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Miss Sarah Du Plessis
Research student
School of Biosciences
- DuPlessisS@cardiff.ac.uk
- Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/5.15, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Overview
During my BSc in Zoology at Cardiff University, on a placement year I conducted a research project studying the habitat use of Samango monkeys in relation to their food availability, first sparking an interest in a career in research. For my dissertation I used genetics to assess the success of translocations of the critically endangered Bojer's skinks among the islands surrounding Mauritius, which was published in Conservation Genetics shortly after I graduated in 2017. In 2018 I started a Masters by Research at the University of Bristol looking at plant plasticity and roots under environmental stress, of two altitude-specific ragwort species found on Mt Etna, Sicily. I submitted this thesis and successfully defended it May 2020.
In October 2019 I returned to Cardiff to begin a PhD with the Cardiff University Otter Project and Molecular Ecology groups, using the newly sequenced otter reference genome and samples from the otter archive to study the demographic history of populations within the UK. During the pandemic I begun learning the skills required for population genomics, and initiated the collborations from which I have developed our range-wide whole genome dataset of 63 samples.
During my PhD I have spent time working at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute with one of my supervisors, Dr Klaus-Peter Koepfli, thanks to a Welsh Government Researcher Mobility Grant. I have also spent three months working at the Centre of Evolutionary Hologenomics, at the GLOBE Institute in Copenhagen with Prof Tom Gilbert learning about ancient and historic DNA lab and bioinformatic methods, thanks to an EMBO Scientific Exchange Grant.
Publication
2024
- Du Plessis, S., Chadwick, E. and Hailer, F. 2024. Could a couple of Thai otters have helped the UK’s otter population recover? Our study provides a hint. The Conversation
2023
- du Plessis, S. J., Blaxter, M., Koepfli, K., Chadwick, E. A. and Hailer, F. 2023. Genomics reveals complex population history and unexpected diversity of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Britain relative to genetic methods. Molecular Biology and Evolution 40(11), article number: msad207. (10.1093/molbev/msad207)
- Du Plessis, S. J., Hong, S., Lee, B., Koepfli, K., Chadwick, E. A. and Hailer, F. 2023. Mitochondrial genome-based synthesis and timeline of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) phylogeography. Animal Cells and Systems 27(1), pp. 366-377. (10.1080/19768354.2023.2283763)
- Du Plessis, S. 2023. Genetics to genomics: Conservation of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) on local and global scales. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2019
- Du Plessis, S. et al. 2019. Genetic diversity and cryptic population re-establishment: management implications for the Bojer's skink (Gongylomorphus bojerii). Conservation Genetics 20(2), pp. 137-152. (10.1007/s10592-018-1119-y)
Erthyglau
- Du Plessis, S., Chadwick, E. and Hailer, F. 2024. Could a couple of Thai otters have helped the UK’s otter population recover? Our study provides a hint. The Conversation
- du Plessis, S. J., Blaxter, M., Koepfli, K., Chadwick, E. A. and Hailer, F. 2023. Genomics reveals complex population history and unexpected diversity of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Britain relative to genetic methods. Molecular Biology and Evolution 40(11), article number: msad207. (10.1093/molbev/msad207)
- Du Plessis, S. J., Hong, S., Lee, B., Koepfli, K., Chadwick, E. A. and Hailer, F. 2023. Mitochondrial genome-based synthesis and timeline of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) phylogeography. Animal Cells and Systems 27(1), pp. 366-377. (10.1080/19768354.2023.2283763)
- Du Plessis, S. et al. 2019. Genetic diversity and cryptic population re-establishment: management implications for the Bojer's skink (Gongylomorphus bojerii). Conservation Genetics 20(2), pp. 137-152. (10.1007/s10592-018-1119-y)
Gosodiad
- Du Plessis, S. 2023. Genetics to genomics: Conservation of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) on local and global scales. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research
- Population genomics
- Conservation genetics
Thesis
Genomic Tracking of UK Otter (Lutra lutra) Population Expansion After Anthropogenic Declines in the 20th Century
My PhD has three main aims, all assessed using genomic and genetic tools.
Initially, I assessed the stronghold demographic history, genetic diversity and inbreeding of UK Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) following pollutant induced population crash in the last half of the 20th century. I have also characterised the timing and extent of the population bottleneck across UK populations, and investigated the genomic impact on the populations. This work was facilitated by our ongoing collaboration with the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their Darwin Tree of Life project, with the sequencing of 45 samples from across England, Wales and Scotland.
Next I am assessing the concordance between Eurasian otter subspecies classifications and whole mitochondrial genome variation, with a focus on populations found in Asia.
Finally, using a range-wide whole genome sequencing dataset of 63 samples, we hope to expand our understanding of the species across the Eurasian range. I am particularly interested in understanding how varied population bottlenecks that have occured across the range have impacted the genomic landscape of the species, particularly in genetic diversity, structuring and runs of homozygosity. I also aim to investigate autosomal, and sex-biased phylogeography, and re-visit questions around subspecies classifications where the samples are available.
Funding sources
NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership
Teaching
Undergraduate practical and statistics demonstrating.
Biography
Professional memberships
IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Otter Specialist Group (since April 2021)
Genetics Society (since February 2020)
British Ecological Society (since November 2018)
Speaking engagements
Presented talks and posters at a range of conferences throughout my PhD, most notably winning the best student talk at PopGroup56 in January 2023.
Committees and reviewing
Welsh Ecology and Evolution Network Committee member
Supervisors
Research themes
Specialisms
- Conservation
- Population Genetics
