Technical Applications
Technology applications of genomics – and other molecular-based tools – are increasingly being used to assess risks to wildlife populations and to evaluate ecosystem change in a comprehensive way. By identifying effects of environmental stressors on lower levels of biological organization, such as the subcellular level, specific and sensitive biochemical endpoints can also provide valuable information about the impacts of ecosystem change. However, untested assumptions and uncertain linkages to One Health outcomes can limit the value and implementation of these technologies in conservation-based science programs.
In addition to helping to develop indicators of changes to wildlife and ecosystem health, our field and lab-based research also aims to improve inference related to molecular and biochemical approaches and to validate the use of new techniques for evaluating threats to biodiversity.
Quantifying lead ammunition fragments in hunted game meat (Project lead: Dr. Adam Leontowich, Canadian Light Source): To directly observe and quantify the smallest fragments produced in-situ by lead-based hunting ammunition, tissues from animals harvested using lead-based projectiles were imaged using radiography, non-destructive high resolution synchrotron X-rays, and scanning electron microscopy. Micro-and nanoscale lead ammunition fragments, undetectable in radiographs, were directly observed within tissue for the first time. Manuscript accepted.
Shell pigmentation and contaminant levels in eggs (Drs Jesús Gómez and Oscar Gordo, Independent Researchers and Jordyn Stalwick): To evaluate whether pigmentation characteristics of birds’ eggs are linked to egg levels of contaminants, such as mercury or persistent organic pollutants, we are studying semipalmated sandpiper eggs laid at Arctic sites.
Tissue fractionation models for eggs in captive killdeer (Dr. Keith Hobson, Environment & Climate Change Canada and Western University): We conducted captive diet trials with egg-laying shorebirds and will use the resulting data to evaluate how nutrients are allocated for reproduction.
Integrating the avian gut microbiome in biodiversity conservation and health monitoring (Dr. Jérôme Comte, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique): Using the set of DNA (orRNA) from a group of organisms to describe biological communities is a valuable tool in biodiversity studies. For example, research on the microbial communities inhabiting host gastrointestinal tracts (i.e., gut microbiome) is becoming increasingly important in understanding wildlife health. To promote genomics in avian conservation and health monitoring, this research aims to incorporate microbiome evaluations into ongoing risk assessments for migratory bird species.
Kynurenine Tryptophan Ratio (KTR): a cross-species marker of exposure to environmental contaminants (Laiba Jamshed, and Dr. Alison Holloway, McMaster University): Under Dr. Holloway's guidance, Laiba is investigating the impact of environmental contaminants on the metabolic functions of mammals, birds, and fish, aiming to determine if the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway is a unifying mechanism explaining metabolic toxicity of these compounds across species. She will work on a translational study, conducting both in vitro and in vivo exposures to a plasticizer and comparing the ratio of kynurenine to tryptophan to investigate mechanisms of action.
Factors affecting detection of arthropod DNA in avian feces (Christina Desnoyers, M.Sc., University of Saskatchewan): Christina worked with data from a captive feeding experiment, designing and implementing a multiplex qPCR assay to test if molecular analyses of feces can be used to quantify the composition of a mixed, arthropod-based diet in birds. Defended in 2022.
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Enhancing techniques to quantify lead in large tissue samples (Lynsey Bent, M.Sc. University of Saskatchewan): For this part of her thesis, Lynsey worked to bridge the gap between traditional (medical radiography) and advanced imaging technologies (synchrotron biomedical imaging) for quantifying lead present in hunted animal remains.
Defended in 2025
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Describing diets of boreal birds with Next Generation Sequencing (Tori Redman, M.Sc. in progress): The impacts of forestry on birds and invertebrate communities have been well studied but less is known about how changes in bird communities and invertebrate fauna are related. To explore how forestry impacts the invertebrate communities that boreal songbirds rely on for food, Tori is evaluating bird diets using environmental DNA (eDNA) from feces.
