• Using Mosquito Blood Meals to Enhance Wildlife Pathogen Surveillance and Management

Carson Torhorst, Hannah Atsma, Zoe White, Sebastian Bolero-Cañola, Lawrence Reeves, Nathan Burkett-Cadena, Samantha Wisely

• Molecular Discovery of DNA from filarial nematodes in an endangered Galapagos pinniped (Zalophus wollebaeki)

Isabella Livingston

• Accuracy of Field Morphological Identification of Mice Species and Tickborne Pathogen Prevalence in Pennsylvania

Sarah Schwartz, Nicole Chinnici, Michael Rowley, Matthew Williams, Gaimi Davies, Priscilla Langlais, Grace Oram

• Avian malaria parasite prevalence and diversity in raptors across the United States

Laura Kwasnoski, Vincenzo Ellis, Michael Collins

• Growth Control of the Fungal Pathogen Causing White-nose Syndrome by Repeated Doses of dsRNA

Jenny Urbina, Emily Dziedzic, Tina Cheng, Winifred F. Frick, Taal Levi

• Hunting vs. Culling: Using Genomics to Assess Strategies for Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in White-Tailed Deer Populations

Alec Christensen, Michelle Carstensen, Emily Latch, Torre Hovick, Travis Seaborn

• Evidence of Regional but not Parallel Selection in Indiana Bats Affected by White-nose Syndrome 

Brooke Maslo, Robert Kwait, Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Malin Pinsky, Maarten Vonhof, Evan Eskew

• Potential Transcriptomic Evidence of Sepsis in Bats with White-nose Syndrome

Robert Kwait, Evan Eskew, Malin Pinsky, Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Brooke Maslo

• Punch in the Gut: Finding Chronic Wasting Disease Prions and Markers of Disease Risk in Fecal Samples

Alyssa Kaganer, Krysten Schuler

• Models incorporating genotypes can identify populations at risk of Chronic Wasting Disease in White-tailed Deer

Chandika Rani Ganesh Babu, Emily Latch

• Comparing the genomes of wild white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) infected and uninfected with Borrelia burgdorferi

Scarlet Shifflett, Vincenzo Ellis, Jacob Bowman, Ashley Kennedy

The field of wildlife genetics is being transformed by new genomic methods. The goal of this workshop is to provide an overview of genomic methods that can be used to address research questions in wildlife ecology, conservation, and management. Specifically, we will cover the topics of whole genome sequencing, reduced representation sequencing, identifying adaptive loci, single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping panels, eDNA assays, eDNA metabarcoding, and diet metabarcoding. We will include examples of how these new methods are being used to identify conservation and management units, assess genetic diversity and gene flow, monitor biodiversity, detect invasive species, and understand adaptation.

Genomics has revolutionized the fields of conservation genetics and molecular ecology. Genomic datasets from non-model organisms are now easier and more cost efficient to generate, while being able to explore new questions where traditional genetic markers were limited. However, a significant hurdle to analyzing genomic datasets is the bioinformatic knowledge required. The goal of this workshop is to provide a basic overview of how to analyze genomic data sets in R; specifically covering importing data sets, variant filtering, and basic population genetic analyses. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to have a basic understanding of R and bring their own laptops.

• Landscape genomics of Rhyacotriton cascadae, an ESA candidate salamander endemic to the Pacific Northwest

Christopher Cousins

• Testing the effects of natural and anthropogenic landscape features on wolverine gene flow across northwestern North America

Elise Stacy

• Comparative landscape genetics of two partly sympatric hare species

Jeremy Larroque

• Increasing predictive power of landscape genetics: including spatially-explicit mechanisms

Brook Milligan

• Landscape genetics, occupancy, and omnidirectional circuit theory for inferring wildlife connectivity and gene flow

Cody Aylward

• Landscape genetics of Anuran species in the northern rocky mountains: lessons across species and landscapes

Melanie Murphy

The field of wildlife genetics is being transformed by new genomic methods. The goal of this workshop is to provide an overview of genomic methods that can be used to address research questions in wildlife ecology, conservation, and management. Specifically, we will cover the topics of whole genome sequencing, reduced representation sequencing, identifying adaptive loci, single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping panels, eDNA assays, eDNA metabarcoding, and diet metabarcoding. We will include examples of how these new methods are being used to identify conservation and management units, assess genetic diversity and gene flow, monitor biodiversity, detect invasive species, and understand adaptation.

