EDIT - European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy -

3–5 October 2007, Leiden, The Netherlands

DNA barcoding, the fast digital approach to species identification, has now taken off in many parts of the world and presents a great opportunity for funding taxonomic research. EDIT, the European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy organised a conference on DNA barcoding and other DNA sequence-based species identification systems. The main goals of the meeting were to:

• Provide a platform where European researchers can interact

• Present commercial and scientific applications of DNA-based identification systems

• Explore funding options, particularly with a view to the 7th European Framework

• Constitute working groups on European aspects of DNA barcoding

21 - 23 January 2008, Hotel Tivoli Carvoeiro (Algarve, Portugal)

The symposium aimed to analyze the current status of taxonomy in Europe and to prospect future trends in upcoming years. The symposium gathered taxonomists and phylogeneticists, as well as various experts from other fields to talk about scientific technologies that are not used for systematic purposes today, but will most likely in the future. More than 150 attendees gathered to discuss future trends in taxonomic research. Stakeholder communities present had among others expertise in environmental and other new sequencing techniques, cancer research, biobanks, science policy, DNA barcoding, ancient tissue research.

The agenda and abstracts of the symposium can be downloaded here