DNA markers are one of the key tools used to study the genetic makeup of living organisms, be they animals or plants. These genetic fingerprints can be used by researchers to answer a vast number of questions of interest. For example, they can be used to identify the genes that control the resistance of a crop plant to a disease or to determine what genetic differences allow one fish population to successfully reproduce in one habitat whereas another population cannot or, finally, to determine exactly what species of a pest is involved in destroying a valuable resource such as trees.
Recent advances made in the area of DNA sequencing that now make it possible to determine the exact composition of one person s DNA, something deemed unthinkable a short ten years ago, can also be put to use to benefit the environment. Pr. Belzile and his team propose to exploit these new sequencing capabilities to vastly increase the capacity of researchers using the tools of genetics and genomics to gain a better understanding of complex biological interactions that lie at the heart of any ecosystem. Through this work, Pr. Belzile hopes to make it possible to examine thousands of DNA markers on many hundreds of different DNA samples at a fraction of the time and cost currently necessary to achieve a similar goal.
Co-applicants:
| Louis | Bernatchez | Université Laval |
| Roger C. | Levesque | Université Laval |