Anna Wood

PhD Title: Metabarcoding for the monitoring of biodiversity during forest restoration in European forests

Location: Bangor University

Contact information: a.wood@bangor.ac.uk

Twitter: @anna_r_wood

Bangor University Website: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/staff/natural-sciences/anna-wood-583948/cy

About

In 2021, I graduated from the University of Nottingham with an MSci integrated master’s degree in Biology. My Masters project investigated using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect fish parasites from water samples. Studying in the Aquatic Parasite Ecology Lab at Nottingham, my project ignited my interested in molecular ecology and how we can use innovative DNA techniques to study pressing ecological questions.

My current research will use the molecular technique, metabarcoding, to study the biodiversity of forests. Forests cover about one third of land on earth and provide vital ecosystem services on which we all depend. However, they are under threat from many pressures, such as climate change and unsustainable forestry practices.

The SUPERB: Upscaling Forest Restoration Project aims to inform successful forest restoration across Europe. My project is part of this Horizon 2020 Green deal project and will help provide data for forest monitoring and restoration. I am based at Bangor University in the Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor (MEEB) research group.