tir consirab sparat strngts

to orcom urs conronting

tm bot in t opmnt an

allianceBuilds r&D CApACityMedicines continal progression from empirical

remedies to precisely targeted treatments atthe moleclar level is making the science andits delivery more complex and expensive.The resorces are stretching far beyondthe capacity of any single organisation.

iry o nw parmacuticas.

T partnrsip was ormais in

2010 wit t stabismnt o a $3 miiontcnica coaboration, jointy un by

GSK an t victorian Stat Gornmnt

troug its Scinc Agna Instmnt

fun. Announc uring t AusBiotc

Conrnc in Mbourn, t coaboratis uning was scrib as a stratgic

instmnt in nw mpoymnt opportunitis,

an victorias knowg an skis bas.

dr dai Morton, associat prossorat MIPS, says t partnrsip as cary

bnt bot partis as w as a growing

numbr o currnt an potntia stakors.

for GSK it as proi muc-n R&d

capacity at a tim wn rsarc uning isunr prssur in t goba parmacutica

inustry; wi Monas as bn ab to

put its consirab rsarc skis to us

ircty in inustry an giing stuntsinauab inustry-bas xprinc.

Tis coaboration is a trric ink

or us, says dr Morton. To bgin witw inst a ot o tim taking to GSK

pop in Mbourn about its ns. Tcompany was acing a icut nironmnt.

Or t past 10 yars rstructuring in t

parmacutica inustry as to signicant

job cuts, so w knw w a to sit owntogtr to n a bttr way o working.

Parmacutica companis a

bn ooking or mor cint ways

o working, dr Morton xpains.

Many patnts rom priousy


9/36

phArMACy And phArMACeutiCAl sCienCes 9Ma uv JUNe 2012

Ac ABc Cc Mb, cabav wa cb a a ac vm w mm , a Vca

kw a k ba.

Dr David Morton


10/36

10 Business

op rug proucts a bnxpiring, aowing rugs to b pick up

by gnric manuacturrs. Witout t

n to inst in R&d, ts companis

can s t rugs at muc owr prics.

An it is muc arr to cratan innoat nw compouns now. An

atrnati approac or innoation is to

impro t osag orm o t micin,

so it is mor ctiy, cinty ansay ir, mor connint

or t patint an manuactur in

a mor cost-cti mannr.

GSKs Boronia manuacturing pant

maks a rang o rspiratory proucts,mosty or xport. T pant ocuss on

two tcnoogis ry powr inars

(dPI) an bow--sa (BfS) proucts

suc as vntoin Nbus an vntoinRotacaps an aso proucs t inuna

rug Rna on icns rom Biota.

Piip lsi, sit tcnica a GSK

Austraia, says tat our yars ago wn

GSKs Boronia businss was unr tratrom rising costs an t strong Austraian

oar, t arsip tam cam up wit a

stratgy or suriing: grow t businss,

owr costs an n t bst pop.It was imprati to owr our cost

pr pack so w mpoy oprationa

xcnc tcnius to incras

prouctiity an rmo wast, says.

W aso actiy sarc or nwmarkts or our xisting proucts an

ngag R&d to op nw proucts

ocay. As w ruc our costs ouroums incras. du to tis an ourmarkting orts t incras oums

saw a tipping point bing rac

an tis urtr ruc our costs. As

a rsut t sit turn a cornr.

T company ma t cision toconcntrat on its strngts at Boronia

in dPI an asptic (BfS) procssing.

BfS tcnoogy, wic is an aanc

antisptic procss, proucs a rang ocontainr sis suitab or t iry

o unprsr, stri proucts.But tr sti rmain t

ustion o "t bst pop".

W a many tcnica cangsan w n to bui a pipin o

tant or t businss. Tis was wr

t coaboration wit Monas proi

an ia soution, says Mr lsi.In turn, MIPS a t opportunity to

appy its rsarc xprtis to oping

nw proucts an iry mtos

as w as gtting xposur to GSK's

troug Scon li, Parmatopia gisstunts t opportunity to compt actiitis

in a irtua rsarc an opmntaboratory. GSK as aopt tis worwi

to impro sta arning outcoms.

Tis partnrsip works on so many

s, says dr Morton. W gt accss tora probms, an GSK can accss t

wor aing scintists an nginrs at

Monas. W bi t coaborati mo

is ry unusua, an its succss is u to

t uniu group o pop aroun us. Its

about bringing togtr t bst pop.An most importanty it is about arning.

Ias ar asy, but ra innoation

is ar work. Innoation is about tbst pop crating procsss to sct

an bring tos ias to ruition.

GSK rcnty announc it wou

inst A$60 miion to xpan its Boronia

manuacturing sit, aowing it to potntiayoub its currnt BfS manuacturing

capacity an crat 58 nw jobs by 2017.

T instmnt wi aso aciitat t

cration o a piot-sca inustriaisationaciity or t opmnt o nw proucts.

T atst nws is tat GSK wi bui on t

initia Stat Gornmnt Scinc Agna

Instmnt fun contribution an support

t coaboration or a urtr tr yars.Tis is antastic nws or a tos

ino, an wi aow us to ir

urtr innoations in trms o proucts

an arning, dr Mor ton says. Abo a,w want an xciting utur or Austraian

parmacutica manuacturing.

oprationa xcnc an to proistunts wit inustry pacmnts an

inauab nw arning opportunitis.

In situ stunt projcts a incu

rsarc into nrgy cincy, rnwabnrgy, granuation an ry powr

procss optimisation, an impromnt

to powr bning mtos.

T uning as aow us to cratjobs troug t Monas cntr wit

an mpasis on pop wo can work

across t coaboration, says dr Mor ton.

W aso brougt in post-octora anrsarc sta, rom irnt acutiswn w n spciaists.

In aition to working on improing

GSKs xisting procsss t

coaboration st up two nw aras on oping stri iuis or BfS

proucts an t otr oping iui

ormuations or rspiratory inars.

W us Monas scinc to unrstan

an impro t ormuations an tosupport t opmnt o mor robust

prouction mtos. W tn op apara tam to work on ry powr inars

to support t otr si o Boroniasspciaisation, xpains dr Morton.

In aition, w now got unrs

o stunts accssing t projct, wit

opportunitis to go to GSK on pacmnts,

isiting t pant or tours an aingGSK xprts as isiting cturrs.

GSK as aso takn on Monas

Unirsitys nw intracti irtua arning

prouct, Parmatopia. Aaiab onin

JUNe 2012 Ma uv

Ideas are easy,bt real innovation

is hard work.

Innovation is

abot the best

people creating

processes to

select and bring

those ideas to

frition.

Dr David Morton

Dr David Morton, Dr Loise Ho

and Ken Margo of the Monash

Institte of Pharmacetical Sciences

are bridging the gap between

academia and indstry.


11/36

11Ma uv JUNe 2012 eduCAtion

WORDS Melissa Sweet

In ary 2009, Prossor e Byrn was

wining up a snior job wit UnirsityCog lonon, prparing to rturn

to Austraia or a nw ro as vic-

Cancor o Monas Unirsity.

But rst ma a trip to t Unirsity

o Warwick, st in a pictursu part ot Wst Mians. h a ong bn

inspir by t Unirsit ys istory, an

ow it a work ar to bcom on

o t UKs top unirsitis. It was, tougt, an ia partnr or is ision o

Monas Unirsity as a goba institution.

Bot institutions wr known or bing

ambitious, innoati, ntrprnuria,

an or orging cti partnrsipswit inustry. An ty aray a an

stabis working rationsip.

At tat rst mting wit t Unirsity

o Warwicks vic-Cancor, ProssorNig Trit, it bcam car ty wr o

ik min, notwitstaning tir irnt

acamic backgrouns ProssorByrn is a nuroscintist an Prossor

Trit is a uman gograpr.Nig is on o t most ynamic

unirsity ars I mt, says Prossor

Byrn. hs bn tinking wiy an

py about wr unirsitis ar going.W a a common bi tat cang

was appning in t sctor, in a way

w ant sn in sra gnrations,

in rspons to gobaisation.

Tos iscussions to two

yars o coaborati panning an taunc rcnty o a uniu partnrsip,wic is bing sn as an xamp

o wat wi com in t opmnt

o goba unirsity ntworks.

T partnrsip is in rspons to agrowing man or unirsitis to prouc

grauats wit a goba prspcti

an to unrtak rsarc arssing

intrnationa probms tat a pro

too big or any sing institution to tack.As part o t agrmnt, a joint

Pro vic-Cancor wi b appointto ri t initiati. Tr wi b joint

appointmnts, rsarc programs,an onin ucationa innoations.

