Ecological genomics and conservation: where do we stand?

With the completion and publication of whole genomes formodel organisms new research avenues have opened up.Several recent reviews have highlighted the future researchpossibilities and difficulties of using this genomic infor-mation for ecological and evolutionary research and toperform genomic studies in non-model organisms (Backs-tro¨m et al. 2008; Edwards 2008; Ellegren and Sheldon2008). Edwards (2008) highlighted the potential of usinggenomic resources for empirical and theoretical phyloge-netics and such comparative genomics can also be appliedto finding new population genetics markers in non-modelspecies. Recently Backstro¨m et al. (2008) and Berlin et al.(in press) have studied and analysed linkage disequilibriumand genetic diversity in several wild non-model avianspecies using SNP-primers derived from comparativegenomic studies. However, genomics has not yet been fullyexploited in the field of conservation genetics. The incor-poration of genomic techniques in conservation biologymay allow the collection of data which may elucidate therole of genetic variation for threatened species to sustainhabitat fragmentation and degradation. However, there is aknowledge gap between the genetic model species wherethese tools have been developed and wild species thatsurvive in small and threatened populations. During arecent workshop in Leksand, Sweden, the role of genomicsin conservation was discussed.Since the first whole genome was sequenced and pub-lished in 1995 (Haemophilus influenza), at the end of 2008(6th October 2008) more than 800 completely sequencedgenomes have become available (see GOLD