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Samuel Aroney
I am a joint author of 3 journal articles {64 total citations} in biochemistry and molecular biology. I have worked in a wide range of research environments, from the biochemistry focussed diabetes laboratory at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, through the plant and bacteria investigations at the Department of Plant Sciences, Oxford University, to the statistical analyses at the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics. I have also constructed a 4000 line analytical dashboard with underlying database during an internship with the Zooniverse community science enterprise associated with the Department of Physics, Oxford University. I am currently completing a DPhil on bacterial chemotaxis at the University of Oxford funded by a Clarendon Award.
I am seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher position in microbiology, molecular biology and genomics. I am keen to join a research team and undertake laboratory work in these fields. I am also interested in continuing to use my programming skills for automated statistics and image analysis.
Education
DPhil, Microbiology
Department of Plant Sciences
Supervisor: Prof Philip Poole
University of Oxford
2021 - 2016
- Role and regulation of chemotaxis and motility in Rhizobium leguminosarum
- Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (BBSRC)
B.S., Honours (First Class)
Australian Centre for Ecogenomics
Supervisor: Prof Gene Tyson
University of Queensland
2016 - 2015
- Investigating bacterial chemotaxis towards marine pollutants
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Queensland
2015 - 2012
Publications
Lifestyle adaptations of Rhizobium from rhizosphere to symbiosis
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) (2020)
N/A
2020
- Authored with Rachel M. Wheatley, Brandon L. Ford, Li Li, Hayley E. Knights, Raphael Ledermann, Alison K. East, Vinoy K. Ramachandran and Philip S. Poole.
A Rapid Extraction Method for Glycogen from Formalin-fixed Liver
Carbohydrate Polymers (2015) 118:9-12
N/A
2015
- Authored with Mitchell A. Sullivan, Shihan Li, Bin Deng, Cheng Li, Eugeni Roura, Benjamin L Schulz, Brooke E Harcourt, Josephine M Forbes and Robert G Gilbert.
Changes in Glycogen Structure over Feeding Cycle Sheds New Light on Blood-Glucose Control
Biomacromolecules (2014) 15:660-665
N/A
2014
- Authored with Mitchell A. Sullivan, Shihan Li, Frederick J. Warren, Jin Suk Joo, Ka Sin Mak, David I. Stapleton, Kim S. Bell-Anderson, and Robert G. Gilbert.
Major Presentations
Role and regulation of chemotaxis and motility in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2018
- DPhil Transfer of Status presentation at the Department of Plant Sciences.
Investigating bacterial chemotaxis towards marine pollutants
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Queensland
2016
- Honours seminar presentation at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology.
Research Experience
Rhizobial Motility Researcher
Philip Poole Laboratory
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2021 - 2017
- Determining the role of flagellar-based motility and chemotaxis in the symbiosis of Rhizobium leguminosarum with Pisum sativum (pea plant).
- Characterising the influence of the metabolic potential of the environment, especially through the phosphor-transferase system, on the swimming ability of Rhizobium leguminosarum.
Software Development Intern
The Zooniverse
Department of Physics (Astrophysics)
University of Oxford
2019
- Software development for The Zooniverse, a community science website established by the Department for Astrophysics.
- Developed a GraphQL based statistical database of users and visitors to the website in Ruby, Bash and Python.
Synthetic Biology Researcher
Philip Poole Laboratory
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2017
- Characterising nitrogen-fixation ability of Pseudomonas stutzeri and genetically modified Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 and SBW25.
Plant Biochemistry Researcher
Andrew Smith Laboratory
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2017
- Sequencing Portulaca oleracea with Oxford Nanopore MinION technology. This plant performs both CAM and C4 photosynthesis.
- Extracted and analysed the activity of various phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases from C3 and CAM photosynthetic plants.
Metagenomics Researcher
Australian Centre for Ecogenomics
University of Queensland
2016 - 2015
- Used the newly developed in-situ chemotaxis assay (ISCA) device to capture bacteria that display chemotaxis towards environmentally relevant compounds, including poly(ethylene terephthalate) degradation products and pesticides (diuron and atrazine).
- Then analysed the captured microbes using culture-independent methods (e.g. 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomics) to provide the microbial population attracted by each individual chemoattractant and their metabolic potential.
Graduate Research Assistant
Australian Centre for Ecogenomics
University of Queensland
2016
- Compared small sea water samples before and after homogenisation to provide metagenomic data of the microheterogeneity of microbial life at such volumes.
Undergraduate Researcher
Advanced Study Program in Science (ASPinS)
Centre for Advanced Imaging
University of Queensland
2015
- Wrote code in R to estimate individual false-discovery rates across NMR metabolomics data split into columns along the ppm.