T rst buiing bocks o t

partnrsip incu t cration o at ast

10 nw joint snior acamic posts, as

w as 10 nw posts in ac institution,an nw joint Pds an ua mastrs

programs in aras o stratgic importanc.

Bot unirsitis a committ

to t ia tat 'ry stunt is an

intrnationa stunt', an wi incorporattis piosopy in aing 'irtua mobiity'

btwn t two institutions troug

intriscipinary mous an onin arning.

Wit campuss an aciitis inAustraia, t UK, Itay, Maaysia,

Sout Arica, Inia an Cina, t

partnrsip wi aso or sta an

stunts unprcnt opportunitisto arn an tac across t wor.

furtr componnts o t partnrsip

ar to b announc or t nxt

yar, an Prossor Byrn xpcts taianc wi ntuay xpan to incu

a ik-min partnr rom t US.

Wr connt tat tis wi b attractito inustry co-instmnt or tir-stram

uning as its known in t UK, says.

Bot unirsitis ar now in a position

to or inustry somting ntiry nw:accss to t ias, knowg an

rsourcs o two institutions spanning

bot misprs. Major inustry is

otn goba now in its organisation,

an is ooking or a goba ootprint inucation an rsarc partnrsips.

Prossor Trit, wo scribs ims

as an intrnationaist, says xpcts t

partnrsip wi b t rst o suc nckacso institutions ung aroun t wor.

h as bn igt by t

raction to t announcmnt. Its on

o tos tings tat bcaus your

oing tings no on as r uiton bor, you start asking ustions

tat no on as r ask bor.

Prossor Trit is connt tat tsimiar cuturs o t unirsitis wi pnsur t partnrsips succss. Bot

unirsitis ar cirn o t sixtis wo

a a to o it prtty muc or tmss

witout t bnt o arg nowmnts

or simiar orms o argss, says.Prossor Byrn, manwi, xpcts

t ong-trm impact wi b prooun. his

priction? Witin a ca, bot Monas

an Warwick wi b rank among t

wors top 50 unirsitis.

VisionAries unVeiltheir gloBAl uniVersity

Both niversitiesare now in a

position to

offer indstry

something entirely

new: access

to the ideas,

knowledge and

resorces of

two instittions

spanning both

hemispheres."

Professor Ed Byrne

IllUSTRATION: JUSTIN GARNSWORThY


12/36

words Ji Ci

A tiny mirobe employed as a livingguided missile has raised hopes for

halting in its traks one of the worlds most

debilitating pandemis the dengue virus.

Over the past two years an internationalsienti team led by Monash Universitys

Professor Sott ONeill has ahieved a

series of remarkable breakthroughs in

the war on the dengue virus, a mosquito-

borne sourge that infets 50 to 100million people a year and threatens the

health of 2.5 billion itizens of the tropis.

The mirobial missile is a baterium

that, in effet, interepts the virus betweenits transmission from mosquito to human.

Researhers say the breakthrough

may have opened up a fresh avenuefor the ontrol of other inset-borne

diseases inluding malaria, whihlaims around two million lives a year.

Without an effetive ontrol, the

impat of these diseases is likely to

only get worse as many parts of theworld get warmer and wetter. The

World Health Organization (WHO) has

already warned that the emergene

of giant tropial megaities with huge

populations, ombined with inadequate

sanitation and water management

have provided the perfet breeding

ground and opportunity for bloodthirsty

femaleAedes aegyptimosquitoes tospread their deadly argo of viruses and

parasites at ever-inreasing rates.

There are four strains of dengue virus,and their inidene has risen dramatially inreent deades making it the worlds most

prevalent mosquito-borne viral infetion. In

its extreme form it produes the ondition

dengue haemorrhagi fever (DHF), in whih

patients literally leak blood and an die. DHFepidemis rst appeared in the Philippines

and Thailand in the 1950s and are now

regularly seen in about 40 ountries. Dengue

virus has beome endemi in more than100 ountries, with explosive outbreaks

ourring in new areas every year asinsetiides fail to hek the arriers.

The WHO attributes the spread of

dengue to the expanding geographialdistribution of the four dengue viruses and

their main mosquito vetors, the most

important of whih is the predominantly

urban pestAedes aegypti. Poor householdwater storage, open drains and inadequate

waste disposal are key fators in the

spread of the mosquitoes while modern

air travel helps disseminate the virus

A bilgial dvlpm by Mah rarhr

i hlpig h igh agai h wrldm prval dadly iiu dia.

from one ity to another, as infeted

travellers pass it on to loal mosquitoes.

Of even greater onern is the potentialexposure of hundreds of millions more

people as limate hange enlarges the

mosquitoes range around the world.

Against this bakground, internationalteams of sientists have been labouring

with rising urgeny to nd fresh

approahes to ontrolling a pandemi

disease for whih there is, at present,

neither vaine nor anti-viral treatment.In the end it omes down to either

ontrolling the mosquitoes better or

impairing their ability to spread disease.

From their results to date, a onsortiumof more than 60 researhers worldwide,

led by the Monash team, are hopeful they

may have raked the latter hallenge.In 2009 members of the onsortium

reported nding that a ommonbaterium alled Wolbachia had the

effet of bloking the transmission of

dengue virus from mosquito to human.

Wolbachia is rather an enigmatiorganism that is thought to infet the ells of

around 60 per ent of the inset speies on

Earth. It has a range of effets on its host,

some beneial and some negative. What

was needed was a strain that ould blok

Microbial

brings down a killer

12 jUNE 2012 Mah UivriyInfectIoUs DIseAse

T vi ict

50 t 100 ii

y tt

t t 2.5 ii

citiz t tic.


13/36

13Mah Uivriy jUNE 2012 InfectIoUs DIseAse

PHOTO: LUIS AScUI


14/36

14 jUNE 2012 Mah UivriyInfectIoUs DIseAse

Dgu rahd v i y qit i c y it, t t,

vi. It i y t it qit, t cy t qitAedes

aegypti, ic i i tic tic i. Ti ic t :

IndonesIan arChIpelago InTo norTh-easTern ausTralIa

souTh and CenTral amerICa

souTheasT asIa

sub-saharan afrICa

parTs of The CarIbbean

d v, t ct (ti, c, jit c i,

), i t y. d ic v, t i c y t

ty vi, it c v, ttiy t, yt.

the virus but not ause suh a strongdetrimental effet that its spread throughthe mosquito population would be impaired.

Professor ONeill and his olleagues

have been working with ust suh a

strain ofWolbachia known as wMel,whih ours naturally in fruit ies, and

is of low virulene when transferred

to mosquitoes. Initial trials on aged

mozzies in the laboratory showed it would

spread rapidly and effetively from motherto offspring, infeting many different

parts of the inset inluding salivaryglands and ovaries. This, in partiular,

means Wolbachia ould be transmittedto future generations of mosquitoes in

their eggs without risk of being passed

to any other inset, animal or human.

The researhers fed their Wolbachia-

infeted mosquitoes a blood meal laed withdengue virus and ounted the viruses.

They found that levels of dengue virus

arried by the mosquitoes infeted by wMel

Wolbachia dropped by an astonishing 1500to 2600-fold, ompared to mosquitoes not

infeted with the baterium. In fat, 87 per

ent of the infeted mosquitoes were found

soon after to be free of the dengue virus.

By omparison, in the mosquitoesnot infeted with this baterial bloking

agent the team found dengue in the

saliva of 80 per ent. The virus was

found in only four per ent of theWolbachia-infeted mosquitoes and

these proved to be individuals that had

somehow esaped infetion. In thelab at least, the deadly dengue was

ompletely bloked by the baterium.The unanswered question is how.

Professor ONeill believes the baterium

may prime the mosquitos immune

system and ompete with the virus for keyintraellular moleules. He says the eventual

answer may open up fresh avenues ofresearh into ways to blok viruses generally.

In its report on the development,

the sienti ournal Nature reounted:Many studies would stop there. But

the investigators took the astonishing

next step of attempting a release of

Wolbachia-infeted mosquitoes into thewild, and, even more astonishingly, they

did it in their own bakyard, Queensland,

Australia. This region has a reurring

dengue problem, and was seen as an

ideal loation for an initial test release.The Queensland trials began after

extensive publi onsultation, whih resulted

in strong ommunity support among the

1300 households of Yorkeys Knob andGordonvale, outlying suburbs of cairns.

During the early weeks of 2011, the team

released some 300,000 adult male and

female mosquitoes at numerous loations

in these suburban areas. The mosquitoesand their offspring were monitored in an

elaborate trapping program, whih revealedthat Wolbachia had suessfully invaded

the loal mosquito populations at thesetwo loations until nearly every mosquito

arried the dengue-bloking Wolbachia.

