Molecular Ecology and Genomics

DNA metabarcoding is a molecular analysis method that offers a promising solution for efficient insect monitoring. A study published in the journal Molecular Ecology Resources, to which researchers of IGB contributed, provides detailed guidelines for the large-scale application of this method, including estimates of the costs and time required.

Researchers from IGB sequenced the complete genome of the microalgae of the Oder disaster.They also identified the gene sequences that are responsible for toxin formation. This is an important step on the way to an early warning system. The study was published in the journal Current Biology.

From as yet undiscovered biodiversity and resilient forests to the impact of food consumption on nature: 64 experts, including many IGB researchers, have published the "10 Must Knows from Biodiversity Science" for 2024. With the new report, the Leibniz Research Network Biodiversity provides policymakers and society with concrete ways to effectively conserve and sustainably use biodiversity at the local, national, and European levels and thereby also mitigate climate change.

A new study with IGB researchers Oleksandra Shumilova and Igor Ogashawara aims to advance the application of declassified satellite data in the fields of ecology and conservation. The team, led by the University of Freiburg, has analysed the spatial and temporal resolution of more than one million images: they cover the entire Earth and all seasons.

Student Katja Mehrwald has investigated what species are on the diet of grey seals in the southern Baltic Sea. For her study, carried out at the University of Rostock and IGB, she has now been awarded the Master's Prize of the German Zoological Society. 

This summer, the water shortage in Europe continues to preoccupy politicians and the public. Small standing water bodies such as natural or artificial ponds, kettle holes or park waters are particularly suffering from the lack of water. In order to raise awareness of this problem and to point out options for action for policymakers, authorities and the civil society, IGB has today published a new IGB Dossier on this important type of water body.