An interdisciplinary approach to generate a paradigm shift in characterising biodiversity

Biodiversity plays an integral role in the health and function of our ecosystem. However, this is being threatened by an unprecedented loss of species. To combat this global biodiversity crisis, we need to better understand diversity at all levels of organisation.

 Both phenotype and genotype are used to describe biodiversity, and although the former is impacted by environmental change, phenotypic characterisation usually lacks an environmental context. Organisms express different metabolite profiles based on their location and exposure to environmental stressors and these ‘chemotypes’ offer an opportunity to characterise phenotypes in a way that considers plasticity.