Events – iBOL Europe https://iboleurope.org European node of the International Barcode of Life Thu, 21 May 2026 09:20:39 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.3 BgBOL launches webinar series https://iboleurope.org/bgbol-launches-webinar-series/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:13:07 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6887 The Bulgarian Barcode of Life (BgBOL) just announced a series of online seminars featuring international experts, focused on ot scientific topics of practical and academic importance.

The next session will focus on the Digital Catalogue of Biodiversity of Poland and the Polish Biodiversity Information Network.

When: Thursday 28 May 2026, 15:00 – 16:00 EEST (14:00 – 15:00 CEST).
Lecturer: Prof. Michal Grabowski (University of Lodz, Polish Barcode of Life)
Language: English
Access: on Zoom via this link.

The first session dived into GBIF, exploring why data publishing matters and how it benefits the global research community.

When: Thursday 23 April 2026, 15:00 – 16:00 EEST (14:00 – 15:00 CEST).
Lecturer: Dr Salza Palpurina (National Museum of Natural History of Sofia; GBIF Regional Support Team)
Language: English
Access: on Zoom via this link.

The webinar series will continue with sessions in May and September. More info is available on BgBOL’s website.

]]> Workshop: Developing a European eDNA Society https://iboleurope.org/workshop-developing-a-european-edna-society/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:43:38 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6772 On 5-6 February 2026, a workshop gathering representatives from iBOL Europe and the nascent European eDNA Society – eDNAEurope – took place at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden (NL).

eDNAEurope is a nascent initiative exploring the feasibility of establishing a European society focused on environmental DNA (eDNA) and four Missions: 

  • Build a European community of eDNA researchers and stakeholders
  • Connect the European eDNA community with wider national, regional and global initiatives
  • Promote technological advancement and share research findings and best practices
  • Facilitate mainstreaming of eDNA methods into policy and practice

By bringing together the core group of the European eDNA Society and representatives of iBOL Europe, the Workshop allowed for discussions about developing the respective communities by aligning intents and objectives and giving time and space to the European eDNA Society core group to discuss governance and strategy of the Society. 

The Workshop was made possible by funds provided by the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project, funded by the European Commission, the UK Research and Innovation Agency and the Swiss Confederation.

]]> Strengthening Networks and Partnerships: The Second BGE Workshop in Thessaloniki https://iboleurope.org/strengthening-networks-and-partnerships-the-second-bge-workshop-in-thessaloniki/ Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:34:10 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6722 Α workshop was held on 5 December 2025 at the School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The event brought together scientists, policymakers, and representatives from public authorities to discuss how DNA-based methods can enhance biodiversity monitoring and environmental management at the Greek state level.

International experts from Finland, the United Kingdom, and Norway shared their experiences in applying DNA-based tools for environmental monitoring. Their talks highlighted the rapid developments in genomic applications across Europe and provided practical insights for implementation from state agencies.

In the second session, Greek state agencies — including the General Directorates of Forests, Water, and Environment, the Natural Environment & Climate Change Agency, the Green Fund, and the Greek Biotope Wetland Centre — outlined current national practices and identified key areas where molecular approaches could add needed value.

A closing round-table discussion emphasised the importance of stronger coordination between research institutions and public authorities. Participants agreed that the nascent GrBOL network can serve as a national hub to guide the use of eDNA and DNA barcoding methods for environmental monitoring.
The workshop was organised within the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project.
]]> iBOL 2026 in Bangkok https://iboleurope.org/ibol-2026-in-bangkok/ Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:47:48 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6674 The 10th International Barcode of Life Conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 2–6  November 2026. The Call for Abstracts and Early Bird Registrations are now open!

iBOL 2026 is co-organised by the International Barcode of Life and Chulalongkorn University.

The Call for Abstracts will be open until 29 May 2026, and submissions are welcome on a wide range of themes:

  • Advancing Taxonomy
  • Barcode Standards and HTS
  • Biodiversity Data Integration
  • Community Science
  • Conservation Implications
  • Environmental Genomics and eDNA Research
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Impacts of AI
  • Large-Scale Campaigns
  • Methods Development
  • Pollination Biology
  • Preventing Wildlife Crime
  • Probing Evolution
  • Revealing Dark Taxa
  • Revealing Species Interactions
  • Species Discovery
  • Species, BINs, OTUs, ASVs: What Is the Metric?
  • Tracking Invasive Species

“Nature walk, Flowers” by John Mukiibi Elijah on Unsplash.

]]> UK BIOSCAN Taxonomython https://iboleurope.org/uk-bioscan-taxonomython-2/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:08:24 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6620 Last week, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Natural History Museum of London co-organised a three-day Taxonomython.

Hosted at the NHM, the Taxonomython focused on the identification of  critical specimens from the Wellcome Sanger Institute. World-class taxonomic experts worked on critical specimens from the Wellcome Sanger Institute/UK BIOSCAN dataset. Those specimens either had no matches in the DNA reference database or needed expert verification to confirm their identifications.
The Taxonomython tackled two challenges: identifying specimens with no database matches (potentially new records for the UK) and verifying those “problematic” records where DNA barcodes had matches but needed expert confirmation.
The team of experts examined nearly 500 priority specimens and directly updated taxon resolution and accuracy for approximately 9,000 BIOSCAN records across the UK, encompassing 18 families of Diptera and one family of Hymenoptera.
These verified specimens will now contribute to improved identification accuracy for insects, advancing both fundamental taxonomy and applied biodiversity science.

