Sampling
Q. I have collected a really special thing/I work on an amazing organism that hasn’t
been sequenced yet. How do I submit samples for genome sequencing through
DToL?
- A. Contact DToL Project Management via contact@darwintreeoflife.org
Q. How do I find out what has been sampled already?
- A. Look at the DToL Portal which gives you full insight into everything in our pipeline.
Q: Do you sequence species that are not from the UK and Ireland?
- A. Our project focuses on the eukaryotes of Ireland and Britain, and we have limited resources to sequence additional species. If your species is found in continental Europe, the European Reference Genome Atlas project will be interested to hear from you. If your species is a vertebrate, the Vertebrate Genomes Project may be interested. Otherwise check the Earth BioGenome Project affiliates page and check if any of the projects may have an interest in your species.
Q. Do you have to kill the species you sequence?
- A. We follow a strict ethical code of sampling. While it is true that for smaller animal species we do have to euthanize an individual to obtain enough sample for sequencing, for larger species we try to sample non-lethally wherever possible. For animals covered by Home Office legislation, we only sample in carefully controlled, explicitly permitted ways consistent with animal welfare regulations. For endangered and protected species we only collect where we have permission to do so, and in close consultation with wildlife managers.