KEYNOTES

Katerina Guschanski

Uppsala University, Sweden

Laura Epp

University of Konstanz, Germany

Rob Ogden

University of Edinburgh, UK

See schedule below for abstracts of plenary talks.

place

SCHEDULE

  • 09:00 - 12.30

    Registration

    Registration is open

  • 11:00 - 13:00

    Workshop 1: Cheetah Conservation Genomics (Pamela Burger & Stefan Prost)

    This workshop has an open session of talks and a closed discussion session for cheetah researchers that is by invitation only (interest can be addressed to pamela.burger@vetmeduni.ac.at and stefan.prost@senckenberg.de). Cheetahs are majestic carnivores and the fastest land animals; yet, they are quickly heading towards an uncertain future. Threatened by habitat loss, human-interactions and illegal trafficking, there are only about 7,100 individuals left in the wild scattered across 33 subpopulations. Cheetah conservation is in dire need of comprehensive nations-wide genetic monitoring to aid in evidence-based conservation management decisions. In this workshop, we aim at summarizing the current state of cheetah conservation genetics and monitoring, and bringing together cheetah conservation stakeholders from many countries to facilitate collaborative genetic monitoring efforts.

  • 13:00 - 13:30

    Welcome

  • 13:30 - 14:00

    Plenary I: Katerina Guschanski - Uppsala: Time travel for conservation: Using museum collections to inform conservation decisions

    Limited by the available resources, one of the biggest challenges in conservation is prioritizing species for conservation interventions. Current estimates of population size and genetic diversity may not be accurate indicators of conservation needs, but instead reflect long-term demographic processes. However, species that have experienced rapid population declines accompanied by genetic diversity loss are highly vulnerable to genomic factors. Museum collections frequently span the last few hundred years, during which human impact on wild animal populations has dramatically increased. They thus allow us to travel into the past, before the most sever change took place, and provide a baseline against which current estimates of genetic diversity, inbreeding and genetic load can be compared. By quantifying the magnitude of change, we can identify species in greatest need of conservation action. The knowledge about changes in abundance and population-wide frequency of deleterious variants can inform about suitable conservation strategies, ranging from genetic rescue to captive breeding. Overall, the temporal approach that relies on museum collections can be crucial for informed conservation decision making.

    Speakers:

    Katerina Guschanski

  • 14:00 - 16:00

    Session 1: Landscape & Population Genetics (Niko Balkenhol & Frank Zachos)

    Population genetic data can provide important information on genetic diversity and functional connectivity in plants and animals. Furthermore, landscape genetic approaches can help to identify the environmental drivers of population genetic patterns observed in nature. The implementation of population and landscape genetics has undoubtedly changed management and conservation in many respects. This session will present novel approaches and interesting conservation applications of population and landscape genetics.

  • 16:00 - 16:30

    coffee break

  • 16:30 - 18:00

    Session 2: Ancient DNA and Museum Genomics (Katerina Guschanski & Elisabeth Haring)

    The myriads of specimens contained in natural history collections hold vast potential to enhance biodiversity and conservation research. While genomic tools become increasingly accessible and cost-efficient, the application of these approaches to museum specimens opens up chances to complement ecological studies and inform recent conservation management. We invite contributors to present examples where studies of ancient DNA and museum specimens inform applied conservation.

  • 18:00 - 18:30

    hotel check in

  • 18:30 - 20:00

    free time in the museum

  • 20:00 - 22:00

    Icebreaker

  • 09:00 - 09:30

    Plenary II: Rob Ogden - Edinburgh: Wildlife DNA Forensics – from genetics to genomics on the front line of conservation

    The illegal wildlife trade is having a devastating effect on the status of many endangered species, including some of our most charismatic large animals and plants. Tackling the trade has become an area of global concern and concerted international efforts are underway to address the issue, involving support for alternative livelihoods in source countries, law enforcement and the supply chain, and demand reduction for wildlife products in end-user countries. Law enforcement is a complex issue, requiring investigations at many different scales, from local bushmeat poachers through to international organized criminals. As with any other crime, investigators are using forensic science to detect and prosecute offenders. The use of molecular genetic analysis to identify human evidence has revolutionised forensic science and is now an established tool in law enforcement. The analysis and identification of wildlife DNA is used to address questions of species identity, captive breeding and geographic origin, as well as individualization across multiple species. The resulting evidence is used to provide intelligence concerning trade routes as well as prosecute individuals involved in wildlife trafficking. This presentation will introduce the field of wildlife DNA forensics, explain the key scientific questions involved, from phylogenetics to familial relatedness, and how the transition to genomics is providing increasing powers of detection. It will also take a look at how forensic science capacity is being developed for wildlife law enforcement in Africa and Southeast Asia, and how new laboratories are contributing to wildlife law enforcement and its role in biodiversity conservation.

