LOEWE Centre for
Translational Biodiversity Genomics
Understanding the genomic basis of biodiversity
Nominate your favourite mollusc for free genome sequencing
From all the nominations Senckenberg/LOEWE-TBG and Unitas Malacologica will select five top molluscs and the final winner will be determined by a popular vote in February / March.
Genomic diversity as a basis for biodiversity
Biodiversity is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution and one of the most complex phenomena on earth. The LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics focusses on the genetic basis of biological diversity to make it accessible for basic and applied research. We sequence and study genomic variation across the tree of life to comprehend the origin and functional adaptations of diversity from genes to ecosystems (Comparative Genomics). The data addresses societal knowledge demands in applied fields, such as the genomic basis of biologically active substances (Natural Products Genomics), and the sustainable use and management of biological resources (Genomic Biomonitoring; Functional Environmental Genomics)
Main Objectives of TBG
- establish a new and taxonomically broad genome collection, the Senckenberg Biodiversity Genome Collection (SBGC) as an innovative digital and specimen-based museum collection
- compare genomic diversity across the tree of life to better understand the origin and functions of all levels of biological diversity (from genes to ecosystems)
- make genomic resources accessible for applied research, e.g. for a sustainable bioeconomy or natural resources management.
LOEWE-TBG is a joint research institution of the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, the Goethe University Frankfurt, the Justus Liebig University Gießen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology (MPIterMic), the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP and is initially funded by the LOEWE programme of the State of Hesse, Germany.
Research at the centre is divided into four project areas and numerous individual and joint projects:
The LOEWE TBG laboratory centre and a bioinformatics unit provide a powerful infrastructure for the direct implementation of projects. Their results are made available to society via technology transfer and public relations.
News
What’s new at LOEWE-TBG? Find all our videos, news, press releases and selected press articles in our Newsroom. By watching our videos you can, for example, take a look into our lab center and learn more about DNA extraction or get to know TBG’s junior research groups. News include scientific results, prizes, conferences, events, job vacancies and much more. Take a look, stay tuned and follow us on Twitter @LOEWE_TBG.
You need texts or pictures about LOEWE-TBG for publication in media? Our numerous press releases and those of our partners as well as press pictures can also be found at the News Room (via Senckenberg). TBG in TV, Radio and in newspapers – we further compiled a selection of media reports.
Perspective paper highlights the importance of comprehensive genome analyses for conservation biology
25.01.2022
In a perspective paper published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution the ERGA consortium - including four scientists from the LOEWE-TBG and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research - highlights the need and importance of reference genomes in the context of conservation biology revolutionizing the conservation genomics era.
Genomic research that uses genetic material to study individual organisms, populations and ecosystems greatly benefits from reference-quality genomes by generating insight into the evolutionary make-up and adaptive potential of a species.
First author Dr. Kathrin Theissinger, from the Program Area Functional Environmental Genomics at LOEWE-TBG: "We are at the beginning of an exciting era in which reference genomes, especially in combination with population genomic data, can finally contribute to the monitoring, conservation and restoration of biological diversity."
For more infos see press release at Senckenberg. (Foto: Clement Schneider)
LOEWE-TBG funded for an additional three years
02.12.2021
The Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts (HMWK) has officially announced: LOEWE-TBG will receive further support in a second funding phase from 2022 to 2024 in the amount of approximately 15.6 million euros plus 2.6 million euros for construction measures. Read press release of HMWK. “Since LOEWE funding began in 2018, we have sequenced around 400 different species for the first time, including trees, insects, mammals and lichens. The analysis of these genomes has provided a multitude of new insights, including adaptations to environmental conditions, the production of natural products and evolutionary developments. In parallel, with our own laboratory centre and powerful bioinformatics, we have established infrastructure that enables researchers to efficiently generate and evaluate their genome data. This puts us in an excellent position in the second funding phase to work out the application relevance of the results – from nature and species conservation to medical applications,” explains LOEWE-TBG coordinator and spokesperson Prof. Dr. Axel Janke.
More infos: press release of LOEWE-TBG.
Gene loss as a result of unbalanced diet - Evolutionary adaptation could be dangerous for predators
18.01.2022
A team of scientists from the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, the LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG) and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research have investigated whether changes in the diet of 52 present-day and 31 extinct mammal species could lead to the loss of genes during evolution. In their study, recently published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, they found that the loss of the PNLIPRP1 gene is associated with a low-fat diet, regardless of whether the animal is a herbivore or carnivore. In addition, researchers have pointed out that carnivores may be particularly vulnerable to diet-related toxins because of the loss of the gene NR1I3, which is involved in the detoxification process.
Find further information in the scientific study or the press release at Senckenberg. (Photo: Pexels)
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