Once again, we are ready with a round of lectures and current science, streamed live from Aarhus University.
It's free to attend, but registration is required at info@tonnisgaard.dk or 74755257 - you can either call or send an SMS.
It will be possible to buy coffee, tea and cookies during the break.
The doors open at 6:40 p.m. and the lecture begins at 19.00.
You can read more about the lecture series at www.ofn.au.dk

The first lecture in the series will be held by Philip Francis Thomsen, Associate Professor of Biology, who will talk about the DNA around us.
He describes his lecture like this:
Animals, plants and fungi leave traces of DNA in nature - called environmental DNA. Learn how the DNA in soil, water and air can be used to describe species and populations in our ecosystems.

Our planet is unique because life only exists here - as far as we know. Anyone who spends a few hours outside in nature will quickly recognise the diversity of life that thrives in the many different ecosystems Earth offers. What few people realise, however, is that in addition to the rich diversity of living organisms - from bacteria to blue whales - Earth is also rich in the DNA traces left behind by these organisms. Some of this DNA originates from the smallest bacteria, while others are left behind by the excretion of skin cells and bodily fluids from the largest organisms.

This is called environmental DNA (eDNA) and scientists can collect and analyse it - especially thanks to advanced DNA sequencing technology. A forest floor contains DNA from plants and fungi, a lake contains DNA from fish and frogs, and even the air is filled with DNA from birds and insects. Over the past decade, scientists have therefore increasingly used environmental DNA to describe the biodiversity of past and present ecosystems. The method has proven to be effective in obtaining information about species, populations and entire biological communities in different types of ecosystems.

In this lecture, biologist Philip Francis Thomsen will give you an insight into how our biodiversity can be analysed using the environmental DNA method, which he himself has pioneered. You can hear about his research on environmental DNA for mapping our coastal marine nature, studies of the diet of grazing cows and horses in rewilding projects, and analyses of insect DNA from flowers in species-rich grasslands."

The team at Tønnisgaard looks forward to seeing you for an educational and cosy evening.

2025-02-25T18:00:00.000Z