Nature hailed the suess of the

trial: These studies mark the rst time

that a deliberate Wolbachia-mediatedpopulation-replaement strategy has

been attempted in nature, and herald the

beginning of a new era in the ontrol of

mosquito-borne diseases, it wrote.

Further trials will be onduted in cairnsin the 2012-13 wet season (Deember

February) using an even more protetive

strain ofWolbachia, as the team seeks

the ideal balane between preventingdengue transmission and preserving

the tness of female mosquitoes so

they an spread the ontrol agent.

To answer the all-important questionof whether infeting mosquitoes with

Wolbachia will ut dengue rates in humans,

maor new eld trials are planned for ities

in Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia, where

maor dengue outbreaks are ommon.Were in the nal stages of obtaining

government regulatory approval to run

a trial in entral Vietnam, and we also

hope to begin work shortly in Yogyakarta,Indonesia, Professor ONeill says. Were

also gearing up for future work in Rio

de janeiro, ontingent on governmentapproval and ommunity support.

He estimates it will take aroundthree years to determine whether the

use ofWolbachia-infeted mosquitoes

an signiantly suppress the rate of

dengue fever infetions in humans.So far weve demonstrated that we

an transfer Wolbachia from the fruit y

into theAedes aegyptimosquito, he says.

We have also demonstrated that when

Wolbachia is present in the mosquito itredues the ability of the mosquito to

support and transmit dengue viruses,

and it an be deployed into eld settings.

We have also shown that Wolbachiainfetions in mosquitoes redue the

ability of mosquitoes to transmit other

human pathogens that ause malaria,

hikungunya and yellow fever.

Late in 2011, the researh reeivedwelome enouragement in the form of a

$6 million grant from the Australian Federal

Government. This grant will allow thedevelopment of new Wolbachia-A. aegyptistrain ombinations, new knowledge

regarding Wolbachia spread after release,

optimal release methods and a better

understanding of the likely effets in terms

of preventing human disease, ProfessorONeill explains.

s vtt tt

c t

wci

the fruit y

it ta

yti qit.

w v

tt tt

wci

i t i

t qit it

c t iity

t qit

t t

tit

vi it c

y it

eld settings. We

v

tt wci

icti i

qit

c t iity qit

t tit

t

t tt

c i,

ciky

y v.

p sctt oni


15/36

15Ma uv JUNe 2012 soCiety

WORDS Catherine Norwood

Proiing usbans or augtrs,

gtting pop out o prison, curing

acooism, or n prnting a prson rom

bing gay. Ts ar xamps o rusts,not to a ity, but to pariamntarians.

Suc rusts can b as ong as ty

ar cctic. An in ts ays o socia

mia, accrating rom mai troug to

facbook an Twittr, constitunts xpcta rspons amost immiaty, says socia

rsarcr Prossor Con lwis.

As a o Socia Scinc at Monas

Unirsitys Joannsburg campus inSout Arica, Prossor lwis is part o an

intrnationa tam instigating t ucation

an training o ra Mmbrs o Pariamnt

(MPs) in 10 countris: Austraia, Canaa, Ci,etiopia, Inonsia, Romania, Sout Arica,

t UK, Uruguay an vitnam. T rsarc

is un troug t Austraian Rsarc

Counci, in conjunction wit t AustraianAgncy or Intrnationa dopmnt(AusAId) an t Intr-Pariamntary Union.

finings ar xpct to b rant to arious

systms o gornmnt aroun t wor.

during t past two yars mor tan100 intriws an surys a bn

unrtakn wit MPs in t 10 participating

countris. Prossor lwis says t

nings a r gnuiny concrn

tat t ro o a pariamntarian, inits currnt orm, is orwming or

many MPs, particuary backbncrswo a ony imit support sta.

T unraistic xpctations oconstitunts an growing tim prssurs

ar ci among r concrns, spciay

as tr is no ra job scription

or pariamntarians, or cary

articuat prormanc inicators.R-ction is not ray a prormanc

inicator bcaus tr ar so many

tings tat can atr oting baiour

tat a pariamntarian can o itt about.

Tr is no orma agrmnt btwn a

pariamntarian an is or r mpoyr

t otrs about wat is xpct. Tr

is aso no gnra agrmnt about watt ro o an MP is among pariamntarians

tmss, Prossor lwis says.

T Samara Rports Canaian rsarc

bas on xit intriws wit pariamntarians inti irs iws, an ongoing

uncrtainty about tir ro. for xamp,

som bi it was tir job to rprsnttir constitunts, otrs to oow t in

st by tir poitica party or t intrsts o aspcic tnic group to wic ty bong.

Som MPs saw tir ro as ping to ram

poicy an aws in t intrsts o t nation as

a wo wi otrs oow tir conscinc.Aong wit t ack o a job scription,

many Canaian MPs in t Samara rsarc

an Austraian pariamntarians in t

ARC stuy rport ty i not ray

unrstan t ruirmnts o t job

bor bing ct particuary tosct unxpcty atr ountring to

b a nam on t baot or tir poitica

party. Praps wat is n, s suggsts,is som inpnnt pr-pariamntary

counsing or ucation so tat caniats

or ction migt bttr unrstan wat

ty ar potntiay tting tmss in or. It

is a subjct s ops to instigat urtr.Wat t ro os ino rangs rom

t minutia o running a oca ctora

oc, wic is ctiy a sma businss in

its own rigt, to t making o gornmntsan n, atoug rar, t issoution

o a gornmnt, to orc an ction.

T mans on a pariamntarians

tim ar normous says Prossor lwis,

an a bn xacrbat by tr actors:t growt o oca ctora or constituncy

work, t ris o tcnoogy an wat s

ss as an incrasingy xatious rationsip

btwn poiticians an t mia.Pariamntarians rom many countris

a rport an incras in rusts or

rprsntation rom oca constitunts.figurs ocumnt by t hansarSocity in t UK ar rct in many

otr nations, Prossor lwis says. T

hansar Socity rports t arag

working wk or a Britis MP incrasrom 62 ours in 1982 to 71 ours by 2005.

Tr is ry rason to bi tat it as

incras yt again in t past sn yars.

Tcnoogy was inti as imposing

nw mans on a pariamntarians tim,particuary mai, making MPs accssib

to constitunts 24 ours a ay, sn aysa wk. In Sptmbr 2010 on nwy

ct UK MP tai 22,000 mais in rrst six monts in t ro mor tan 3600

mais a mont to a wit in aition to

t many otr mans o r position.

Prossor lwis is aso critica o t

mias pursuit o poiticians in t namo ntrtainmnt, a point rinorc in t

arings o t lson Inuiry into t

cutur, practic an tics o t prss in t

UK. S says tr as bn a car cango mpasis in many mia circs rom

proiing inormation an acting as a cck

on pubic actiitis, to tat o ntrtaining an

titiating auincs. I tat inos crawing

a or t priat i o a poitician tn asar as many in t mia ar concrn,

its air gam, Prossor lwis says.

In Austraia, ormr ra pariamntarian

an cabint minstr linsay Tannr asbran t currnt rationsip btwn

t mia an poiticians as a carnia

sisow, saying tat t mor inant mias corag o poitics bcoms

t mor inan poiticians rsponssmust bcom in orr to gt corag

wic ty n in sking r-ction.

T rsut, says Prossor lwis,

is tat MPs ar orc to rspon tots mia storis or ays an wks

at a tim, ratr tan attning to tir

constitunts, or gtting on wit t businss

o gornmnt. It aso as a wining

amount o tim or pariamntarians to

arn about t many compx issus onwic ty ar xpct to ot, suc

as t iky impacts o t nr tais in

carbon tax or cimat cang gisation.Gin t growing mans o

constitunts, accss 24/7 troug nw

tcnoogis an casss scrutiny o a

pariamntarians actiitis, incuing is or

r (not-so) priat i, I tink its bcomingimpossib or on prson to satisy t

ruirmnts o t job, Prossor lwis

says.

deMoCrACys Missing joB desCriptions

People elected

to parliament are

ordinary citizens

from all walks

of life. How well

eqipped are they

for this role?

Re-election

is not really aperformance

indicator becase

there are so

many things that

can alter voting

behavior that a

parliamentarian

can do little

abot. There is no

formal agreement

between a

parliamentarianand his or

her employer

the voters

abot what is

expected. There

is also no general

agreement abot

what the role of

an MP is among

parliamentarians

themselves.

