Projects

The Balkan Peninsula is one of the most biodiverse regions in Europe, shaped by a complex geological history and home to numerous endemic species. However, much of its invertebrate diversity remains insufficiently studied, with many taxa known only from single specimens, of uncertain status, or represented by isolated populations. Bulgaria holds some of the richest invertebrate collections in the region, preserved at the National Museum of Natural History – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. With over 1.2 million specimens and more than a century of research history, these collections provide a unique foundation for cutting-edge biodiversity research, yet their full potential has not been realised through modern molecular approaches.

This project pioneers the large-scale application of museomics and DNA barcoding to Balkan invertebrates, representing the first mass effort to sequence historical type material and link it with newly collected samples across diverse taxonomic groups. Using Oxford Nanopore sequencing, we will generate DNA barcodes from specimens with varying preservation states, some over a century old, employing non-destructive protocols. By targeting challenging groups such as true bugs, fungus gnats, snails, millipedes, beetles, bees, and butterflies, the project will resolve long-standing taxonomic uncertainties, reveal hidden diversity, and establish robust molecular frameworks for species delimitation and identification.

The integration of historical type material with contemporary samples will also enable unprecedented comparisons of past and present genetic diversity, offering insights into population change, biogeographic isolation, and the conservation status of rare and protected taxa.