The International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) was established in 1919 as a non- governmental and non-profit organization comprising of National Academies and international scientific Associations and Societies. Since then IUBS is functioning as a global platform of scientists from all disciplines and nationalities for cooperation, interaction and collaboration to promote research, training, and education in biological sciences.
To commemorate completion of 100 years of promoting excellence in biological sciences, IUBS has launched a Webinar Series bringing the best of all disciplines to discuss evolution, taxonomy, ecology, biodiversity, and other topics that represent unified biology and the topics of prime importance to address contemporary problems such as climate change, endangered species, food and nutrition, health etc.
Our esteemed speakers have included Rattan Lal, 2020 World Food Prize Laureate, discussing ‘Forgetting How to Tend the Soil‘; Sean B. Carroll, renowned biologist and science communicator, on ‘The Serengeti Rules: The Regulation and Restoration of Biodiversity’; Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, sharing insights on ‘Gombe and Beyond‘; Yvon Le Maho, presenting ‘New Technology to Investigate Antarctic Penguins Without Disturbance‘, and Christine H. Foyer, ranked 4th in the world’s Best Scientists in Plant Sciences, offering expertise in plant metabolism and “how will plants adapt to high CO2 world?”
The six lecture of the Webinar Series will be delivered by Prof Luisa Orsini on
“The time machine chronicles – unveiling how the past shapes the future“
Moderated by Dr Kaustubh Ray
Six Lecture of Webinar Series
“The time machine chronicles – unveiling how the past shapes the future“
by Prof Luisa Orsini
Date: 30th April 2024
Time: UTC: 13:00 UTC, 18:30 IST, 16:00 EAT, 15:00 CAT/CET, 9:00 EDT
Video
Prof Luisa Orsini:
Professor of Evolutionary Systems Biology and Environmental Omics
School of Biosciences and Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI
Deputy Director of CERJ, the Centre for Environmental Research and Justice
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
Alan Turing Fellow, Alan Turing Institute for data science and artificial intelligence, UK
Guest Professor at Robust Nature, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany
Co-founder and CEO of Daphne Water Solutions Limited
Founder and CTO of EnviSion BioSequencing and BioComputing
https://lorsini5.wixsite.com/luisaorsini
https://www.turing.ac.uk/people/researchers/luisa-orsini
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/biosciences/staff/profile.aspx?ReferenceId=63090&Name=dr-luisa-orsini
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luisa_Orsini
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisa-orsini-981583185/
About the Speaker
Luisa is a Professor of Evolutionary Systems Biology and Environmental Omics at the University of Birmingham, with affiliations in both Biosciences and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI. Additionally, she holds the position of an Alan Turing Fellow at the UK Alan Turing Institute, where she co-leads the ‘Biodiversity monitoring and forecasting’ interest group.
At the core of her work lies a steadfast commitment to advancing environmental health through groundbreaking research and innovation. Utilizing cutting-edge high throughput sequencing technologies, data science methodologies, and artificial intelligence, Luisa aims to comprehensively understand the ramifications of environmental change on freshwater ecosystems.
Luisa bridges research an innovation using environmental DNA and resurrected crustaceans. Through these unconventional approaches, she strives to pinpoint the root causes of biodiversity loss and elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms that enable species resilience.
Luisa is a prolific scientist with 70 publications, and H-index of 30 and >3,000 citations. She complements her scientific publications with many outreach activities, including podcasts, webinars, audiobooks, articles in newspapers and science magazine. She contributed to two BBC documentaries, Earth’s Greatest Spectacles and Rare Earth.
Collaborating closely with regulatory bodies, Luisa is dedicated to developing and implementing holistic strategies to comprehend the impact of pollution on biodiversity. By bridging cutting-edge multidisciplinary science and practical applications, she equips stakeholders with the necessary tools and methodologies to foster green growth and contribute to the UN developmental goals.
Luisa is not only a passionate scientist but also a successful entrepreneur. She is the deputy director for the Centre for Environmental Research and Justice (CERJ), the director of the Daphnia Facility, and CTO and founder of EnviSion, the BioSequencing and BioComputing.
Driven by a passion for multidisciplinary exploration and innovative thinking, Luisa has successfully patented a sustainable water treatment technology. This innovation not only aligns with net-zero carbon emission objectives but also ensures the provision of reusable water at affordable rates.
To make this technology accessible to stakeholders around the globe, Luisa founded and currently serves as the CEO of Daphne Water Solutions Limited. Her aspiration is to establish a legacy through her research and innovation, fostering a cleaner and healthier environment.
About the Lecture
Despite efforts from scientists and regulators, biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. Unless we find transformative solutions to preserve biodiversity, future generations may not be able to enjoy nature’s services. In this seminar, I will share our most recent conceptual framework that helps establish the links between biodiversity dynamics, pollution and climate change through time and space using artificial intelligence and environmental DNA – the genetic material left behind in the environment by plants, animals and microbes. I will demonstrate the applications of this framework to both temporal and spatial studies on freshwater ecosystems. I targeted water in my studies because freshwater ecosystems are the most threatened by environmental change globally, having experienced an 83% biodiversity loss since 1970.
Our approach is not merely theoretical; it is a practical tool for change. By harnessing a holistic, data-driven methodology, we empower regulators to identify and prioritize species and ecosystems most vulnerable to environmental threats. Furthermore, our framework identifies the pollutants that pose the greatest threat to biodiversity, guiding policymakers to enact stricter regulations where they are most needed.
Drawing from information provided by environmental DNA, chemical and climate signatures embedded in sediment, we gain rich historical insights into biodiversity patterns. Armed with this knowledge, we can train artificial intelligence-based models to peer into the future, foreseeing how ecosystems may respond to the intricate effects of environmental change on biodiversity.
Dr Kaustubh Rau
School of Arts and Sciences, Azim Premji University, India
Dr Kaustubh Rau is a biomedical engineer who veered into Biology during his PhD days. He is deeply interested in understanding people’s relationship with nature and their response to the climate crisis.
Currently he is studying urban children’s ideas of nature (in collaboration with Nature Conservation Foundation) and also working on a pilot project on documentation of Bengaluru’s lakes.
Prior to joining APU, he worked as a teacher in Rishi Valley School, Andhra Pradesh. There he was involved in developing an activity-based curriculum for Science teaching in the middle and senior school.
He was also part of the Young Investigator Programme at the National Centre for Biological Sciences.
His post-doctoral training is from the University of California, Irvine and doctorate is from University of Florida.
Learn more about Dr Kaustibh Rau here.