Genomics has revolutionized the fields of conservation genetics and molecular ecology. Genomic datasets from non-model organisms are now easier and more cost efficient to generate, while being able to explore new questions where traditional genetic markers were limited. However, a significant hurdle to analyzing genomic datasets is the bioinformatic knowledge required. The goal of this workshop is to provide a basic overview of how to analyze genomic data sets in R; specifically covering importing data sets, variant filtering, and basic population genetic analyses. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to have a basic understanding of R and bring their own laptops.

• Tracking at-risk and invasive species with confidence? Opportunities and challenges of eDNA approaches

Caren Helbing

• Environmental DNA mobilizes consortium of tribal governments toward large-scale monitoring of a culturally important species

Meredith Pochardt, Taal Levi

• Message in a bottle? Detecting cryptic and endemic salamanders at risk from climate change

Christopher Cousins, Jennifer Allen, Tiffany Garcia, Emily Dziedzic, Dede Olson, Brooke Penaluna, Lindsey Thruman

• Evaluating eDNA methods for detecting pangolins in central and west Africa to inform conservation actions

Ichu Godwill Ichu, John Brooks, Stephen Spear, Daniel Challender, Franklin Simo, Dana Morin

• Transitioning from environmental genetics to genomics using mitogenome reference databases

Emily Dziedzic, Brian Sidlauskas, Richard Cronn, Jamie Anthony, Trevan Cornwell, Thomas Friesen, Peter Konstantinidis, Brooke Penaluna, Staci Stein, Taal Levi

• Assessing targeted soil eDNA sampling for estimating distribution of cryptic shrew species 

Daniela Adjaye, Stephen Spear, John Brooks, Geriann Albers, Eric Hileman, Dana Morin

• Environmental Detection and monitoring of invasive mammals

Anna Mangan, John Kronenberger, Taylor Wilcox, Ian Plummer, Toni Piaggio

• A general framework to guide early detection rapid response actions following invasive species eDNA detections

Adam Sepulveda, Christine Dumoulin, David Smith

• eDNA technology allows non-invasive research on polar bears in Alaska

Andrew Von Duyke, Jennifer Adams, Justin Crawford, Micaela Hellström, Elisabeth Kruger, Melanie Lancaster, Lori Quakenbush, Lisette Waits

• eDNA applications for improving sage-grouse management: detecting nest predators from eggshells after depredation events

Nolan Helmstetter, Courtney Conway, Shane Roberts, Paul Makela, Jennifer Adams, Stacey Nerkowski, Lisette Waits

• Using vertebrate metabarcoding to inform a nationwide wetland monitoring program

Marissa Kaminski, Yer Lor, Stephen Spear, Black Hossack, Erin Muths, Tariq Tajjoui, Adam Backlin, Jamie Barichivich, Adrianne Brand, Robert Fisher, Jill Fleming, Brad Glorioso, Evan Grant, Daniel Grear, Brian Halstead, Patrick Kleeman, Brome McCreary, Jennifer Rowe, Charles Schafer, Hardin Waddle, Megan Winzeler, Michael Adams

• Deposition and degradation of bee eDNA on flowers

David Pilliod, Jonathan Koch, Yer Lor, Matthew Laramie, Stephen Spear

• eDNA detection of an endangered nectar-feeding bat from agave flowers 

Daniel Sanchez, Faith Walker, Jacqueline Lyman, Emma Froehlich, Emma Federman, Meagan Owens, Kristen Lear

• Identification of critical herptofauna wetland habitat using eDNA metabarcoding 

Olivia Ruppert, John Robinson, Jared Homola, Jennifer Moore, Yu Man Lee, Kim Scribner

• Environmental RNA for enhanced biodiversity management: how to handle current challenges

Subba Rao Chaganti

• Applying an isothermal DNA amplification approach to facilitate rapid at-site eDNA detection 

Stephen Spear, Matthew Hoogland  

• Discovering the aerobiome 

Alwyn Tan, Angela Bosco-Lauth

• Characterizing soil and leaf microbial communities of big sagebrush for restoration 

Molly Garrett, Lukas Grossfurthner, Paul Hohenlohe, Lisette Waits, Jennifer Forbey, Leonora Bittleston