Joint Experimental Molecular Unit (JEMU)

Location

BarCoVer is a flagship project of the Joint Experimental Molecular Unit (JEMU) entirely financed by the Belgian Science Policy. It is a collaborative project between partners in Belgium, France, USA and Democratic Republic of Congo:

Institutional partners in Belgium are:

Coordination: Dr. Erik Verheyen, Dr. Georges Lenglet (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences - RBINS, Vertebrate department, Belgium).

Michel Louette, Dr. Jos Snoeks, Wim Wendelen Emmanuel (Museum for Central Africa - RMCA, Zoology Department, Belgium).

Prof. Dr. Herwig (University of Antwerp, Evolutionary ecology group, Belgium

Prof. Dr. Adriaens (Ghent University, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Zoology Museum, Belgium).

Institutional partner in France is:

Dr. Marc Colyn (Université de Rennes 1, CNRS, UMR 6553, Station Biologique de Paimpont, France).

Institutional partner in the USA is:

PhD. Assistant Professor, Nicola M. Anthony (University of New Orleans, Department of Biological Sciences, USA).

Partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo are:

Prof. Dr. Akaibe Migumiru DUDU, Soleil Wamuini, Armel Ibala-Zamba and Celestin Danadu (University of Kisangani, DRCongo).

The JEMU team is Zoltan Tamas Nagy, Jeroen Van Houdt, Floris Breman and Gontran Sonet.

The proposed barcoding projects will be possible because of sampling efforts done in the context of other projects:

For mammals contributing projects are: (1) VLIR project ‘Les Rongeurs à Kisangani: patrimoine, peste et pilote’ by Prof. Dr. Herwig LEIRS (University of Antwerp) and Prof. Dr. Akaibe Migumiru DUDU (University of Kisangani, DRCongo) [2005-2008], (2) DGDC-RBINS-GTI project "Training Program for the Study of Biodiversity and Management of Rodents in Kisangani (DRCongo)" with Prof. Dr. Herwig LEIRS (Universiteit Antwerpen) and Prof. Dr. Akaibe Migumiru DUDU (University of Kisangani, DRCongo). [2004-2005].
For both fishes and mammals:(1) DGDC-RBINS-GTI project "Training Program for the Study of Biodiversity and Management of terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates in Kisangani (DR Congo)" in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Herwig LEIRS (Universiteit Antwerpen) en Prof. Dr. Akaibe Migumiru DUDU (University of Kisangani, DRCongo). [2005-2006]. For fishes from the Congo basin: (1) FishBase; (2) Belspo project on the ichthyodiversity of the Lower Congo and Pool Malebo; (3) Ph.D. project of Soleil Wamuini on the fishes of the Inkisi; (4) Ph.D. project of Armel Ibala-Zamba on the Luki and the Lefini; (5) DEA prokject of Celestin Danadu on the Congo Synodontis; (6) Submitted Ph.D. project propsal of Tuur Moelants on the ichthyofaunea of Kisangani region; (7) IUCN contract concerning the distribution and conservation status of the fishes of the Congo Basin; (8) a collaborative DGOS project on the fishculture and fisheries in Katanga.
For the birds, primates and Bovidae no externally funded projects are ongoing but there are contacts with other partners that either contribute tissues (& vouchers) or specimens that can be used in barcoding studies.