Applications of eDNA for biodiversity monitoring: Case studies from a pan-European initiative
06 Jun 2025 - Laura Najera Cortazar, BIOPOLIS - CIBIO | 15h30 | Hybrid Event
REGULAR SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION
The Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE) project aims to accelerate the use of genetic tools to better understand biodiversity, track how it is changing, and support efforts to protect it. One of its main goals is to study patterns of species diversity across Europe and to help develop standard methods for collecting and analysing environmental DNA (eDNA). This seminar gives an overview of the contribution of BIOPOLIS-CIBIO within the BGE project, with a focus on both eDNA sampling of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, to address knowledge gaps in biodiversity for across Europe. The terrestrial eDNA component focusses on assessing soil biodiversity to identify patterns and examine the dynamics of ecological intensification and restoration across land chronosequences in Europe. The aquatic eDNA component focuses on sampling water from different European ports and harbours to assess biodiversity patterns, and for the detection of marine invasive species.
Evolutionary biologist interested in the discovery of biodiversity, and the study of wildlife populations and conservation. Her main fields are conservation genomics, disease ecology, and phylogenetics. Got a degree in Biology in the University of Guadalajara (Mexico) working with carnivore ecology; and a MSc in Use, Management and Preservation of Natural Resources working with bats from isolated arid zones (Mexico). Obtained her PhD in Biology from the University of Leeds (UK) investigating the species boundaries and population structure of bats and their ectoparasites in Mexico using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and DNA barcoding. During the postdoc era, her experience centres in metabarcoding studies. At the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), her research focused on elucidating the lineage composition of blood parasites in birds using NGS, but continued working with phylogenetics of bats and ectoparasites. Since 2023, she is working as a Junior Researcher in BIOPOLIS-CIBIO, working under the framework of the project "Biodiversity Genomics Europe", coordinating case studies of terrestrial sampling across Europe and performing eDNA metabarcoding for biomonitoring.
[Host: Filipa Martins, Applied Ecology - APPLECOL]
Zoom Link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/99797933081
Zoom Link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/99797933081