Conservation genomics of the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) using Next-Generation Sequencing methods.

拟议项目的重点是比利牛斯山的蜥蜴（Galemys pyrenaicus），这是伊比利亚半岛特有的一种小型半水生哺乳动物。牠们是欧洲濒危物种指令的重点物种，并受到灭绝的严重威胁。任何保护措施都需要关于其遗传多样性和地理结构的信息。巴塞罗那生物进化研究所（Instituto de Biología Evolutiva CSIC-UPF，IBE）的Jose Castresana小组先前进行的一项研究揭示了比利牛斯山的desman有四种不同的遗传谱系。然而，它也表明，其整体遗传多样性非常低，这意味着传统的测序方法不能提供足够的分辨率，使这些结果的保护重要性的结论。在由IBE主持的这个项目中，下一代测序（NGS）方法将用于进一步研究比利牛斯山的种群基因组学。这些方法尚未广泛建立在遗传学，地理学和保护，但可能会产生高度的信息数据的问题，传统的DNA测序不能正确执行。申请人在2013年完成了博士论文，考虑到他的职业阶段，已经有了14篇科学论文的丰富研究经验，主要是分子遗传学。他将接受NGS技术和生物信息学的培训，以及科学写作和研究管理等其他技能的培训，这对他作为系统生物学研究人员的职业发展非常重要。宿主组在比利牛斯山脉的遗传学、基因组学和生物信息学方面具有重要的知识。该项目的结果预计将通过获得基本技能促进申请人在德国作为研究人员的预期职业生涯，并为保护这一受威胁物种做出重要贡献。它们还将有助于提高公众对保护欧洲特有物种重要性的认识。

The proposed project focuses on the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus), a small semi-aquatic mammal endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. It is a focal species of the European Habitats Directive and highly threatened by extinction. Any measures for its conservation require information on its genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure. A previous study conducted by the group of Jose Castresana at the Instituto de Biología Evolutiva CSIC-UPF (IBE) in Barcelona revealed four distinct genetic lineages in the Pyrenean desman. However, it also showed that its overall genetic diversity is very low, implying that traditional sequencing methods cannot provide sufficient resolution to allow conclusions on the conservation importance of these results. In this project hosted by the IBE, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods will be used to further investigate into the population genomics of the Pyrenean desman. These methods are not yet widely established in phylogenetics, phylogeography and conservation, but may yield highly informative data for questions in which traditional DNA sequencing cannot perform properly. The applicant has finished his PhD thesis in 2013 and, considering his career stage, has already ample research experience with 14 scientific papers, mainly in molecular phylogenetics. He will receive training in NGS techniques and bioinformatics, as well as in additional skills such as scientific writing and research management, which will be highly important in the development of his career as a researcher in systematic biology. The host group has crucial knowledge in the genetics of the Pyrenean desman, genomics and bioinformatics. The results of the project are expected to promote the expected career of the applicant as a researcher in Germany by acquiring essential skills and to be a crucial contribution to the conservation of this threatened species. They will also help increasing the public awareness for the importance of the conservation of endemic European species.