iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

🚀 Last week, we participated in the launch of #ERGA ’s COST Action CONSENSA in #Brussels! CONSENSA aims to promote the use of genomic data in biodiversity #conservation, supporting genetic #diversity preservation and healthier #ecosystems.🧬 www.cost.eu/actions/CA25... @ergabiodiv.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🔎Today, as part of European Researchers’ Night 2026, we held a #workshop “Wildlife Detective: Discover the Invisible Wildlife Around Us” for primary school #students. They explored eDNA, biodiversity and invasive species through a short lecture and a #game “eDNA bingo”🐗🌳 @pro-coast.bsky.social #BGE+

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🇧🇷 A visit from Brazil! Today, we welcomed Prof. Dr. Jonathan Stuart Ready from UFPA, Brazil. His research spans #genetics, evolution, #ecology and biodiversity #genomics. 🧬 We enjoyed exchanging ideas and exploring new #research connections🌍

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

🐗Last week, our group attended the 14th International Symposium on Wild Boar and Other Suids in Zagreb, Croatia. It was a great #opportunity to present our work on wild boar diet, species interactions and improved #monitoring methods. 🐗🧬📷 @papako66.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

🥝 Today, we welcomed our research #partners Prof. Dr. Tammy Steeves and Dr. Matthew Wylie from New Zealand. With a common #goal of bringing #science and local #communities together to better protect #biodiversity, we recently published a paper: l1nq.com/u3v4kc2 🐠🦜

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

📷🦡Wildlife monitoring – part 4: Žabnik-Obrov With the Žabnik-Obrov Hunting Society, we completed four years of #monitoring with camera traps and SRNA #app. Above-average ungulate densities and #diverse carnivores were recorded.🐺🐻🐱 @pro-coast.bsky.social #BigPicture

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

📷🐿️ Four years of wildlife #monitoring in the Strunjan hunting area! Together with the Strunjan Hunting Society we used camera traps and the SRNA app to monitor #wildlife which revealed above-average roe deer density and a diverse #carnivore #community.🦡 @pro-coast.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

👩‍🔬 Meet Büşra Özçay Ekşi, a research assistant and PhD candidate from Selçuk University, Türkiye. In our lab, she is a part of a two-month Erasmus traineeship with the goal to gain experience in phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses to support her future research. 🧬📊

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

📷🐗 Four years of wildlife #monitoring in the Vrhe-Vrabče hunting area! This long term collaboration with the Vrhe–Vrabče Hunting Society shows how camera traps and the #SRNA app complement each other, confirming species from roe #deer to wolf and brown bear.🐺🐻 @pro-coast.bsky.social #BigPicture

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

📷🦌 Four years of wildlife #monitoring in the Rižana hunting area! Together with the Rižana Hunting Society, we used camera traps and the #SRNA app to monitor #wildlife, supporting #conservation and sustainable #management as part of @pro-coast.bsky.social and #BigPicture projects. 🤝💚

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

🌊 Final #PRO-Coast workshop in Strunjan Landscape Park! This time we discussed the tendency to underestimate how much others care about protecting the #environment, despite widespread positive environmental attitudes, also called environmental pluralistic ignorance. 💬 @pro-coast.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

📷🐾 We attended the #BIG_PICTURE annual meeting in Ljubljana, where we shared #progress on our camera trap, #SRNA app and eDNA #research. A new collaborative #initiative on small #carnivore interactions using camera trap data was also introduced. 🤝🌍 #Big_Picture

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

🧬 Our group co-authored a new ERGA Citizen Science paper in Biological Conservation, presenting a #framework for involving local #communities early in #biodiversity genomics #research. 🌿📖 Read the whole paper here: l1nq.com/u3v4kc2 @biogeneurope.bsky.social @ergabiodiv.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

👨‍🔬 Meet Konstantinos Papakostas, a new member of our group researching ungulate #ecology, animal behaviour and #biodiversity conservation. In our group, he studies mammal ecology and #conservation in Slovenia using camera trapping and hunting bag data. 🐐 @pro-coast.bsky.social @papako66.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

👩‍🔬 Meet our guest PhD student from Krakow (Poland), Ümmü Gülsüm Boztepe, a #veterinarian researching #wildlife welfare in roe deer. In our lab, she isolated RNA from roe deer tissues for transcriptome #sequencing to study how genetic variation may affect #gene expression. 🧬

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

🌊 This week, we organized a workshop for representatives and #students of agriculture in Strunjan Landscape Park, a PRO-Coast case #study area. We explored its unique cultural #landscape and discussed local challenges.💚 @pro-coast.bsky.social #PRO_Coast

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

📢 As a leader of WP7, we have joined the kick-off #meeting of Biodiversity Genomics Europe Plus (BGE+) in Leiden! Over three days, experts from across Europe discussed monitoring, #genomics, innovation and policy to advance biodiversity #research and #conservation. 🧬 @biogeneurope.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

