New methods to measure and forecast molecular biodiversity

Synopsis

We borrow methods from other sciences to invent better ways to understand natural populations:

• endangered, pest, harvested species
  
• measuring and forecasting molecular biodiversity
• the methods are also used on ecological datasets.

You could join us in any of three different ways:

• Trials on our datasets of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants.
  
• Trials with computer simulations.
• Even invent more methods of your own.

You need to like genetics and conservation, and be OK with high-school maths ( +, -, x, /).  

Aims

This project will investigate whether new methods are better at forecasting or measuring molecular biodiversity.

Student benefits

You’ll take part in a very active research area that is vital to conservation management and general evolutionary ecology. The skills you’ll learn through this project include:

• analysing large molecular and/or ecological datasets
  
• writing computer programs
• writing a scientific paper.

Honours students in our lab publish their work in journals, such as:

• Conservation Genetics Resources.
  
• Australian Journal of Botany.