Laura Epp
Ongoing and planned research projects
My research interests focus on using genetic data to reconstruct historical processes shaping biodiversity. I particularly use historic or ancient DNA (especially from sediments and soils) to study species and population shifts on different timescales. Currently, I am working on the BarFrost project in which we study past ecosystems in the Arctic and northern boreal by identifying a wide variety of taxa from environmental ancient DNA in permafrost cores. By analysing samples collected throughout the Arctic region ranging in age from recent to several 100000 years before present, we aim to study spatiotemoral shifts in species distributions and investigate niche stability through time.
Together with the other postdocs on this project I design barcoding regions for vertebrate and invertebrate taxa using bioinformatic tools, generate genetic data from the permafrost samples and develop reference databases for respective taxonomic groups.
Publications
- Boessenkool, Sanne; Epp, Laura; Haile, James; Bellemain, Eva; Edwards, Mary E.; Coissac, Eric; Willerslev, Eske et al. (2011). Blocking human contaminant DNA during PCR allows amplification of rare mammal species from sedimentary ancient DNA. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083.
- Epp, Laura; Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R.; Trauth, Martin H. & Tiedemann, Ralph (2011). Molecular profiling of diatom assemblages in tropical lake sediments using taxon-specific PCR and Denaturing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (PCR-DHPLC). Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. 11(5), s 842- 853 . doi: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03022.x
- Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R.; Epp, Laura; Trauth, Martin H. & Tiedemann, Ralph (2011). Hidden diversity in diatoms of Kenyan Lake Naivasha: a genetic approach detects temporal variation. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083.
- Boessenkool, Sanne; Epp, Laura & Bellemain, Eva (2011). Barcoding ancient DNA preserved in Arctic permafrost. Meta. ISSN 1890-1956. (1), s 10- 13
- Epp, Laura; Boessenkool, Sanne; Bellemain, Eva; Gussarova, Galina; Coissac, Eric; Taberlet, Pierre; Willerslev, Eske et al. (2011). Ancient archives in the dirt: Environmental barcoding to study past Arctic ecosystem changes.
- Epp, Laura; Boessenkool, Sanne; Bellemain, Eva; Gussarova, Galina; Coissac, Eric; Taberlet, Pierre; Willerslev, Eske et al. (2011). Environmental barcoding to track past Arctic ecosystem changes.
- Epp, Laura; Boessenkool, Sanne; Bellemain, Eva; Gussarova, Galina; Willerslev, Eske; Coissac, Eric; Taberlet, Pierre et al. (2011). Environmental metabarcoding of permafrost to track ancient Arctic ecosystem changes.
- Epp, Laura; Boessenkool, Sanne; Bellemain, Eva; Riaz, Tiayyba; Willerslev, Eske; Taberlet, Pierre & Brochmann, Christian (2011). New environmental metabarcodes for analysing dirt DNA.
- Bellemain, Eva Patricia; Kauserud, Håvard; Boessenkool, Sanne; Epp, Laura & Brochmann, Christian (2010). Reconstruction of historic fungal communities by barcoding DNA preserved in permafrost.
- Boessenkool, Sanne; Epp, Laura; Haile, James; Bellemain, Eva Patricia; Esposito, Alfonso; Coissac, Eric; Taberlet, Pierre et al. (2010). Arctic archives in the dirt: Paleoecological reconstruction of biodiversity from ancient DNA preserved in permafrost soils.
- Epp, Laura (2010). Reconstruction of past ecosystems by DNA preserved in permafrost.
- Epp, Laura (2010, 25. august). Verdt å vite. [Radio].
- Epp, Laura; Boessenkool, Sanne; Bellemain, Eva; Willerslev, Eske; Taberlet, Pierre; Coissac, Eric & Brochmann, Christian (2010). Biodiversity in the dirt: reliable (mini)barcodes for DNA-based paleo-ecology.
- Epp, Laura; Boessenkool, Sanne; Bellemain, Eva; Esposito, Alfonso; Gusarov, Vladimir; Johnsen, Arild; Kauserud, Håvard et al. (2009). BarFrost – A new project for reconstructing past ecosystems by barcoding DNA from permafrost.
- Epp, Laura; Stoof, Kathleen R.; Trauth, Martin H. & Tiedemann, Ralph (2009). Historical genetics of Brachionus populations in lakes of theEast African Rift Valley.