Professor Colleen Lewis

P

hOTO:iSTOCKPhOTO.COM


16/36

16 JUNe 2012 Ma uvgeology

our shakyuture unDer

PhOTO: PAUl JONeSDr Fabi Capitani


17/36

17Ma uv JUNe 2012 geology

to b, tr is a simp mssag in t work:

t orcs riing t subuction o t

Naca Pat buit up or tns o miions oyars unti a critica point was rac an

t orc was ras in a comparatiy

rapi sris o nts tat pus t Ans

igr in stags, wit t Boiian orocin

an imprction tat pro t mo.In ct, dr Capitanio's rsarc tam

as appi t aws o pysics to crat a

mo o ow t Ans migt a bn

crat, compt wit t tim ag btwnt orcs tat start t mountains rising.

T rsarcrs wr tn ab to sow

tat t mo matcs t googy.

Toug stui googy drCapitanio says or tis tr-imnsiona

mo work ignor t googy.

T mo an t ra googy ar

compty inpnnt an yt tymatc. Tis is t noty o t approac.It is t approac o t pysicist to

start wit t baanc o orcs an

tn s ow t mo os.

In trms o practica appication drCapitanio says t mo taks t

unrstaning o major art momnts

to a igr . T conntiona

approac scribs wat as appn

so ar ow many artuaks occurr,wat was t orc ras, an ow

muc was t motion o t pats.But, w cannot t wr it is going.

Now, wit tis mo, w asown tat ryting matcs bcaus

our knowg o t ormation is

matc by t mo. W cant masur

orcs, but w can masur motions an

ormations, so, w can mak inrncsabout t trn o orcs or tim.

An it is tis tat brings t potntia or

artuak priction tat itt bit cosr to

a utur raity.

cration o a tr-imnsiona numrica

subuction mo tat xpor wat

appn to t sow-moing Naca Patat t trnc wr it start to trust

unr Sout Amrica. T mo, wic

incorporat ariations in t ticknss

o t pat, arising rom its ag at t

trnc, prouc a coriran morpoogy(mountain rang sap) consistnt

wit wat w s in Sout Amrica.

T mo prict t baiour o

tctonic pats, an wn appi to actuaata tracing t Ans back 60 miion yars,

tr was a matc, says dr Capitanio.

It mans tat or t rst tim rsarcrs

now appar to a a riab computr moor pricting mountain-buiing orcs, an

ts ar t primary caus o artuaks.

dr Capitanio, in coaboration wit

rsarcrs at t Unirsity RomaTr, UPC Barcona Tc an tUnirsity o Caiornia-San digo, is

now appying t mo to otr tctonic

pat subuction ons, starting wit

Inia an its ro in crating t igstmountains o a, t himaayas.

It is going too ar to say tat w can

accuraty orcast t tim o a particuar

nt, toug in googica tim wic is

masur in miions o yars w ar abto say wic aras o t arts crust ar

suscptib to artuaks, an broaywn ty migt occur, dr Capitanio says.

But wat w o a is a gratrunrstaning o t orcs riing tctonic

pats wic wi p prict sits in

tos pats an t consuncs t

ormation o mountain rangs, t opning

an cosing o ocans, an artuaks.T rsarc by dr Capitanio an is

coaborators was pubis as a ttr

in t dcmbr 2011 issu oNature.

Tcnica as suc a scintic rport as

a noVel inVestigation into anunexPlained 80-million-year time laPse inthe geoPhysical Process that createdthe andes mountains may haVe broughtscience a steP closer to one day beingable to Predict earthquakes.

WORDS Tim Treadgold

Bing ab to prict an artuak asong bn a ram or t goscincs,

but an Austraian rsarc tam may

a brougt t wor a sma stp

cosr to aciing tis capabiity.

Ky to tis rcnt opmnt is agratr unrstaning o t immns

orcs tat crat t Ans mountain

cain o Sout Amrica, an t mrgnc

o a potntia xpanation or a mystrioustim gap in tat mountain-buiing procss.

Unti now, googists a a

a rasonab grasp o t ro

pay by momnt in t tctonicpats into wic t ar ts uppr

ayr, or crust, is sgmnt.

T Ans ar a txtbook xamp o

an ocanic pat (ca t Naca Pat)riing unr t Sout Amrican continnt;a subuction momnt inisib to t

nak y, but so powru tat it crat

t 7000-kiomtr mountain cain

compt wit its unusua bug in t miknown as t Boiian orocin (a istinct

bn or ormation in a mountain rang).

But, i pat tctonics ar so asy to

unrstan tn wy i t subuction

procss o t Naca Pat start som 125miion yars ago, but t Ans tmss

ony start to orm aroun 45 miion yars ago?Tat tim aps o up to 80 miion yars

as nr bn satisactoriy xpain, saysdr fabio Capitanio, rsarc ow in t

scoo o Goscincs at Monas Unirsity.

A smar tim gap o, say, 10 miion

yars wou b asir to xpain, but

t ry arg ag ruir a rs wayo tinking, wic is wat w a bn

oing by using pysics ratr tan

googy to proi an xpanation.

Tat tinking dr Capitanio to t

The model and

the real geology

are completely

independent and

yet they match.This is the novelty

of the approach.

It is the approach

of the physicist

to start with the

balance of forces

and then see

how the model

evolves.

Dr Fabi Capitani


18/36

18 JUNe 2012 Ma uvConserVAtion

WORDS Mandy Thoo

Tst tub cubs a mrg as

a nw op to at t si towars

xtinction o t snow opar, Bnga

tigr an otr nangr big catsrin rom tir natura abitats.

By conrting cs takn rom t

aut anima into mbryonic stm-ik

cs an ring tm, scintists may

a ramaticay incras t cancso saing animas wos numbrs

a cin criticay in t wi.Tigrs, opars an otr big cats

a win aarmingy worwi inrcnt cas u to oss o abitat,

scientists haVe createdembryonic stem-like cells

from adult snow leoPards,

bringing new hoPe for thesurViVal of endangered

big cats.

cining pry an iga unting. Tsoitary an scrti natur o catsmaks consration an upi batt, but

scintists rom t Monas Institut o

Mica Rsarc an t Unirsity o

qunsan in Austraia, a opa simp, painss soution tat may a

to tst tub cubs, aowing consration

orts to b prorm witout isrupting

t wi cats in tir natura abitats.

Rgistr in t R ist o tratnspcis, tr ar an stimat 3500

to 7000 snow opars t in t wor.liing in t mountain rangs o cntra

Asia, ty ar suring rom inrtiityan cining gntic irsity caus

testtube

cubs incatight

or lie


19/36

19Ma uv JUNe 2012 ConserVAtion

taking a sma pic o ar tissu.Tis mto aso aows rsarcrs

to arst t most sirab traits or

nsuring t prsration o t cat spcis:

I you know wic is t bst brr

or bst untr among t cats an youobtain tir cs, you can b connt tat

tir ospring wi carry tos uaitis.

T gntic matrias can aso b

cryoprsr or gn banking, wic

bnts t opars by prsringa muc argr rang o matria an

so prsring gntic irsity.Mr vrma bis tat tis

ring o stm cs may w pt snow opar art xtinction.

en i w appn to os a t iing

snow opars, w can obtain rtiis ggs

rom a non-nangr spcis, suc as

t Arican ion, by using t cs at tscon stag o opmnt to orm a

ttrapoi, rsuting in an mbryo wit our

sts o cromosoms. T cs rom t

ionss wi orm xtra-mbryonic tissus,suc as t umbiica cor an t pacnta.

Tis mans t us mbryo wi

nr rsut in a tus, unti w a stm

cs to t mpty spac in t gg, as

aray sown in mic. So, onc w injctt iPS cs or mbryonic stm cs o a

snow opar into t mbryo, ty sou

orm a compt, or pur, snow opar.

Mr vrma nots tat puripotntstm cs a t potntia to b

us in arious mica s, incuing

rgnrati micin, rug opmnt,an assist rproucti tcnoogis.

Wi iPS cs a bn ri romotr animas, suc as mic, monkys, ogs,

sp, orss, pigs an catt, tis is t

rst tim tat scintists a carri out t

xprimnt or a mmbr o t cat amiy.haing spnt is cioo in Inia, Mr

vrma as ong bn passionat about

tigrs an is o or ts cats as

bn a continu sourc o inspiration.

