Professor Des Cooper

• Position: Program Director ANZCoL
• Email: des.cooper@unsw.edu.au
• Phone: +61 2 9385 8230
• Fax: +61 2 9385 1558
• Room: 447b, Biological Sciences Building
  Kensington Campus, Entry via Gate 9, High Street
  Click here for a campus map.
  School of BEES
  The University of New South Wales
  Sydney 2052 NSW
  Australia

Research Interests

My research interests flow from my training in genetics and my interest in native wildlife particularly the native mammals. In an early phase of my career I worked on sex determination and paternal X-inactivation in marsupials. In more recent years, I have worked on the mating system of New Zealand possums and koalas, constructing a genetic map of a marsupial species, the Tammar Wallaby, the major histocompatibility system of marsupials, the population structure of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo, humane contraceptive techniques for controlling population sizes, and disease issues as they affect conservation of marsupials.

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Current Research Projects

Biocontrol agents

This project centers on the evolutionary and ecological consequences of the use of biocontrol agents, such as immunocontraception, steroid hormones and other hormonal techniques for controlling population size. These methods are much in vogue because they appear to be humane. They are politically very acceptable. However, one of these, namely immunocontraception has dangers which are not widely appreciated. Immunocontraceptives leave a number of animals still fertile and they make a disproportionate contribution to the genes of the next generation. Not only does this mean that the technique will only have short term application to the control of population size, but it also may mean that the immune responses of future generations are altered. They may be more susceptible to certain pathogens. An example of the potential consequences is the proposed use of immunocontraception of New Zealand possums which are transmitters of bovine TB. It is possible that reduced population size could be accompanied by greater efficiency of transmission of this pathogen.

Disease studies

The role of disease in conservation of species awaits adequate description. This is particularly important in the modern world because the movement by humans and many different species of parasites around the world is having unexpected and highly undesirable consequences. The most well known example is AIDS. In Australia , it is known that the arrival of cats a few hundred years ago has introduced the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii . It is suspected that this has had very undesirable consequences for many marsupial species and may even be the cause of unexplained extinctions.

Conservation genetics

The arrival of very powerful genetic markers based upon DNA technology has meant that descriptions of the genetic composition of any species are now possible. Questions such as the level of genetic variability, the mating system, ie the identification of reproductively successful animals, the relationship between closely related populations, and the level of inbreeding and bottlenecking can be easily addressed. We are examining these questions in various marsupial species and deer important to Australia.

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) studies

The MHC is a large set of genes which govern responses to pathogens and which are considered to be involved in mate choice. We are describing these genes in marsupials and we are especially interested in the question of mate choice to see if there is evidence that it influences this aspect of marsupial mating.

Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) contraceptives

The search for humane contraceptives which are applicable to wild animals has been going on for several decades. In collaboration with an Australian biotechnical company Peptech Ltd. we are examining the feasibility of using long acting contraceptive implants containing GnRH analogues for contracepting kangaroos, koalas and deer. Our work has shown that these contraceptives work well and we now face the question of how to deliver them in an efficient and economic manner. Koalas in Australia are paradoxically far too numerous in certain areas and we believe that our work will lead to the use of these contraceptives to manage this species.

Response of marsupial species to a biocontrol agent, sodium fluoroacetate (1080)

The poison sold as 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) is a powerful inhibitor of aerobic oxidation and small amounts will kill many mammalian species. Dogs and foxes are especially susceptible. In south-west Western Australia, plants of the genus Gastrolobium accumulate 1080 in their flowers and seeds, presumably as a defence against overbrowsing in a very dry environment. Many vertebrate species in the region are resitant to 1080 poisoning, again presumably as a result of selection over a long period of evolutionary time.

1080 is being used in New Zealand to control possums and in Australia to control foxes, in both countries on a large scale. The question we are addressing is how long will it take for resistance to develop. One of the first aims of our resesarch is to see whether we can develop an in-vitro test for 1080 resistance/susceptibility. We are assessing the response of white blood cells grown in-vitro to 1080.

Kangaroo Genome Project (ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genomics)

This involves collaboration with Professor Jennifer Graves at the Australian National University , Professor Marilyn Renfree from the University of Melbourne , Professor Terry Speed from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and Dr Sue Forrest from the Australian Genome Research Facility. I also collaborate with Dr Kyle Zenger, who has been largely responsible for genetic mapping work in this program. We are concentrating on the X chromosome and on parts of chromosome 5 of Tammar Wallabies because these sequences are also X-linked in humans. We are carrying out crosses between two subspecies of Tammar Wallabies in order to create highly heterozygous F1s which can be back-crossed to one of the parental races. The back-crosses can be used to map phenotypical characteristics in relation to DNA markers.

The Koala and Kangaroo Contraception Program

This is a cooperative venture involving three universities (the University of New South Wales; the University of Melbourne and the University of Western Australia), four Australian Wildlife Management Authorities (Parks Victoria; the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria; the Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia and the Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia) and the biotech company Peptech Animal Health Ltd. The program is funded by ARC over a period of five years (2005-2009).

Its primary objective is to find humane ways of managing koala and kangaroo populations by using contraceptives, preferably by delivering them remotely.

The need for such a program arises from community concerns in Australia and overseas about the more traditional but somewhat violent methods of controlling animal populations. The work takes place in New South Wales , Victoria , South Australia and Western Australia .

Joint research with public authorities

This program is being carried out jointly with Dr Herbert. Our work in this area involves studying the ecology of the Eastern grey kangaroo in the Sydney Catchment Authority's areas. Kangaroos are very numerous here and they carry a species of cryptosporidium as a pathogen. The possibility that this may affect human health through the water supply is being taken seriously. Our research involves estimating animal abundance and attempting to see how much fecal material containing cryptosporidium is washed into the water supply. This work is being carried out by a PhD student, Michael Roberts.

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Current Student Projects

Linda Neaves:	Conservation genetics of several marsupial species.
Michael Roberts:	Management of grey kangaroos in the Sydney Water Catchment Authority area.
Kris Carlyon:	Contraception of the overabundant koalas on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
Romane Cristescu: (University of Tours, France)	Effects of contraception on genetic variability in koalas.
Emily Miller:	Factors governing reproductive success in Eastern grey kangaroos.

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Recently completed PhDs 2002-2007

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Recent Publications see publication page

Content Last Modified: Friday, 14th December 2007.

November 2009

Master of
Conservation Biology:
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