The ALA is exploring how to best incorporate eDNA derived occurrence data into its platform and make it available to users.
This project has shown that our molecular approach using pollen DNA metabarcoding is an excellent tool to cost-effectively quantify plant-pollinator interactions and monitor terrestrial ecosystems.
We developed a method to sample biological collections to retrospectively provide a baseline and conduct “before and after” impact studies, such as disease outbreaks or effects of urbanisation.
This project comprised three subprojects that address different preservation methods used across the NRCA collections. One delivered a novel technology for cost-effective sequencing of large numbers of collection specimens with highly degraded DNA, another optimised a formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) protocol and the third project quantified genome modifications in long-term algal cultures.
The primary objective of the environmental DNA (eDNA) project was to showcase the application of eDNA methods across three case studies, involving freshwater and marine ecosystems, and evaluate eDNA’s capacity to provide meaningful biological information to support practical decisions.
This work included the development of new data analytics tools, methodology and models required to accelerate and improve discovery and to enable life science researchers to unlock the genomic potential within the specimens housed in the National Research Collections Australia.