- This allowed the amelioration of the multiple testings problem, without relying on a uniform FDR assumption.
Research Assistant
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
University of Queensland
2014
- Compared the glycogen extracted through the traditional sucrose-gradient method to that extracted from formalin fixed samples.
Undergraduate Researcher
Advanced Study Program in Science (ASPinS)
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
University of Queensland
2013
- Testing the amount and structure of glycogen in mouse livers at different times after eating through an assay, size-exclusion chromatography and transmission electron microscopy of extracted glycogen.
Teaching Experience
I enjoy helping students on their journey from their current state of knowledge to new and deeper understanding about a topic.
In vitro enzyme kinetics
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2020 - 2019
- Demonstrating for In vitro enzyme kinetics practical, focussing on the kinetics of alcohol dehydrogenase.
Statistics and Data Management
Doctoral Training Centre
University of Oxford
2020
- Demonstrating for Statistics and Data Management intermediate course, a broad overview of scientific statistics focussing on statistical modeling.
Programming for Life Scientists
Doctoral Training Centre
University of Oxford
2019 - 2017
- Demonstrating for the programming module using the languages Python and C.
Plants and People
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2019
- Tutorials about the role of motility and chemotaxis in the soil and in the rhizobium-legume symbiosis.
Analysis of Scientific Data
Faculty of Science
University of Queensland
2016 - 2015
- Demonstrating for Analysis of Scientific Data (STAT1201), focussing on experimental design, data modelling and statistics.
Inorganic, physical and organic chemistry
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Queensland
2015 - 2014
- 1st Year inorganic, physical and organic chemistry peer-assisted study sessions (CHEM1090/CHEM1100).
Chemistry and Statistics tutoring
Faculty of Science
University of Queensland
2015 - 2014
- Drop-in tutoring at the Science Learning Centre for 1st Year Chemistry and Statistics.
Other Activities
Certificate course in Developing Learning and Teaching
Staff and Educational Development Association
University of Oxford
2020
- The award is aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education, at Descriptor 1.
Graduate Safety Representative
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
2020 - 2019
- Departmental graduate safety representative for safety committee meetings and graduate student contact.
- This has involved managing the Department’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and determining the safest way to return to work.
Awards and Scholarships
Brasenose Oxford-Australia Clarendon Scholarship
University of Oxford
N/A
2020 - 2016
- A highly prestigous scholarship selectively offered for graduate study at the University of Oxford.
Brasenose Studentship Fund
University of Oxford
N/A
2020
- Provided funding to travel to California to present my research at the Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms Conference.
Vice-Chancellor’s Education Award
University of Oxford
N/A
2020
- Award received for demonstrations given in the Programming for Life Scientists course.
- The course offers high level training in computer programming to a highly diverse cohort of graduate students at Oxford University.
UQ Honours Scholarship
University of Queensland
N/A
2016 - 2015
- A competitive scholarship to support students undertaking the Honours program at the Unversity.
UQ Excellence Scholarship
University of Queensland
N/A
2015 - 2012
- A highly competitive full scholarship for top-ranked students entering the University.
UQ Summer Research Scholarship
University of Queensland
N/A
2014 - 2013
- A competitive scholarship to support undergraduate student participation in the University’s Summer Research Program.
UQ Summer Research Scholarship
University of Queensland
N/A
2013 - 2012
- A competitive scholarship to support undergraduate student participation in the University’s Summer Research Program.
Public Engagement
I enjoy engaging with the public and helping them to understand science. This is not only personally rewarding, but also important for improving public perceptions of science.
Perspectives: Electronic Learning Resource
Oxford University Press
Oxford, United Kingdom
2020
- Interviewed about the underwater agricultural research centre, Nemo’s Garden, for a series of videos made available through the Perspectives electronic learning resource.
Science short: Bacterial World
Museum of Natural History
Oxford, United Kingdom
2019
- Interactive presentation about the bacterial symbiosis in root nodules aimed at non-expert adults.
Super Science Saturday: People and Planet
Museum of Natural History
Oxford, United Kingdom
2018
- Organizing and running a ‘Root-nodules’ stall for families, to help them understand the fixation of nitrogen by bacteria in pea plants.
Inside Cells Day
Museum of Natural History
Oxford, United Kingdom
2017
- Presentation about ‘Fertilizers and the Environment’ to A-level High School Students.
Referees
Prof Philip Poole
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
N/A
Prof Gail Preston
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford
N/A
Prof Gene Tyson
School of Biomedical Sciences
Queensland University of Technology
N/A