Workshop #3

This workshop will draw together researchers that can synthesize data across taxonomic groups and scales (“Team Meta”). We will bring back two taxonomic teams to address more focused questions: “Team Mammal” and “Team Beetle.”

NEON has a few focal taxa (i.e., fish, plants, ticks, mosquitoes, beetles, and small mammals), meaning that most of their surveillance and collection efforts (for the NEON Biorepository: https://biorepo.neonscience.org/) are directed at these organisms. Whereas other taxa are considered by NEON (i.e., songbirds), the aforementioned taxa garner much more attention, disposing them as particularly compelling and tractable research foci. At our 2nd workshop, we identified that beetles and mammals were the organisms we would focus on as well as synthesizing across taxonomic groups (Team Meta). We are gathering a group of scientists with diverse expertise but interests in these particular taxa to accomplish the following objectives:

Objective 1. Generate a list of “big picture” questions in organismal biology to be addressed using taxonomic data. NEON collects the same data on several taxonomic groups. At our 2nd workshop, we identified the need for participants to synthesize across taxonomic groups to address higher level questions in organismal biology. Team Meta will do this, including identifying what is possible with existing NEON data or samples housed in the NEON Biorepository, or what could be possible with additional data collection through a grant proposal.

Objective 2. Solidify taxonomic working groups to examine the potential for NEON to address outstanding questions in organismal biology in mammals and beetles. NEON data collection and curation practices are standardized, which in some sense is restrictive, but in a broader sense provides consistency such that some comparative studies are made possible. We will discuss the positives and negatives of current NEON practices, as it relates to research questions and options, then develop a path forward to lucrative and novel organismal research using NEON. Successes here could include the recruitment of new RCN members, the identification of funding opportunities, or the advertisement of NEON for a focal taxon to appropriate professional societies either in the form of editorials to journals or workshops at meetings.

Objective 3. Develop a plan for a grant proposal or analysis of existing NEON data, especially NEON Biorepository samples. NEON already maintains abundant and diverse data for many focal species. Likewise, the NEON Biorepository is growing rapidly, presenting many opportunities in comparative genetics, genomics, epigenetics, or physiology and perhaps behavior. Ideally, each working group would devote most of their efforts at this workshop developing a grant proposal or an analysis of existing NEON data (for future peer-reviewed publication) that each group would complete after the workshop. Visiting the NEON Biorepository will hopefully inspire possibilities for attendees.