The Taxonomython was made possible by funds provided by the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project, funded by the European Commission, the UK Research and Innovation Agency and the Swiss Confederation.

]]> UK BIOSCAN Taxonomython https://iboleurope.org/uk-bioscan-taxonomython/ Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:54:39 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6534

On 23-25 September, the UK BIOSCAN team organised a “Taxonomython:” a collaborative workshop aimed at enhancing species identification within the UK BIOSCAN dataset. It will take place at the Natural History Museum of London, and the organisers invited dipterists and other taxonomic experts to participate. Experts

Dates: 23-25 September 2025

Venue: Natural History Museum London

Why We Needed Your Expertise

The BIOSCAN project has assembled thousands of barcode records, but many specimens remain:

  • Without genus or species-level identification
  • In need of verification (e.g. non-UK species that could be new British records or identification errors)

Your taxonomic expertise will directly contribute to curating and improving the global DNA barcode reference library for UK species, enhancing our understanding of UK biodiversity.

Focus and Materials

While the primary focus was on Diptera, experts in other taxonomic groups were welcomed – as long as there was sufficient material in the collection.

Before the workshop, BIOSCAN UK provided:

  • Comprehensive data reports for your taxonomic group(s) of interest
  • Access to the latest BIOSCAN-UK Report Card with specimen data and statistics
  • Preview images of specimens where available
  • Custom data exports based on your specific research interests

During the workshop,participants could:

  • Examine specimens of interest
  • Request specific specimens based on the data provided
  • Collaborate with other specialists
  • Add your identifications directly to the BOLD database

Workshop Format

The workshop was held over 2-3 days, with a maximum capacity of 15 participants.

This workshop was funded by the Biodiversity Genomic Europe project and organised by Sanger in collaboration with the Dipterists Forum and the Natural History Museum, London.

]]> Workshop: Advancing the DNA barcoding Network in Europe https://iboleurope.org/workshop-advancing-the-dna-barcoding-network-in-europe/ Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:13:32 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6760 On 2-4 June 2025, we hosted the Workshop: Advancing the DNA barcoding community in Europe at the University of Łódź (PL).

Bringing together more than 30 representatives of the European DNA barcoding community, the Workshop allowed us to gather input and feedback to set up strategic priorities for iBOL Europe in the years to come.

The Workshop was part of a community-wide consultation process to develop the priorities for iBOL Europe. Such a process has included informal dialogue through community meetings and via the wider global iBOL Europe network; formal surveys were also undertaken with the representatives of the barcoding community from across Europe. This included online surveys conducted between 2022 and 2024, gathering input on priority functions of iBOL Europe and related issues, such as training and communications.

The process will conclude in late 2025, with the submission of a white paper outlining iBOL Europe’s mission, immediate goals, and strategic priority areas.

The Workshop was made possible by funds provided by the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project, funded by the European Commission, the UK Research and Innovation Agency and the Swiss Confederation.

]]> 20 ICA 2025 https://iboleurope.org/20-ica-2025/ Sat, 17 May 2025 13:15:23 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6444 The 20th International Colloquium on Amphipoda was celebrated on 1-5 September in Łódź (PL). It marked the 2oth edition of ICA, making it a particularly felt one among the community. 

 The programme featured sessions, lectures, poster presentations and two workshops. One of the workshops, MEDAMP – Mediterranean and Adjacent Seas Amphipod Reference Library – aimed to identify some specimens left without an accurate ID but already with a sequence, from the Mediterranean and Red Sea. MEDAMP was supported by the BGE project, among others.

To 20 ICA 2025
]]> Webinar Recording: Toward the integration of DNA Barcoding and Taxonomy through speciation theory https://iboleurope.org/webinar-recording-toward-the-integration-of-dna-barcoding-and-taxonomy-through-speciation-theory/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:32:17 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6308 On 8 April, Prof. Brent Emerson (CSIC, ES) was a guest speaker at the April 2025’s webinar hosted by the Network for Integration of Speciation Research (IOS).

Brent gave the talk “Toward the integration of DNA Barcoding and Taxonomy through speciation theory.” His presentation started with an introduction to DNA-barcoding, and continued by exploring the apparent tension between DNA Barcoding and Taxonomy; then, it focused on possible solutions to this tension and how speciation could help.

The other guest speaker was Prof. Rose Andrews (UNE, AUS).

IOS is a Special Topic Network funded by the European Society of Evolutionary Biology (ESEB). The network’s main goal is to contribute toward the integration of speciation research.

You can watch the full recording of the webinar – Brent’s talk starts here.
All IOS webinars’ recordings are available here.

]]> TAXONOMYthon Spała 2025 and Conference of the Dipterological Section https://iboleurope.org/taxonomython-spala-2025-and-conference-of-the-dipterological-section/ Mon, 07 Apr 2025 12:16:51 +0000 https://iboleurope.org/?p=6300 On 24-27 April 2025, the University of Łódź hosted “TAXONOMYthon Spała – 1st Fly Determination Marathon,” and the “17th Conference of the Dipterological Section of the PES ‘Biology and systematics of flies’,”  held within the XLII Congress of the Dipterological Section of the Polish Entomological Society.

Funded through the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project (BGE), the event was divided into three workshop blocks, during which experts and taxonomists shared knowledge and expertise on the respective target groups of flies. At the same time, participants identified BGE’s sequenced dipteran material coming from the “Dark Biodiversity Genomics” Task.

The full programme is available here.

Picture by Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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