Friday, December 16, 2022
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Cell EXPLORERS Engagement of Young People in Hands-On Science
Cell EXPLORERS
UL is just finishing its 8th year of science engagement. The UL team
is led by Audrey O’Grady, Stephanie Brosnan and Mary Barrett. Since commencing
in 2015 we now have a dedicated space in the department for CE. The team is
made up of Academics, Technicians, Undergrads and Postgrads, and we are always
looking for more people to join!
The aim of CE is to:
·
Promote
modern biology, science and research
·
Combat
the stereotypical image of scientist
·
Change
perceptions on science and inform on scientific careers
· Train next generation of science communicators/educators
For more
information email: audrey.ogrady@ul.ie
Thursday, November 24, 2022
Lecturer position in Food Science and Nutrition to be filled immediately
A full time Lecturer position is available from 16.1.23 to 16.6.23 in Food Science and Nutrition at the Department of Biological Sciences in UL. The successful candidate would teach modules on UL campus so it's necessary to be based in Limerick or nearby. To express your interest, please email your cv to the Head of the Department Ioannis Zabetakis (ioannis.zabetakis@ul.ie).
Friday, October 21, 2022
we are hiring: Senior Technical Officer/Technical Officer - Biological Sciences
Applications are invited for the following position:
Faculty of Science & Engineering
School of Natural Sciences/Biological Sciences
Senior Technical Officer/Technical Officer – Multiannual
Salary Scale: Senior Technical Officer: €53,991 - €62,158
Technical Officer: €34,793 - €51,148
Informal enquiries regarding the post may be directed to:
Dr Ioannis Zabetakis
Head
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Limerick
Email: Ioannis.Zabetakis@ul.ie
The closing date for receipt of applications is Tuesday 8th November 2022.
Applications must be completed online before 12 noon, Irish Standard Time on the closing date.
The University of Limerick supports blended working.
Please confirm that you are currently eligible to work in Ireland. Applications by candidates who are not eligible to work in Ireland will not be processed.
Please email erecruitment@ul.ie if you experience any difficulties
Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates.
The University of Limerick holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. The University is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to selection on merit welcoming applicants from all sections of the community. The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment, including flexible working.
“The University of Limerick has implemented a “Smoke and Vape Free Campus Policy”. Smoking and vaping in all forms is prohibited.”
Further information can be found here.
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Equine Science Field Trip to Kildare
Earlier this month, after a two-year hiatus, second year Equine Science students got to enjoy the annual trip to Co. Kildare where they experienced the energy and allure of the thoroughbred industry; firstly at the Sportsman thoroughbred yearling sale at Goffs, followed by a trip to the Curragh and onward to Kildare town where they were given tours of the highly acclaimed RACE Academy and the National Farrier School, Farriery Ireland.
The hum of the auctioneer punctuated with the fresh pace of the gavel from the Goffs rostrum only highlighted how easy it is to spend fortunes on the enigmatic breed. UL students, captively engaged, fulfilled exercises judging these yearling and estimated their selling price, quickly calculating if these animals were or not, profitable pinhooks. The trade was strong, the median price at €21,000, up one third from 2021, and the top lot a record breaking €300,000, a Ten Sovereigns filly out of an Invincible Spirit mare consigned by Abbeville Stud.
Enthusiasm followed on to Farriery Ireland and the RACE academy, schools dedicated to providing training and apprenticeships to farriers, work riders and hopeful jockeys. Donal Bennet, master farrier and Katie McManamon, jockey instructor, gave very welcoming and informative talks. The trip culminated with exciting rides on motorised racing simulators giving the students a sample of the pace and vigour similar to that experienced while riding one of those majestic thoroughbreds in a race.
On
behalf of Equine Science UL, I wish to thank all those who facilitated our
memorable trip.
Amy Fitzgerald
Equitation Teacher, Department of Biological Sciences, UL
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
University of Limerick rankings
The University of Limerick is in the top 200 Universities in the World in terms of graduates employability for 2022. This is a noteworthy achievement for our University when we take into account the size and the age of Universities.
