SEB Centenary Conference 2023

Dr. Shane Austin

Lecturer in Biochemistry, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus

Shane Austin is currently a Lecturer in biochemistry at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Shane joined The UWI as an assistant lecturer in 2017 and has taught biology, biochemistry and scientific writing courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Shane currently supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research in several areas, particularly the metabolism of organisms in extreme conditions, uterine fibroids in Caribbean women and active learning to improve biochemistry education. Shane is passionate about active learning and has piloted several initiatives in his classrooms in this area. In 2018 he joined the Promoting Active Learning through Mentorship (PALM) network. His work as part of the PALM network increased his involvement in the active learning and education communities. Shane has presented several professional development workshops on active learning strategies and published on the topic. Shane is a member of several societies, including the Society of Experimental Biology, the Malacology Society of London and the American Chemical Society. Recently, Shane has been working with the SEB to improve diversity in the society’s awards through his work with the outreach, education and diversity working group and the SEB Awards Nomination taskforce. Shane is excited to share his experiences and knowledge with colleagues in higher education. 

Professor Mark Blaxter

Professor, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Professor Mark Blaxter is the Programme Lead for the Tree of Life (ToL) Programme at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. The ToL Programme aims to sequence all species on Earth to a high quality, collaborating with partners worldwide under the Earth BioGenome Project. Professor Blaxter focuses on generating and analyzing reference genomes for eukaryotic species, particularly within the British Isles. The ToL Programme employs genomics to understand biodiversity, investigate threatened organisms, and provide tools for conservation and climate change mitigation.

With advancements in genomics technology, high-quality genome assemblies can now be developed for thousands of species. The ToL Programme plans to sequence thousands of genomes annually, spanning animals, plants, fungi, and single-celled organisms. Professor Blaxter collaborates with institutions across the British Isles to sequence all 60,000 named eukaryotic species within the next decade. Their work contributes to global genome sequencing projects and the establishment of a comprehensive genomic resource.

Using these genomes, Professor Blaxter and his team construct the tree of life, explore gene evolution, discover cryptic species, track species diversity, study symbiotic relationships, and investigate chromosomal structures. Throughout his career, Professor Blaxter has researched parasitic nematodes and a diverse range of species, championing open access and developing genome analysis tools.

 

: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/person/blaxter-mark/