My trip to t tigr rsr in Inia in

2009 was isartning as tir numbrswr cining at a ray ast rat. Tat

motiat m to us my knowg in stm

c tcnoogy to sa ts tigrs.foowing tir succss wit crating iPS

cs rom ar cs or snow opars, t

Monas an Unirsity o qunsan tam

is now attmpting to crat iPS cs or otr

cat spcis, incuing t Bnga tigr, jaguarsan sras mium si Arican cats. for

t wors anising in prators, t

utur suny ooks a itt brigtr.

puripotnt stm cs, wit t potntiato op into norma sprm an ggs as monstrat aray in mic sow

trmnous potntia or consring rar

an nangr animas in t utur.

howr, Mr vrma says ts cs stia to b sourc rom mbryos, wic

brings ryon back to t origina probm;

ggs rom ts arg cats ar scarc.

So insta o trying to obtain puripotnt

stm cs rom t mbryos o iing animas,t scintists a us a tcniu tat

manipuats aut cs to ba ikstm cs, crating wat ar known as

inuc puripotnt stm (iPS) cs.Using ar cs rom a snow opar

at Mogo zoo in Nw Sout Was,

Austraia, t rsarcrs rrs t

cs bioogica cock, turning tm

back to tir ary mbryonic stag.To prsua t ar cs to orgt tir

matur intity, t scintists insrt

stm c gns into a irus an us it as

a iry ic. Onc t snow oparar c was inct wit t irus, t

stm c gns tra into t ar cs.

Ts insrt stm c gns

go in an in a way oo t ar cs,

saying ook at us your not ar cs,your on o us', Mr vrma xpains.

T snow opar skin cs

rspon accoringy an start to rrt.

Ty tn start to mak c coonis,as mbryonic stm cs o.

T rsuting iPS cs a t sam

proprtis as cs tat you n as mbryonicstm cs rom a rtiis gg, an so can b

op into any c typ in t aboratory incuing sxua rproucti cs.

Compar wit otr consration

mtos or big cats, suc as rproucti

coning, or capti bring, crating iPScs is a mor cti way to nanc

tir prospcts o suria, xpains:

Bor t tcniu o proucing iPS

cs was pionr, w a to ri t

non-inuc puripotnt stm cs ircty

rom mbryos, wic ar stroy in tprocss. Tis raiss tica concrns.

T nw tcniu, bsis

iminating t n or ggs, is a non-inasi, painss way to utimaty

boost t numbrs o t arg cats.

W ont a to prorm inasi

procurs to coct sprm an ggs,

wic can caus prmannt impairmnto tir rproucti organs an cycs.

A w n is an ar c, wic w

can obtain by arting t anima an

by inbring, gograpic isoationan a crasing popuation.

Wi rproucti coning an Ivf

a ong bn consir as possib

rscu mtos, tr as bn a sortag

o xprtis an ow succss rats. Butt biggst barrir is tat gamts must

b obtain rom wi snow opars, a

procss wic is bot icut an risky.

In most nangr cats t aaiabiity

o gg an sprm is rar an inaccssiban tir snsiti natur, o ag an

inbring prssion maks it icut ortm to br, bot in captiity an natura

conitions, xpains Rajns vrma, aPd rsarcr at Monas Unirsity. But

In mostendangered cats

the availability of

egg and sperm

is rare and

inaccessible and

their sensitive

natre, old age

and inbreeding

depression makes

it difcult fr them

to breed, both

in captivity and

natral conditions.

Rajneesh Verma

PhOTO: PAUl JONeS


20/36

20 june 2012 Mah Uvysports Medicine


21/36

21Mah Uvy june 2012 sports Medicine

words Catheine N

T sll f at pis igls wit tat

f liit ad frsly t grass. Playrs

ta t t ld, rvsly atiipatig t

wistl tat starts play. T s plays

t at tsads f ity sprts

grds arss Astralia a wd

as ppl (stly ) fr all wals f

lif grgat t tst tir favrit

ftball ga; b it rgby i, rgby

lag, sr r Astralia Rls Ftball.

Clearheadsneeded

thy g kk w,a hy g u aga. Buamau lay a ul wll la wh ay w.

on ConCussion in sport

PhoTo: iSTockPhoTo.com


22/36

22 june 2012 Mah Uvysports Medicine

High pfile cae f cncuin-elate ptinjuie have highlighte the ptential cnequencef uneen amage an eulte in impvemanagement pactice in pfeinal cntactpt. The ptential f legal actin by playe inbth the Us an Autalia elate t the managementf hea injuie i a maj ive behin impveinjuy management an heightene aaene f theptential ange that ae expecte t fl thughfm pfeinal t cmmunity pt. sme ecenthigh-pfile cae inclue:

rugby U

Autalian wallabie playe Eltn Flatley etie pematuely n

meical avice in 2006, age 28, uffeing cntinue blue viin

attibute t cncuin-elate injuie. A natinal an tate

epeentative playe f a ecae, he i epte t have uffee

even cncuin in the t yea pi t hi etiement.

rugby Lagushaun Valentine (Nth Queenlan Cby) a cut fm

hi team in the Natinal rugby League afte the 2002 ean,

age 26, n meical gun afte even evee cncuin

uing a 36-game caee. He cntinue t uffe vmiting,

nauea, izzine an cnfuin an in 2011 he became the

fit Autalian t cmmit t nating hi bain t the spt

Legacy Intitute bae at Btn Univeity f tuy a pat

f it nging eeach int pt-elate cncuin.

Auala rul Fball

daniel Bell (Melbune Ftball Club) a elite fm hi club

in 2010 an etie fm the game n meical gun, age

26. He a iagne ith bain amage afte uffeing eight

t 10 cncuin uing hi 66-game caee ith Melbune.He ept nging memy l an cncentatin pblem

an in 2011 he lge an applicatin f cmpenatin fm

the Autalian Ftball League Playe' Aciatin.

G

In 2010 Us high-chl ftball playe Nathan stile ie, age

17, afte uffeing a ecn impact bain injuy uing the final

game f the ean ith the sping Hill Bnc in Kana.

He ha uffee a cncuin uing a match eveal eek

ealie that ha nt fully heale, althugh meical avice ha

cleae him t play. An autpy eveale him t be the yunget

epte cae f chnic taumatic encephalpathy (CTE).

s

Englih cce playe Jeff Atle (wet Bmich Albin) ie

in 2002, age 59. He etie fm cce in 1977, age 35,

afte an 18-yea pfeinal caee that inclue natinal

epeentative electin five time; hi kill a a heae f the

ball a iely ecgnie. He a epte t have uffee

cgnitive iue ating back five yea befe hi eath. The

cne ule hi eath a the eult f a egeneative bain

ieae caue by heaing heavy leathe cce ball.

Iris ar ivitabl: plld astrigs, rdislatd sldrs, grass brs, a spraid

al r tw, ad ayb v t dd bldy

s tat tprarily sidlis a playr. n

grbls. It's all part f t ga.

Bt t tr is t sris bdy

rig; t t t ad, lbw

t t ar, trss ad ads llidig at fll

tilt, ad tals tat brig playrs tddig

it t art. T rslt, r ft ta

rgisd, is ssi, r ild traati

brai iry (TBI). It a r witt ay

atal tat t t ad. It is t sddalrati r dlrati tat a as

t brai t rit isid t sll. Wil

t ipat a srisly afft giti, it is

a iry tat is far r diflt t s ad

diags ta tr ligats r a p t.

ev wit a cAT sa tr will sally b

visibl bldig r daag t t brai.

Ad r lis f t gratst riss

fr playrs, partilarly at a ity

lvl, says mas uivrsity rsarr

Prfssr mar Stvs, w as b

stdyig t iid f ssi i

rgby playrs vr a tr-yar prid. his

digs sw ig brs f ssis

ad rlativly pr iry aagt.

Prfssr Stvss r is

tat t awarss f t pttial lg-

tr sqs f ad iris

ad t d fr gratr ati tat

xists at a prfssial lvl, as t

wd trg t t aatr ras.

Prfssr Stvs says vid

is alrady tig abt t lg-tripats f ssis prfssial

atlts. Lg rgisd ag t bxig

ity as p-dr sydr r

dementia pugilistica, sypts a ild

dprssi, ry lss, prsality

ags s as irasd irritability,

paraia ad aggrssi, ad t arly

st f dtia. mdia rprts i rt

yars av igligtd gig alt

prbls i prfssial tat sprts li

rgby, gridir, wrstlig, i y ad

v sr (attribtd t adig t bal l).T ffts f rpatd ild brai

iris liat i a diti w

as ri traati palpaty

(cTe). Abral prtis alat i

t brai, asig a dgrati f brai

tiss ad rdd gitiv ftiig.

cTe ds t sw p drig brai sas

ad a ly b diagsd sig spi

idtiati tiqs pst rt.

