LepEU: European Lepidopteran Population Genomics Consortium

Grants

10kLepGenomes COST Action Network

LepEU is part of the 2024 funded 10kLepGenomes COST Action Network. This network has 5 working groups (1.Societal needs; 2.Speciment collection for genomic work; 3.Reference genome assembly and comparative genomic analyses; 4.Population genomic analyses; 5.Applied uses of results). LepEU is directly supported by WG4, Population Genomic analyses. We intimately rely upon WG2 and WG3. Similarily, Psyche is directly supported by WG2 and WG3.

The COST action means that we have funding for our community to attend in person meetings, organize student placements and run training events. These interactions will also allow us to transport samples, coordinate DNA extractions, and develop our community in connection with Psyche and others.

In May (12-16), we held an in-person meeting to discuss LepEU goals, regional sampling, protocols, and strategize for the future. We also used this support to gather samples and extract DNA from nearly 500 field collections.

To benefit from this funding and attend meetings and workshops organized by this action, you need to be registered to the COST action. You can sign up to 1-3 working groups depending on your interests. Again, sign up to at least WG4 for LepEU related activities.

You can read more about the action and sign up here: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23122/

Carl Tryggers Foundation

LepEU is focused upon helping individual researchers obtain national level funding to support both national and international focused population genomics of Lepidoptera. In 2024, Chris Wheat at Stockholm University was awarded funding to support Phase 1 of LepEU. Funding will support a 2 year postdoc and nearly 30,000 Euros in sequencing funds.

Financial support

Support for the objectives of LepEU can also come in the form of sequencing support from various sources.

Wellcome Sanger Institute

LepEU is receiving substantial support from Psyche and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the form of generating whole genome resequencing data for our Phase 1 collections from the UK and Switzerland.

Wellcome Sanger Institute has also offered support for eventually hosting various output from LepEU in the form of VCF file integration with the revised LepBase genomics database. More details to come.