Cold brew: fetching insect, fungal and plant biodiversity from coffee filters using eDNA
- Beschreibung
Environmental DNA (eDNA) allows us to detect organisms from the genetic traces (from pollen, spores, or skin cells) they leave behind in the environment. When we catch insects for biodiversity research, they are preserved in bottles of ethanol. To separate the insects from the liquid, researchers have been using coffee filters. Usually, the focus is only on the ethanol. But we think we are throwing away a goldmine of data! During filtering, massive amounts of DNA material—like fungal spores, plant pollen, and dust—get stuck to the paper filter. To uncover this hidden biodiversity you will perform lab experiments, and we will be happy to help you with it at every step!
To give you a better idea of the larger biodiversity assessment project behind this, your work will also include a field trip.
Your main tasks will be:
- Lab Optimization: Figuring out the best way to extract DNA directly from filter paper.
- Lab Work: Once you extract the DNA, you will run PCRs (targeting plants, fungi, and insects) to see what hidden biodiversity was trapped on the filter. In the end, we will perform sequencing to find out exactly what species you were able to fetch from the coffee filters.
- Projektzeitraum
- Wintersemester 2026/2027
- Bewerbungszeitraum
- 12. bis 26.10.2026
- Durchführung
- nach Absprache
- Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
This project is offered by the Natural History Museum Stuttgart and will be supervised there by Anna Kartasheva.
- Studienfach
-
Agrarbiologie
Agrarwissenschaften
Biologie - Betreuende
- Margaret Eppli, Dr. Ann-Catrin Fender, Joanna Costello
- Institut
- Institut für Biologie (190) (KomBioTa (101))
- Sprache
- englisch
- Teilnehmendenanzahl
- min. 1, max. 3
- Arbeitsaufwand
-
ca. 180 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r
| 6
ECTS-Punkte
Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.
- Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
- Projektart
- experimentell
- Lernziele
-
Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:
- Learn how to troubleshoot and optimize protocols in a real lab setting.
- Gain confident, hands-on experience with DNA extraction and PCR.
- Learn how to test new scientific methods.
- Understand the basics of modern biodiversity monitoring.
- Anmerkungen für Studierende
You do not need to be an expert to apply! We will teach you both lab and bioinformatic parts. If you have high motivation to learn molecular genetics methods, with a focus on eDNA approaches in a friendly environment, you are the perfect fit. Contact us at anna.kartasheva@smns-bw.de.
- Schlagworte
- eDNA, Lab work, Method testing, PCR, biodiversity, field work