Molecular Tools for Ecology, Conservation, and Natural Resource Management

Catalog description

Molecular genetics has become one of the fastest growing fields in the life sciences, and application of molecular methods has spread to virtually all fields of modern biology. In this course, we will examine how DNA analysis and modern 'omics' technologies can be used to address important issues in ecology, conservation, and natural resource management such as identification of species, populations, and individuals, reconstruction of phylogenetic and kinship relationships, and inference of migration patterns, behavior, and abundance. The focus will be on practical applications, and students will develop both a theoretical understanding of the methods and hands-on experience with all steps from sample collection, molecular biology laboratory techniques, data analysis, and communication of results.