🤝 @naturalsciences-be.bsky.social || AfricaMuseum || @belspo.be

📚 Scientific output:
· 80+ identification reports
· 6 peer-reviewed scientific papers published, one under review
· 2 oral presentations & 6 posters
· Participation in 4 conferences & symposiums, and 2 working groups
· Multiple lab tours and workshops

🤝 6 collaborative projects with colleagues at @itmantwerp.bsky.social, @fodvolksgezondheid.bsky.social, @sciensano.be, ILVO, and @uantwerpen.be

🧬 BopCo generated and published 909 DNA sequences to online DNA reference databases

82 identification requests processed

➡️ 27 one-time requests from a diverse group of partners (including universities, government agencies, industry, museums, and private individuals)

🔁 55 recurring requests:
· 44 related to bird strikes
· 11 involving protected CITES-listed species

A live demonstration of the wild meat sampling protocol—as performed at the airport within the INTERCEPT project—was also given.

A big thank-you to everyone involved for making this an inspiring day of science in action! 🔬🌍
#africamuseum #BopCo #Howest #INTERCEPT

The visit continued with a tour of the vertebrate collections, presented by their curators. One particularly memorable moment was seeing the DART mass spectrometer in action.

Lastly, a visit to the molecular labs, where BopCo explained how tissue and DNA samples are collected, stored, and curated.

The students enjoyed a tour of the collection and discovered the work of ENFORCE (enforce.africamuseum.be/en), the Belgian centre of expertise for forensic wood research. BopCo contributed to the training by presenting its work carried out within INTERCEPT (www.naturalsciences.be/en/science/r...).

For more details on this topic read the paper published in the North-Western Journal of Zoology, biozoojournals.ro/nwjz/content...

The species identification was carried out through morphological analysis and with BopCo's confirmation using DNA-based techniques.
🌱 While this species shows great adaptability, its invasive potential in outdoor environments in Belgium remains low — mainly due to our cold winter climate.

🧬 These arachnids are usually found in humid forests, but are highly adaptable and have increasingly been reported in glasshouse environments across Europe.
📅 The detections in 2024 and 2025 in a glasshouse in Meise Botanic Garden, mark the first records of this species in Belgium.

👉 A great example of the value of biological collections and international scientific collaboration!

This discovery, published in Science (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...), offers new insights into the transmission of WNV.

BopCo is proud to have contributed to this research by sharing identified specimens collected within the MEMO project.

🤝 BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences || #ITM Institute of Tropical Medicine || #africamuseum Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika || #BELSPO - Belgian Science Policy Office

✅ This work underscores the importance of accurate and rapid species identification—whether by expert taxonomists or through DNA barcoding—to support effective vector management strategies and public health efforts.

Read more on this interesting subject here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

📍 A recent study provides updated data on the distribution of sand flies (Nepal), contributing to vector surveillance & control. However, sand flies are difficult to distinguish based on morphology alone. That's where molecular tools come in! BopCo contributed by providing know-how support.

#BopCo #INTERCEPT #Customs #OneHealth #Biodiversity #CITES #PublicHealth #ScienceInAction
Read more about the INTERCEPT project here: www.naturalsciences.be/en/science/r...

👮‍♂️🧬 This collaboration is a great example of how science and customs join forces to safeguard our ecosystems and prevent the spread of diseases.
🎥 Watch the documentary “Douaniers : à la frontière du risque – Season 1” now streaming on RTL Play! - www.rtlplay.be/rtlplay/doua...

Within the INTERCEPT project, BopCo worked closely with customs services to analyze meat products seized from travelers arriving from outside Europe. DNA analysis allowed us to identify the species involved — to check if they are listed under CITES — and to screen for potential pathogens.

Curious to learn more about our achievements?
👉 www.bopco.be/output/ for links to our publications.