ANZSCDB Publication Award

 
 
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Instructions to Applicants

Purpose:

The aim of these awards is to encourage and support graduate research students who are working towards the completion of higher research degrees in Australia and New Zealand within the disciplines of cell and developmental biology. ANZSCDB encourages high quality, peer-reviewed work among its student members. Up to two awards will be available, one to recognise the best publication by a graduate student in the Cell Biology field and another for a graduate student working in the Developmental Biology field. We encourage applications from student members across Australia and New Zealand. 

Eligibility:

The applicant:

·         Must be a financial member of ANZSCDB at the time of the application.

·         Must be undertaking a higher degree (i.e. PhD, Masters,), or be within 2 years full-time equivalent of obtaining their higher degree.

·         Whilst applicants may submit one work in each category (i.e. Cell or Developmental Biology), the same work cannot be submitted in different categories.

·         No one publication can receive the award more than once, although applicants can submit the same publication in different years.

·         Applicants should be the first author or joint first author of the publication.

·         The date of publication will be considered as the date that the final ‘print’ version of the manuscript first becomes available online and this date will need to be listed on the application. The 18 month eligibility window for a manuscript is relative to this date. 

Selection criteria:

The awards are based on the best papers in the fields of Cell or Developmental Biology published in the 18 months prior to the closing date of the award.  

ANZSCDB is committed to the principles of fairness, transparency, equity and diversity, including gender equality, in assessing and administering this award.

Required documentation:

1.    A copy of the final version of the accepted work.

2.    For publications In Press, a copy of the editor’s letter of acceptance, showing clearly submission and acceptance dates of publication.

3.    A letter of recommendation from your supervisor. In their letter of recommendation, the supervisor should comment on the standard of the journal in which the paper has been published, indicating its ranked position in the field, the number of journals in the field.

4.    A brief statement of the significance of the work (100 words).

5.    A description of the applicant’s role in the work. If the work has multiple authors, there must also be a statement outlining the percentage contribution of each author to the work. This must be signed by the paper’s corresponding author(s).

6.    Any media coverage that has resulted from the work may also be included as supporting evidence for the impact of the work. 

A single pdf file comprising all documents should be emailed c/o the ANZSCDB Secretariat (anzscdb@asnevents.net.au) by 5pm 9th July 2023.

Judging:

Evaluation, shortlisting, and ranking of applicants will involve all members of the ANZSCDB Committee and the President.  

Publications will be assessed on their significance, quality and impact.  

In situations where there is a tied vote or a lack of consensus, the President may cast the deciding vote or may choose to extend each award to more than one candidate.  

ANZSCDB reserves the right to award joint candidates, or not confer an award, in any given round.  

Prize: Winners will receive a certificate and reimbursement of costs up to $250 incurred to attend a meeting of/or involving the Society.

 

2023 ANZSCDB Publication Awards

Developmental Biology

Dr Natalia Benetti

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

and the University of Melbourne

Maternal SMCHD1 regulates Hox gene expression and patterning in the mouse embryo

“In this paper, we report for the first time in mammals, that removing a factor (SMCHD1) in the oocyte can have consequences for Hox gene expression and embryo patterning a week later in the developing embryo. This is a surprise, given that the embryo contains abundant SMCHD1 for at least 5 days before any effect is observed, meaning there is a long-lived epigenetic memory normally created by maternal SMCHD1. This is an exciting discovery, suggesting the maternal supply of epigenetic regulators plays a critical role in embryo patterning. It also has implications for humans as pathogenic polymorphisms in SMCHD1 are associated with two different genetic disorders.”

This work was conducted as part of Natalia’s PhD in Professor Marnie Blewitt’s laboratory and was co-supervised by Associate Professor Edwina McGlinn at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute. Dr Benetti has recently moved to The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin for a postdoc.

Read more about this work in The Conversation, and in a WEHI press release, which was republished by more than 40 news outlets.

Benetti, N., Gouil, Q., Tapia del Fierro, A. Beck, T., Breslin, K., Keniry, A., McGlinn, E., Blewitt, M.E. Maternal SMCHD1 regulates Hox gene expression and patterning in the mouse embryo. Nat Commun 13, 4295 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32057-x

Cell Biology

Azelle Hawdon

Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute,

Monash University

Apicobasal RNA asymmetries regulate cell fate in the early mouse embryo

“Using advanced live imaging techniques, our study sheds light on the significance of understanding the intricate processes occurring within cells of the preimplantation mouse embryo. By examining the real-time dynamics of RNA molecules, translation, microtubules and organelles in their spatial and temporal context, we uncover insights into the interplay between molecular dynamics, cellular organisation and gene expression. By integrating cell and developmental biology, our findings establish a framework for understanding how subcellular asymmetries in RNA distribution and translation capacity synergistically contribute to cell fate decisions during mammalian embryo development.”

Read more about the work in a Monash press release, which was republished by Science News Daily and other sites.

Hawdon, A., Geoghegan, N.D., Mohenska, M., Elsenhans, A., Ferguson, C., Polo, J.M., Parton, R.G., Zenker, J. Apicobasal RNA asymmetries regulate cell fate in the early mouse embryo. Nat Commun 14, 2909 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38436-2