Professor Andrew Pask
Professor in the School of Biosciences. Head of the TIGRR lab (thylacine integrated genetics restoration research lab) The University of Melbourne
- 11:00
- Room G19 Ground floor, 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University CLAYTON
- Professor Peter Currie
Bringing back the dead to protect the future: deextinction of the Tasmanian Tiger
Abstract
Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinctions for any country in the world. We are also host to some of the most unique mammal species – namely our marsupials. Sadly, genetic and reproductive technologies are sorely lacking in this group. We have recently established the thylacine integrated genetic restoration research (TIGRR) lab to address these issues. The primary objective of the research is to increase tools for marsupials in our conservation toolkit to ensure the conservation, preservation and even restoration (deextinction) of important species.
Bio
Dr Andrew Pask is a Professor in the School of BioSciences at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on Evolution and Development (Evo-Devo) and Reproduction, using marsupial, mouse and human models in his research. His lab sequenced the genome of the extinct thylacine and is using this data to understand more about the biology of this unique marsupial predator.
The recently established Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research (TIGRR) lab is also developing methods to examine the possibility of de-extinction for this species as well as tools to help preserve and conserve current threatened and endangered marsupial species.