Skip to main content

Getting involved

There are several ways in which you can contribute to and benefit from the DarkTree project:

Interested in insect evolution?​

Are you interested in the diversification of insects, the evolution of insect genomes, or fishing out information on symbionts or pathogens from insect genome data? We are looking for collaborators interested in pursuing research questions based on DarkTree data. Do you have your own funding and would like to be involved in the DarkTree planning process and get early access to data? Or would you like to pursue funding opportunities based on DarkTree data? Contact us!

Propose taxa for genome sequencing​

On this web site, we present our most recent reference tree with the placement of the OTUs in our samples, based on metabarcoding data. Feel free to explore the tree and provide feedback to us on OTUs that you think should be targeted for genome sequencing. They might be placed on unexpected branches in the tree, or their geographic origin might be surprising given current knowledge.

We may be able to sequence the genomes of your priority OTUs within the DarkTree budget, if they fit within the overall objective of the project of providing a balanced representation of the insect tree. We may also be able to offer expanded coverage of certain taxa on a cost basis. Contact us to discuss the possibilities.

Working on dark taxa?​

While we are developing and refining the computer vision techniques, we will be dependent on taxonomists working on dark insect taxa to help us pick out the appropriate specimens for genome sequencing from the metabarcoded samples. If you are one of these precious taxonomists, let us know if you are willing to help us and let us know what we can do for you in exchange.

Using DarkTree data​

We will strive to make DarkTree genomic data, images and reference trees available in public repositories with minimal delay after generating them. In return, we hope the community will respect the DarkTree code of conduct in using these data:

  1. When using DarkTree data, please cite the project white paper (expected to appear in late 2026) and refrain from publishing papers using DarkTree data before then unless you have special permission from the project team.
  2. Until the DarkTree phylogenomic analyses have been published (expected in late 2029), please restrict phylogenetic analyses using DarkTree data to studies of single markers across any number of published genomes, or up to ten markers across less than 30 DarkTree genomes.