Professor Freerk Molleman (Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology) is participating in an international research project aimed at obtaining the genomes of all European butterfly species, both diurnal and nocturnal. The project, implemented as part of the Psyche Project, is one of the greatest initiatives of its kind in Europe.
Scientists are planning to sequence the DNA of more than 11,000 butterfly species, which will provide better insights into evolutionary processes, mechanisms of adaptation to environmental changes, and the causes of biodiversity decline. Butterflies are considered one of the most crucial bioindicators – their populations react quickly to climate change and habitat degradation.
Genomes of the first thousand species have already been created as part of the project and made available in open databases. The information collected is a valuable source of knowledge for research in molecular biology, ecology and nature conservation.
More information can be found in an article published on the Nauka w Polsce website.