Prfssr Stvs is dirtr f t

mas uivrsity Aidt Rsar

ctr i t mas Iry RsarIstitt bt prvisly wrd fr t uS

ctrs fr Disas ctrl ad Prvti

(uS cDc). I 2004, trg t uS cDc

rivd a grat t stdy t iid

ad aagt f TBI a grp f

-prfssial rgby i playrs i

Astralia. Tr is a sbstatial bdy f

rsar xaiig t f fts f TBIs

ag prfssial atlts, bt vry littl

at t ity sprtig lvl, says.

T uS ds t av t sa ltr

f ity sprt tat is prvalt iAstralia ad als t uitd kigd.

cllg ad varsity sprts s as

gridir ar igly prfssial ad av

ddiatd spprt staff. Tats t t

as i ity sprt wr st

spprt staff ar vltrs, ad sally

av littl r dial xprtis.

Prfssr Stvss stdy fllwd

alst 2000 Sydy sl-grad ad

sbrba rgby i playrs agd 15 t

48 fr btw ad tr sass t

valat t frqy f ssis,

iry aagt, ad ipat

playr brai fti i sbsqt

days ad ws. (h ss t trs

ssi ad TBI itragably.)

T sypts tat idiat y

igt av a ssi ar dizziss,

asia y at rall wat appd

idiatly prir t r idiatly aftr t

vt. Y ay fl ass, y igt

av lst sisss fr a fw sds

r ayb lgr. It ld st b tat yd p wit a ada fr a ,

r blrrd visi. Its ard t prdit, ad

siilarly a b ard t diags, says.

Dspit t rtaitis f diagsis,

t rslts f is stdy ar alarig. Ty

rval a ig iid f ssi ag

playrs sv pr t f playrs sstaid

a ssi witi 10 rs f play. Tis

is abt alf t lgt f a avrag adlt

rgby i sas. T iid dbld

t 14 pr t wit 20 rs f play. Ad

playrs w sstaid ssiwr twi as lily t sstai a sd.

Playrs wit a lwr bdy ass idx

wr 10 pr t r lily t sstai a

ssi, ad ts w traid fr

lss ta tr rs a w wr 20 pr

t r lily t b ssd ta

ts w spt r ti traiig.

cas, sprts dtrs ad

pysitrapists wr ag ts

w assistd t rsar, rrdig

ssi iidts drig gas.


23/36

23Mah Uvy june 2012 sports Medicine

Ardig t tir rprts, 48 pr tf playrs w sstaid a ssi

rtrd t play i t sa ga, ad

34 pr t did t lav t ld at all.

Tis is dspit a rdati

fr t Itratial Rgby ui Bard,

spprtd by t Astralia Rgby ui,

tat playrs w sffr a ssi

ta a tr-w bra fr traiig

ad play. Tis rglati is adatry

fr all itratial ag-gradd playrs

dr 19 yars. otr playrs ay rtr

t play witi tr ws if fd t bsypt fr ad dlard t t play by

a rgisd rlgial spialist.

Playrs w sffr s lss f

gitiv fti ad w rtr t

t play witt flly rvrig ay

iras tir riss f frtr iry.

Alarigly, ly 22 pr t f playrs

idtid as rivig a ssi i t

stdy rprtd rivig ay rtr-t-play

advi. Ad 75 pr t f ts playrs did

t ply wit t tr-w stad-dw

prid. n playr i t stdy w rivdt rdd pst-ssi

advi plid. Prfssr Stvs

says 87 pr t f ssd playrs

rtrd t itr traiig r ptiti

witi w ad 95 pr t ad

rtrd witi tr ws f iry.

h says wil it appars tr was

a rlativly lw lvl f awarss f t

itratial ssi rglatis,

t failr f playrs t fllw advi

prstd a sris barrir t idtifyig

ad bttr aagig ild brai iris.Prfssr Stvs says tat t tird

ad st rial aspt f t stdy t

valati f gitiv sills pst ssi

is still t b pltd. Partiipats i

t rsar drt a ptr-basd

gitiv tst prir t t playig sas

t stablis basli fti. of t 187

w sffrd a ssi drig t stdy

prid, 60 pr t std t fllw-

p assssts 72 rs aftr t iry.

Frtr assssts wr als drta

sv days ad 21 days aftr t iry.Ts digs will b ritial i

idtifyig t ipat f ssi

playrs drig t pst-ga prid w

ty ar aig disis abt rtrig t

traiig r t ptiti. Bt v witt

ts rslts, its lar tat rtr-t-play

disis ad t aagt f sprt-

rlatd ssi is a allg fr playrs,

spprt staff ad t sprtig ity

i gral, says. Tr is a ral

rgy t ta ts digs t sprtig

rgaisatis ad tir rglatry bdis tsr adqat aagt, partilarly

as tr is liitd ifrati t lg-

tr ipat f ild traati brai iris.

T mas Istitt fr Brai

Dvlpt ad Rpair ad t Astralia

ctr fr Rsar it Iry i Sprt

ad its Prvti, bt at mas, ar

itrstd i t traslatial aspts f

Prfssr Stvs's wr ad srig

is rdatis fr ati ra t

rgaisatis.

Playe ith a

le by ma

inex ee 10

pe cent melikely t utain a

cncuin, an

the h taine

f le than thee

hu a eek

ee 20 pe cent

me likely t be

cncue than

the h pent

me time taining.

PhoTo: iSTockPhoTo.com

Subscribe


24/36

24 JUNe 2012 Ma uvthe huMAn genoMe

WORDS Dr Gio Braidotti

Not ryon can mak a macin

ab to xpor t uman gnom an

its ast ntwork o dNA mocus;t rontir o innr spac.

It is a comparatiy nw spciaity,

wr t macins ar as pionring

as ty ar unctiona in tir probing

o t uman boys innr cosmos.Ts macins dNA microarray

scannrs mak it possib to map tisunamiiar an inormation-ric spac

an scintists a innt a uniu

kin o cartograpy or t job.

Ca comparati gnomics, itinks t uman boy its ormation,

ancstry, an brakown uring isas

to t structur o iscrt rgions

on dNA mocus (gns) an t

ritary inormation ty manat.lik xporrs o tims past, gnomics

tropical meDicinegoes

rsarcrs too possss t potntia torraw t wor by orr canging our

unrstaning an practis o micin.

Unti now t ast buk o gnom

mapping as takn pac in aancconomis, owr, on o t w

scintic uipmnt companis ab to

bui on o ts macins, US-bas

Agint, rcnty orm a partnrsip

wit a mica scoo in SoutastAsia troug its piantropic arm, t

southeast asia has a new genomicsresearch centre able to aPPly the latestin dna-Probing technology to troPicaldiseases and Public health issuesParticuliar to troPical communities.

In heavily poplated

tropical regions

poverty and disease go

hand-in-hand; and the

medical technology that

cold help is beyond a

commnity's means.


25/36

25Ma uv JUNe 2012 the huMAn genoMe

unrstan wy irnt tnic groups inMaaysia a irnt brast cancr rats.

Among t at concrns targt or

stuy at t Monas Campus ar conitions

aso amiiar in t Wst, suc as obsity,

carioascuar isas, brast cancr aniabts an ow it as to kiny aiur.

Tr is aso a strong ocus on pubic

at an inctious isas, spciay rom

tropica iruss or wic tr ar currnty

no accins or tratmnt suc as ngu,SARS an h5N1 inuna (or bir u).

vaccin spciaist Associat ProssorSaria Binti Sy hassan is mapping ow

gns rspon wn a irus incts a c.Ts rsponss ar tn compar at

t popuation to intiy biomarkrs

ink to ariation in isas srity.

Cus can tn b obtain about ow t

irus causs isas an wic rsponssmak t bst caniats or t opmnt

o accins, iagnostics tsts or trapis.

for xamp, ngu is a big

probm in Maaysia tat currnty rison controing t mosuito to prnt

isas, Associat Prossor Saria

Binti Sy hassan says. But w ook

at ow t irus causs isas ircty

as tr ar sti a ot o unanswrustions about many tropica iruss.

Ro Mintt, gnra managr o Agint's

li Scincs Group in Sout Asia, Kora

an t Pacic Rgion, says t agrmntwit Monas ps to cmnt Maaysia

as a cntr or i scinc rsarc an

opmnt (R&d). T partnrsip is trst o its kin wit a Maaysian unirsity.

Agint acuir its commitmnt topiantropy rom its parnt company

hwtt-Packar, rom wic it spun-o in

1999. Coincintay, its dNA microarray

uipmnt uss simiar tcnoogy to ink-jt printr nos to imprint on to gass

sis t many tousans o dNA probs

n to compar uman dNA samps.

for Monas, t support it as

rci rom Agint as sr to

aiat an inigorat its commitmntto mting oca R&d ns.

