This two-part in-depth training workshop was held in Porto, Portugal for the core project team and provided teaching on 1) Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and 2) Molecular methods related to the BID project.
GIS Training
The aim of the GIS workshop was to provide basic training in the use of Software and georeferencing techniques through the knowledge of Hugo Rebelo from the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO) and Rachael Cooper-Bohannon from Bats without Borders.
Topics covered included:
- Overview of GIS
- Understanding of data types
- Understanding of software
- Downloading ArcGIS and QGIS
- Downloading shape files and species records
- Importing shape files, rasters and clipping
- Displaying occurrence data
- Upscaling and downscaling
- Changing projections
- Producing figures
Molecular Methods
The project team recieved basic training in molecular methods that will assist in the collection of data in the long-term, specifically skills in extraction of tissue samples from bat specimens for molecular analysis.
The training for the Molecular Methods Workshop was provided by staff from the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources - InBIO Associate Laboratory in Porto (CIBIO-InBIO), an internationally recognized Research Unit in biological sciences conducting basic and applied research on the three main components of biodiversity: genes, species and ecosystems.
Topics covered included:
- Genetic attributes of populations
- Levels and types of variation in populations
- Invasive and non-invasive sampling
- Environmental DNA sampling
- Preservation of tissue samples for molecular analysis
- DNA extraction
- DNA detection
- Molecular markers
- DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction
- Preparing sequences of a genome for analysis
- Sequencing and comparing individuals among populations and species
- Microsatellites
- Using microsatellites (Genotyping)
