Dr Maxine Piggott

Post-Doctoral Fellow
Molecular Ecology Lab

Dept. of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
Sydney, NSW 2109 Australia
Phone: 61 (2) 9850 9251; Fax: 61 (2) 9850 8245
E-mail: mpiggott@bio.mq.edu.au

Education

- PhD, 2004. Monash University, Australia
- BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences, 1995-1998. Murdoch University, Australia
- BBus, 1987-1990. Curtin University of Technology, Australia

Research Interests

- Conservation genetics
- Using DNA markers to interpret population structure and measure dispersal
- Conservation and management of endangered species using non-invasive genotyping

Current Research and Collaborations

- Elucidating population structure and dispersal in marine invertebrates along the east Australian coastline (see MEGMAR website)
- Population size estimation of the introduced red fox using faecal DNA (with Dr Andrea Taylor, Monash University and Dr Frank Gigliotti, Victorian Institute of Animal Sciences)
- Feasibility of faecal DNA for individual identification in tree-kangaroos (with Dr Karen Coombes, James Cook University)

Publications

Banks S, Piggott M, Williamson J, Beheregaray LB (in press) Microsatellite markers for the sea-urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii. Molecular Ecology Notes.

Piggott M, Banks S, Beheregaray LB (2006) Use of SSCP to improve the efficiency of microsatellite identification from microsatellite enriched libraries. Molecular Ecology Notes 6, 613-615.

Banks S, Piggott M, Raftos D, Beheregaray LB (2006) Microsatellite markers for the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, a commercially important bivalve in south-eastern Australia. Molecular Ecology Notes 6, 856-858.

Piggott MP, Banks SC, Stone N, Banffy C and Taylor AC (2006) Estimating population size of endangered brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) colonies using faecal DNA. Molecular Ecology 15, 81-91.

Piggott MP, Banks SC and Taylor AC (2006) Population structure of brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) colonies inferred from analysis of faecal DNA. Molecular Ecology 15, 93-105.

Piggott MP (2004) Effect of sample age and season of collection on reliability of microsatellite genotyping of faecal DNA. Wildlife Research 31, 485-493.

Piggott, MP, Bellemain E, Taberlet P and Taylor AC (2004) A multiplex pre-amplification method that significantly improves microsatellite amplification and error rates for faecal DNA in limiting conditions. Conservation Genetics 5, 417-420.

Piggott MP and Taylor AC (2003) Extensive evaluation of faecal preservation and DNA extraction methods in Australian native and introduced species. Australian Journal of Zoology 51, 341-355.

Piggott MP and Taylor AC (2003) Remote collection of animal DNA and its applications in conservation management and understanding the population biology of rare and cryptic species. Wildlife Research 30, 1-13.

Banks SC, Piggott MP, Hansen BD, Robinson NA and Taylor AC (2002) Wombat coprogenetics: enumerating a common wombat population by analysis of faecal DNA. Australian Journal of Zoology 50, 193-204.