Asura International Seminar
Date and Time

Wednesday December 16th 13:30-14:30, 2015.

2015年12月16日(水)
Place

Yoshida-Izumidono

京都大学吉田泉殿
Talk

Dr. Robert Ogden

Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University

Title: From Radioactive to RAD: Towards whole genome sequencing in wildlife genetics.


Abstract:

The application of molecular genetics to wildlife research has expanded dramatically over the past twenty years. During this period our ability to generate DNA data and investigate natural genetic variation has increased more rapidly than computing power. What does this mean for modern wildlife research? What level of genetic data do we really need?

This presentation will describe the development of wildlife genetic techniques and give examples of how they can be applied to many types of zoological and botanical research, including conservation. It will give an introduction to the recently developed ddRAD method currently being applied to several projects at Kyoto University’s WRC. As well as highlighting the opportunities of conducting wildlife genetic research in a post-genome era, the talk will consider the risk of generating vast amounts of DNA data simply because we can. Put more broadly, when conducting wildlife research in the 21st century, do we have a responsibility to focus our efforts on applied conservation science, or is there still a role for traditional wildlife biology?



Dr Robert Ogden Dr Robert Ogden Dr Robert Ogden Dr Robert Ogden

Dr. Robert Ogden has stayed from this April and studied with WRC students and professors. We hold this seminar before his leaving Japan in next January. About 20 people including students and professors attended in this seminar. He introduced the roles of genome technologies on wildlife study and one of the latest technologies: RAD (Restriction site Associated DNA) with the development history of genome technologies. He explained in an easily understood manner with a humor (he spoke in Japanese in a few slides!), so students, even if who don’t study with genome technology, were listening with interest. ロバート・オグデン博士は、今年4月からWRCに滞在しながら学生らと共同研究を続けてきた。今回のセミナーは、来年1月にWRCを離れる前に、本滞在の総括として行われ、学生・教員あわせて20名程度が参加した。 主な話題は、ゲノム技術が野生動物研究に果たすことができる役割についてと、最新のゲノム技術のひとつであるRAD(Restriction site Associated DNA)の紹介であった。最初と最後のスライドは日本語で行うなどユーモアを交えられ、全体を通して非常にわかりやすい説明で、ゲノムを専門にしない学生らも、興味を持って耳を傾けていた。