There is something in all living things that unites us all – the DNA molecule. This molecule is at the heart of each cell, it organises and guides the activities and needs to sustain life from the single cell to the whole organism.This molecule was first identified by Friedrich Miescher in 1869 at the University of Tübingen, Germany, a substance he called nuclein, and the double helix structure of DNA was first discovered in 1953 by Watson and Crick at the University of Cambridge, UK.

Little did they know that with the increasing tools that have developed to understand human and non-human DNA we would have entered an era of transformation where DNA would be­come central to our everyday life, from diagnosing genetic conditions causing health problems, to changing DNA to produce genetically modified organisms, to studying the genetic identity of species and their diversity locally, regionally and globally.

The Conservation Biology Re­search Group at the molecular genetics laboratory of the University of Malta’s Department of Bio­logy is the country’s first molecular genetics research group to undertake and apply molecular techniques to better understand the genetic identity of species and popu­lations in and around Malta.

The members of the group, led by Dr Adriana Vella, have developed knowledge on this very important aspect of biodiversity in both small invertebrates and large vertebrates. Numerous projects, ranging from bees to fish to turtles, are the subject of research to understand the genetic identity, population genetic diversity, structure and resilience in the face of environmental changes.

The first research group to undertake and apply molecular techniques to better understand the genetic identity of species and popu­lations in and around Malta

The group is using next-generation sequencing on wildlife to study the genome and to design new species-specific molecular techniques never studied before. Moreover, apart from DNA barcoding, phylogenetics and phylogeography, the group has been active in studies to discover extensive genetic sequen­ces of unique unstudied species, while exploring the functionality of the various genes.

A number of new discoveries, including aliens in local waters, such as the latest on the first record of the African Sergeant (Abudefduf hoefleri) in the Mediterranean Sea, have also been identified through DNA barcoding. This research has been recently published in the peer-reviewed journal, Marine Biodiversity Records.

The diversity of wild species both marine and terrestrial considered by the group allows it to apply DNA studies to local, regional and global levels, where detailed genetics studies of species such as sharks, Bluefin tuna and groupers have been considered beyond Maltese waters. Part of long-term re­search on Bluefin tuna led by the group was recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Applied Ichthyology, which presents original molecular genetics studies on this exploited species.

Increasingly this conservation and molecular research laboratory is attracting more students and interns, both local and foreign, and is now also opening the doors to post-doctorate research through the recently established Reach High Scholarships – Post-Doctoral Grants, encouraging scientists to continue to contribute in advancing local scientific knowledge and applications. The research group is therefore advancing further in both technical and environmental fields with many applications in fields related to conservation and genetics. It is doing this by keeping DNA at the heart of its research efforts to better understand nature’s diversity of forms and functions.

For further information e-mail adriana.vella@um.edu.mt.

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