Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor (MEEB)

Understanding and quantifying the distribution of biodiversity both within and across species using molecular genetic methods is a major research focus of the MEEB team. Areas of current activity include: use of qPCR, amplicon and metagenome sequencing, genome skimming and metabarcoding of community (bulk) environmental DNA (eDNA) for the assessment/biomonitoring of airborne pollen, microbial communities, terrestrial, freshwater and marine life, pollinators and dietary interactions.

PIs working within this theme: Prof Si Creer, Dr Anita Malhotra, Dr Alex Papadopulos, Prof Gary Carvalho, Prof James McDonald

We apply a combination of cultivation-based, molecular and microbiome engineering approaches to characterise both host-associated and environmental microbiomes, including viromes, in soils, landfill sites, aquatic environments and tree disease systems, in order to understand the role of microbiomes in plant health and disease, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem function. Current research themes include high-throughput methods for the detection of human pathogens in aquatic environments and microbiome analysis of; (i) of biomass-degrading microorganisms for biofuels and biotechnology, (ii) complex tree diseases (e.g., Acute Oak Decline) and (iii) plants specialised to contaminated soils.

PIs working within this theme: Prof James McDonald, Dr Alex Papadopulos

Humans are having profound impacts on the ecology and evolution of species around the globe, so much so that the current geological epoch has been coined the “Anthropocene”. Groups in MEEB are tackling questions related to evolution in the Anthropocene that include how organisms are able to adapt to human altered environments and what demographic and evolutionary processes act as controls on biological invasions. These projects focus on understanding adaptation at phenotypic and genomic scales and utilize a diverse set of experiments, data types (e.g. high-throughput phenotyping, whole genome DNA sequencing, and RNA sequencing), and analyses.

PIs working within this theme: Dr Aaron Comeault, Dr Alex Papadopulos, Dr Amy Ellison, Dr Anita Malhotra, Prof Si Creer, Prof. Gary Carvalho.

Anthropogenic pressures on wild and domesticated species are leading to alterations of host exposure risks to both native and novel pathogens. Consequently, the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions are currently changing at unprecedented rates in both natural and managed animal populations. Using a combination of experimental parasitology and molecular approaches, current research activities include comparative transcriptomics of host infection responses, parasite landscape genomics, and the impacts of human interventions on parasite genetic structure and diversity.

PIs working within this theme: Dr Amy Ellison, Dr Alex Papadopulos, Prof James McDonald

Herpetological research in MEEB focuses on the evolution of snake venoms, systematics and phylogenetics of venomous snakes, and the treatment and mitigation of snakebite. Bringing together ecology, evolution and genetics, our aim is to develop an integrative view of venoms at the interface between snakes and their environments. Our research is global in scope and covers all continents on which snakes occur. Additional lines of research include the ecology, conservation biology and genetics of native and non-native snake species, adaptation and speciation in island lizards, and the evolution of aposematic signals in poison frogs.

PIs working within this theme: Dr Anita Malhotra, Prof Wolfgang Wüster, Dr Aaron Comeault

Almost all organisms possess time-keeping capabilities, enabling them to anticipate and prepare for regular changes in their environment. ‘Biological clocks’ are endogenous mechanisms that temporally organise metabolic, physiological, behavioural and life-history events within individuals. In MEEB, we study circadian rhythms of hosts, microbiomes and parasites to improve our understanding of disease dynamics in captive and wild animal populations, as well as the impacts of light pollution on aquatic animal rhythmicity and health.

PI’s working within this theme: Dr Amy Ellison, Prof Si Creer

Modern genomics tools provide a powerful means to document the timescales, significance and consequences of losing genetic diversity in natural populations. In MEEB, we use a combination of genetics and genomic tool to investigate shifts in population sizes, loss of adaptive and neutral diversity and the accumulation of deleterious genetic variation in small populations. Study systems include, Snakes in the UK, Drosophilid flies, Madagascan plants, Arctic charr and fisheries genetics more broadly - investigating the population genetic structure, management and traceability of marine fishes.

PI’s working within this theme: Dr Amy Ellison, Prof Wolfgang Wüster, Dr Alex Papadopulos, Dr Aaron Comeault, Dr Anita Malhotra, Prof Si Creer

Our genomic tools facilitate the high-throughput (1152 PCR block capacity) generation of DNA data (sequences, qPCR, fragment analysis, SNPs, metabarcoding libraries, genomic and metagenomics library preparation), including bench top liquid handling capability for high throughput studies. Prior to sequencing, we use NanoDrop, Qubit, Bioanalysers and the Pippin Prep to clean and quantify molecular targets. High throughput sequencing (Illumina, PacBio) is performed via close links with the nearby Liverpool University’s Centre for Genome Research and the Birmingham Joint Genome Centre/Beijing Genome Institute and other providers. We also benefit from links to the newly established School of Natural Sciences, Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, hosting Illumina MiSeq capability and an extensive range of cutting edge proteomic and metabolomic analytical capabilities. Downstream bioinformatic analyses are deployed from a centrally supported dedicated Linux suite, local cluster, with HPC capability provided by Supercomputing Wales and a distributed architecture of thousands of CPUs facilitating the analysis of small, medium and large-scale genomic datasets.

The ECW building houses containment level 1 and 2 microbiology laboratories, with facilities for anaerobic microbial cultivation and dedicated laboratories for bacterial and fungal culture.

The Brambell building's entire lower floor area is a dedicated aquarium facility, incorporating constant temperature environmental rooms with the capacity to accommodate both marine and freshwater ecosystem research.

The Brambell Building is also home to a suite of dedicated temperature-controlled rooms housing reptiles used in research and teaching, including a room adapted for the keeping of venomous species.

We believe it is important to be self-motivated and to challenge yourself, but we do not expect this to happen in a vacuum. We value a work environment that allows individuals to ask questions and explore their interests while being supported and treated with respect. This allows us to develop and learn as a group that is greater than the sum of its parts.

We believe that science should be conducted in an open, transparent, and ethical fashion. Mistakes happen, but when research is made open and transparent this helps facilitate corrections. Communication within an open and collaborative work environment can also help catch mistakes at an early stage and it allows everyone to learn from each other's mistakes. This is a benefit of working in the collaborative environment that we promote within our teams and across MEEB as a whole. All relevant research conducted within MEEB is carried out following relevant ethical approval and with benefit sharing among all parties involved with that research.

The lack of diversity in STEM is an important societal issue that Universities, as places of higher learning, can play a key role in addressing. We are committed to fostering diversity within our group and value the contributions that all people can make to a constructive and productive work environment. Below is a selection of relevant resources that highlight concerning diversity issues that exist in STEM.

• “Is diversity moral? Educational?” - Inside Higher Education
• “Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions” - Nature Ecology and Evolution
• “To learn inclusion skills, make it personal” - Nature
• “Opinion: Gender diversity leads to better science” - PNAS
• “’This deserves our attention.’ New data highlight LGBTQ scientists’ workplace challenges” - Science