BopCo provides on-demand species identification of organisms of policy concern, using morphology and DNA-based methods.
BopCo is jointly run by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and the Royal Museum for Central Africa.
BopCo.be
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The visit included presentations on 2 units of speciesID.be:
- @bopco-be.bsky.social: use morphology and DNA analysis to identify species of policy concern (CITES, biosecurity & food fraud)
- ENFORCE: applying forensic wood science against illegal trade, in support of the EU Deforestation Regulation
A great day at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren!
We were delighted to welcome a delegation from DG Environment Directorate F (Green Diplomacy & Multilateralism) of the @ec.europa.eu to showcase the work of speciesID.be, Belgium's centre of excellence for species identification.
And because science is best experienced first-hand, we allowed our guests an exclusive visit behind the scenes:
- the wood reference collection @AfricaMuseum
- the wood biology lab used by ENFORCE
- the biobank & molecular lab used @bopco-be.bsky.social
🕊️ Migratory birds spread the virus across continents. While avian flu mostly affects wild birds, it can also be transmitted to poultry (chickens & turkeys) with varying impact depending on the characteristics of the strain. Spill over to mammals is an even rarer event and only after direct contact.
🧬 If the virus is found, BopCo identifies from which bird species the samples came from — helping pinpoint high-risk carriers and guide response efforts.
🍂❄️ The risk peaks in autumn and winter, as migratory birds arrive with new waves of virus from regions where the virus is circulating.
🚨 Early detection is crucial to raise awareness to allow prevention of outbreaks in poultry farms and evaluate their risk of transmission to humans.
🔬 BopCo is a joint initiative of @RBINS and @RMCA, funded by @Belspo
🦠 Monitoring bird flu (BE)
Avian influenza, is a contagious viral disease that primarily affects birds, especially waterfowl like ducks, geese, and swans. Avian flu is highly contagious among birds and can spread through: droppings, respiratory secretions or even contaminated water, soil, or feed.
🔬 In Belgium, @sciensano.be is actively involved in the European project #OH4Surveillance, which aims to innovate and scale up One Health surveillance for priority pathogens. As part of the environmental surveillance component, they collect feathers and wild bird droppings to screen for the virus.
SpeciesID.be is proud to support the enforcement of EU environmental legislation and we look forward to continued exchanges between science & policy.
Want to know more? --> speciesid.be
SpeciesID.be is a joint initiative of @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social & the AfricaMuseum, funded by @belspo.be
BopCo.be
BopCo.be
BopCo.be
BopCo.be
speciesID.be is a consortium of research centers specialized in the identification of biological samples through advanced morphological and molecular methods
