World platypus experts in Adelaide for meeting

Platypus
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Thursday, 20 November 2008

An international scientific conference being hosted by the University of Adelaide on November 23-26 will provide valuable insights into the evolution of humans and the genes that play a critical role in our development.

The Boden Research Conference builds on the worldwide interest generated by the publication of a research project in Nature earlier this year, which revealed the entire genetic record of the platypus.

The platypus and its monotreme cousin the echidna are the earliest surviving branch in the mammalian lineage and the most distant living mammalian relatives of humans.

University of Adelaide geneticist Dr Frank Grützner, one of the collaborators on the project, says up to 60 researchers from around the world will attend the meeting, sponsored by the Australian Academy of Science.

"This event is significant for a number of reasons," Dr Grützner says. "It is the first conference in the world that focuses on molecular aspects of monotremes. It is now universally accepted that monotremes are no longer Australian oddities of specialised interest, but a very important organism to understand the evolution and function of mammalian genomes. They are also the planet's longest surviving mammals so we can learn important lessons from them."

Dr Grützner says the conference and the platypus genome published this year marks the first chapter of an entirely new level of monotreme research.

"We will discuss new ways of helping platypus and echidna conservation and how to translate our research into better understanding of mammals, including humans. Subjects under discussion will include major breakthroughs in our understanding of monotreme reproduction, milk, venom and their immune system."

An impressive list of international and Australian researchers will attend the Victor Harbor conference, including speakers from the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, France and New Zealand as well as Australia's leading geneticists and biologists.

Conference participants will be taken on a tour of Monarto Zoo to view wild echidnas as part of a multidisciplinary project to help the conservation effort.

Media are welcome to attend the conference at the Whalers Inn Resort at Victor Harbor. For more details about the program and speakers, visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/monotreme-conference/

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