Molecular Ecology in action

Molecular ecology
in action

I am interested in promoting the study and application of molecular ecology by proposing hands-on experiences and developing participatory science projects that are community-focused.

This page presents the teaching activities, science outreach events and professional workshops that I have offered in recent years.

To keep up to date with my activities, follow me on twitter: @Zelpapang

Distance learning

Ecology and Biodiversity course at Tours University (France)

Distance learning

At Tours University I offer a course for third year students on DNA barcoding, metabarcoding, environmental DNA and de-extinction.

This course entitled Ecology and Biodiversity comprises 6 chapters, 2 tutorials and 5 computer-based labs.
It is offered in distance learning format as well as face to face.

This course was designed with support from the Parm project.

barcoding NZ Whitebait

Developing DNA-based tools to conserve New Zealand whitebait

Whitebait

Whitebait are the juveniles of five native species of galaxiid fish that migrate from the sea upstream in spring. Three of these species are considered to be declining, a fourth is classified as threatened and only one is of least conservation concern. However, juvenile forms cannot be identified morphologically and all five species are caught and sold under the name whitebait and end up in our plates.

The aim of this project is to develop a DNA-based diagnostic test to identify the different species of whitebait and to detect the presence of threatened or declining species in whitebait and in streams. By doing so, we hope to help protect the declining and threatened species of whitebait. I wrote a short letter about whitebait for the journal Science in 2016: Political priorities.

This project is conducted in collaboration with students of Kauri Flat School. In a world first, we recently extracted environmental DNA from the mucus of juvenile whitebait at the school. The next step is to detect whitebait DNA from water, first in a tank and then from streams.

For this project, funding has been obtained from The Royal Society of New Zealand, Unitec Institute of Technology and CALTEX Australia. Live fish have been kindly provided by the Mahurangi Technical Institute.

WETA WATCHERS

Studying the diet of wētā to design wētā friendly school grounds

Wētā watcher

The Wētā Watcher project aims to engage students from primary schools in South Auckland to carry out a research project on the ecology and conservation of tree wētā. Wētā are a well-known and iconic group of New Zealand insects and are useful indicators of environmental health and in particular the effects of exotic predators.

The project proposes to use wētā motels, which are wooden refugia that simulate natural galleries used by wētā and other invertebrates in trees. They have a hole that is big enough to let wētā in, but too small for its predators (mice, rats). Wētā motels constitute a tool for the conservation of wētā, but also for the monitoring of these animals and for science outreach.

The project aims at monitoring the presence of tree wētā on the schools' grounds and determine their diet by carrying out DNA analyses of their droppings.

56 little scientists from three Auckland schools have been participating in the project. The project was featured on Māori TV and presented as a poster at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference in 2016.

This project was funded by SouthSci a branch of the Curious Mind programme. Further funding is currently being sought to extend the project at national scale.

teaching
in the lab

Molecular genetics and evolution at UNITEC (NSCI 6748)

Teaching in the lab

In 2016, I launched a new course in Molecular Genetics and Evolution as part of the Bachelor of Applied Science at Unitec Institute of Technology.

The course aims to explore the genetic basis of evolution; to acquire practical skills in basic molecular analysis; to assess how the study of genetics and the use of molecular tools can inform biodiversity conservation, animal breeding, animal welfare and our understanding of evolutionary ecology.

It is a second year level course, with a large component of hands-on practicals in the DNA laboratory and tutorials in a computer laboratory. From 2017, the course will include using the portable DNA laboratory BentoLab and the electronic lab book sciNote.

Find more information on the course here: NSCI 6748

Exlporama

5 minute DNA analyses, no experience required

Explorama

Explorama 2015 was a free event organised by the Auckland Museum, where a range of activities around biodiversity were proposed to visitors in the atrium of the museum.

I had a stall on DNA analyses and taught young visitors the art of pipetting. We also prepared liquid earthworm, practiced DNA extraction using the portable DNA laboratory

BentoLab and looked at DNA bands under blue light in an agarose gel.

DNA barcoding workshop

Capability building in the South Pacific (Fiji)

Barcoding workshop

In 2016, I offered a DNA barcoding workshop at the University of South Pacific in Suva, Fiji.

The workshop comprised half a week of lectures, laboratory-based practicals and computer-based tutorials on DNA barcoding. The second part of the workshop focused on the use of GIS and was lead by my colleague Glenn Aguilar from Unitec Institute of Technology.

This workshop was funded by Unitec Institute of Technology as part of the MADII project. We are currently applying for further funding to deliver this workshop on a regular basis.

