Happy 2021! Here's to successful experiments and publications for everyone in the new year.

Reprolab just held an "Introduction to Mosquitos Workshop" this week, kindly organised by our mosquito experts Hui Qing (PhD student) and Tze Xuan (UROPS student). The workshop covered the basics of mosquito research like trapping, identifying, and dissecting different species of mosquito.

Hui Qing teaching us about how to identify a mosquito

​Students from Prof He's lab and new incoming students to Reprolab all learning how to identify different species of mosquitoes.

A successful 2-day mosquito workshop! Thanks to Hui Qing and Tze Xuan for their hard work in preparing for this!

Thanks for bringing such joy to the lab, Hillary 😂 You're the best!!

For The Straits Times's Halloween special, Dr Nalini gave a sneak peek into the work being done at NUS's black soldier fly research facility.

Read the article here:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/clearing-up-the-bad-reputation-of-halloweens-creepy-crawlies

Happy Halloween everyone! Stay safe when trick-or-treating!

Good job everybody for surviving 10 weeks of data science!! (Don't forget what we've learnt.)

Project description
 
Global food loss and waste has been identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO) as an issue of major public concern. Around 1/3 of the world’s food goes to waste every year, and even a small country such as Singapore has had an increase of nearly 35% in food waste over the past decade. However, there is actually immense potential to upcycle this high-value food resource via insect bioconversion: Using fast-growing insects to consume food waste and produce high-value commodities.
 
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae are able to voraciously feed on and process food waste quickly. Mature larvae and the leftover frass are also nutrient-rich, and can be processed into animal feed as well as nutrient-rich soil supplements suitable for farming. Thus, BSFs are an attractive solution for efficient organic waste management via bioconversion. BSFs could present a sustainable solution to Singapore’s crisis of food waste and security, yet there is a paucity of essential information on how we can optimize.
 
The PhD student will quantify and test bioconversion efficiency using various waste streams at NUS BSF facility. In addition, he/she/they will investigate the feasibility of industrializing BSFs in collaboration with a local industrial food waste company.
 
Requirements

• Minimum Degree in biology, environmental science or a related field
• Keen on working with and maintaining insects for research purposes. Fieldwork experience is desirable but absence is not a preclusion.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team and communicate with people with and without a science background.
• Statistical background as well as proficiency in R programming and Python are preferred.
• Written and verbal competency in English

 
Application details
 
Apply via http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/education/prospective-graduate-students.html

• Deadline for application is 30th June 2020
• Applicants should be ready to start by January 2021

 
The Reproductive Evolution Lab at NUS is led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy.

Dr. P shared more about our lab's exciting findings on dung beetles during NTU's EOS-ASE Seminar series talk yesterday. Here's the video if you missed it!

Hope everyone's been doing alright during the COVID-19 pandemic? Come take a breather this Friday, 15 May 4-5pm SGT, and join the #SGSTEM Talk & Trivia session featuring Dr. P!

She'll be speaking about our current research involving black soldier flies (BSFs) and how they can aid us in combating food waste and contribute to local food security.
​
Register here: 
https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/sgstem-talk-trivia-insect-army-tickets-104733249970

Dr Nalini visited Tampines Park today, and shared about the usefulness of a black soldier fly  (BSF) army in combating food waste. 

Food waste is one of the largest contributors of Singapore's waste, making up 20% of our total waste. Yet only 17% was recycled in 2019, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (n.d.). Singapore's 2019 Zero Waste Masterplan targets a 30% reduction in waste transported to Semakau Landfill for incineration. 

While we should firstly aim to reduce generation of food waste, recycling our food waste by using it to rear BSFs, which can then be used as plant fertiliser or nutritious animal feed, in Singapore can be such a practical solution to help meet Singapore’s waste reduction goals. 


Update: The BSF facility is up and running at Sustainability @ Tampines Park, Singapore’s first circular ecosystem for sustainable food production. Learn more about what they do here!  

​Lab Attendant (Part-time) for Reproductive Evolution Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, NUS
Our insect lab is currently seeking an experienced Lab Assistant. The successful candidate will perform various tasks to support the Research Assistant, mainly in the maintenance of our lab and insectary. The individual will work collaboratively with students of the lab.

Responsibilities
·         Maintenance of live insect stock cultures
·         Cleaning of used stock cultures and work area
·         Preparation of microscopy slides for research purposes
·         Restocking of lab supplies and reagents
 
Requirements
·         Prior experience in working with insects and in the molecular lab
·         Ability to work independently
·         Good communication and organization skills
·         Conscientious and responsible
·         4 – 8 working hours per week (flexible)
·         Able to commit at least 6 months
·         Pay is dependent on candidate experience ($6-7/hr)
 
Application Details 

• Submit your CV in electronic form (MS Word or PDF file) to Nicole Lee (dbsllyn@nus.edu.sg) by 20 Oct 2019. Include the following in the subject head: LA Application_YourName.
• Please address the above requirements in a simple cover letter.
• Shortlisted candidates will be notified for interview by November

 
The Reproductive Evolution Lab at NUS is led by Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy.