Museomics of Balkan invertebrates: Unlocking hidden genomic diversity in historical collections through next-generation sequencing
Competition
Competition for financial support of basic research projects — 2025
Main scientific field or thematic area
Biology
Title and abstract of the project
Museomics of Balkan invertebrates: Unlocking hidden genomic diversity in historical collections through next-generation sequencing
The Balkan Peninsula is one of Europe’s richest biodiversity regions, shaped by a complex geological past, and home to many unique species. However, much of its invertebrate diversity is still poorly understood, with many taxa described from limited material, uncertain type specimens, or isolated populations of unclear status. Bulgaria holds some of the richest invertebrate collections in the region, curated at the National Museum of Natural History of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NMNHS-BAS). With over 1.5 million specimens and more than a century of research history, these collections provide a unique foundation for cutting-edge biodiversity studies, but their potential has yet to be realized through modern molecular approaches.
This project pioneers the large-scale application of museomics and DNA barcoding to Bulgarian invertebrates, representing the first mass effort to sequence historical type material and link it to newly collected samples across diverse taxonomic groups. Using Oxford Nanopore sequencing, we will generate DNA barcodes from variously preserved specimens, some over a century old, through non-destructive protocols. By targeting challenging groups such as plant bugs, fungus gnats, gastropods, myriapods, beetles, and butterflies, the project will resolve long-standing taxonomic ambiguities, uncover hidden diversity, and establish robust molecular frameworks for species delimitation and identification. A combination of the historic type material with contemporary samples will also allow unprecedented comparisons of past and present genetic diversity, offering insights into population change, biogeographical isolation, and the conservation status of rare and protected taxa.
Our approach will create a scalable basis for comparative taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation, while substantially enriching global molecular reference databases. By systematic application of museomics and mass barcoding, this project will make better use of Bulgaria’s rich collections and strengthen its role in integrative taxonomy and biodiversity genomics. This work will not only resolve critical taxonomic uncertainties but also provide the tools and reference data needed for future biodiversity monitoring and conservation in this biodiversity-rich, but still understudied region of Europe.
Type of the planned research
Fundamental
Organization
National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Coordinator of the research team
Prof. Pavel Stoev
Tsar Osvoboditel 1 Blvd., Sofia
Team members
Assoc. Prof. Rostislav Bekchiev
Assoc. Prof. Fedor Konstantinov
Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Simov
Assoc. Prof. Mario Langourov
Assoc. Prof. Boyan Vagalinski
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Dedov
Dr. Kaloyan Ivanov
Dr. Alexandra Tokareva
Dr. Svetlozara Kazandzhieva
Teodor Trifonov
Vukašin Gojšina
Requested total budget for accomplishment of the project
130 072,65 euro
Description of expected results
The project will employ interdisciplinary methods and approaches, aiming to acquire new knowledge crucial for a deeper understanding of the origin, formation, and distribution of the Balkan terrestrial fauna, using mainly museum materials.
An important part of the expected results is to develop and optimize an integrative workflow for species delimitation that combines molecular data, detailed morphological analyses, and cybertaxonomic tools on the basis of not perfectly collected or stored zoological material.
In general, the proposed studies will help to clarify the taxonomic and genetic links between the taxa considered, without that we cannot talk about the origin and the formation of the fauna in the Balkan Peninsula. The organization of all newly obtained information in a modern database also concerns the conservation issues of the studied taxa. An increase in the number of reported new species for the science and reported new fauna of Bulgaria, as well a significant addition to the data on the distribution of the known species from the model groups is expected.
The work on the project will make a significant contribution to the empirical clarification of the existing theories on the phylogeny of the soil invertebrates in the Balkans and the role of Bulgaria’s actual territory in it. Successful implementation and the resulting outcomes will serve as a pivotal foundation for significantly advancing analogous studies focused on invertebrates both in Bulgaria and globally.
