ICSB

Anja and Aleš attended the 20th International Conference on Subterranean Biology (ICSB), from 29 August to 3 September, held in Postojna, Slovenia. Postojna cave was named "cradle of speleobiology" after the discovery of the first subterranean life (cave beetle Leptodirus hochenwartii Schmidt, 1832). Anja's contribution was a description of subterranean migration of imotska gaovica Delminichthys adspersus based on genetic evidence.

The conference was very interesting and excellently organized, it was really exciting to be a part of the underground scientific community for a while.

Integrating ecology and evolution in diversity research (Workshop)

In May Gašper attended workshop about ecology end evolution which was held in Konnevesi Research Station in Finland, organized by Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, and was funded by the EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network Speciation.

Particular focus was on the genetics of adaptation and on using phylogenetic methods for studying divergence and diversification. The lectures, computer-based problem solving and a workshop on complementary skills were held by Rodolfo Costa (University of Padova), David Doležel (Biology Centre ASCR), Lacey Knowles (University of Michigan), Albert Phillimore (Imperial College London), and Johanna Mappes (University of Jyväskylä).

The knowledge of phylogenetic methods will help Gašper to resolve the origin of marble trout.

Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.

-Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations, 1776)

PAG Conference XVIII in San Diego

In January, 2010, Urška and Aleš attended Plant and Animal Genome Conference XVIII in San Diego, California, where they presented a poster entitled “SEARCHING FOR CANDIDATE GENES RESPONSIBLE FOR SKIN COLOURATION IN Salmo sp. USING MICROARRAYS”.

Aleš has been haunted ever since by next generation sequencing and thinking about what is better: first ask questions and then do the sequencing or vice versa?

After the conference, they stayed a couple of days in San Diego enjoying ocean scene, Hillcrest and the Zoo. Urška was afraid of Mexican gang fights (and food) so they just skipped Baja California and resumed the journey to Death Valley and Las Vegas. What an alternative. Picture gallery available here.

Workshop in La Fouly

Andrej participated in a workshop "Managing adaptive genetic variation in conservation biology" organized by the University of Lausanne in La Fouly, Switzerland, between 3-6 September 2008. Invited speakers and participants presented theoretical and practical examples of how to detect and manage traits that are under selection in a specific local environment. Andrej presented his work in progress "Establishing a brood stock of least introgressed native brown trout from admixed populations".

Some pictures from the workshop can be found here.