Skip to main content
You are viewing this website as a Domestic Student You are viewing this website as an International Student

You are viewing this website as a Domestic Student

You are viewing this website as an International Student

Domestic Student

I am an Australian or New Zealand citizen.

I am an Australian Permanent Resident (including Humanitarian Visa holders).

International Student

I am not a citizen of Australia or New Zealand.

I am not an Australian permanent resident or Humanitarian Visa holders.

Start of main content

RIEL seminar series

Applying a Gene Knockout Approach to Cane Toad Management and Research

Presenter Alex Funk (Macquarie University)
Date/Time
to
Contact person
Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods
T: 89467131 E: RIEL.Outreach@cdu.edu.au
Location Yellow 1, Level 1, Room 33 at CDU Casuarina Campus, and online via Zoom (see below for Zoom link). All times are ACST.
Open to All International audience, CDU staff and students, Public

Alex Funk is a third year PhD candidate at Macquarie University whose research blends herpetology, invasion biology, and conservation. The ability to cheaply and efficiently “knock out” genes with CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology has the potential to revolutionise conservation efforts worldwide.

In the seminar ‘Applying a Gene Knockout Approach to Cane Toad Management and Research’, Alex will discuss the pros and cons of knockout-based conservation and research before detailing the development and validation of a novel, knockout-based method for cane toad control that exploits the cannibalistic nature of invasive toad tadpoles in Australia.

Alex previously completed a Master of Science in Biology at Eastern Kentucky University, where he studied the impacts of feral pigs on salamander assemblages, before moving to Australia to pursue his PhD.

Related Events

  • Emily Taljaard
    Casuarina campus

    RIEL Seminar Series – Can sensory deterrents reduce shark and ray bycatch in Australia's gillnet fisheries?

    PhD candidate Emily Taljaard will present her research on the effectiveness of sensory deterrents in reducing accidental shark and ray bycatch within commercial gillnet fisheries to help protect vulnerable species and support sustainable fishing practices.

    Seminar/lecture/forum
    Read more about RIEL Seminar Series – Can sensory deterrents reduce shark and ray bycatch in Australia's gillnet fisheries?
  • Man standing in a dirt area in the bus, with Indigenous people sitting behind him under a small tree
    Danala | Education and Community Precinct

    'They couldn't break me': Don McLeod, champion for Aboriginal justice in the Pilbara

    Northern Institute of Charles Darwin University, in collaboration with Library and Archives Northern Territory, invites you to an insightful seminar. Join us as we explore the life of Don McLeod, an Australian Hero and champion for Aboriginal Australians' rights in the Pilbara.

    Seminar/lecture/forum
    Read more about 'They couldn't break me': Don McLeod, champion for Aboriginal justice in the Pilbara
  • mahjong
     + more dates
    Casuarina campus

    Mahjong

    Join us for a fun and interactive Mahjong workshops every Monday, 5pm - 6pm running from 13 April till 8th June.

    General, Workshop
    Read more about Mahjong
Back to top