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Project
SRP (Groeiers): Evolutionary innovations in amphibians: from ecology to molecules (SRP30)
The exploration of new research areas conducted by the Amphibian Evolution Lab during the past years will now be consolidated in three distinct, but often closely intertwined research themes:
Theme 1. - Natural History and Evolution - Research leader: Prof. Dr. Franky Bossuyt Majortechnicalspecialization:molecular phylogenetics
Theme 2. - Amphibian Toxinology - Research leader: Prof. Dr. Kim Roelants Major technical specialization: transcriptomics and genomics
Theme 3. - Behavioral Ecology - Research leader: Dr. Ines Van Bocxlaer Major technical specializations: proteomics and peptidomics
Together, these three themes span research from ecology to molecules, and from single- species research to evolutionary (many species) questions. The three groups will use integrative research as a fundamental principle, i.e. they all explore multiple traditional levels of biological organization to explain ecological observations. However, they differ and complement each other in the fact that under Theme 1, we will focus on broad taxonomic sampling to study evolutionary questions (i.e., sampling size will define the depth of biological organization that can be studied), while under Themes 2 and 3, we will maximize depth at the level of biological organization (and therefore will focus on a single species or two sister species as model organisms).
The organization and specialization in three themes allow the groups to work independently, while stimulating to rapidly combine knowledge and technical specializations of individual teams into collaborative research projects.
Theme 1. - Natural History and Evolution - Research leader: Prof. Dr. Franky Bossuyt Majortechnicalspecialization:molecular phylogenetics
Theme 2. - Amphibian Toxinology - Research leader: Prof. Dr. Kim Roelants Major technical specialization: transcriptomics and genomics
Theme 3. - Behavioral Ecology - Research leader: Dr. Ines Van Bocxlaer Major technical specializations: proteomics and peptidomics
Together, these three themes span research from ecology to molecules, and from single- species research to evolutionary (many species) questions. The three groups will use integrative research as a fundamental principle, i.e. they all explore multiple traditional levels of biological organization to explain ecological observations. However, they differ and complement each other in the fact that under Theme 1, we will focus on broad taxonomic sampling to study evolutionary questions (i.e., sampling size will define the depth of biological organization that can be studied), while under Themes 2 and 3, we will maximize depth at the level of biological organization (and therefore will focus on a single species or two sister species as model organisms).
The organization and specialization in three themes allow the groups to work independently, while stimulating to rapidly combine knowledge and technical specializations of individual teams into collaborative research projects.
Date:1 Mar 2014 → 28 Feb 2019
Keywords:Natural history, Pheromones, amphibians, Evolution, toxins
Disciplines:Palaeontology