Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C514915/1
DNA taxonomy of parasitic wasps.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor AP Vogler, Imperial College London, Biology
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr J Noyes, The Natural History Museum, Life Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Imperial College London, Biology
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Terrestrial
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Biodiversity
- Science Topics:
- Population Genetics/Evolution
- Systematics & Taxonomy
- Conservation Ecology
- Abstract:
- With increasing automation, it is now possible to obtain gene sequences for large numbers of species without great effort. This makes it possible to use DNA based procedures for routine species identification and taxonomy. However, several technical and analytical difficulties remain to be overcome. For example, very small organisms provide only minute amounts of DNA and usually require the destruction of specimens. In microbiology, this has greatly affected the taxonomy of un-culturable bacteria which are only known by their sequence and not any particular specimen. In most animal and plant groups taxonomic classifications have been based on morphological characters. It is now widely recognised that an associated DNA based taxonomic system has great potential for species recognition and identification, diagnostics, monitoring and conservation, ecological and ecosystems research involving all life stages, and biocontrol. The potential for automation of DNA data acquisition and data analysis, and the possibility to link these data with distributional, ecological, agricultural and other databases, will provide a universal tool for taxonomy. It is not necessary to have specific morphological knowledge of the group under study, a factor that greatly slowed down taxonomy in the past. Here we use microscopic wasps which parasitise other insects and therefore are used for biocontrol, to demonstrate the principles of a combined DNA and morphological taxonomic study. We have developed a novel procedure for extracting DNA from these specimens without destroying them, which is a great advantage. We expect that this kind of work will set standards for the practice of taxonomy in the future.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C514915/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Small Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Small Grants
This grant award has a total value of £30,737
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|
| £15,758 | £7,730 | £7,249 |
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