Traditional methods for monitoring tropical biodiversity are labor-intensive and rely on dwindling taxonomic expertise. This critical information gap leaves biodiversity inadequately represented in policy and legal frameworks, despite escalating threats in these hyperdiverse ecosystems. The convergence of robotics and molecular biology, particularly advancements in on-site technologies, such as the Oxford Nanopore's MinION, offers a transformative solution. This symposium leverages our XPRIZE Rainforest Competition experience to explore the revolutionary potential of coupling robotics with on-site sequencing for tropical biodiversity monitoring. More specifically, we will delve into the promising applications of these approaches for (i) high-throughput barcoding, for an efficient identification of plant and arthropod specimens, and (ii) community-level analyses, by unveiling the composition of trans-kingdom communities from various environmental samples. The symposium will also critically examine both the analytical (i.e. bioinformatics, validation) and ethical challenges associated with these novel approaches, ensuring a realistic, responsible and sustainable implementation.

 

 

 

Agenda

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Biodiversity assessment using cutting-edge technologies: where robotics meets molecular biology.

Presenter: Carla Lopes
Affiliation: Esalq, Universidade de São Paulo
Format: Full Talk

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Increasing DNA reference databases for rapid species identification of plants, invertebrates and fishes in tropical forests: the XPRIZE-Rainforest experience.

Presenter: Cassio Toledo
Affiliation: Esalq, Universidade de São Paulo
Format: Full Talk

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Nanopore sequencing: optimization of barcoding and metabarcoding for the xPrize rainforest competition.

Presenter 1: Pierre Taberlet  
Affiliation: CNRS
Presenter 2: Eric Coissac
Affiliation: UGA
Format: Full Talk

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