Mingxin Liu

Research

Fascinated by the next-generation sequencing technique, my PhD research employs metabarcoding approach to investigate the community biodiversity and uses the knowledge in wildlife-friendly forestry management. Variable retention forestry has been used in Tasmania for approximately ten years, and many studies show positive influence of retained aggregates in the process of species re-colonisation in harvested areas. My PhD project aims to investigate the capability of the retained mature forests by quantifying how much of this influence due the amount of the surrounding mature forests and how much due to the proximity of the mature forests. My work involves molecular tools, next-generation sequencing techniques and bioinformatics analysis workflows. The work in southern forests of Tasmania will help to guide the allocation of harvested coupes and meet the biodiversity objectives of retention forestry.

My previous research focused on spiders and included two parts. The first part is to look for evidences from mitochondrial genome to explain underwater adaption of the water spider (Argyroneta aquatica). The other part is to address the higher-level phylogenetic relationship of Araneae so as to complement the tree of life in spiders.

Education

• PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania, Australia (2016-present)
• Master in Zoology at the Southwest University, China (2011)
• BSc Biology at the Jinggangshan University, China (2007)

Publication

Liu MX, Zhang ZZ, Peng ZG (2014) The mitochondrial genome of the water spider Argyroneta aquatica(Araneae: Cybaeidae) Zoologica Scripta. 44, 179-190.

Conference presentations

• Poster presentation at the 2nd meeting of Asia Society for Arachnology, Chiang Mai, Thailand (2014)
• Oral presentation at the Arachnology Society of China, Ji’an, China (2015)
• Oral presentation at the 4th Zoology Society of West China, Kunming, China (2105)

Contact

mingxin.liu@utas.edu.au