All relevant info about UL's rankings is here.
We scored 5 and 4 QS stars in the categories below.
QS Stars is a rating system that helps you select the right university based on your interests. It provides a detailed look at an institution, identifying which universities rate highest in the specific topics that matter to you, like facilities, graduate employability, social responsibility, inclusiveness, and more.
Monday, September 19, 2022
we are hiring: Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Food Science
Applications are invited for the following position:
Faculty of Science & Engineering
School of Natural Sciences/Department of Biological Sciences
Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Food Science
Contract Type: Lecturer - Multiannual
Lecturer below the bar - Tenure Track (five year fixed term). During the term of the contract the successful applicant will have the opportunity to apply for tenure in accordance with the University's Policy and Procedures for Granting Multi-annual Status to Tenure Track Academic Staff
Salary Scale:
Lecturer €55,251- €88,546 p.a.
Lecturer below the bar €41,510 - €56,940 p.a.
Informal enquiries regarding this post may be directed to:
Dr Ioannis Zabetakis
Head
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Limerick
Email: Ioannis.Zabetakis@ul.ie
Applications must be completed online before 12 noon, Irish Standard Time on the closing date.
The closing date for receipt of applications is Monday, 17th October 2022.
The University of Limerick holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. The University is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to selection on merit welcoming applicants from all sections of the community. The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment, including flexible working. The University of Limerick supports blended working.
Please email erecruitment@ul.ie if you experience any difficulties
Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates.
“The University of Limerick has implemented a “Smoke and Vape Free Campus Policy”. Smoking and vaping in all forms is prohibited.”
The full advertisement is here.
Friday, June 24, 2022
Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Teaching vacancy for Academic Year 2022/23
The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Limerick has a vacancy for an academic post for the duration of 1 academic year (2 semesters). This candidate will cover modules taught as part of the BSc. Food Science & Health degree programme., topics covering food science and nutrition.
The position will be based in
Limerick and would be great experience for someone looking to start an academic
career. The successful candidate should have a degree in Food Science,
Nutrition or another Health related discipline. Teaching experience at level 8
and postgraduate degree would be desirable.
Informal enquiries regarding this vacancy may be directed to:
Dr Ioannis Zabetakis
Head of Department
Department of Biological
ioannis.zabetakis@ul.ie
Thursday, June 2, 2022
Technical Officer/Senior Technical Officer - Department of Biological Sciences
we are hiring: Technical Officer/Senior Technical Officer at the Department of Biological Sciences.
--------------------------------
for the full Advertisement/Information for Applicants, please visit UL vacancies webpage |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Technical Officer/Senior Technical Officer - Department of Biological Sciences | |||
The University of Limerick (UL) with over 17,000 students and 1,800 staff is an energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and scholarship. The dynamic, entrepreneurial and pioneering values which drive UL’s mission and strategy ensure that we capitalise on local, national and international engagement and connectivity. We are renowned for providing an outstanding student experience and employability and conducting leading edge research. Our commitment is to make a difference by shaping the future through educating and empowering our undergraduate and postgraduate students. UL is situated on a superb riverside campus of over 130 hectares with the River Shannon as a unifying focal point. Outstanding recreational, cultural and sporting facilities further enhance this exceptional learning and research environment. Applications are invited for the following position: Faculty of Science & Engineering School of Natural Sciences Department of Biological Sciences Technical Officer/Senior Technical Officer – Multiannual Salary Scale: Technical Officer: €34,793 – €51,148 p.a. Informal enquiries regarding the post may be directed to: The closing date for receipt of applications is Tuesday, 21st June 2022. The University of Limerick supports blended working Please note your application must include: A letter of introduction indicating how you meet the criteria outlined in the job description. Please email erecruitment@ul.ie if you experience any difficulties Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates. “The University of Limerick has implemented a “Smoke and Vape Free Campus Policy”. Smoking and vaping in all forms is prohibited.” |
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Cellular or Molecular Pharmacology
we are hiring:
Department of Biological Sciences:
| Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Cellular or Molecular Pharmacology for the full Advertisement/Information for Applicants, please visit UL vacancies webpage | |||
