This placement was part of my research training under my PhD project Transformational Molecular Approaches for Forest Pests and Pathogens. Over the course of one week in Sydney, I had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in both field and laboratory work, connecting practical skills with my research objectives.
I started my journey on a Sunday mid-morning, travelling from Canberra to Sydney. The weather was beautiful and the scenery along the road was filled with trees, open fields, and rivers shining in the sun.
I arrived in the evening and checked into my hotel room in North Sydney. From my hotel window, I could see the city and harbour framed by trees in the distance, a gentle reminder that these urban trees play a vital role in biosecurity. That evening, I contacted one of my industry supervisors, Dr Conrad Trollip, whom I would be shadowing throughout the week, to confirm our plans for Monday.
This is a photo of me in Sydney, at the Opera House facing the Harbour Bridge.
On Monday, we visited the triage laboratory, a small laboratory hosted within the Forestry Corporation of NSW in West Pennant Hills in the Cumberland State Forest. The triage lab functions as a dirty lab, where initial handling of samples from forest health surveillance happens before samples are taken to cleaner labs for further analysis. It also includes an insectary, where tree billets are incubated for monitoring forest pests.
That day, the focus was on Ips grandicollis, also known as the five-spined bark beetle. It is a small brown to black (3-5mm) beetle that mainly attacks pine trees. The beetles live and reproduce under the bark, digging tunnels (called galleries) through the inner bark and sapwood. The female beetles lay eggs in these galleries, and the larvae feed on the inner bark as they grow. They are often found in trees that are stressed or damaged, such trees can no longer defend themselves with resin flow.
Together with my supervisor, we collected Ips grandicollis beetles from pine billets previously collected from Wingello State Forest. Using an axe, chisel, and forceps, we carefully removed the bark and found the beetles moving through their galleries. Finding my first two live beetles was very exciting, I placed them carefully into a tube for later observation. Dr Trollip guided me on the microscopy of these beetles; we were able to observe their distinguishing features. This was my first hands-on experience with Ips grandicollis, the main species in my research. This photo shows them in a tube.
On Tuesday, my supervisor drove us to the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute (EMAI) in Menangle, about 90 minutes from the city. He introduced me to some of the entomologists and other scientists working there and gave me a tour of the laboratories.
I spent most of the of the morning in the microbiology lab, observing other ethanol preserved bark beetles associated with I. grandicollis; Hylurgus ligniperda and Hylastes ater under the microscope. It was important for me to continue learning how to distinguish between these species, ensuring that I would be able to correctly identify Ips grandicollis independently in the future. I. grandicollis can be distinguished by its five pairs of spines on the elytral declivity (the rear of the hardened wing covers) and frontal features on the head. With my supervisor’s guidance, I examined the beetles from different angles appreciating their fine morphological differences.
Later that afternoon, I joined Lauren Drysdale in the entomology lab, where we examined dry pinned collections of Ips grandicollis and other Ips species such as I. sexdentatus and I. typographus (exotic beetles from the entomology collection). Lauren showed me how to handle pinned specimens carefully and how to best observe the morphological features. The collection was meticulously organised and labelled, reflecting the careful effort required for proper identification and preservation of insects.
On Wednesday, we visited the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, a stunning blend of diverse trees, shrubs, and colourful flowers. My supervisor explained the importance of the botanic garden trees in the Forest Watch Australia Program, a program that aims to enable early detection of exotic forestry pests to contain any new pests and improve their successful eradication. Through the program, about 40 traps were erected on trees around the city at different points to help in early detection of invasive exotic pests, as the trees in these areas serve as potential entry points and bridgeheads for pest establishment and spread due to their proximity to ports of entry and transit points.
As we walked through the gardens, I learned how to identify pest symptoms on trees. Although there were no Ips beetles there, I observed the symptoms and damage to some trees caused by different pests such as the Tea Shot Hole Borer and Myrtle rust. This photo is me inspecting a leaf infected with Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) using a 10× hand lens
After fieldwork, early in the evening, we walked by the Sydney Opera House and enjoyed views of the Harbour Bridge and later the Darling Harbour. I even saw the Darling Harbour bridge open to let a cruise ship pass, a fascinating sight that captured our attention. Along the way, my supervisor pointed out potential sites on trees within the city where monitoring traps could be installed, noting how the busy environment and curious passers-by could possibly interfere with the traps. That evening, I had dinner with my supervisor and his family, where I tried a delicious Vietnamese dish for the first time, a delicious end to a busy day.
On Thursday, we visited a small hill in Pemulwuy (north-western Sydney) where several trees, including pines, had been burnt by fire. Some were dried up or fallen while others were still standing but visibly stressed, conditions ideal for bark beetle infestations. We first stopped at the triage lab to collect field gear before heading to the site. Many trees showed signs of previous Ips grandicollis activity, including frass (wood dust), entry holes, and galleries. We found beetle remains with spiny abdomens, which we later confirmed microscopically as I. grandicollis. However, we did not find active infestations. At one point, my supervisor spotted a snake, I didn’t see it, but I definitely jumped faster than ever before!
Later in the afternoon, we returned to the triage to process older samples from previous forest surveillance collected from various state forests and different years. We replaced ethanol and transferred samples into new tubes, preparing them for me to bring to Canberra. We also prepared for a non-destructive DNA extraction of one beetle sample, an important demonstration by my supervisor on how to perform the method.
Friday marked the final day of my placement. We completed DNA extraction for both non-destructive and destructive methods using the Qiagen DNeasy® Blood and Tissue Kit for DNA Isolation and we packed the insect DNA for me to bring back to Canberra. We also compiled a comprehensive data management sheet for all processed samples, including those collected from pine billets on Monday. Holding my first batch of samples at the end of the week was incredibly satisfying. We also spent some time that day discussing my project, its direction, methods, and my future fieldwork.
From the quiet triage workspace to the laboratories at EMAI, and from the forests to the bustling botanic gardens, this placement gave me a profound appreciation of forest biosecurity. Ips grandicollis has been established in Australia for more than 80 years and it plays an important role in understanding the history of well-established forest pests in the biosecurity space.