Invertebrates inhabit a wide range of habitats and represent a large array of species including insects, mollusks, and crustaceans. Thus, they play crucial roles in ecosystems and are essential for ecological balance. Advances in genomic technologies such as high-throughput sequencing and transcriptomics have opened new avenues for understanding the genetic basis of invertebrate's biology, evolution, and interactions with their environments. As more and more genomes are being sequenced and our ability to analyze these genomes improves, so does our understanding of the intricate biological mechanisms that govern invertebrates' lives.
Understanding the genomics of invertebrates is critical for various fields, including agriculture, environmental conservation, and human health. For example, sequencing the genome of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, a major vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya, has provided insights into its insecticide resistance and behavior, aiding in the development of targeted control strategies such as gene-editing technologies. Similarly, studying the genetics of the honeybee (Apis mellifera), a key pollinator for global agriculture, has helped to understand factors affecting colony health, including pesticide sensitivity and disease resistance. Studying the genomes of corals and oysters, important parts of ocean ecosystems, has led to understanding of their plasticity critical for adaptation and to inform conservation efforts. As invertebrates form the foundation of many ecosystems, research on their genomics should be at the forefront of strategies to protect our environment and its ecological balance.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Genome organization and evolution of invertebrate species
- Genomic insights into insect vectors and their parasites
- RNA-Seq applications in invertebrate research
- Transcriptomics studies on invertebrates’ ecological interactions
- Functional genomics of invertebrates’ immune responses
- Evolutionary genomics of adaptation to human-led changes and extreme environments
- Metagenomics of invertebrate-associated microbiomes
- Genomic approaches to study invertebrate behavior
- Population genomics and conservation genetics of threatened invertebrates
- Genomic resources for biocontrol agent development
All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.
Image credit: © Lukas Gojda / stock.adobe.com