Bioblitz

Introducing DNA-based identification to the public

Bioblitz

Since 2009, I have been involved in four Bioblitz and Ecoblitz in New Zealand. During these events, the public is asked to participate to a 24h inventory of all living things on a chosen site. Participants collect plants, animals and fungi and bring specimens to scientists who can help with taxonomic identification. Listen to the RadioNZ segment about our 2015 Ecoblitz. These events are great vehicles to introduce the use of molecular ecology to the general public. I published a short letter about Bioblitz in the journal Science in 2017: Nature's treasure hunt.

DNAextractionDawson2	BigPCR	P1020818
IMG_0119	CvrityPVIAAMK8G	Octopus
20161026_092243	DEkgClfUMAA60zO	IMG_20170713_114714
Bento	DEkgCluVwAEWjVk	20161026_093159
IMG_20160128_151202	Weta project DNA with Stephane	FaecesExtract
IMG_0130	DEmUqBAUAAARKCL	MinION1
IMG_20170713_123313	20161026_092243	DungBeetles
IMG_20170713_123037	IMG_0988	IMG_20160926_130629
IMG_0716	FullSizeRender

Molecular Ecology in action

I am interested in promoting the study and application of molecular ecology by proposing hands-on experiences and developing participatory science projects that are community-focused.

​

This page presents the teaching activities, science outreach events and professional workshops that I have offered in recent years.

​

To keep up to date with my activities, follow me on twitter: @Zelpapang

​

​

This project is conducted in collaboration with students of Kauri Flat School. In a world first, we recently extracted environmental DNA from the mucus of juvenile whitebait at the school. The next step is to detect whitebait DNA from water, first in a tank and then from streams.

​

For this project, funding has been obtained from The Royal Society of New Zealand, Unitec Institute of Technology and CALTEX Australia. Live fish have been kindly provided by the Mahurangi Technical Institute.

​

The project aims at monitoring the presence of tree wētā on the schools' grounds and determine their diet by carrying out DNA analyses of their droppings.

56 little scientists from three Auckland schools have been participating in the project. The project was featured on Māori TV and presented as a poster at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference in 2016.

​

​

This project was funded by SouthSci a branch of the Curious Mind programme. Further funding is currently being sought to extend the project at national scale.

In 2016, I launched a new course in Molecular Genetics and Evolution as part of the Bachelor of Applied Science at Unitec Institute of Technology.

​

The course aims to explore the genetic basis of evolution; to acquire practical skills in basic molecular analysis; to assess how the study of genetics and the use of molecular tools can inform biodiversity conservation, animal breeding, animal welfare and our understanding of evolutionary ecology.

It is a second year level course, with a large component of hands-on practicals in the DNA laboratory and tutorials in a computer laboratory. From 2017, the course will include using the portable DNA laboratory BentoLab and the electronic lab book sciNote.

​

Find more information on the course here: NSCI 6748

Explorama 2015 was a free event ​organised by the Auckland Museum, where a range of activities around biodiversity were proposed to visitors in the atrium of the museum.

​

I had a stall on DNA analyses and taught young visitors the art of pipetting. We also prepared liquid earthworm, practiced DNA extraction using the portable DNA laboratory

BentoLab and looked at DNA bands under blue light in an agarose gel.

In 2016, I offered a DNA barcoding workshop at the University of South Pacific in Suva, Fiji.

The workshop comprised half a week of lectures, laboratory-based practicals and computer-based tutorials on DNA barcoding. The second part of the workshop focused on the use of GIS and was lead by my colleague Glenn Aguilar from Unitec Institute of Technology.

​

This workshop was funded by Unitec Institute of Technology as part of the MADII project. We are currently applying for further funding to deliver this workshop on a regular basis.

DNAextractionDawson2

BigPCR

P1020818

IMG_0119

CvrityPVIAAMK8G

Octopus

20161026_092243

DEkgClfUMAA60zO

IMG_20170713_114714

Bento

DEkgCluVwAEWjVk

20161026_093159

IMG_20160128_151202

Weta project DNA with Stephane

FaecesExtract

IMG_0130

DEmUqBAUAAARKCL

MinION1

IMG_20170713_123313

20161026_092243

DungBeetles

IMG_20170713_123037

IMG_0988

IMG_20160926_130629

IMG_0716

FullSizeRender

Explorama 2015 was a free event organised by the Auckland Museum, where a range of activities around biodiversity were proposed to visitors in the atrium of the museum.