Biological sciences - Faculty of Science

Coordinators: Professor John Hamill (Clayton) and Dr Wendy Wright (Gippsland)

Candidates wishing to undertake research in the biological sciences may enrol for programs leading to the degrees of MSc and PhD through the School of Biological Science at the Clayton campus and the School of Applied Sciences and Engineering at Gippsland. The degrees are awarded for the successful completion of a supervised research program, though some coursework may be prescribed to meet the needs of individual candidates. The School of Biological Sciences maintain electron microscopes, analytical equipment, constant-temperature rooms, experimental areas and a field station. Research may be undertaken in ecology, genetics, and plant or animal biology in the areas listed below.

Conservation in production environments

Research into methods of improving biodiversity in production and constructed environments, including farming and forestry landscapes. Studies in this area are very applied and are often conducted in collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries, Department of Sustainability and Environment, and/or other industry partners.

Biology and physiology of algae

Including algal physiology and marine botany.

Ecology and conservation biology

This includes freshwater and marine ecology, animal ecophysiology, animal behaviour, vertebrate ecology, molecular ecology, invasion biology, plant ecology, vegetation ecology and management, terrestrial vertebrate ecology, and wetland and behavioural ecology.

Environmental management

Systems development and application in industry and commerce, and environmental communication and reporting.

Evolutionary processes

Including evolutionary genetics, conservation genetics and evolutionary ecology.

Food microbiology

Aerobic spore-forming thermophilic bacteria in foods.

Molecular genetics, cell biology, plant molecular and developmental genetics, and plant physiology

Including Arabidopsis development, molecular genetics and Drosophila neurogenetics.

Plant gene expression

Changes in gene expression patterns associated with environmental factors.

Soil science

Biosolids as fertilisers, soil microbiology, iron reducing bacteria in corrosion, and thermophilic bacteria in oil basins and in pine bark composting.