Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The diversity of life on this planet is still poorly documented and understood, even as it is under serious threat. Nonetheless, emerging technologies are providing new opportunities to unveil biodiversity and track how it is changing in the Anthropocene. In this talk, I overview several lines of research in our lab to develop big data approaches to biodiversity science, focusing on. First, I discuss a project to resolve a species-level map of life for ants, and how this has illuminated both global patterns of diversification and important regions for conservation. Second, we need to monitor changes to populations and communities under anthropogenic stressors. I present work using community-collaborative observation networks to monitor ecological dynamics and track the spread of introduced species. Third, organisms are more than points on a map, and 3D X-ray tomography can capture big data to investigate organismal form and function across the tree of life. As an example, I present work on the spectacular diversification of ant mandibles, including the repeated evolution of specialized ultrafast weapons. Finally, I offer some perspectives for how big data and immersive media technologies can change how we interact with biodiversity in the lab, at home, and in the field. These research lines grew along with—and benefited from—the interdisciplinary environment at OIST.
The diversity of life on this planet is still poorly documented and understood, even as it is under serious threat. Nonetheless, emerging technologies are providing new opportunities to unveil biodiversity and track how it is changing in the Anthropocene. In this talk, I overview several lines of research in our lab to develop big data approaches to biodiversity science, focusing on. First, I discuss a project to resolve a species-level map of life for ants, and how this has illuminated both global patterns of diversification and important regions for conservation. Second, we need to monitor changes to populations and communities under anthropogenic stressors. I present work using community-collaborative observation networks to monitor ecological dynamics and track the spread of introduced species. Third, organisms are more than points on a map, and 3D X-ray tomography can capture big data to investigate organismal form and function across the tree of life. As an example, I present work on the spectacular diversification of ant mandibles, including the repeated evolution of specialized ultrafast weapons. Finally, I offer some perspectives for how big data and immersive media technologies can change how we interact with biodiversity in the lab, at home, and in the field. These research lines grew along with—and benefited from—the interdisciplinary environment at OIST.
![[Seminar] Making eDNA data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cxb1RMoVpwE/mqdefault.jpg "[Seminar] Making eDNA data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
Seminar title: Making eDNA data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
Speaker: Dr. Miwa Takahashi, CERC Postdoctoral Fellow, Environomics Future Science Platform, NCMI | CSIRO
Friday, August 30, 2024 - 13:00 to 14:00
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a powerful monitoring tool for species detection and distribution mapping, with a remarkable surge in activity over the past decade. Metabarcoding studies have generated millions of DNA sequences with taxonomic assignments, while species-specific eDNA assays have produced comprehensive distribution maps for hundreds of taxa. Despite the widespread practice of data sharing upon publication, inconsistent data formats pose challenges for data reuse. To address this issue, the “Making eDNA FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)” project has been launched. Our international, multidisciplinary working group, consisting of eDNA researchers, journal editors and biodiversity and omics data scientists, is developing best practice guidelines for eDNA data formatting and sharing. Our aim is to extend the eDNA data lifecycle, facilitating reuse and reanalyses of this invaluable biodiversity data resource. Please join our seminar to learn about the FAIR data principles and the project, and start our discussions on the bottlenecks, needs, and strategies to achieve FAIR eDNA!
https://groups.oist.jp/macc/event/seminar-making-edna-data-fair-findable-accessible-interoperable-reusable")
