Our next ASM Hour will run on 3 August with the theme Climate Change. Registration for Zoom seminar is essential https://www.trybooking.com/BNBII

ASM Hour July is coming up on Tuesday 6 July with a focus on Public Health and Clinical Microbiology. Chaired by Kate Seib with speakers Amy Jennison, Phil Giffard and Deirdre Collins. Registration at: Registration for Zoom seminar is essential https://www.trybooking.com/BNBIH

The latest issues of Microbiology Australia is now available online. This issue, guest edited by
William Rawlinson (University of New South Wales), focuses on COVID-19.

You can find the issue at CSIRO publishing at: https://www.publish.csiro.au/ma

The BacPath2021 organising committee has decided to postpone the conference until 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. We envisage the postponed conference will occur at the usual time, in the last week of September 2022, with final dates subject to venue availability. A virtual BacPath2021 will go ahead, aimed at final year PhD students and early career postdocs.

Early career (less than 5 years post-graduation) and student researchers who would like their area of research to be featured in Microbiology Australia are invited to contribute a proposal of their articles. The Editorial Board will select up to 10 articles for invited submissions. Articles will be peer-reviewed and feature in the third issue of 2021 for publication in September.

We are excited to launch the ASM online community to members. A space where you can communicate to individuals or your special interest groups, share branch events, post announcements such as employment opportunities and scholarships, or request protocols and strains.

Now you don't have to wait for the next meet-up to connect with other members.

The 16th Congress of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists (FAOBMB) in Christchurch will take place on 22 – 25 November 2021. ASM is one of six life science societies from New Zealand and Australia that are partnering to deliver a diverse programme – from molecules to organisms, big and small.

One of our members , Dr Greg Crocetti, with his creative partner, Briony Barr, has now produced four books in the Small Friends books series and one in the Planet Human comic book series, The Invisible War. Other ASM members have worked with Greg and Briony including Linda Blackall and Jeremy Barr. Lisa Stinson will be a team member for their latest comic book, titled Follow the Gut.

This month ASM Hour is focused on MRFF Pathogen Genomics funded projects.

Approximately $28M was recently awarded through the MRFF scheme to fund 4 Pathogen Genomics projects. We will hear about the projects from representatives of all 4 funded teams.

Registration for Zoom seminar is essential https://www.trybooking.com/BLCQI

This year the SA branch for the Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM) once again had a booth at the 2020 Science Alive! science fair. Held at the Adelaide Showgrounds, this is the largest single interactive science exhibition in Australia and marks the beginning of National Science Week each year. This year over 3,600 students from over 50 schools attended and learned all about careers in science and microbiology. Over the weekend, over 9,000 people attended Science Alive! and our booth, learning all about microbiology!

This month ASM Hour is on a Wednesday 4 November due to the Melbourne Cup holiday in Victoria. The topic is Microbial Pathogenesis introduced by Kate Seib (Griffith University). Registration is now open for the event on Tuesday 6 October. Please remember the times for some branches have changed due to daylight saving.