Results achieved from the implementation of the project by stages
List of scientific publications related to the project, with links to the publications on the website of the journal in which they were published
Internet link to publicly available scientific data, where applicable
Other information related to the project, such as proposals for industrial or other socially beneficial applications of the results
Competition for financial support of basic research projects — 2025
Main scientific field or thematic area
Biology
Title and abstract of the project
Museomics of Balkan invertebrates: Unlocking hidden genomic diversity in historical collections through next-generation sequencing
The Balkan Peninsula is one of Europe’s richest biodiversity regions, shaped by a complex geological past, and home to many unique species. However, much of its invertebrate diversity is still poorly understood, with many taxa described from limited material, uncertain type specimens, or isolated populations of unclear status. Bulgaria holds some of the richest invertebrate collections in the region, curated at the National Museum of Natural History of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NMNHS-BAS). With over 1.5 million specimens and more than a century of research history, these collections provide a unique foundation for cutting-edge biodiversity studies, but their potential has yet to be realized through modern molecular approaches.
This project pioneers the large-scale application of museomics and DNA barcoding to Bulgarian invertebrates, representing the first mass effort to sequence historical type material and link it to newly collected samples across diverse taxonomic groups. Using Oxford Nanopore sequencing, we will generate DNA barcodes from variously preserved specimens, some over a century old, through non-destructive protocols. By targeting challenging groups such as plant bugs, fungus gnats, gastropods, myriapods, beetles, and butterflies, the project will resolve long-standing taxonomic ambiguities, uncover hidden diversity, and establish robust molecular frameworks for species delimitation and identification. A combination of the historic type material with contemporary samples will also allow unprecedented comparisons of past and present genetic diversity, offering insights into population change, biogeographical isolation, and the conservation status of rare and protected taxa.
Our approach will create a scalable basis for comparative taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation, while substantially enriching global molecular reference databases. By systematic application of museomics and mass barcoding, this project will make better use of Bulgaria’s rich collections and strengthen its role in integrative taxonomy and biodiversity genomics. This work will not only resolve critical taxonomic uncertainties but also provide the tools and reference data needed for future biodiversity monitoring and conservation in this biodiversity-rich, but still understudied region of Europe.
Type of the planned research
Fundamental
Organization
National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Coordinator of the research team
Prof. Pavel Stoev
Tsar Osvoboditel 1 Blvd., Sofia
Team members
Assoc. Prof. Rostislav Bekchiev
Assoc. Prof. Fedor Konstantinov
Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Simov
Assoc. Prof. Mario Langourov
Assoc. Prof. Boyan Vagalinski
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Dedov
Dr. Kaloyan Ivanov
Dr. Alexandra Tokareva
Dr. Svetlozara Kazandzhieva
Teodor Trifonov
Vukašin Gojšina
Requested total budget for accomplishment of the project
130 072,65 euro
Description of expected results
The project will employ interdisciplinary methods and approaches, aiming to acquire new knowledge crucial for a deeper understanding of the origin, formation, and distribution of the Balkan terrestrial fauna, using mainly museum materials.
An important part of the expected results is to develop and optimize an integrative workflow for species delimitation that combines molecular data, detailed morphological analyses, and cybertaxonomic tools on the basis of not perfectly collected or stored zoological material.
In general, the proposed studies will help to clarify the taxonomic and genetic links between the taxa considered, without that we cannot talk about the origin and the formation of the fauna in the Balkan Peninsula. The organization of all newly obtained information in a modern database also concerns the conservation issues of the studied taxa. An increase in the number of reported new species for the science and reported new fauna of Bulgaria, as well a significant addition to the data on the distribution of the known species from the model groups is expected.
The work on the project will make a significant contribution to the empirical clarification of the existing theories on the phylogeny of the soil invertebrates in the Balkans and the role of Bulgaria’s actual territory in it. Successful implementation and the resulting outcomes will serve as a pivotal foundation for significantly advancing analogous studies focused on invertebrates both in Bulgaria and globally.
Results achieved from the implementation of the project by stages
List of scientific publications related to the project, with links to the publications on the website of the journal in which they were published
Internet link to publicly available scientific data, where applicable
Other information related to the project, such as proposals for industrial or other socially beneficial applications of the results