Biological diagnostics
From its laboratories in Auckland and Lincoln, the diagnostic service provides morphological and molecular identification, and information supply, for plants, fungi, micro-organisms, and invertebrates.
The service is provided by the taxonomists, technicians, and collection managers of Landcare Research’s nationally significant collections and databases; including the Allan Herbarium (CHR); the New Zealand Fungarium (PDD); the International Collection of Micro-organisms from Plants (ICMP); and the New Zealand Arthropod Collection (NZAC).
The service is available to members of the public, commercial organisations, and government organisations.
Services
In general the service provides information on:
- Taxonomic Identification
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Nomenclature Check
An in-depth check about the scientific names of specific species. Such questions may include: is this the most up-to-date name for this species? What other names has this species been called?
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Presence and Distribution of species in New Zealand
Information to help determine whether a species is present in New Zealand, and, if necessary, related biological information, such as, its habitat, or host records.
Other services include: digital images for education, publication, and diagnostics; specimen cataloguing and electronic databasing; training workshops and the development of protocols for identification.