In 2012, t Unirsi ty intns to

purcas an ctron microscop, bui anw aboratory compx to accommoat

100 Pd stunts, an prpar to aunc

a nw gr in mica scincs tat

s into t xisting Pd program.

Ts projcts ar important to ttir wor, to countris tat a t sam

probms w ac in Maaysia, Prossor

Otman says.

T scannr aows gntic irncsamong ast numbrs o pop to banays or tta mocuar signas, in

orr to gui t opmnt o nw

iagnostic toos an rug trapis.

Agint's partnr is t Jry CaScoo o Micin an hat Scincs,

ocat nar Kuaa lumpur in Maaysia, at

t Monas Unirsity Sunway Campus

in Sangor. hr a courss ar taugt

in engis u to Sunways aiationwit Monas Unirsity in Austraia.

Astouningy, t scoo is just yars o but was ab to attract Agints

inomnt by irtu o t xtraorinarycommitmnt to rsarc rom its sta

an nary 60 Pd stunts. Tis is in

aition to training som 600 mica

an 200 parmacy stunts ac yar.

T puty a o rsarc anbiomica scinc, Prossor Iksan

Otman, says t scoo a bn

outsourcing its gnom-scanning work or

sra yars to tcnoogy proirs ikAgint. Tn t cision was ma to

inst in its own uipmnt or a gnomics

aciity icat to biomica rsarc.

At t mica scoo w kny

t n to a an impact an tatunris t rationa or stabising

a strong rsarc capacity.

Agint propos tir tcnoogy to

t scoo, a systm tat was oun tosuit t rsarcrs ns w, says.

T Agint founation tn onat t

microarray scannr t cntra pico uipmnt or comparati gnomics

stuis an t company bcam inoin proiing continuous tcnica support.

T mica scoo uss gnomics in

two unamnta ways. Tr ar projcts to

map cangs in gn xprssion across tgnom tat occur in rspons to isas.

Tn tr ar orts to map gntic

irncs tat istinguis Maaysians

o irnt ancstry primariy Maay,

Cins an Inian tnicity. T

scoo, in conjunction wit nigbouringAsian countris Singapor, Taian,

Inonsia, Inia, an Japan ar using

t tnic biomarkrs to trac ancintmigration pattrns across Asia.

In aition t two strams can intrsct:

Sta ar ooking into t brast cancr

gnom, or instanc, particuary as it

rats to crtain nyms impicat ininitiating cancr, Prossor Otman says.

W can tn us t microarray scannr

to ury t gnom o arg popuations to

The medical schoolses genomics in

two fndamental

ways. There are

projects to map

changes in gene

expression across

the genome that

occr in response

to disease.

Then there are

efforts to map

genetic differencesthat distingish

Malaysians of

different ancestry

primarily Malay,

Chinese and

Indian ethnicity.

The school, in

conjnction with

neighboring

Asian contries

like Singapore,

Thailand,

Indonesia, India,

and Japan, is

sing the ethnic

biomarkers to trace

ancient migration

patterns across

Asia.

Agint Tcnoogis founation.

T rsut is a nw cntr or umangnom stuis tat is accssib to young

Asian an Arican stunts to stuy isass

o rgiona importanc, wi aso sricing

rsarcrs in t broar Asia rgion.

Ca t Monas-Agint AutorisMicroarray Sric Cntr, it as bn

oprationa sinc at fbruar y 2012.

To mt its n o t bargain, Agint

proi its bran o microarray scannr.

PhOTO: lUIS ASCUI


26/36

june 2012 Msh Uvrsty

words Alexana rginki

Mortality grs for uS polic ofcrs

ovr rct dcads show a ofcr is

mor likly to di from a itdd

vt lik a car crash tha i a so-calld

floios dath sch as a shootig.

Th sigicac of this dps wh

yo cosidr a rctly pblishd stdy

o slp disordrs amog polic ofcrs.

Th uS stdy, ld by Moash uivrsitys

Associat Profssor Shatha Raaratam,

fod slp disordrs amog polic

ofcrs to b a srios occpatioal hazard

with pottially fatal cosqcs.

For xampl, a qartr of th 5000

ofcrs who participatd i th stdy

rportd fallig aslp whil drivig, at last

oc a moth. This is o top of whatvr

othr impacts fatig has o dcisio-

makig ad day-to-day opratios.

Th stdy, th rslts of which wrpblishd i thJournal of the American

Medical Association i Dcmbr 2011,

fod that ovr 40 pr ct of uS polic

ofcrs scrd positiv for o of v maor

slp disordrs. Th papr has attractd

itratioal atttio bcas th scario,

ad implicatios for pblic safty ad ofcr

halth, is likly to b iq to uS polic.

Associat Profssor Raaratam, a

xprt i slp ad chroobiology, says

th high mbr of polic ofcrs with

slp disordrs wold sm to arisfrom a combiatio of lifstyl (poor dit

ad xrcis), ob-rlatd strsss, ad

possibly shift work factors. W alrady

kow that shift work, by itslf, icrass

th risk of [sccmbig to] som of th

maor slp disordrs, h says.

Th stdy fod that ofcrs who

scrd positiv for a disordr wr mor

likly to display cotrolld agr towards

a mmbr of th pblic or sspct, doz off

whil drivig, ad commit safty violatios.

Wake-up

call onpolice

shut-eye

Thy wr also mor tha twic as likly to

sffr from dprssio. Th digs ar s

to hav implicatios for th safty of ot oly

polic ofcrs, bt also th pblic thy srv.

Slp loss ad slp distrbac show

a complx ad bi-dirctioal rlatioship

with mood, says Associat Profssor

Raaratam. Slp loss impairs yor ability

to rglat mood, ad mood distrbacs i

tr may hav a advrs impact o slp.

Associat Profssor Raaratam was

co-ivstigator o th stdy with Profssor

Charls Czislr ad Dr Lara Bargr

from th Divisio of Slp Mdici at th

Brigham ad Woms Hospital (BWH), a

Harvard Mdical School tachig afliat.

I 2004, th HarvardBWH tam

pblishd a sris of ladmark stdis

o doctors ad fatig that dbkd a

log-argd myth that doctors, bcas

of thir grllig mdical traiig,

bcom imm to th gativ ffctsof slp dprivatio ad shift work.

I 2004 ad 2005, th HarvardBWH

rsarchrs rcivd fdig from th

uS natioal Istitt of jstic ad th

Ctrs for Disas Cotrol ad Prvtio

to focs o aothr occpatio policig

i which fatig ca hav srios

cosqcs. Thy ivitd Associat

Profssor Raaratam to collaborat.

Ovr a thr-yar priod, 2005 to 2007,

th rsarchrs gathrd data from thr

distict grops: a stat polic dpartmt;a micipal polic dpartmt; ad oli

participats from polic dpartmts

locatd across th uS. This third cohort

of 3693 rspodts was icldd to

xami th xtt to which digs i th

othr dpartmts cold b gralisd

to polic ofcrs across th cotry.

All rspodts bga by compltig

a srvy. A sbst of th 40 pr ct

whos aswrs idicatd a slp disordr

wr th assssd by th rsarchrs

Wv s thTV s, dur rm

fghtrs wh, t sms,vr s. But thr wrd, s r

rthr, k f t myb wkg ur w

frmt.

occUpaTional HealTH26


27/36

27Msh Uvrsty june 2012 occUpaTional HealTH

vlrabl to ths ffcts tha it dos

othrs, th lsso from obsrvig shift

workrs is that most popl mak mistaks

wh o a rgim of irrglar ad shortr

slp: Disrptig th bodys biological clock

xposs yo to th risk of may diffrt

thigs. It psts th atral physiology of th

body, Associat Profssor Raaratam says.

Slp disordr maagmt shold

bcom part of occpatioal halth adsafty programs, h adds, particlarly i

safty-critical occpatioal grops. May

crrt maagmt programs for fatig

ovrlook th sigicat gativ cotribtio

of slp disordrs to halth ad safty.

MoRe

Rajaratnam SJW, Barger L, Lockley SW, et al.

Sleep disorders, health, and safety in police

officers, in theJournal of the American Medical

Association, 2011; 306 (23): 25672578.

Associat Profssor Raaratam ow

hops to follow p th rsarch, iitially with

a itrvtio stdy to masr th ffcts

o halth ad safty of a program to hlp

polic ofcrs maag slp disordrs.

