ECOSoil 4.0
ECOsoil 4.0
An innovative research project on soil biodiversity has started! We are pleased to announce that our research project "ECOsoil 4.0" has received a funding commitment from the ZIM (Central Innovation Programme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK).
Metabarcoding and Machine Learning
The goal of ECOsoil4.0 is to study different biodiversity patterns in the top soil layers of different land use types and to establish the connection with different environmental factors. By combining our DNA metabarcoding analysis with a machine learning approach, we aim to develop an innovative tool for monitoring and predicting soil health.
Sample Analysis Already Started
The project officially started in September 2021 and after completing the preparatory phase, we started the first sampling campaigns in April 2022 with our partners from Climate Farmers, Klim, HiPP Group, foldAI and the Environmental Sample Bank. The first soil samples have already arrived at our laboratory in Leipzig and are ready for metabarcoding analysis. The first steps are now the extraction of DNA from the soil samples and the sequencing of DNA traces from animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. We are excited to see what we will find!
Visit the project's Twitter account to keep up to date with the progress of our work.
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