Molecular Ecology Lab
View video about how genetics helps answer questions about wildlife populations, health, and disease
View video about how genetics helps answer questions about wildlife populations, health, and disease
Molecular Ecology Laboratory
Molecular ecology is the study of the earth and its ecosystems through genetic methods. The objectives of our research program are to: Identify and fill gaps in our knowledge about species and population diagnosis, biodiversity, and the health of wildlife and their habitats to inform decision making by management agencies and provide molecular science applications and protocols for our partners.
Publications
Development of a genotyping-in-thousands by sequencing (GT-seq) panel for identifying individuals and estimating relatedness among Alaska black bears (Ursus americanus)
The management and conservation of large mammals, such as black bears (Ursus americanus), have long been informed by genetic estimates of population size and individual dispersal. Amplicon sequencing methods, also known as ‘genotyping-in-thousands-by sequencing’ (GT-seq), now enable the efficient and cost-effective genotyping of hundreds of loci and individuals in the same sequencing run...
Bait trapping of waterfowl increases the environmental contamination of avian influenza virus (AIV)
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5Nx clade 2.3.4.4b has circulated in North America since late 2021, resulting in higher rates of morbidity and mortality in wild birds than observed in this region before. The objective of this study was to determine whether baiting, which is widely conducted in Canada and the United States as part of waterfowl management practices (e.g...
Genomic characterization of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses from Alaska during 2022 provides evidence for genotype-specific trends of spatiotemporal and interspecies dissemination
The ongoing panzootic of highly pathogenic H5 clade 2.3.4.4b avian influenza (HPAI) spread to North America in late 2021, with detections of HPAI viruses in Alaska beginning in April 2022. HPAI viruses have since spread across the state, affecting many species of wild birds as well as domestic poultry and wild mammals. To better understand the dissemination of HPAI viruses...
Science
Q&A: The Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center
The Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center provides genetic information on the health and status of biological resources for diverse local, state, and federal partners. Hypothesis-driven research projects are designed to fill data gaps and inform decisions for Department of Interior and other management agencies. The Molecular Ecology Lab research portfolio currently includes...