Sequencing the genomes of all known kākāpō

Thanks, Anne-Lise! We obtained the blood samples as part of the conservation management of kakapo by the Kakapo Recovery Programme of the NZ Dept of Conservation. We take blood samples from all individuals for DNA. In New Zealand DOC issues the permits for external researchers to collect samples from endangered species.

Hi Anne-Lise thank you for the positive feedback! In the case of this project we have the luxury of working with the Department of Conservation (DOC) who have a mandate to conserve these endangered species in New Zealand and can access them with relative ease. If I wasn't working with DOC then yes I would need a permit to collect samples. There's also CITES to contend with if you intend to transport the samples overseas. In general it will depend on the species and country you're operating in but it's highly likely you will require permits of some form or another. Don't let that stop you and good luck with your work!

Woooooooooooooo!!!!!! Thank you everyone!!!

Aaron, I have an 11 yr old son too. Even though we are in the US, I still want him to see a Kakapo one day!

Awesome! Thank you Christina & Miltenyi Biotec (http://www.miltenyibiotec.com/).

We're so close! Thank you for your amazing support Judi.

Thank you for your support Colette. I hope so too.

Thank you! It's great to be part of the Genome Galaxy initiative. Jason Howard at Duke's Jarvis Lab and PacBio teamed up to create the reference genome being used in this project. That reference genome cost about as much to produce as it will cost us to sequence every remaining individual in the species. Without that reference this project simply wouldn't be possible. I'm optimistic we'll achieve our fundraising target and look forward to seeing many more stars in the Genome Galaxy. https://experiment.com/institutions/genome-galaxy

Thanks Joe! I totally agree. Without the Kakapo Recovery Team the kakapo would be extinct. These guys have dedicated their lives to saving this species and have my complete respect. Check out their website for more information about the great work they're doing. http://kakaporecovery.org.nz

Haha I agree! I think the world would generally be a happier place with more kakapo.

Thank you Warren! Everybody who contributes to this project is helping to secure the kakapo's future. It's an amazing and humbling experience to see the power of like-minded people coming together on a project like this.

Thanks for the support Phil. So many great kiwi scientists are involved in this project.

Polina, Very good question. For Jane, we will use PacBio sequencing because it produces a higher quality genome. This is important since the other 124 genomes will be assembled using Jane as a reference. You are correct, we will be using an Illumina sequencing strategy that is widely used for human genome sequencing. Regarding the cost of the sequencing of 124 kakapo genomes, it will cost ~1/3 of what it would to sequence 124 human genomes. The reason is because bird genomes are about 1/3 the size of a human genome so you need less sequence data to get the same sequencing coverage relative to humans. Interestingly, despite birds having smaller genomes, they have approximately the same number of genes. The work that 23 and me does is specific for analyzing human genomes. Let us know if you have any other questions. Jason

Hi Andrea, that's an interesting suggestion thank you for the feedback! I will look into the feasibility of offering that via the Genetic Rescue Foundation's shop http://shop.geneticrescue.science

Thanks Charley! It's amazing what an impact Last Chance to See had. Kakapo conservation has a lot to thank Douglas Adams, Mark Cawardine and the BBC for. We hope to see you again in NZ sometime soon!

Thanks Preeti! Yes Douglas Adams, Mark Cawardine and the BBC have been hugely influential in raising awareness of the kakapo's plight. The BBC's involvement with kakapo conservation will continue this year as BBC science writer and broadcaster Dr. Adam Rutherford tours New Zealand. All going to plan Dr. Rutherford will be covering The Kakapo 125 project during his busy visit.

Thank you for your support Averil! I hope everything is ok in Christchurch after the latest shake. Argh just when it felt like things were getting back to normal. Regarding Dean's bush you never know! Zealandia in Wellington has certainly proven that sanctuaries in urban centres are possible. The main thing we can do to continue to support the kakapo recovery is to get behind the Kakapo Recovery Team. These awesome men and women have dedicated their lives to saving this species. http://kakaporecovery.org.nz/ The Kakapo Recovery Program recently lost an important commercial sponsor. We're confident they will be able to attract new sponsorship but now more than ever they need publicity and kiwi support.

Thank you Daniel. It's not possible without you guys. Please tell your friends and colleagues so we can keep the momentum of this campaign going.

Thank you Nancy! I completely agree with your assessment. Whole genome sequencing is getting cheaper all the time. Having comprehensive genomic data available for critically endangered species will become standard practice for conservation programs worldwide. We're privileged to be amongst the first to be doing this thanks to your support!

Good comment Nancy. When we finish this project we should be able to discover even more cost effect methods of doing conservation genetics. I recently heard of two other bird species that are using genome sequence data for conservation. They are the Blue Macaw & the Hawaiian Crow.

Absolutely! Thanks for the support Curt!

I've asked Dr. Bruce Robertson to post this so you can expect to see it within the next few days.

Thank you for the support Majas!

Hi Tim, yes the dataset will be available with some conditions. I had originally planned for this dataset to be public domain however as part of the agreement we have with the indigenous people of New Zealand this will not be possible. The Kakapo Genome Research Group (KGRG) which is made up of most of the collaborators on this Experiment.com project will share the data upon request assuming the requester can demonstrate that the usage of the information will be for non-profit research. Improving bio-informatics algorithms is definitely a valid and interesting use case for this information. I don't anticipate an issue making the dataset available to you for those purposes when it's ready, assuming you are not undertaking this bio-informatics research for commercial gain. Release of the data requires the consensus of the entire KGRG so I can't guarantee the availability of the information without more context about your research and without the rest of the group reviewing and approving your research proposal. Assuming we succeed in creating the dataset I'd be happy to continue the conversation with you.

Hi Elinor, thank you very much for your support. I share your dream of hoping to see kakapo on the mainland again. This project is a major milestone in kakapo conservation and a step towards achieving that dream. The day we do return kakapo to the mainland drinks are on us and we hope to see you there!

Thank you Edward! It's going to be a very interesting project that I'm optimistic will be of interest to a wide variety of researchers.

Thank you Uschi. They're definitely cute and also very genetically distant from other parrot species making their genetic information extremely important. One of the many examples of this is the study of vocal learning. Parrots are of great interest to neuroscientists due to their complex vocalization capabilities. Because they're a parrot but very genetically dissimilar from other parrot species they provide a very interesting comparison. Erich Jarvis and Jason Howard at Duke University are currently making such a comparison and will take that research to the next level with this new dataset.

Thanks Thu! It would not be possible without new platforms like Experiment and Science Exchange. These platforms really are making science more accessible.

Thanks Chelsea! It wouldn't be possible without your help, so on behalf of the Kakapo 125 Project team thank you for being wonderful yourself.

Thanks Chelsea! This is by far my favorite project I'm involved with.

Thank you for your support Jennifer! This project is establishing a new benchmark for the use of genetic data in conservation. Thank you for playing a part in making it happen!