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Discovering biodiversity and evolution: from fieldwork to current genetics through bioinformatics

Basic information

Why is it important to know what species are on the planet and how they have evolved throughout history? The first life forms originated nearly 4 billion years ago. Since then, and surviving several mass extinctions, an enormous diversity of organisms has been generated, of which only about 2 million species have been cataloged. Currently, we are immersed in a great biodiversity crisis where the rate of extinction is about a thousand times higher than that which would take place due to natural causes. In this project we learn about biodiversity and the evolutionary processes that generate and maintain it over time, the genetic structure of species and their ability to adapt to the environment, vital aspects to preserve the richness of the planet and ensure its future, and ours.

 

Location: MónNatura Pirineus

What will you learn?

The environmental pressure exerted by humans on the planet has triggered, according to numerous scientists, the sixth great extinction. This fact, together with the lack of experts and the political-economic situation of the moment, makes it difficult to discover and describe the 10 million species that are estimated to inhabit the Earth before they disappear altogether. In this project we work on the bases of evolution and genetics from a theoretical, functional and conservationist point of view, emphasizing the genetic and morphological particularities that allow us to distinguish and analyze the different organisms.

During this process, you will gain the knowledge and tools necessary to design and develop your own research. You will learn to identify organisms in situ, in the surroundings of the MónNatura Pirineus center, using the most innovative molecular biology tools to extract and sequence the DNA of the samples obtained, as well as cutting-edge technology and computational tools to be able to analyze them. Through fieldwork and experiments in the laboratory, you will be able to validate, from a genetic point of view, the identification you have previously made using bioinformatics methods. Who knows, maybe there are surprises! Do you know what cryptic or twin species are? Do not worry, if by the name itself you do not indebted it, we will explain it to you in the MónNatura Pirineus. In the event that we find a new species, we must name it, so thinking about how you would say it!

All concepts are explained through case studies, while the project also includes debates and scientific challenges on biodiversity and evolution in order to stimulate the critical spirit and your passion for science.

Research team

This project is led by researchers from the Institute for Research in Insect Biology (IRBI). The project will be carried out in Spanish, Catalan and English.

 

 

Marina Querejeta

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Marina studied biology at the University of Oviedo and the University of Hanover. Her first job as a biologist was at a European mink reintroduction project in Saar Hunsrück in Germany, where her passion for biodiversity and conservation was born. She then studied a Master's in Conservation Biology in Madrid and a Master's in Teaching at the University of Oviedo. She went on to receive a PhD in Genetics, submitting a project on evolutionary history and the relationships between Iberian mammals such as the Pyrenean desman and the water shrew. In addition, she has worked on scientific outreach events and congresses such as the Iberian Congress of Animal Systematics (CISA) where he received an award for best oral presentation. She has worked at the Bavarian State Zoological Collection (ZSM). She is currently working as a postdoctorate researcher at the Institute for Research in Insect Biology (IRBI), in Tours (France).

Marc Simó

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Marc holds a Biology degree from the University of Barcelona, ​​where he was awarded an extraordinary award. He later completed his Master's in Biodiversity, carrying out his Final Project at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), where he completed his PhD thesis with Pompeu Fabra University and where he worked as a postdoctoral researcher. His field of research focuses on systematics, biogeography and evolution, while applying phylogenetic analyses to explain the evolutionary processes that have led to the current range of reptiles that are extremely well adapted to the most arid regions on earth. He has carried out extensive fieldwork on reptile conservation in Arabia, where he gained much of his experience in wildlife identification and wildlife management, and which has allowed him to make formal descriptions of several species of reptiles. He currently co-directs numerous final dissertations and Master’s theses, and is on the teaching faculty of a number of university and postgraduate courses, as well as actively participating in a range of scientific outreach activities, including talks, courses and exhibitions.

Matthieu Leobold

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Matthieu took his first steps in science studying biotechnology, cell and molecular biology at the University of Strasbourg. His first research experience was in the context of a technical training in environmental microbiology for a program of analysis and decontamination of underground aquatic environments. This experience oriented his career towards a master's degree in microorganism biology in Strasbourg, during which he studied, among other things, the metabolism and biological clock of a single-celled green algae. He then received his PhD in biology from the University of Tours, thanks to his studies on the domestication of an endosymbiotic virus in the parasitoid wasp Venturia canescens. Parallel to his thesis, he obtained a prize from the Fédération de Recherche en Infectiologie  (FéRI) that allowed him to carry out and finance a transversal project with the aim of evaluating the opportunities offered by the use of endosymbiotic viruses in gene therapy approaches. After a break in the world of teaching, he was hired as a postdoctoral researcher in a project of biological control of vine pests. He currently works as an interim assistant professor at the Institut de Recherche en Biologie des Insectes (IRBI) and at the University of Tours in France.

Lucas Sire

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Lucas studied Biology at the University of Tours (France) and Nord University (Norway). In its following completion of a master degree at the University of Tours, he strengthened its passion for Entomology by conducting a field study on dung beetles’ diversity in the Mogalakwena River Reserve (South Africa), and applying molecular techniques to create DNA reference libraries of saproxylic beetles at the National Museum of Natural History (France). Lucas finally defended its Ph.D. in 2020, done at the Research Institute on Insect Biology (IRBI) in Tours, and for which he worked on monitoring the response of insects to massive forest die-offs in the French Pyrenees, by developing and standardizing molecular tools. Lucas is now a postdoctoral researcher at the IRBI and continues to use environmental genomics for studying forest insects, this time along an urbanization gradient.

Collaborating entities

irbi
Institute for Research on Insect Biology (IRBI)
Collaborating entities
irbi
Institute for Research on Insect Biology (IRBI)

The Institute for Research on Insect Biology (IRBI) is a joint research unit led by the University of Tours and the CNRS that analyses adaptive and evolutionary processes at all levels of the organisation, from the genome to communities. The institute’s research is based on methods and concepts related to ecology, functional morphology, genetics and evolutionary biology. The institute's studies are characterised by the models used, the insects studied and the comprehensive approach to problem solving, thanks to the range of expertise and collaborative networks of the researchers involved.

Discovering biodiversity and evolution: from fieldwork to current genetics through bioinformatics
Collaborating entities
Discovering biodiversity and evolution: from fieldwork to current genetics through bioinformatics

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