biology woman in a lab

Lab for Conservation & Ecological Genetics

The University of Idaho Laboratory for Conservation and Ecological Genetics (LECG) is a core facility that is equipped to perform all types of genetic analysis of a variety of plant and animal species, including the ability to generate DNA sequence and fragment data rapidly in a digital format. Researchers then load this data into the Genetic Data Analysis Center where they perform:
  • Sequence verification
  • Fragment analysis
  • Paternity testing
  • Species identification
  • Population size estimation
  • Individual identification
  • Gene flow quantification
  • Phylogenetic analysis
  • Other ecological and conservation genetic tasks


In this state-of-the-art lab we have scientists from a number of departments working together to study: conservation and management of rare and endangered species, biodiversity assessment, phylogenetic analysis, genetic analysis of natural populations, noninvasive sampling techniques, and molecular approaches to breeding and pathology.