Integrative taxonomy in the Big Data Era

Description

The general objective of this course is to shed a modern light on the activity of species delimitation and description. More specifically, it is about showing how taxonomy integrates technical advances in molecular biology while recalling the function of natural history collections in these practices. The objectives of the course are thus to provide (i) a conceptual and methodological framework for taxonomy practices; (ii) tools for integrating data from molecular biology techniques into these practices and (iii) overview of the use of databases that link specimens deposited in natural history collections, biological data (particularly molecular) and biological nomenclature. The module is therefore aimed both at biologists who wonder about the place of taxonomy in modern biology and at taxonomists who wish to apply advanced techniques in biology in their practice. To achieve these objectives, the module alternates between lessons and practical work. The course is in English.

Look at its daily program at:

https://sites.google.com/site/coursbarcode/accueil

Trainers

Nicolas Puillandre – ISYEB – Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, a joint research center (UMR 7205) of CNRS, in the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, FRANCE. https://isyeb.mnhn.fr/fr/annuaire/nicolas-puillandre-2617

Dates of Training period

March 27th to March 31st, 2023

Duration

5 days, 8 hours per day

Location

National Museum of Natural History, Entomology laboratory, 45 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, FRANCE

Course’s language

English

Target audience

PhD students, MSc students, researchers, technicians, curators…

Fee

There is no fee for Students

There is a fee for non-students: 60€/day if you pay personally; 120€/day for public institutions; 240€/day for private institutions.

Registration deadline

15 February 2023

Mode of trainees’ assessment

The presence at the courses validates the ECTS.

Participant quota (min and max number of trainees)

Min: 10.

Max: 40

External funding/sponsoring

None

Types of training/ Implementation method

  1. Theoretical seminars/lectures
  2. Practical experience

Training Course learning outcomes

  1. Concepts and methods of integrative taxonomy in the 21st century.
  2. The magnitude of biodiversity: 2, 10 or 30 million species?
  3. Introduction to international approaches and initiatives for species identification by DNA
  4. DNA Barcoding and integrative taxonomy.
  5. Evolutionary models in integrative taxonomy
  6. Practical course: From raw data to preliminary analyses.
  7. Methods of analyses of NGS data.
  8. Practical course: Introduction to the analysis of NGS data
  9. Species delimitation methods
  10. A brief introduction to concepts and methods in phylogenomics.
  11. Practical course: Species delimitation and phylogeny
  12. Paradoxes and limits of the concepts and practices of integrative taxonomy
  13. From Nagoya to nomenclature: the exploration of species stuck between law and codes?
  14. Big data, exploration and scientific hypotheses.

Certifications provided

The course corresponds to 7.5 ECTS

What trainees need to bring

There is no need to bring a laptop. Students can bring their own dataset if they wish to use it during the practical work (e.g. COI alignment).

Registration

For registration, please contact Nicolas Puillandre at: nicolas.puillandre@mnhn.fr