Who we are and what we do
Where we are today:
1) Coordination across 14+ research units and many university collaborators.
2) prioritization, collection, and sequencing of diverse bee taxa.
3) data assembly, annotation, analysis, and curation in publicly accessible databases.
Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash
Research Results/Outcomes
Our accomplishments:
1) 54 high-priority species collected and sequenced in first year. Species were selected based on taxonomic diversity, biological importance, and conservation status, and then processed at one of two involved sequencing hubs (Hilo and Stoneville).
2) Refinement of sequencing pipeline to allow superior assemblies and microbial data. Economical two-phase sequencing effort, followed by assembly, upload to CBI, integration with i5K.
3) Sequencing of the putatively extinct species Bombus franklini, and other at-risk species, has facilitated collaborative research to survey for species using DNA.