Dawbuts

10/01/2025

Want a career in Parasitology?? There's a great opportunity going at Hokkaido University.

Live in Japan, work in English! Come research ticks with us!

03/01/2025

01/01/2025

Some lessons here. Nematodes never cease to amaze us.

Scientists Melted 46,000 Year Old Ice — and a Long-Dead Worm Wriggled Out:

The ancient nematode, identified as Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, was found 130 feet underground near a river, where it had remained in suspended animation since the time of the earliest known cave paintings.

In a discovery straight out of science fiction, scientists have revived the microscopic worm species that was frozen for 46,000 years in Siberian permafrost.

Once thawed, the worm sprang back to life, fed on bacteria in a lab dish, reproduced as*xually, and passed away, leaving behind a new generation of descendants for biologists to study.

The remarkable survival abilities of this nematode rival those of the more familiar Caenorhabditis elegans, a species known to survive harsh conditions by drying out and producing a sugar called trehalose.

Researchers are now studying how P. kolymaensis managed to endure for tens of thousands of years. This discovery, detailed in a paper published in PLOS Genetics, could offer new insights into evolutionary processes, suggesting that species could survive extreme conditions for millennia, potentially reviving extinct lineages.

As one author noted, the worm’s ability to survive such a long “sleep” shatters previous records, opening new questions about the limits of life’s resilience.

Gaetan Borgonie of Belgium’s Extreme Life Isyensya Institute says the worms’ survival under such extreme conditions hints that life might exist in similarly hostile environments beyond Earth

29/12/2024

Cattle ticks- an old enemy, needs new solutions

Researchers are developing a new pesticide and vaccine to give farmers additional tools to combat cattle ticks that are growing resistant to chemical treatments.

18/12/2024

The team at Dawbuts send sincere condolences to family, friends and colleagues of the late Andrew Swan. He was a great co-researcher and colleague.

Dr Andrew Swan died at the scene after being hit by a car.

17/12/2024

Have staff? Need training?

17/12/2024

Is there anything parasitologists can't do? McKenzie Kwak, along with his colleagues have published this paper on how crimes can be solved using forensic parasitology.

- Forensic Parasitology -

Although many are familiar with the use of insects and DNA in criminal investigations, parasite have been mostly overlooked. So, in a recent paper, we highlighted the value parasitological evidence in forensic investigations and the need to develop forensic parasitology as a new branch of the forensic sciences! Parasitology can provide many insights into crimes including to help track down s*x offenders, to identify poached wildlife, recognise biological attacks by terrorist groups, and spot cases of criminal neglect of animals, children, the elderly, or disabled. It's time for forensic parasitology to take its place along more established fields like forensic entomology and forensic botany!

Check out our open access article at the link below:

https://academic.oup.com/fsr/article/9/2/owae005/7585939

Kwak, M.L., Wallman, J.F., Yeo, D., Archer, M.S. and Nakao, R., 2024. Forensic parasitology: a new frontier in criminalistics. Forensic Sciences Research, 9(2), owae005.

16/12/2024

If you're looking for a fresh start in 2025, we may have just the role for you!

We have several roles based in the Northern Territory and Queensland.

If you're looking to join a progressive, award winning company with cattle stations across the Northern Territory, WA and Queensland, look no further!

At CPC, we foster a positive and inclusive atmosphere where everyone's contributions are valued and celebrated. In 2024 we averaged 48% females in the team, and our 3-year average is 48.7%. We have a great team, and we benefit greatly from diversity at CPC.

And if that's not enough, here's a few more reasons why you should apply to join our team;
👉 Professional growth: Develop valuable skills in a unique industry and expand your horizons.
👉Adventure and challenge: Embrace the thrill of the unknown and push your limits every day.
👉 Community: Anyone from the bush will tell you that the sense of community is unrivalled. You'll experience great camaraderie and make lifelong mates.
👉Leadership opportunities: Show your potential and climb the ladder in a rewarding agricultural career.
👉Join a community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for the cattle and the incredible outback that we live and work in.

Apply now and find out for yourself! https://www.pastoral.com/careers/

15/12/2024

Scanning is a great way to improve productivity and help control worms in your flock. Empties, singles and multiple have different energy needs and worm burdens.

Bendigo Sheep Scanning good to go for season 2025. To book scanning or ram team checks, send a text to Tristan on 0448 403 600 and I'll get back to you.

05/12/2024

If you see these signs in your cattle, please contact your veterinarian.

District Veterinarians and pathologists at our state laboratory, the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI), are keen to try and discover why some cattle get an allergic skin reaction that presents as multiple, ulcerated sores across parts of their body.

