The rapid evolution of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding efforts offers unprecedented opportunities for biodiversity conservation. The exponential increase in DNA sequencing data improves the efficiency and scalability of species identification, although it also presents significant computational challenges. This session invites experts in bioinformatics, computational biology, and environmental genomics to discuss recent advances in bioinformatics solutions tailored to DNA barcoding and metabarcoding. We will explore innovative computational strategies to overcome data processing, analysis, and interpretation bottlenecks. Topics include advances in algorithm development for sequence analysis, improvements in computational pipelines to support large-scale metabarcoding studies, analysis of organellar genomes as “next-generation” barcodes, and the integration of artificial intelligence to enhance species identification accuracy. Participants will be able to share insights, discuss challenges, and propose collaborative solutions to accelerate the application of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding in biodiversity research. This session will also highlight case studies demonstrating the practical impacts of bioinformatics advances on conservation efforts, stimulating a multidisciplinary dialogue on the sustainable management of biological resources. The networking among researchers will also be facilitated, encouraging partnerships that bridge the gap between technological innovations and their real-world applications in ecosystem monitoring and species conservation.
Agenda
Integration of molecular species concepts and barcoding data in global biodiversity databases.
Presenter: Thomas Stjernegaard Jeppesen
Affiliation: GBIF
Format: Full Talk
Advancing biodiversity metrics: A novel phylogenetic pipeline for large barcode databases.
Presenter: Rutger Vos
Affiliation: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Format: Full Talk
BOLD v5: A distributed bioinformatics platform for DNA-based biodiversity data.
Presenter: Sujeevan Ratnasingham
Affiliation: Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph
Format: Full Talk
An evaluation of denoising approaches for arthropod metabarcoding from bulk samples.
Presenter: Marius Eisele
Affiliation: Institute of Natural Produces and Agrobiology, Spanish National Research Council (IPNA-CSIC)
Format: Full Talk
AGE is an advanced method for animal species identification based on Analysis of whole-Genome.
Presenter: Yutong Gan
Affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College
Format: Lightning Talk
