Laura Bertola

I'm interested in how the rapidly developing field of genomics can contribute to the field of conservation biology. During my PhD I applied various genetic techniques to gain insight into the distribution of genetic diversity in the lion. These data provide a rational basis for prioritising populations for conservation efforts, but also give insight into evolutionary drivers which may have contributed to the current genetic make-up.The integration of multiple datasources, such as environmental information from satellite data, can help to detect adaptation and possible vulnerability of populations. I have also worked on metabarcoding and environmental DNA for assessing diet and community composition.