Aothr follow-p wold b additioal

rsarch ito th impact of slp disordrs o

halth, safty ad prodctivity i safty-critical

occpatios, sch as havy vhicl drivrs,

pilots, rghtrs, paramdics ad mirs.I particlar, tratmts for shift work

disordr ar ot as volvd as for isomia or

OSA, Associat Profssor Raaratam says.

Slp scitists also wat to bttr drstad

why crtai popl will prform wll drig

a shift, whil othrs ar sriosly affctd.

Cold it b that idividals i this lattr

grop shold b allowd to opt for stadard

(o-shiftwork) schdls, or, altrativly,

shold thy rcosidr thir carrs?

Whil hrdity maks som of s mor

i prso, or rfrrd to local slp cliics

to vrify srvy accracy (abot 82 pr

ct of thos who scrd positiv o

th srvy actally had slp apoa).

Of th v slp disordrs assssd,

obstrctiv slp apoa (OSA) was th most

prvalt, affctig a third of ofcrs. OSA

occrs wh th ppr airway bcoms

tmporarily blockd, casig th slpr

to ros from slp, somthig thy td

ot to rmmbr. It appars to affct

fwr popl i th gral poplatio

26 pr ct of uS m ad 9 pr ct

of wom accordig to data gathrd i

1993 (althogh this gr cold b highr

today d to mor ssitiv diagostics).

A maor cotribtor to OSA is obsity,

which icrass th collapsibility of th

ppr airway, ad 33.5 pr ct of srvyd

polic ofcrs wr classid as obs. This

is st slightly lss tha th 33.8 pr ct

obsity rat i th gral uS poplatioaccordig to data from th uS Ctrs

for Disas Cotrol ad Prvtio.

Th for othr maor slp disordrs

stdid wr modrat to svr isomia

(5.4 pr ct), shift work disordr (14.5 pr

ct of thos o ight shift), rstlss lg

sydrom (1.6 pr ct), ad arcolpsy

(0.4 pr ct). Whil arcolpsy affctd a

comparativly small mbr of ofcrs, it

ca hav srios cosqcs if a slpig

attack occrs drig a safty-critical task.

Th maor diffrcs withi th cohortwr btw stat ad mtropolita

polic, i tr a possibl rctio of gral

tss lvls rqird for mploymt.

Fwr stat polic sffrd from OSA 20

pr ct compard to 36 pr ct which

Associat Profssor Raaratam says cold

b tid to thir lowr body mass idx (27.7

vrss 28.9) ad th gratr mphasis o

physical tss, whr thy hav physical

assssmts, ad o-sit gyms, ad

xrcis allowd drig paid work tim.

lw sumbr budrsPecentage f inceae ik f

Pefmance inicat pen ith leep ie (%)

seiu aminitative e 41

Falling aleep hile iving 57

E afety vilatin attibute t fatigue 53

E afety vilatin nt attibute t fatigue 32

occupatinal injuy 26

Uncntlle ange ta upect citizen 20

Abenteeim 24

Falling aleep uing meeting 101

Fall asleep while stopped in trafc 51

Citizen cmplaint 19

Data sorcd from Slp Disordrs, Halth, ad Safty i Polic Ofcrs,pblishd i thJournal of the American Medical Association, 2011.

diupting the

by bilgical

clck expe

yu t the ik f

many iffeent

thing. It upet

the natual

phyilgy f the

by.

Aciate Pfe

shantha rajaatnam

Aciate Pfe shantha rajaatnam


28/36

28 JUNe 2012 Ma uvpuBliC heAlth

WORDS Dr Gio Braidotti

humans a a aty apptit or

miracs, b ty wonrs o ction orait, wic may xpain wy any scinctat promiss a nw, mor potnt cur

or isas is grasp wit rour.

Tak t mirac o gns an t

iscory tat uman caractristics arcontro by ts tiny mocus. from

tis, scinc as bn attmpting to bui

a nw kin o micin bas on t ro

dNA pays. In 2000, as part o tis an at

a cost o $3 biion, ry uman gn wascataogu in a sarcab atabas.

the sCienCe of genoMiCs cv a wa a v m a w wa mc. B a b a aca q a,w a wa k, ma v

baak avac a am.

as t Cntra Cinica Scoo at Monas

Unirsity in Mbourn, Austraia, is part

o t goba ort to n t missing ink

btwn gnomics tortica potntiaan a stp-cang in mocuar trapis.

A mica octor, an a at rcruit

to mocuar rsarc, Prossor

Jan says haro varmus maks an

accurat but praps unair point.for m, mocus ik gns orm pics

o a jigsaw pu an you just cant mak

progrss unti you unrstan ow ty t

togtr, says. So I tink it is actuay too

ary or gnom-wi mocuar approacsto mt tir u traputic potntia.

francis Coins, tn a o tIntrnationa human Gnom Suncing

Consortium, prict tat by 2010 gnomics

wou cang t ac o micin.Tat miston, owr, pass an

t anticipat nw way o trating isas

mosty ai to matriais. haro varmus,

t 1989 Nob laurat in Micin,

obsr tat gnomics a pro to b

mor a way to o scinc tan micin.Mocuar bioogists now conc tat

i at t mocuar is ar mor compx

tan anticipat. howr, t bauty

o scinc is tat t sarc or answrsnr cass. Prossor Stpn Jan wo

a sPecial adVertising suPPlement


29/36

for Prossor Jan, tos ops

or gnomics to ir a stp-cang

in micin wi appn; just not as

uicky as initiay anticipat.Or t past ca as

iscor a wo ntwork o cuar

cus gns, biocmica signaing

patways, an growt rguators tat

ar ssntia to t at o our skin.fitt togtr, tis jigsaw pu as

ra nw pats to rug opmnt

or a custr o isass. Among ts ar

mbryonic nura tub cts (suc as

spina bia), woun aing, an a commonorm o skin cancr. Wit rug tsting

29Ma uv JUNe 2012 puBliC heAlth

(t gnotyp) to spcic abnormaitis

(t pnotyp). Tis work, bgun in

t 1970s, arn tr co aborating

scintists, ewar lwis, CristianNssin-voar an eric Wiscaus,t 1995 Nob Pri or Micin.

Tir work wit t ruit y inti

gns tat contro an organisms

opmnt rom a sing c, incuingt actua boy pan an aturs suc

as t numbr an typ o imbs tat ar

orm. So unamnta ar ts gns,

rsarcrs cou manipuat an mutat

tm to caus an xtra st o wings toorm or to cang antnna into gs.

aray unr way in mic, sunscrn

otions tat prnt tis cancr is just on

o t trapis now unr opmnt.

f In is work, Prossor Jan as rawn

on a rmarkab pic o oution,

manist in on o mica scincs

most uniky o ais, t ruit y.W bor scinc cou riaby

con an sunc gns, gnticists in

hibrg, Grmany, ranomy mutat

t ruit y (Drosophila) gnom bormapping t ocation o ac cromosoma

sion. Ty tn ink tis atr dNA

PhOTO: iSTOCKPhOTO.COM

a sPecial adVertising suPPlement


30/36

30 JUNe 2012 Ma uvpuBliC heAlth

It was assum tat ts gnsar t grist o oution tat tyary witin a popuation an unrgo

natura sction to prouc nw typs

o bois an ntuay spcis.

Tn, to t surpris o many scintists,t sam gns iscor in ruit y wr

oun in organisms wit ry irnt

kins o bois in mic an tn in

umans. So simiar wr ts gns

tat ty wr intrcangab btwnspcis. An mutations in ts gns

otn caus simiar abnormaitis, sucas ys aiing to orm in a tr spcis.

It appar tat natura sctionprotct t boy-pan gns, nsuring

ty suri uncang troug

750 miion yars o oution.

It was a controrsia prmis, but

to a major r-appraisa o t rationsipbtwn gns an an organisms

caractristics. Gon was t ia tat

gns buprint any on spcis. Insta,

gns cam to b iw mor ikt music instrumnts tat mak up an

orcstra. Wat mattrs is ow tos

instrumnts ar pay rati to ac otr.

An gns too n to b xprss to

a an impact. So scinc now argustat t sam gns can b ma to

pay t y, mous, or uman sympony

pning on ow ty ar xprss.

Among t gns inti in tisway is a ruit y gn ca grainy a,

nam atr t orm apparanc

o t ys a upon mutating tnati gn. It a attract itt

attntion unti Prossor Jan iscorcountrparts in mic an umans an

ink tm to a custr o isass.

Tis was about t tim o t gnomic

roution, says. It took my coagu,dr Tomas Wianow

Documents

Monash Magazine, Edition 1 (June 2012)