🌊 The PRO-Coast project successfully concluded its 6th Consortium Meeting in Malta to advance community-led coastal #conservation. Key topics included #biodiversity protection, new #sustainability tools and balancing tourism with #ecosystem preservation. 🏝️ @pro-coast.bsky.social #PRO-Coast

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

🍀 Today we celebrate World Biodiversity Day 🥳🌍 Biodiversity includes the variety of all living organisms and #ecosystems on Earth. Protecting threatened #species and #habitats is essential for conserving #nature and maintaining healthy ecosystems for #future generations. 🫎 #biodiversityday2026

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

🦊 Our new #study on martens was featured in the Weekly News Digest of the Carnivore Conservation Compendium. Check out their #webpage for recent #carnivore conservation news, #research, and some amazing #wildlife photos! 📑🐾 Link: shorturl.at/jFp3E #wildandfree

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

📊Our poster was presented at the NATMed Conference in Istanbul. The presented #study combines eDNA metabarcoding, camera traps, and citizen #science to monitor mammals in southwestern Slovenia. Together, these methods revealed a more complete picture of local #biodiversity. @pro-coast.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

🌳Fieldwork season is open! Our team headed into #nature to set up camera traps as part of the Biodiversa+ Big_Picture #project. They put a lot of effort into planning, charging and preparing the camera traps, and setting everything up in the field. #Big_Picture #fieldwork #wildlife

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

🐾 New #study published! Members of our group analysed pine and stone #martens in Croatia and Slovenia using mitochondrial #DNA and microsatellites. 🧬 Read more here: rb.gy/ncjx29 🌿 📸Photo by: Ferenc-Alpár Gothárd, Instagram: www.instagram.com/lutrafilms/ @pro-coast.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

🌍 Happy Earth Day! Our planet’s beauty and #biodiversity remind us of the need to protect it for future generations. Global collaboration, from individuals to governments, drives #conservation efforts. Despite challenges, these endeavours offer hope for a more sustainable future. #earthday2026

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

🐾 Our SRNA app study is now published! Explore first-year data and #quiz results showing how users identify #wildlife. 🦌 Try the #app and test your knowledge! Can you recognize all the animals? Read more here: rb.gy/myb0pu @pro-coast.bsky.social #Big_Picture #SRNA #citizenscience

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

🧪Big news from the lab! We’ve started our first Oxford Nanopore run on the #MinION device, enabling ultra-long #DNA sequencing for improved #genome assembly. A great milestone for our laboratory and also a hands-on #learning opportunity for our students. @oxfordnanopore.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

We are proud that our Prof. Dr. Elena Bužan, as of the beginning of 2026, is the Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious scientific journal Genetica: An International Journal of Genetics and Evolution, published by Springer Nature. Congratulations! 👏 #proud #journal #editor #genetics #evolution

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

📱SRNA is a citizen science app for wildlife monitoring in Slovenia, collecting data on #mammals. Our pilot #study showed good identification skills among users, with issues in similar species. In year one, 1,633 observations were recorded, showing strong potential. @pro-coast.bsky.social #wildlife

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

📊 Last week we joined the BEPREP all-partners #meeting, focusing on progress of activities in case study areas (CSA). Partners reviewed progress and next steps toward #project completion. Supported by Horizon Europe, BEPREP explores how #nature restoration can help prevent epidemics. #BEPREP_EU

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

🌿Discover nature with the SRNA app! 📱 Record #wildlife sightings, tracks and roadkills, learn to identify species and test your knowledge with a fun #quiz. Your observations can help researchers better understand and protect biodiversity. @pro-coast.bsky.social #Big_Picture #CitizenScience #SRNA

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

📝 Prof. dr. Elena Bužan coauthored a new study in European Journal of Wildlife Research. It’s the first estimate of pre-ASF #wildboar abundance, supporting #wildlife #management and disease risk assessment. Read it here: rb.gy/orc6qf #Big_Picture #Biodiversity #Ecology #CameraTraps

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

🎉 BGE+ selected for funding! BGE+ aims to build a distributed European infrastructure for #biodiversity #genomics. We’re proud to lead WP7, defining the roadmap to integrate genomics into Europe’s RIs. Funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe. @biogeneurope.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

👩‍🔬This week in our lab: a Bachelor student performing PCR purification and gel electrophoresis for their research focusing on evaluating different water sampling methods for eDNA metabarcoding #DNA #research #youngbiologist @pro-coast.bsky.social

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Molecular Ecology @molecularecolup.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

📷 Wildlife in focus 8: Martens (Martes sp.) They are small, agile, mostly nocturnal, and solitary forest carnivores. Omnivorous and rarely seen, they often inhabit areas near human settlements and are threatened by habitat loss, traffic & humans. #Martens #PhotoTraps #Wildlife

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