UCL RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS, EVOLUTION AND ENVIRONMENT

Report in the New Scientist on Mastacembelus apectoralis ("the African eel that travels light") by Dr Julia Day's PhD student, Katherine Brown, who led a field course to Lake Tanganyika.

We are delighted to report that in April 2011, approximately 90 academic staff members, post-docs, post-grads, technical and scientific staff and admin support staff including 13 research groups moved from Wolfson House, Stephenson Way, bringing to an end a long period of being split over three sites; the Department is now in a single location through a £5.5 million refurbishment of the Darwin Building on Gower Street.  It's been an exciting time of lengthy planning meetings led by Professor John Carroll, Professor Andrew Pomiankowski, Professor Steve Jones, Professor Gabriel Waksman, Professor Dallas Swallow and Professor Peter Rich and senior staff members meeting architects, designers, contractors; pouring over plans and following up with extensive discussions as the project progressed through the various stages.  When all was done and the final plans were in place, the biggest Spring Clean ever began, packing crates and bubble-wrap were delivered and freezers, lab equipment, stalk-eyed flies, staff, computers and files crossed the Euston Road to begin their new life in the Darwin Building.

We are pleased to announce that our three colleagues:  Jürg Bähler (Professor of Cellular Systems Biology), Max Telford (Professor of Zoology) and Kevin Fowler (Professor of Evolutionary Biology) gave their Inaugural Lectures on Wednesday 8 June 2011 starting at 5pm, in the Darwin Lecture Theatre, followed by a Celebratory Reception in the Wilkins JBR, Wilkins Building.

Prof Steve Jones's popular 'Introduction to Genetics' (BIOL1005) now available to view via UCL's Lecturecast.  View here (log-in required)