Congreso en Kew sobre el estado global de la flora

El Jodrell Laboratory (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), desde donde se diseñan la mayoría de trabajos de conservación realizados por aquella institución, nos anuncian la celebración del State of the Worlds Plants Symposium 2017, que se celebrará en dichas instalaciones del 26 al 28 de mayo de este año. Se ha abierto recientemente la inscripción. Podéis encontrar información detallada en la dirección web:
http://www.kew.org/state-worlds-plants-symposium-2017

Tenéis acceso directo al programa en:
http://www.kew.org/state-worlds-plants-symposium-programme

Transmitimos a continuación el contenido del correo recibido, donde se señalan temas-clave que serán objeto de presentaciones y discusión.


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Dear colleagues,

Please see the attached poster for the second annual Kew Science symposium to coincide with the launch of the 2017 State of the World’s Plants. I would greatly appreciate it if you could display this in your department and forward the contents of this e-mail to any colleagues and networks that might be interested.

The State of the World’s Plants 2017 symposium will take place at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew between 25–26 May. Similar to last year there will be six themed sessions and a panel Q & A at the end of each session. In each session invited speakers have been asked to address a series of globally significant questions based on their own plant science research and policy work. These questions are as follows:

1) Madagascar: megadiverse and misunderstood – how can we hope to reverse threats to biodiversity?

2) The immediate risk of extinction: climate change won’t matter if everything has already died out…

3) Wildfires: a necessary evil?

4) Invasive plants: born to invade?

5) From field to healed: how do we detect the medicinal plants of the future?

6) Valuing nature: which plant species are most valuable?

There will also be a poster session for which we are inviting abstract submissions.

Oferta postdoctoral en Kew

El Dr. William Baker (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), considerado como el principal experto mundial en la taxonomía de las palmeras (Arecaceae), nos hace llegar el correo más abajo reseñado:

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Phylogenomics Research Fellow

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Link: https://careers.kew.org/vacancy/phylogenomics-research-fellow-264707.html  

Closing Date: 19/06/2016

Duration: 29 months

We are seeking to recruit a talented, postdoc-level scientist to join a team of plant phylogenomic and evolutionary experts in Kew’s Comparative Plant and Fungal Biology department. The post will provide excellent opportunities to engage with the latest advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies to address both pure and applied research questions, with a focus on palm phylogenomics, conservation and seed science. The research forms part of a broader science programme “Delivering global tree conservation through seed science” at Kew funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation and is linked to Kew’s Plant and Fungal Trees of Life initiative.

The project will focus on a model group of tree species, the palms. Palms are among the most economically important of all plants and, as a result, face intensified threats due to selective use by humans. Kew is a recognised global centre of excellence in palm diversity research and has a long term interest in the seed biology of the family. A family-wide synthesis of phylogenomic and seed trait data will create new opportunities to advance the conservation of this charismatic plant group and may facilitate the development of protocols for the conservation of its recalcitrant seeds.

As the research scientist on this project you will 1) generate and manipulate genomic data for all genera of palms and for species in the megadiverse Indo-Pacific tribe Areceae using high throughput sequence capture techniques, 2) use these data to reconstruct global phylogenies for palms and for tribe Areceae, 3) compile seed trait data to explore their correlations with biogeographic history, diversification and extinction risk in an evolutionary context. The project will be highly collaborative, involving numerous opportunities to interact with experts at Kew and beyond.

You will be an outstanding and inspiring scientist with a PhD and some relevant specialist experience in high-throughput sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, bioinformatics and/or comparative evolutionary biology.  You will also have experience of writing and contributing to research publications (both as lead author and as part of a team), together with excellent communication skills. Experience of independently managing a discrete area of a research project with good time management skills is also essential.

How to apply: Please complete an application via the Kew jobs portal.

https://careers.kew.org/vacancy/phylogenomics-research-fellow-264707.html

In addition, please upload 1) a covering letter describing your motivations and qualifications for the role (max. 2 pages) and 2) your CV, which should include a full list of your publications and grants/awards.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr. Bill Baker w.baker@kew.org