The University of Limerick (UL) with over 17,000 students and 1,800 staff is an energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and scholarship. The dynamic, entrepreneurial and pioneering values which drive UL’s mission and strategy ensure that we capitalise on local, national and international engagement and connectivity. We are renowned for providing an outstanding student experience and employability and conducting leading edge research. Our commitment is to make a difference by shaping the future through educating and empowering our undergraduate and postgraduate students. UL is situated on a superb riverside campus of over 130 hectares with the River Shannon as a unifying focal point. Outstanding recreational, cultural and sporting facilities further enhance this exceptional learning and research environment. Applications are invited for the following position: Faculty of Science & Engineering School of Natural Sciences/Department of Biological Sciences Lecturer/Lecturer below the bar in Cellular or Molecular Pharmacology Salary Scale: Lecturer €55,251- €88,546 p.a. Informal enquiries regarding this post may be directed to: The closing date for receipt of applications is Wednesday, 22nd June 2022. The University of Limerick supports blended working Please email erecruitment@ul.ie if you experience any difficulties Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates. “The University of Limerick has implemented a “Smoke and Vape Free Campus Policy”. Smoking and vaping in all forms is prohibited.” | |||
Monday, May 30, 2022
Chief Technical Officer
Chief Technical Officer - Department of Biological Sciences
==================
for the full Advertisement/Information for Applicants, please visit UL vacancies webpage
=========================
The University of Limerick (UL) with over 17,000 students and 1,800 staff is an energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and scholarship. The dynamic, entrepreneurial and pioneering values which drive UL’s mission and strategy ensure that we capitalise on local, national and international engagement and connectivity. We are renowned for providing an outstanding student experience and employability and conducting leading edge research. Our commitment is to make a difference by shaping the future through educating and empowering our undergraduate and postgraduate students. UL is situated on a superb riverside campus of over 130 hectares with the River Shannon as a unifying focal point. Outstanding recreational, cultural and sporting facilities further enhance this exceptional learning and research environment.
Applications are invited for the following position:
Faculty of Science & Engineering
School of Natural Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
Chief Technical Officer - Multiannual
Salary Scale: €57,717 - €69,985 p.a.
Informal enquiries regarding the post may be directed to:
Dr Ioannis Zabetakis
Head of Department
Department of Biological Sciences
Email: Ioannis.Zabetakis@ul.ie
The closing date for receipt of applications is. Friday, 17th June 2022
Applications must be completed online before 12 noon, Irish Standard Time on the closing date.
The University of Limerick supports blended working
Please note your application must include:
A letter of introduction indicating how you meet the criteria outlined in the job description.
A completed online application form (separate application forms must be submitted for each post applied for).
Please email erecruitment@ul.ie if you experience any difficulties
Applications are welcome from suitably qualified candidates.
The University of Limerick holds a Bronze Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advancing equality in higher education. The University is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to selection on merit welcoming applicants from all sections of the community. The University has a range of initiatives to support a family friendly working environment, including flexible working.
= = =
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Teaching Assistant in Bioscience
for the full Advertisement/Information for Applicants, please visit UL vacancies webpage
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Thursday, May 5, 2022
Department of Biological Sciences: "My Green Labs" certification
The Department of Biological Sciences undergraduate and research
labs recently underwent certification by My Green Labs. The aim of this initiative is to reduce the departments laboratories'
environmental impact in four key areas – energy, water,
waste, and chemical use – through a combination of
organisational initiatives and behaviour change programs. This initiative involves scientists working
together in efforts to minimise
environmental impacts, build a culture of sustainability in
the lab, advance sustainability goals and identify waste-reduction
opportunities.
We recently completed the process, and a report and results were returned to us.
We are delighted to announce the Undergraduate Labs scored 84% overall, putting them in the Green Certification Level. The Research Labs scored 76% overall, putting them in the Platinum Certification Level.
The highest level
attainable is Green with Platinum the second highest level so both these
results are excellent and an improvement >30% from initial report.