    Speakers:

    Rob Ogden

  • 09:30 - 11:00

    Session 3: Molecular Wildlife Forensics (Rob Ogden & Stefan Prost)

    Over the last years genetics has become an integral part of wildlife forensics worldwide. Molecular methods can help with species identification, population sourcing (e.g. for illegally traded wildlife products), characterization of human-wildlife conflicts and even aid in human forensic case work. This session covers the current state and future directions of wildlife forensic genetics, with a special focus on newly emerging genomic methods.

  • 11:00 - 11:30

    coffee break

  • 11:30 - 13:30

    Session 4: Reintroduction and Captive Breeding Genetics (Klaus-Peter Koepfli & Sarah Mueller)

    Maintaining captive-breeding populations is of utmost importance for restocking and reintroduction projects and serves as an ark if species become extinct in the wild. While genetic tools play a crucial role in breeding management and monitoring reintroduction success, they are still not routinely applied in this field. The session focuses on outstanding research and application examples in the fields of breeding and reintroduction genetics.

  • 13:30 - 15:00

    lunch break

  • 15:00 - 17:00

    Session 5: Genomic Wildlife Monitoring (Carsten Nowak & Alina von Thaden)

    Monitoring of elusive wildlife, such as large carnivores or game species, relies strongly on genetic analyses. The dependence on non-invasively collected samples with low DNA content hampers the methodological transfer from traditional multilocus genotyping techniques to genome-wide approaches. In this session we invite talks focusing on the implementation of NGS and other technologies in wildlife monitoring.

  • 17:00 - 17:30

    coffee break

  • 17:30 - 18:30

    Session X: Disease & Functional Genomics

  • 18:30 - 20:00

    Poster session

  • 20:00 - 22:00

    Dining With Dinosaurs

    Conference dinner at the museum

  • 09:00 - 9:30

    Plenary III: Laura Epp - Konstanz: Tracking the history of species and ecosystems with environmental DNA

    The last centuries have seen tremendous turnovers in species distributions and biodiversity on a global scale, linked to direct anthropogenic modifications of the abiotic environment, heightened migration rates and climatic changes. In many cases, neither the relative roles of these drivers, the pace of change nor the original community of the ecosystem are well mapped or understood. Ancient environmental DNA (ancient eDNA) stored in sedimentary records contains historic information about organisms from across the tree of life, including taxa that do not leave behind visible traces. It can uncover cryptic changes not visible in morphology and offers novel possibilities to study biotic interactions and networks through time. Depending on the preservation conditions, genomic biodiversity records from sediments can globally be retrieved on scales from hundreds to thousands of years. At sites with exceptionally good preservation, such as the Arctic, records can even go back multiple hundreds of thousands of years, thereby spanning more than one glacial cycle of the Pleistocene. These high-latitude areas are of particular relevance for the study of current and past climatically induced ecosystem changes and offer a backdrop of natural variability of ecosystems since the Pleistocene. Complementary to this, sites from temperate and tropical regions have experienced more direct effects of human environmental history. While ancient eDNA thus has a lot to offer to the study of historical biodiversity change, both its full potential and limits are not yet conclusively established. For example, the DNA of macroorganisms is not uniformly distributed in the sedimentary environment, and its distribution is putatively linked to the biology of the organisms. However, for many organismic groups we can by now reliably trace community change through time by DNA metabarcoding as well as use more specific assays and genomic tools to track the dynamics of single species or populations. Current developments promise a more efficient utilization of this resource to inform conservation biology, identify restoration targets and offer an empirical body of data for ecological theory.

    Speakers:

    Laura Epp

  • 9:30 - 11:00

    Session 6: eDNA & Genomic Community Assessment (Miklós Bálint & Florian Leese)

    We live in an era of unprecedented biodiversity loss. Large-scale monitoring projects are being carried out to better understand and subsequently counteract this rapid loss of biodiversity. Recent developments in high-throughput DNA sequencing have greatly facilitated the assessment and characterization of biological communities. In this session we will outline the current state and future direction of molecular-based biodiversity monitoring and assessment.

