Balke Käferlabor / Beetle Lab

Michael Balke, Curator of Coleoptera
Lars Hendrich, DFG Postdoctoral Fellow
René Tänzler, DFG PhD student
Arnaud Faille (Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Postdoctoral Fellow)

Balke Lab, March 2011 (Absent: Lars Hendrich)

Alumni

Jesus Gomez-Zurita, Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, now at molevol.cmima.csic.es/gomez-zurita
Oliver Hawlitschek, DFG PhD student
Jiri Skuhrovec (Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Postdoctoral Fellow)

Research Focus

Where we collect samples

Papua New Guinea

PNG map with collecting localities

here we conduct a survey of aquatic insects. This work is funded by German Science Foundation and linked to the UK Darwin Initiative "Training the next generation of PNG conservation biologists"

Collecting in PNG

Australia

where Lars Hendrich just spent 6 months in the field and brought home about 80% of the epigean diving beetle fauna.

Lars Hendrich with Echidna

Molecular Biodiversity Assessment - MBA

Water beetles as a model (click here for status report)

Lars Hendrich and Michael Balke presenting the voucher collection

We evaluate meaningful ways to exploit DNA sequencing for biodiversity assessment, from clades to species down to the population level. We are also in the process of evaluating the best practice to link DNA taxonomy, phylogenetics, cybertaxonomy and traditional taxonomy.

It is our goal to install a high quality digital imaging system specifically tuned to satisfy high troughput voucher documentation needs. We curate a voucher collection of properly mounted specimens, as well as significant additional dried collections which will all become part of the ZSM main collection, thus contributing sustainably towards growth of taxonomic knowledge. All collecting localities are now mapped in Google Earth for easy mapping and fast web access to our collecting data.

eTaxonomy

Check this site to get an idea what could be done, and screen Vince's site for more information on what's already hot in eTaxonomy. We aim to contribute once our imaging facilites have been set up. We will provide resources tailored to satify the needs mainly of our overseas project partners, such as biologists in PNG, hoping to streamline information access and taxonomic benefit sharing as suggested in the CBD.