Trent University alumna and post-doctoral fellow Dr. Linda Rutledge, Ph.D. Environmental and Life Sciences,  is working to overcome what she says are the two major hurdles for genomic research in the natural resources sector –  the high cost associated with genome-wide analysis of large sample sizes, and the large amounts of starting DNA required.

Dr. Rutledege’s project with Dr. Brent Patterson, research scientist, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (OMNRF) and adjunct professor at Trent, was one of three to receive a new $30,000 SPARK grant from the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI).

“OGI is providing investigators with catalytic funding to enable them to undertake novel, high-impact, highly-innovative and/or early-stage projects in the Genomic Sciences," said Mark Poznansky, president and CEO of OGI. "These three new projects are most promising in improving and developing new growth opportunities for Ontario’s natural resources sector.”

Dr. Rutledge and Dr. Patterson are working together with Dr. Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton University to make genomics more accessible to researchers in the natural resources sector. They'll be collaborating with additional scientists at Princeton who developed a new genome-wide sequencing method on fruit flies called multiplexed shotgun genotyping – MSG.

While the method has not yet been fully tested on non-model species (i.e. species outside the lab), it has the potential to overcome a number of stumbling blocks, says Dr. Rutledge

"Making genomics research more accessible is an important step forward in conservation," says Dr. Rutledge, adding she will apply her findings to improving wolf conservation. “Resolving taxonomic uncertainty and identifying genes involved in local adaptation are key goals of conservation. This project has the potential to help clarify both of those for the eastern wolf, a species at risk in Canada." 

“Determining and identifying changes in the distribution of eastern wolves in Ontario is an important research priority for the province," adds Professor Patterson. "Developing a low cost method for obtaining reliable genetic profiles from low yield samples like scats will contribute greatly to achieving this objective.”

Beyond improved wolf conservation, the researchers hope the project will provide them with an effective, low-cost approach to genomic analysis of fish and wildlife populations.

"In addition to clarifying genomic ancestry and identifying genes involved in local adaptation, the MSG approach has the potential to track hybridization between native and invasive species, and identify genes involved in disease resistance. Understanding these processes at the genomic level will not only improve conservation of species at risk, it will also help ensure sustainability of socio-economically important fish and wildlife species,” says Dr. Rutledge.

Posted on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.