Research and education by Rachele S Wilson, PhD
About me
Hello! My name is Dr Rachele Wilson and I’m a molecular ecologist. I use genetics to study organisms and the interactions between them in different landscapes. I work closely with land managers, First Nations peoples and other researchers to draw on different knowledge systems and methods to answer ecological questions.
Most of my research has focussed on Australian native bees but has now broadened to include other insects, vertebrates, plants and soil. I specialise in the molecular method of DNA metabarcoding (aka “eDNA”), which identifies unknown organisms in mixed samples (e.g. pollen, soil, faeces/gut contents) by tracing their DNA to known species (e.g. plants, animals, fungi, bacteria). This information can be used to study micro- and myco-biomes, food webs, biodiversity, abundance, provenance, quality control and how these change with time and space.
Qualifications
BSc (Environmental Science) (Sustainability), BSc Hons (Land, Parks & Wildlife Management), PhD (Terrestrial Ecology); University of the Sunshine Coast
Affiliations
- Research Fellow in Native Bee Climate Adaptation, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne
- Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland
- Adjunct Research Associate, Centre for Planetary Health & Food Security, Griffith University
Services
Research // Consulting
DNA metabarcoding for diet analyses and other interactions. Advice, site assessments and tailored reports on pollination or performance of native pollinators and honey bees. Grant writing assistance for projects that benefit pollinators and/or land managers.
For projects requiring significant resources such as specialised equipment, agreements may be negotiated through the University of Melbourne or the University of Queensland. Please note that this will incur indirect costs associated with university overheads.
Workshops // Presentations
Workshops and presentations about pollinators and research, informed by over six years of teaching experience.
Selected topics:
- Build a bee hotel for native solitary bees (workshop)
- Native bees: habitats, plants & structures to support them
- Using DNA metabarcoding to answer ecological questions
- Resilience in research (workshop)
Get in touch
Got a burning question you want answered? Have an enquiry about a service? Send me an email using the contact form.
Resources
Store (recommended books, tools, hive boxes and bee hotels)
Beescapes 