Symposium showcases surging interest in biological research

This year's University of Malta Biology Symposium featured presentations on 23 research projects conducted by B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. students within its Biology department, supervised by various members of the department's academic staff.

The symposium's 15th edition was held yesterday at the University's John Borg hall, formerly known as the Science lecture theatre.

Department head Prof. Victor Axiak highlighted the surging interest in the biological sciences by pointing out that "over the past four years, the total number of undergraduate students taking biology has increased by 75 per cent.

The symposium is the University's annual showcase of the sterling research in this area and it is generating a greater appreciation of the local natural heritage, of biological science's economic potential, and spearheading the search for novel solutions to the most pressing environmental and biomedical chimeras.

The 2007 edition of The Central Mediterranean Naturalist, a local peer-reviewed journal published by Nature Trust (Malta) for the past 40 years, was also issued during this year's symposium.

MEPA's Environment Protection Directorate, besides sponsoring the symposium, has also pledged to financially keep the journal alive as a research portal on the local natural heritage, Biology graduates were urged to utilise the journal to publish their research data.

Prof. Patrick Schembri, who leads the department's Marine Ecology Research Group, supervised the lion's share of the projects, including:

• The ecology of the perennial freshwater pool at Il-Qattara, Dwejra, Gozo;

• The ecology of the brackish macrofauna at the Simar nature reserve, St Paul's Bay;

• The characterisation of shallow-water cobble beds at Sliema creek;

• The distribution, abundance and feeding biology of the small spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula in the central Mediterranean;

• The colonisation of deep-water litter, including aluminium cans and glass bottles, by epibiota;

• A comparative study of the two sympatric (i.e. occurring in the same habitat) beetles Phaleria acuminata and Phaleria bimaculata living in sandy beaches around the Maltese Islands;

• A study of the fouling (i.e. attached to artificial marine structures, such as jetties and wharves) assemblages attached to floating and suspended structures in St George's Bay and Birżebbuġa;

• A study of the fish assemblages associated with two scuttled wrecks off Ix-Xatt l-Aħmar, Gozo;

• The soft bottom macrobenthic and fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs deployed off St Julian's.

Botanist Edwin Lanfranco supervised projects that surveyed the vegetation of Wied Babu in Malta's south-western corner and along the Żonqor coastline. Despite the latter coastline bearing the brunt of despicable acts of dumping, over 100 vascular plant species were recorded here, including three endemic ones.

A project jointly supervised by Edwin Lanfranco and Dr David Mifsud shed light on olive tree pests and diseases in Malta - a staggering 17-insect, three mite, two fungal and one bacterial species were recorded from the seemingly munificent olive tree.

Prof. Victor Axiak supervised a project that studied essential oils isolated from the Maltese endemic plant Chiliadenus bocconei (Tulliera ta' Malta), whose summer foliage and flowers gives off a strong camphoraceous smell. Interestingly, an infusion of these oils induced the death by apoptosis of human leukaemia and human colon cancer cell lines, as well as inhibited seed germination in radish and lettuce seeds.

Prof. Carmelo Agius supervised three health-related research projects. One studied the growth rate variation at different temperatures of Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum, which is known as one of the major causative agents of vibriosis in fish (Vibrio bacteria cause diarrhea, skin infections, and/or blood infections).

Another focused on the effect of the growth medium and the degree of aeration on the growth rate of Dunaliella salina, a substance used extensively in the commercial production of beta-carotene, which the body converts into Vitamin A.

A third study, co-supervised by Dr Pierre Schembri Wismayer, dealt with the differentiation potential of umbilical cord stem cells. In recent years, stem cells have generated a lot of hype given these unspecialised cells' ability to renew themselves and differentiate into cells of different tissues.

Dr Adriana Vella supervised three projects with conservation implications for echinoderms - a major group of marine animals. The research shed light on aspects of the sea cucumber Holothuria polii and the common octopus Octopus vulgaris - two echinoderm species from local waters - such as their allozyme genetic variability and genetic integrity.

A project supervised by Dr Joseph Buhagiar delved into biotechnological aspects of essential oils and gall foliage from the indigenous evergreen trees Pistacia lentiscus (Lentisk - Deru). Galls or plant galls are abnormal tissues outgrowths that can be caused by various parasites, including fungi, bacteria, insects and mites.

He also supervised a project that looked at seasonal variations in Ceratonia siliqua (Carob - Ħarruba) leaf litter and the macrofaunal organisms living therein. The tree sheds a significant amount of foliage during the hot summer months, and the leaf litter forms a mulch and a cool microclimate that supports a rich macrofaunal community, especially isopods and millipedes.

The author, a Biology lecturer at the Junior College and the University of Malta, is grateful to Prof. Victor Axiak and David Dandria, and all the Biology department staff for their assistance.