![Sanger Institute Science Collaboration](/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-150666845-3.jpg)
Malawi cichlid genome project
With more than 600 young and ecologically diverse species, the adaptive radiation of Lake Malawi cichlid fish provides a superb system to study speciation and the evolution of species biodiversity.
At the Sanger Institute, we are working to create extensive genomic resources for Lake Malawi cichlids that are available to the research community. Up until the end of 2015 we sequenced more than 150 samples of more than 70 species that span all of the radiation. We are currently analysing these samples and will release genetic variation data in 2016. We are also working on an improved reference genome for Astatotilapia calliptera using long reads. Genomic resources are available here.
On field trip in February/March 2016, we collected samples from ~240 species, including over 1400 tissue samples for DNA sequencing, 1300 preserved specimens that will form a collection at the University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge, and 250 tissue samples from 12 species for RNA sequencing. We also obtained high quality photographs for each of the specimens.
Sanger people
![Dr Richard Durbin Photo of Dr Richard Durbin](/userpics/200/rd.jpg)
Dr Richard Durbin
Associate Faculty
![Eric Miska Photo of Eric Miska](/userpics/200/em13.jpg)
Eric Miska
Associate Faculty/Group Leader
Previous Sanger people
![Dr Mingliu Du Photo of Dr Mingliu Du](/userpics/200/md27.jpg)
Dr Mingliu Du
post-doctoral fellow
![Dr Hannes Svardal Photo of Dr Hannes Svardal](/userpics/200/hs10.jpg)
Dr Hannes Svardal
Postdoctoral Fellow
External partners and funders
External
George Turner's Group
Bangor University
We closely collaborate with Prof. Turner and his group at Bangor University who have strong expertise in Malawi cichlid evolutionary biology, taxonomy, behaviour and ecology.
External
Walter Salzburger's Group
University of Basel
Prof. Salzburger and his group work on similar questions mainly in the Lake Tanganyika cichlid adaptive radiation. Collaborations include the study of convergent evolution across the lake systems, and the evolutionary history of east-African haplochromine cichlids.
External
Dr. Martin Genner
University of Bristol
Dr. Genner's group have strong expertise in cichlid ecology, evolution, and phylo-geography.