  • 11:00 - 11:30

    Wrapping-up & Goodbye

  • 11:30 - 12:00

    coffee break

  • 11:30 - 13:30

    Workshop 3, Part I: Crashkurs Naturschutzgenetik (GERMAN)

    Genetische Methoden finden im Arten- und Naturschutz, wie auch im Biodiversitätsmonitoring mittlerweile eine breite Anwendung. Vertreter aus dem angewandten Natur- und Umweltschutz sind daher immer häufiger mit Ergebnissen genetischer Studien konfrontiert und müssen entscheiden, welche genetischen Methoden zur Beantwortung einer naturschutzfachlichen Frage angewendet werden sollen. Dieser Workshop ist speziell für Anwender im deutschsprachigen Raum konzipiert, die Grundlagenwissen im Bereich der Naturschutzgenetik erlangen möchten, die ihnen in bei der Integration genetischer Methoden in ihre Projekte helfen. Im Rahmen eines initialen “Crashkurs: Naturschutzgenetik” wird dieses Wissen auf anschauliche Wiese vermittelt und dann im Rahmen einiger Praxisbeispiele vertieft (z.B. eDNA-Einsatz im aquatischen Biodiversitätsmonitoring, genetisches Monitoring großer Beutegreifer, (Meta-)Barcoding zur schnellen, standardisierten Biodiversitätserfassung). Falls Sie nur an dem deutschsprachigen Workshop teilnehmen möchten, registrieren Sie sich bitte per Email bei Julia Intemann (Kontaktperson ist Julia Intemann – julia.intemann@senckenberg.de, cc an consgen20@senckenberg.de) unter Nennung von Name, Institution und Kontaktdaten.

  • 12:00 - 14:00

    Workshop 2: Policy, Society & Outreach (Rolf Holderegger & Gernot Segelbacher)

    A central part of conservation research and applications is the effective communication of results and recommendations to the general public, as well as policy and decision makers. This workshop aims at bridging the gap between policy and research, and explores effective ways to disseminate research results to the public via citizen-science and outreach.

  • 14:00 - 15:30

    lunch break

  • 14:00 - 15:00

    Workshop 3, Part II: Praxisbeispiele (GERMAN)

    Genetische Methoden finden im Arten- und Naturschutz, wie auch im Biodiversitätsmonitoring mittlerweile eine breite Anwendung. Vertreter aus dem angewandten Natur- und Umweltschutz sind daher immer häufiger mit Ergebnissen genetischer Studien konfrontiert und müssen entscheiden, welche genetischen Methoden zur Beantwortung einer naturschutzfachlichen Frage angewendet werden sollen. Dieser Workshop ist speziell für Anwender im deutschsprachigen Raum konzipiert, die Grundlagenwissen im Bereich der Naturschutzgenetik erlangen möchten, die ihnen in bei der Integration genetischer Methoden in ihre Projekte helfen. Im Rahmen eines initialen “Crashkurs: Naturschutzgenetik” wird dieses Wissen auf anschauliche Wiese vermittelt und dann im Rahmen einiger Praxisbeispiele vertieft (z.B. eDNA-Einsatz im aquatischen Biodiversitätsmonitoring, genetisches Monitoring großer Beutegreifer, (Meta-)Barcoding zur schnellen, standardisierten Biodiversitätserfassung). Falls Sie nur an dem deutschsprachigen Workshop teilnehmen möchten, registrieren Sie sich bitte per Email bei Julia Intemann (Kontaktperson ist Julia Intemann – julia.intemann@senckenberg.de, cc an consgen20@senckenberg.de) unter Nennung von Name, Institution und Kontaktdaten.

  • 15:00 - 16:30

    Option I: Guided tours through the botanical garden

  • 15:30 - 17:30

    Option II: Quick city tour Frankfurt

place

SESSIONS

S1. Landscape and Population Genetics (Niko Balkenhol & Frank Zachos)

Population genetic data can provide important information on genetic diversity and functional connectivity in plants and animals. Furthermore, landscape genetic approaches can help to identify the environmental drivers of population genetic patterns observed in nature. The implementation of population and landscape genetics has undoubtedly changed management and conservation in many respects. This session will present novel approaches and interesting conservation applications of population and landscape genetics.

S2. Ancient DNA and Museum Genomics (Katerina Guschanski & Elisabeth Haring)

The myriads of specimens contained in natural history collections hold vast potential to enhance biodiversity and conservation research. While genomic tools become increasingly accessible and cost-efficient, the application of these approaches to museum specimens opens up chances to complement ecological studies and inform recent conservation management. We invite contributors to present examples where studies of ancient DNA and museum specimens inform applied conservation.