We call the disease eosinophilic dermatitis, but we are not sure what allergen causes the reaction in some individual cattle.

To help us solve this problem please call your local District Veterinarian if you see any of your cattle presenting with these symptoms.

04/12/2024

⚠️ Don’t let Barber's pole worm (BPW) take you by surprise ⚠️

BPW is a serious threat to your sheep’s health, but it’s not an unstoppable force.
Here’s a couple of tips on how you can stay ahead of the blood sucking internal parasite:

🕵️‍♂️ Monitor regularly
Worm egg count testing is your first line of defence! Keep an eye on worm burdens throughout the season. Be sure to request larval cultures at key times to be sure of what you are dealing with - Test - don't guess!

☘️ Rotate stock around pastures
Reduce the parasite load by moving sheep between different grazing areas and spelling pastures. More susceptible sheep (lambs, heavily pregnant ewes etc) should have priority to lowest risk pastures. The spelling period to minimise pasture contamination varies, so do your homework on this.

🚫 Avoid routine drenching
Treat based on test results to prevent resistance. BUT remember, BPW burdens can explode in no time!

💪 Build resilience your flock with nutrition and management
Keeping your sheep in optimal condition makes them more resilient to worm (and other parasite) infestations.

📞 Communicate with your trusted advisor about your situation, and ✍️ work out a plan for your sheep and pastures.

Find out more about parasite management in your sheep: https://www.awiextensionnsw.com/resources/sheep-health-and-welfare/


Australian Wool Innovation Extension QLD AWI Extension TAS AWI Extension WA AWI Extension SA AWI Extension VIC

03/12/2024

Great advice from Australian Wool Innovation

WORM EGG COUNTS (WEC) - WHAT DO THEY TELL US?

🪱 A practical and accurate tool to estimate the burden of adult worms in the mob
🕵 We use them to help make decisions about whether to drench or not
🤔 They also help decide if previous treatments were effective
💩 Assess the levels of worm egg contamination going onto paddocks

🔬 Larval culture as part of the WEC tells us what worm species are present - which is important, so that you know you are using an appropriate drench for the worm species that are present.

There is no substitute for good information when it comes to making decisions in your sheep operation, especially worm management.

As the team always say - TEST - DON'T GUESS!

📞Always speak to your trusted advisor for specific advice to your situation.

Detailed information can be found here: https://wormboss.com.au/


Australian Wool Innovation AWI Extension TAS AWI Extension QLD AWI Extension VIC AWI Extension WA AWI Extension SA

29/11/2024

Don't miss the Rhys O'Shea Christmas Classic! 🎄🚴‍♂️
Join us for our biggest race of the year on December 7th.

Women race FREE!

Sign up now and be part of the action. Details here https://bit.ly/christmasclassic-2024

1st Place A Grade $450 - Over $3,000 in Cash prizes plus Trophies

26/11/2024

Going into goats? Tune into legendary goat vet Dr. Sandra Baxendell for tips on keeping goats healthy.

I am giving an in-depth webinar on three diseases that affect fibre goats: polioencephalomalacia, coccidiosis and goitre for Agrifures via neXtgen Agri and the Goat Fibre Network .

📅 3 December 2024
⏲️ 7 PM (AEDT)
📍 Goat Fibre Gateway

Register for this free event here: https://buff.ly/4975r8p. or use https://gateway.goatfibre.com/c/upcoming-events/goat-diseases-with-dr-sandra-baxendell-the-oz-goat-vet

This webinar is part of our fibre goat extension work with AgriFutures Australia. For more information about the Future Fibre Farming programme and fibre goat production in Australia, visit the Goat Fibre Gateway:https://buff.ly/4hzMteB.

26/11/2024

Native wildlife and ferals can carry ticks that spread diseases to animals and humans. Thank you Mackenzie for highlighting this little bleeder.

-Slithering tick hotels-

This incredible looking creature is a habu viper (Protobothrops flavoviridis), one of the largest, most aggressive, and dangerous snakes in Japan. Just behind its eye is an immature tick (Amblyomma testudinarium), it is Japan's largest, most aggressive, and dangerous tick species - responsible for about 90% of tick bites in Japan, and a range of tick-borne diseases including spotted fever (Rickettsia tamurae), Oz virus disease, and alpha-gal syndrome. Although we don't normally think of reptiles as important hosts for zoonotic ticks, our recent study found that, on average, 22% of habu vipers were hosts for this medically important tick species and play an important role in the sylvatic cycles of Amblyomma testudinarium in subtropical Japan.

Access our study at the link below for the next 50 days, read, download, and share if you like!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001706X2400353X?dgcid=author