The tremendous advances being made in DNA sequencing technology now make it possible to generate and analyze extensive genomic information from extinct organisms and species on the brink of extinction, thereby providing a remarkable opportunity to use genomic sequences to study the extinction process. The results of recent studies that incorporate advancements in genome sequencing technology and methods to extract sufficient amounts of serviceable DNA are expanding the contributions of paleogenomic studies to the field of paleontology. The ability and to capture genetic information from animals and plants on the brink of extinction and to retrospectively analyze genetic attributes of extinct animals provides a new source of information applicable to evaluating the impacts of changing environments, including the impacts of newly emerging diseases and climate alterations on the persistence or decline of species over tens of thousands of years. The technological developments in DNA sequencing technology that are crucial to the developing field of paleogenomics and the genomics of extinction focus attention on the crucial importance of collections of samples useful for these studies. Collections of frozen specimens and Museum collections will provide vital samples to study changes taking place over time in changing environments. In order to provide a perspective for the utilization of museum collections, including collections of frozen biomaterials and DNA specimens, convening of scientific workshops provides a forum for discussion of preservation methods and development of collaborative studies. This proposal facilitates the participation of six U.S.-based scientists who are experts in this newly-emerging field, to participate in a workshop entitled ?Unlocking and Developing Collections for Genomic Research? to be held on June 11, 2010, at the Natural History Museum in London, and an accompanying Linnaean Society Meeting the preceding day entitled ?Sequencing the Red and the Dead?. Their attendance at this meeting is important for U.S. scientists to maintain a competitive advantage in this newly emerging field of investigation.
The effort to characterize biodiversity will continue to rely on established collections in museums and in other scientifically managed collections, such as zoological parks. Advancing an understanding of biological diversity in the era of genomics will involve many new initiatives in applying genetics and genomics technologies to understand and describe the systematics and evolutionary processes of organisms. This award provided partial funding for meeting to bring together experts in zoological collections and comparative genomics to further develop the rationale for genomics studies in support of characterizing and conserving biological diversity, expanding insights into the evolution of life on Earth, and providing an otherwise unobtainable of the changes in genetic makeup of individuals of a species during times of rapid environmental change. The tremendous advances being made in DNA sequencing technology now make it possible to generate and analyze extensive genomic information from endangered and extinct organisms. This provides a remarkable opportunity to use genomic sequences to study the extinction process and to capture genetic information concerning animals and plants on the brink of extinction. New frozen collections and museum collections could provide vital samples to study changes taking place over time in changing environments. The workshop and associated public lectures served to broaden the intellectual community contributing to the discussions already underway regarding genomic studies on museum specimens, extinct species, and endangered species that will not be subject to further traditional collection efforts. Efforts to increase communication among scientists, museum curators, and policy makers contribute to diffusing information to the general public, regarding the broad applications of genomic technologies in support of efforts to better understand and conserve natural resources. This workshop addressed the aim of contributing DNA sequencing information for birds and mammals that became extinct in the Pleistocene, those that became extinct in the Holocene and those that are in danger of becoming extinct at present.
