Recorded: May 2, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time

This webinar is part of a miniseries on the genomics of invasive mussels hosted by the Invasive Mussel Collaborative. Part two of the miniseries covers efforts by the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to sequence the genome of zebra and quagga mussels, respectively.

Presenters:

• Yale Passamaneck, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
  • Yale Passamaneck is a biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation’s Technical Services Center in Denver. Yale studied marine biology as an undergraduate at UC Santa Cruz, and did his graduate work in the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. Yale’s doctoral research focused on the evolutionary history of invertebrates, including mollusks. He conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell Medical College and the University of Hawaii, where he investigated the evolution and development of understudied invertebrate groups, including tunicates, sea anemones, and brachiopods. Throughout his 20 years of research Yale has implemented tools leveraging genomic data and developed methods for transgenesis. Since joining the Bureau of Reclamation in 2015, Yale has worked on the early detection and control of invasive dreissenid mussels, developing both microscopic and molecular methods to improve detection.
• Michael McCartney, University of Minnesota
  • Dr. McCartney’s past research focused on molecular ecology and evolution of marine and freshwater invertebrates and fishes, with a focus on mollusks. From 2013-2018, he led the zebra mussel research program in the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. Using population genetics, genomics, and ecological studies, his first major project is describing source waters, pathways, and vectors of zebra mussel spread throughout Minnesota and the surrounding Great Lakes region, to help AIS managers identify the highest-risk invasion routes. He also launched and serves as lead PI on the zebra mussel genome project—the subject of this presentation. In collaboration with the UMN Genomics Center and Supercomputing Institute, he is currently analyzing and communicating results from both projects to researchers and managers. His future interests include properly mining the genome to develop genetic biocontrols.

Presentations:

• Yale Passamaneck: Sequencing the quagga mussel genome: A resource for developing biocontrols
• Michael McCartney: Presentation coming soon