New online tutorials embed genomics into conservation management decisions

Photo credits: Left Kate Quigley, centre Nick Bradsworth, right Carolyn Hogg.

A new online course is available that promises to increase the use of genetic data in Australian conservation management actions. Developed by the Threatened Species Initiative (TSI) and the University of Sydney in collaboration with some of Australia’s leading conservation geneticists, the tutorials have been made freely available to everyone via the Australian BioCommons YouTube Channel.

Genetics and genomics are powerful tools for understanding global biodiversity, with a wide range of applications for policy, ecology, translocations, evolutionary biology and more. The Conservation Genomics for Threatened Species Management course was developed by TSI, which brings a network of researchers into direct contact with conservation agencies and policy makers, enabling research outcomes to directly influence on the ground conservation decisions. As one of Bioplatforms Australia’s key Framework Initiatives, TSI reached out to BioCommons for support to edit and host their community’s content.  Prof Carolyn Hogg, Senior Research Manager, Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group at the University of Sydney, and Science Lead and Chair of TSI, brought together a panel of field experts to explain how cutting-edge genomics technologies, genetic tools and advanced computational biology can assist and guide conservation management strategies.

The ten modules can be viewed independently, and the course materials have already been used at a workshop during the 2023 International Conservation Translocation Conference. The suite of videos will be added to over time, but so far feature speakers from the University of Sydney, Monash University, University of Adelaide, Australian National University, Minderoo Foundation, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Research Centre for Ecosystem Resilience at the Botanic Gardens Sydney, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, NSW Government Savings our Species program, and the Government of Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation. 

You can learn more from Carolyn about how TSI is bridging the gap between genomicists, bioinformaticians, conservation experts and decision makers to help save Australian species by visiting the refreshed TSI website. Or watch her BioCommons webinar ‘Conservation genomics in the Age of Extinction’, to learn more about using cutting-edge genomics technology and advanced computational biology to assist in conservation management for species recovery.

View the Conservation Genomics for Threatened Species Management playlist

Patrick CaponTraining, Bioplatforms Australia, 2023, Training-examples