Teena Browning
Doctoral Student
Supervisors: Dr Mark D.B. Eldridge (AM) & Dr Jim L. Kohen (Macq)
Address
Evolutionary Biology Unit
The Australian Museum
6 College St
Sydney 2010
Phone: (+612) 9320 6292 or 6175
Fax: (+612) 9320 6020
Email Teena Browning
Academic Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Macquarie University, 1999
Academic appointments
- 2003: Tutor; Biology, Macquarie University
- 2003: Demonstrator; Biology, Macquarie University
- 2001-2002: Research Assistant; Biology, University of Sydney
- 2000: Demonstrator; Biology, Macquarie University
- 1997 - 2000: Research Assistant; Biology, Macquarie University
Current research interests
I am interested in the relationship between genes and infectious disease in populations. I am currently investigating levels of genetic diversity at immunologically significant genes. The MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) is a large multigene family that plays an important role in the recognition of, and resistance to, pathogens in vertebrates. Several genes of the MHC have been found to display exceptionally high levels of polymorphism. This is hypothesised to be due to an evolutionary “arms race”, where pathogens and hosts attempt to “outwit” each other. A greater diversity of MHC genes is theorised to confer better population resistance to disease. High numbers of alleles at MHC loci have been documented in many eutherian species (humans, mice, dogs etc) as well as in birds and fish. At present, we know very little about MHC diversity in marsupials. I have identified two MHC class II genes and I am currently characterising the diversity at these 2 genes in the tammar wallaby
(Macropus eugenii).
From a conservation perspective, I am interested in how small, potentially inbred populations, such as those on offshore islands, fare in terms of genetic diversity at functionally important loci like the MHC. I am comparing the level of polymorphism found in remnant mainland populations of the tammar wallaby with populations found on Australian offshore islands.
Current collaborations
- Population structure in the brush-tailed rock-wallaby. Dr Mark Eldridge
- MHC diversity in the platypus. Dr Kathy Belov, Dr Mark Eldridge and Rachael Woodward.
- Constructing the phylogeny of crinoids. Dr Greg Rouse, South Australian Museum and Dr Lars Jermiin, University of Sydney.
- Population structure in Macquarie perch. Dr Dean Gilligan, NSW Fisheries.
Publications
Browning T.L., Belov K., Miller R.D., Eldridge M.D.B. (2004) Molecular cloning and characterisation of the polymorphic MHC class II DBB from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). Immunogenetics. In press.
Browning, T.L., Taggart, D.A., Rummery, C., Close, R.L. and Eldridge, M.D.B. 2001. Multifaceted genetic analysis of the "Critically Endangered" brush-tailed rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata in Victoria, Australia: Implications for management. Conservation Genetics 2: 145-156.
Eldridge, M.D.B., Browning, T.L. and Close, R.L. 2001. Provenance of a New Zealand brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) population determined by mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis. Molecular Ecology 10 (10): 2561-2567.
Eldridge, M.D.B. and Browning, T.L. 2002. Molecular genetic analysis of the naturalized Hawaiian population of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, Petrogale penicillata (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Journal of Mammalogy 83: 437-444.
Eldridge, M.D.B., Rummery, C., Bray, C., Zenger, K.R., Browning, T.L. and Close, R.L. Genetic analysis of a population crash in brush-tailed rock-wallabies (Petrogale penicillata) from Jenolan Caves, south-eastern Australia. Submitted.
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