Research project AG/LL/163 (Research action AG)
The AGORA project “Ensuring Belgian Natural History Collections for the 22nd Century: towards a joint tissue and DNA collection” is a joint project of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), with the collaboration of other institutions in Belgium and abroad.
It has the twofold objective of testing the utility of existing natural history collections for molecular techniques, and making accessible the associated data of preserved specimens at both institutions in a standardized fashion. More specifically the following activities will be conducted:
- To test optimal methodologies for extraction and conservation of genetic material in natural history collections
- To develop protocols for collecting and managing tissue samples and DNA extractions, according to international standards
- To test the utility of existing collections for state-of-the-art molecular technologies
- To promote the efficient, simple and standardized coding of tissue and DNA samples, in order to ensure a swift and automated incorporation of these data in the DaRWIN collection management program
- To enter and organize collection data with regard to tissue and DNA samples in the DaRWIN collection management program
- To Support the development and implementation of the DaRWIN data system at the RMCA
- To test and exploit the DaRWIN program for the compilation of publications concerning the RBINS and RMCA collections.
