Location: Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research
Project Number: 2080-21000-019-064-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2023
End Date: Jun 30, 2024
Objective:
We propose to assemble a comprehensive DNA barcode library for U.S. bees that will greatly enhance molecular identification and discovery of bee species in agricultural and conservation research. We will also develop new protocols for affordably sequencing bee barcodes using the Oxford Nanopore MinION
Approach:
(1) establish an international network of bee barcoding collaborators; (2) identify gaps in existing DNA barcode data for bees in the U.S. and North America; (3) develop protocols for bee barcoding using the MinION sequencer; (4) develop protocols for sequencing barcodes from degraded, museum samples; and (5) generate barcode sequence data for up to 5,000 new bee specimens.
