DNA Barcoding has taken center-stage recently in helping to facilitate species identification; flag specimens that may represent new species; and provide insight into the evolutionary history of life on earth. The approach enables identifications where traditional methods are unrevealing; at the same time, encourage new technologies for DNA analysis which are faster, better, cheaper, and usable in field biology. Based on the little variation within species, and large distance between species in a 'marker', species can be identified. This has recieved wide spectrum of application in forensic science, and environmental monitoring. Limited capacities and facilities within tropical Africa lags the progress of work in this field especially in barcode libraries preparation and availability for species in the region. As part of the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project, and collaboration with NHM Oslo, the aim is to generate barcode libraries for birds and their parasite in tropical Africa, and at the same time build capacity in this area.

[Principal Coordinator: Dr. Taiwo Crossby, EU & APLORI]
[Collaborators: Prof Jan Lifjeld, Norway]
[Funder: Fund seeking phase]