Your favourite lunchbox treat could be under threat from a killer fungus, but not if 宅男导航 research student Kevan Walter Jones has his say.
The PhD candidate from Toowoomba recently took out the Faculty of Science final in 宅男导航鈥檚 (3MT) competition, explaining his research into Fusarium wilt, a soil-borne fungus that infects banana plants through its root system.
3MT sees students from across disciplines explain their research project to a non-specialist audience with the assistance of only one presentation slide.
鈥淭ropical Race 4 of Fusarium wilt has decimated banana plantations in the Northern Territory, and if that strain of Fusarium wilt makes its way to our crops in North Queensland and South-east Queensland, there will be problems,鈥� Mr Jones said.
鈥淭he reason I took part in the 3MT is because I am very passionate about science communication, I enjoy public speaking, and I want plant pathology to be more covered in the media because most people don't realise just how threatened agriculture is by plant disease.鈥�
The 3MT competition, developed by 宅男导航 in 2008, challenges research higher degree (RHD) students to explain their research project to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes.
Significant growth in the popularity of the event has led 宅男导航 to host the inaugural Australia & New Zealand 3MT Competition in 2010 as part of its Centenary celebrations.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to compete in the 宅男导航 finals and explain this research in simple terms to a larger audience,鈥� Mr Jones said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a liberating experience speaking with no notes and just one powerpoint slide and trying to explain what you鈥檙e researching for about four years of your life.鈥�
Mr Jones will compete with seven other faculty and institute winners in the 宅男导航 3MT Finals on September 20, with the winner representing the University in the Australia & New Zealand 3MT competition on September 21.
Prizes at both events include a $5,000 travel grant for the winner, $2,000 travel grant for the runner-up and $1,000 travel grant for the people鈥檚 choice award.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the finals, to be held in the 宅男导航 Centre Exhibition Hall at St Lucia from 3:30pm.
Master of Ceremonies is award-winning science writer, broadcaster and regular judge on ABC TV鈥檚 The New Inventors Bernie Hobbs, by arrangement with Claxton Speakers International.
You can register attendance at the 3MT events by visiting .
Media: Jessica Gallagher (07 3346 0508, j.gallagher@uq.edu.au) or Carly Dengate at the 宅男导航 Graduate School (07 3346 0509, c.dengate@uq.edu.au)
