Biodiversity toolbox

The biodiversity toolbox work package is hosted and coordinated by the Coordinating partner University of Copenhagen (KU), Denmark (English website).

The Biodiversity toolbox aims at the development and validation of a standardised method for high throughput analysis of biodiversity of soil microorganisms; by validating protocols for soil sampling, by isolation of soil DNA, RNA and proteins, and by implementing molecular tools for soil biodiversity investigation, including implementation of concomitant bioinformatics pipelines (KU, HMGU, ECL, IMIC, UNiFi, AU).

The research will involve various tasks under the supervision of partners in the network. Tasks will:

  • Develop, validate and implement standardized analysis of soil biodiversity based on high throughput sequencing using 2nd generation pyrosequencing on community DNA (KU).
  • Develop and validate DNA based soil biodiversity analysis on Archaea in soil; Organismic interactions in soil; (HMGU).
  • Validate the phylogenetic microarray and the high throughput sequencing for soil biodiversity analyses (ECL).
  • Develop and validate DNA based soil biodiversity analysis on fungal communities and functional genes (IMIC).
  • Develop enzyme based assays of functional diversity in soil (UniFi).
  • Develop DNA based biodiversity analysis on soil mesofauna (UC-FCTUC).
  • Develop and validate genetic diversity analysis of protozoan groups with reference to importance for bacterial genetic diversity and community function (AU).