The main ethos of
this initiative is to implement behavioural changes to make the biggest
environmental impact. There are a few key points highlighted during this process.
People pay attention to what their peers do, especially
friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours. Create norming behaviour in your
lab is key to success. A representative from each lab along with the technical
team came together to form the departments ‘Green Team’ where responsibility
for sustainability is shared across lab members and staff. The Green Team will
revisit topics regularly to help train new people and explore new innovations
and is always open to new members and new ideas.
The changes we have implemented to date are a starting point and our
aim is by working together, working with Buildings & Estates (UL) and with
other institutions nationally we will continue to make impactful changes. These
changes can be small, and your lab will be more likely to succeed in starting
sustainable practices if those new actions are convenient to do.
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Re-baptising our building
Following the revelations on Prof Schrodinger's past in Ireland as below (Irish Times, 11.12.2021, the article is behind a paywall but you can read it below), our building in UL has been renamed from "Schrodinger" to "Science and Education".
Thank you to all the people involved for their support on this renaming.
Ioannis Zabetakis
How Erwin Schrödinger indulged his ‘Lolita complex’ in Ireland
Subscriber only
Nobel Prize-winning physicist, who spent 17 years in Ireland, was a serial groomer of girls
Several years ago Bernard Biggar was doing family tree research online when he came across a reference to his mother which stopped him in his tracks.
He knew his grand-uncle, the mathematician Msgr Pádraig de Brún, had been a friend of Erwin Schrödinger – the Nobel Prize-winning physicist who became an Irish citizen in 1948 during a 17-year stay here. Walter Moore’s biography of Schrödinger detailed how the Irish priest and the Austrian scientist became good friends but one passage about a holiday get-together at Msgr de Brún’s home on the Dingle Peninsula left Biggar shocked:
“The three children of Paddy’s sister Margaret were there at the time, Maire (18), ... Seamus (16) and Barbara (12) ... Despite her dirty nails, Barbara was a beautiful child and Erwin became infatuated with her. She was the third instance of his ‘Lolita complex’, taking her place along with ‘Weibi’ Rella and ‘Ithi’ Junger.
“The situation became so incongruous that someone, probably Paddy Browne [Msgr de Brún], had a serious word with him, and muttering dark imprecations, Erwin desisted from further attentions to Barbara, although he listed her among the unrequited loves of his life.”
Schrödinger was 53-years-old when he made advances on the pre-teenager.
Barbara MacEntee was Biggar’s mother.
Biggar contacted The Irish Times to highlight the episode after I wrote an article in September about a new cycle trail to honour Schrödinger’s link to the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (Dias). The article made no reference to Schrödinger’s record as a sexual predator but, on reflection, it’s clear that it should have.
The evidence is hiding in plain sight: Schrödinger was a serial abuser whose behaviour fitted the profile of a paedophile in the widely understood sense of that term.
In the case of Junger, she was 14 when the 39-year-old Schrödinger took advantage of his role as her tutor to sexually abuse her. “As well as the maths, the lessons included ‘a fair amount of petting and cuddling’ and Schrödinger soon convinced himself that he was in love with Ithi,” John Gribbin wrote in his 2012 biography of the physicist.
Over Christmas 1927, Schrödinger “set out on a long campaign of what would now be described as grooming”. He continued to pursue the student, who he called “Ithy-bitty” and at 17 she became pregnant. She had a disastrous abortion that left her sterile, by which stage Schrödinger had abandoned her for his next conquest.
Efforts at justification
Since Biggar came across the reference to his mother, he has examined the age difference in Schrödinger’s numerous “relationships”. Rella, the first girl to whom Schrödinger proclaimed love, was several years his junior in high school. His next obsession, Felicie Krauss, was 15 when Schrödinger was 24. Annemarie Bertel was 16 when Schrödinger was 25, and so it continued, the gap in years widening over time.
“I hope [this] gives you some background as to why it disturbs my siblings and I considerably when Schrödinger’s sexual depravity is conveniently overlooked,” Biggar says.
