Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Jeffery M. Good
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Division of Biological Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Genomic analyses can provide powerful insights into important issues in conservation biology, including rapid estimates of overall genetic diversity and related population genetic parameters. Noninvasive DNA sampling, such as from fecal samples, is an affordable, efficient, and broadly applicable field collection method that has been utilized in many genetic analyses. However, the efficacy of whole genome sequencing from fecal samples collected under field conditions is relatively unexplored. Here, I will present initial results from an experiment designed to test the quantity and quality of genomic material obtained from snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) fecal pellets. A collaborative research program at the University of Montana has studied this iconic seasonally camouflaging species using demographic and genomic analyses on wild and captive animals. This has provided a robust dataset connecting the long-term evolution of seasonal traits to global climate. This presents an amenable system to explore the potential and limits of genome sequencing from fecal material. I will present an evaluation of DNA extraction protocols tailored to snowshoe hare fecal material, along with plans to execute a two-week time series testing how pellet DNA degradation influences the generation of whole genome sequencing data. These data will provide important insights to researchers interested in applying genomic techniques to non-invasive samples collected under field conditions.
Category
Life Sciences
Optimizing Whole Genome Sequencing from Fecal Samples in Snowshoe Hares
UC South Ballroom
Genomic analyses can provide powerful insights into important issues in conservation biology, including rapid estimates of overall genetic diversity and related population genetic parameters. Noninvasive DNA sampling, such as from fecal samples, is an affordable, efficient, and broadly applicable field collection method that has been utilized in many genetic analyses. However, the efficacy of whole genome sequencing from fecal samples collected under field conditions is relatively unexplored. Here, I will present initial results from an experiment designed to test the quantity and quality of genomic material obtained from snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) fecal pellets. A collaborative research program at the University of Montana has studied this iconic seasonally camouflaging species using demographic and genomic analyses on wild and captive animals. This has provided a robust dataset connecting the long-term evolution of seasonal traits to global climate. This presents an amenable system to explore the potential and limits of genome sequencing from fecal material. I will present an evaluation of DNA extraction protocols tailored to snowshoe hare fecal material, along with plans to execute a two-week time series testing how pellet DNA degradation influences the generation of whole genome sequencing data. These data will provide important insights to researchers interested in applying genomic techniques to non-invasive samples collected under field conditions.