S3. Molecular Wildlife Forensics (Rob Ogden & Stefan Prost)

Over the last years genetics has become an integral part of wildlife forensics worldwide. Molecular methods can help with species identification, population sourcing (e.g. for illegally traded wildlife products), characterization of human-wildlife conflicts and even aid in human forensic case work. This session covers the current state and future directions of wildlife forensic genetics, with a special focus on newly emerging genomic methods.

S4. Reintroduction and Captive Breeding Genetics (Axel Hochkirch & Sarah Mueller)

Maintaining captive-breeding populations is of utmost importance for restocking and reintroduction projects and serves as an ark if species become extinct in the wild. While genetic tools play a crucial role in breeding management and monitoring reintroduction success, they are still not routinely applied in this field. The session focuses on outstanding research and application examples in the fields of breeding and reintroduction genetics.

S5. Genomic Wildlife Monitoring (Carsten Nowak & Alina von Thaden)

Monitoring of elusive wildlife, such as large carnivores or game species, relies strongly on genetic analyses. The dependence on non-invasively collected samples with low DNA content hampers the methodological transfer from traditional multilocus genotyping techniques to genome-wide approaches. In this session we invite talks focusing on the implementation of NGS and other technologies in wildlife monitoring.

S6. eDNA & Genomic Community Assessment (Miklós Bálint & Florian Leese)

We live in an era of unprecedented biodiversity loss. Large-scale monitoring projects are being carried out to better understand and subsequently counteract this rapid loss of biodiversity. Recent developments in high-throughput DNA sequencing have greatly facilitated the assessment and characterization of biological communities. In this session we will outline the current state and future direction of molecular-based biodiversity monitoring and assessment.

place

WORKSHOPS

W1. Cheetah Conservation Genomics (Pamela Burger & Stefan Prost)

This workshop has an open session of talks and a closed discussion session for cheetah researchers that is by invitation only (interest can be addressed to pamela.burger@vetmeduni.ac.at and stefan.prost@senckenberg.de).

Cheetahs are majestic carnivores and the fastest land animals; yet, they are quickly heading towards an uncertain future. Threatened by habitat loss, human-interactions and illegal trafficking, there are only about 7,100 individuals left in the wild scattered across 33 subpopulations. Cheetah conservation is in dire need of comprehensive nations-wide genetic monitoring to aid in evidence-based conservation management decisions. In this workshop, we aim at summarizing the current state of cheetah conservation genetics and monitoring, and bringing together cheetah conservation stakeholders from many countries to facilitate collaborative genetic monitoring efforts.

W2. Policy, Society & Outreach (Rolf Holderegger & Gernot Segelbacher)

A central part of conservation research and applications is the effective communication of results and recommendations to the general public, as well as policy and decision makers. This workshop aims at bridging the gap between policy and research, and explores effective ways to disseminate research results to the public via citizen-science and outreach.

W3. GERMAN WORKSHOP: „ Einführung in die Naturschutzgenetik für Anwender, Entscheidungsträger und Behörden“ (Carsten Nowak, Stefan Prost, Gernot Segelbacher, Alina von Thaden)

Genetische Methoden finden im Arten- und Naturschutz, wie auch im Biodiversitätsmonitoring mittlerweile eine breite Anwendung. Vertreter aus dem angewandten Natur- und Umweltschutz sind daher immer häufiger mit Ergebnissen genetischer Studien konfrontiert und müssen entscheiden, welche genetischen Methoden zur Beantwortung einer naturschutzfachlichen Frage angewendet werden sollen. Dieser Workshop ist speziell für Anwender im deutschsprachigen Raum konzipiert, die Grundlagenwissen im Bereich der Naturschutzgenetik erlangen möchten, die ihnen in bei der Integration genetischer Methoden in ihre Projekte helfen. Im Rahmen eines initialen “Crashkurs: Naturschutzgenetik” wird dieses Wissen auf anschauliche Wiese vermittelt und dann im Rahmen einiger Praxisbeispiele vertieft (z.B. eDNA-Einsatz im aquatischen Biodiversitätsmonitoring, genetisches Monitoring großer Beutegreifer, (Meta-)Barcoding zur schnellen, standardisierten Biodiversitätserfassung).

Falls Sie nur an dem deutschsprachigen Workshop teilnehmen möchten, registrieren Sie sich bitte per Email bei Julia Intemann (julia.intemann@senckenberg.de, cc an consgen20@senckenberg.de) unter Nennung von Name, Institution und Kontaktdaten.

place