What makes Schrödinger’s behaviour additionally troubling is how he sought to justify it intellectually. He kept a record of his conquests in personal diaries, called Ephemeridae, and explained his predilection for teenage girls on the grounds that their innocence was the ideal match for his natural genius. He wrote: “Comparable in some way to the end of the spectrum, which in its deepest violet shows a tendency towards purple and red, it seems to be the usual thing that men of strong, genuine intellectuality are immensely attracted only by women who, forming the very beginning of the intellectual series, are as nearly connected to the preferred springs of nature as they themselves. Nothing intermediate will do, since no woman will ever approach nearer to genius by intellectual education than some unintellectuals do by birth so to speak.”
As Moore pointed out, Schrödinger was not only remarkably egotistical but his attitude to the opposite sex “was essentially that of a male supremacist”.
A number of women were attracted to Schrödinger and he had consensual affairs outside of his marriage. For years, he lived openly with both his wife Bertel and mistress Hildegunde March, with whom he had a child. In at least one other case, however, consent – by our current understanding – was absent.
While in Dublin, he fathered two children by two different women. One was Sheila May, an actress and activist; the other is known to us as Kate Nolan. It is not her real name as her family have always wanted to preserve their privacy.
She was 26 when the 57-year-old Schrödinger set eyes on her while she was working as a Red Cross volunteer in the Irish capital.
Contribution vs crimes
“It took Erwin some time to break down her resistance,” Gribbin writes. “He did so in the summer of 1945, and when the inevitable happened Kate confessed to Lena Lean, the Schrödingers’ resident childminder, that she was not quite sure how she had become pregnant. Of all Schrödinger’s ‘conquests’, this is the hardest to justify on the grounds of ‘true love’.”
Reassessing historical figures is tricky territory. How do you weigh Schrödinger’s sexual crimes against his unique contribution to science? At Trinity College Dublin, the physicist famously delivered his What Is Life? public lectures, which helped to pave the way for a golden era in molecular biology, and had a major influence on James Watson and Francis Crick’s discovery of DNA’s double helical structure in 1953.
Schrödinger, by all accounts, could be charming, entertaining and kind. He was aware of the charisma he had and used it to good effect in scientific collaborations. He loved Ireland, having been wooed here by Éamon de Valera to help found Dias in 1940. Despite Ireland’s Catholic conservatism, and the deprivations of the Emergency, he felt entirely free living here.
“In Germany, if a thing was not allowed, it was forbidden. In England if a thing was not forbidden, it was allowed. In Austria and Ireland, whether it was allowed or forbidden, they did it if they wanted to,” he once wrote.
Schrödinger’s non-conformism has traditionally been portrayed as one of his endearing traits, and his sexual activities have been credited widely with firing the sparks of his imagination. The idea that he “did his great work during a late erotic outburst in his life” – as the mathematician Hermann Weyl put it – became accepted almost without challenge.
This presents scientific institutions today with a dilemma of how to remember, commemorate or honour Schrödinger. The issue is not whether to “cancel” him but whether we can more accurately categorise his dark side. To call it “womanising” is misleading. To call it “eroticism” is to parrot the explanation he gave, and we must be conscious of the fact that there are many people who have no voice in the historical record.
Cycling map
Barbara MacEntee died in 1995 and it was only later that her family discovered how Schrödinger had pursued her. “As you can imagine the subject was never discussed with my mother,” her son says.
The Irish Times asked Dias why the Schrödinger cycling map of Dublin made no reference to the physicist’s sexual affairs in the city, particularly his involvement with May and Nolan.
“Schrödinger’s Cycling Map of Dublin offers ‘a glimpse into Schrödinger’s life in Dublin’,” the institute replied. “It focuses on his public life as a scientist, and his role as the first director of the school of theoretical physics at Dias. The cycling route is intended to be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is not intended as a detailed biography.”
Asked whether it was appropriate to be commemorating Schrödinger, given what we know about his record as a sexual predator, Dias said: “Erwin Schrödinger was one of the most high-profile scientists ever to live and work in Ireland. Unfortunately, today, his scientific legacy is significantly flawed due to allegations about his private life. Dias deeply condemns any inappropriate sexual behaviour on the part of Prof Schrödinger or any other persons, past or present.
