FOGS - LIB

Title of the project
FOGS - Forensic Genetics for Species Protection
Management
Dr Jonas Astrin
Org. categorisation
Biobank
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Description of the

What is FOGS?

Protected animals are traded illegally to a high degree, in Europe often in order to keep extravagant pets. The damage to our biodiversity caused by these criminal and internationally active machinations is considerable. Animal populations are barely able to recover and species are becoming extinct as a result of wild harvesting. Studies show that environmental crime generates annual profits of 100 to 260 billion US dollars. Nature conservation authorities and law enforcement still lack routinely applicable and, above all, court-proof evidence to act effectively and protect these wild animals.
The FOGS (Forensic Genetics for Species Protection) project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is developing DNA-based tools to protect wild animals from being traded illegally in the future.

The technology behind it

These tools utilise a combination of genetic markers: SNPSTR technology. The SNPSTR markers can be used with the respective DNA reference samples to determine the origin and relationship of the analysed animals. For example, it can be determined whether the breeding programmes examined are actually legal offspring or whether hybrid breeding of protected birds of prey exists, which is prohibited by the Federal Species Protection Act. The coupled analysis of these markers provides a very high level of genetic information and even allows populations to be differentiated.

The project objective

The aim of the project is to support law enforcement in the illegal wildlife trade using genetic markers. In this way, endangered species can be protected and individual populations are given a chance to recover. As part of the project, we are offering to set up a database with a freely accessible online portal containing marker and sequence data for a large number of genetic loci for endangered animal species with high relevance for species protection authorities. In addition to the database, the project will also create a physical sample bank for the wildlife species, which will be stored in the LIB Biobank as a liquid nitrogen-cooled tissue and DNA collection. In addition to more conventional sample types, biopsies of recently deceased animals will also be taken to create cell cultures to specifically preserve living cells.

Dr. Jonas Astrin

Head of Section
Biobank Curator

Phone: +49 228 9122 357
E-Mail: j.astrin@leibniz-lib.de

Team

Dr. Jonas Astrin
zmb Biobank Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 357
E-mail: j.astrin@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Camilla Bruno Di Nizo
zmb Biobank
Phone: +49 228 9122 355
E-mail: c.dinizo@leibniz-lib.de
Albia Consul
zbm Applied & Experimental Ecology Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 359
E-mail: a.consul@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. France Gimnich
zmb Biobank
Phone: +49 228 9122 355
E-mail: f.gimnich@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Peter Grobe
ztm Biodiversity informatics Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 342
E-mail: p.grobe@leibniz-lib.de
Sebastian Martin
Scientist
Phone: +49 228 9122 428
E-mail: s.martin@leibniz-lib.de
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof
Management Director
Phone: +49 228 9122 200
E-mail: b.misof@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Annika Mozer
zmb Comparative Genomics - Vertebrates Doctoral candidate
Phone: +49 228 9122 355
E-mail: a.mozer@leibniz-lib.de
MSc Laura von der Mark
zmb Biobank
Phone: +49 228 9122 355
E-mail: l.vondermark@leibniz-lib.de