“In recent years, society as a whole has begun to re-evaluate the legacies of certain individuals and organisations where information has come to light about past misconduct. Dias and the wider scientific community are going through this process.
“Across all sectors of society, it is important to strike a balance between acknowledging the achievements of historical figures and publicly recognising – where appropriate – instances of misconduct on their part.”
* An amendment was made to this article on 13/02/22 to correct the spelling of the name Felicie Krauss.
Friday, March 11, 2022
Functional Foods and Product Development - MSc
Our Glucksman Library in the University of Limerick (UL)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are delighted to announce that from September 2022, we can offer a new MSc.
The new Master of Science in Functional Foods and Product Development Programme is in-line with the UL strategic plan by supporting and sharing expertise and knowledge through education, research, and engagement for the benefit of the graduates and the enrichment of society.
The programme is innovative, up-to-date and is paved with research excellence in food science, which is a novel and top-notch approach in UL and in Ireland.
The Postgraduate Diploma/M.Sc in Functional Foods & Product Development offered at the University of Limerick (UL) is delivered either over 1 year (full time) or 2 years (part-time).
This innovative evidence-based interdisciplinary programme explores the theoretical and practical science and technologies behind the development and validation of functional foods, ranging from conceptualization of food development to human interventions to assess the food efficacy.
The course program offers a wide variety of Modules that will aid the student to design in vitro (i.e., chemical and cell-based protocols) and in vivo (i.e. yeasts, animals, and human interventions) protocols.
Additionally, the student will be able to analyse data and make inferences about the effectiveness/functionality of the ingredient and/or food models developed.
For more information, click here.
Monday, February 28, 2022
Crafty use of leftover brewing grains
Ruairi and Niamh Dooley, co-founders of BiaSol
= = =
Source: the Irish Times
Siblings Niamh and Ruairi Dooley have created a food supplement from the grains left over from the craft brewing industry. Their BiaSol Super Milled Grains is a zero waste, nutritional supplement that can be used in a variety of ways such as being added to soups, sauces, smoothies, or sprinkled on porridge or breakfast cereals.
The grains, mostly malted barley but also small amounts of oats, wheat and rye, are collected from four craft breweries near the BiaSol manufacturing premises in Tullamore. As much as four tonnes a week of the wet, spent grains are collected from St Mels in Longford; Dead Centre Brewing in Athlone; Bru Brewery in Trim; and Ballykilcavan in Stradbally, before being dried, milled and packed.
Despite having been used in the brewing process, there is plenty of nutrition still in the grains, says Niamh, who has a degree in food science and health from the University of Limerick. “At the beginning of the brewing process, the grains are heated with water to extract the starch. The starch is then converted to sugar which further on during the process ferments into alcohol. Therefore, the goodness is left in the outer husk of the grains, which contain enormous amounts of fibre and also contain a high amount of protein.
“There are also prebiotic fibres which help feed the friendly gut bacteria and B vitamins present which help the digestive system. The grains are also high in some minerals such as iron, zinc and calcium.”
The siblings began developing their Super Milled Grains in July 2020, with support from Enterprise Ireland. BiaSol recently became certified as a member of the Upcycled Food Association, a non-profit organisation based in the US, which is focused on reducing food waste.
Niamh, whose interest in sustainability stems from her experience working in a vegan food truck in Canada, is responsible for the operations side of the business, while Ruairi, who is an IT business analyst based in London, manages the finance and administration functions.
The Super Milled Grains have a malty, nutty flavour, and as well as being suitable to add to meals, they can be used in baking. BiaSol also produces a range of baking mixes, for soda bread, scones, cookies and pancakes, containing milled grains.
BiaSol Super Milled Grains can be purchased online (€5.99) and are stocked in health food shops and independent food stores across the country. The baking mixes are €3.99 each. See biasol.ie for stockists, online shop and to access a range of recipes using the product.
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