About us
Who are we? What are we doing? How is the ABOL Initative organized?
ABOL – the Austrian barcode of life Initiative
- ABOL is a national network of institutions and experts dealing with research on Austrian biodiversity.
- In the long term ABOL aims to generate DNA barcodes of all species of animals, plants and fungi occurring in Austria, also considering geographic variation.
- The DNA barcodes will be available in a public database.
- ABOL generates a solid and up-to-date data basis of biodiversity in Austria.
- In addition ABOL considers itself as a platform which coordinates and promotes all research dealing with Austrian biodiversity.
Structure of the ABOL Initiative
Designed as a long-term initiative (estimated duration 10 years) the overall ABOL project started in 2017 succeeding the pilot phase (2014-2017). The coordination is done through the Natural History Museum Vienna. Like the pilot phase, the coordination of the phase 2017-2020 is financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The current phase 2021-2023 is financially supported by three Austrian Universities (University of Graz, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, University of Vienna) in addition to the BMBWF.
According to its decentralized structure, ABOL unites all relevant Austrian institutions involved in biodiversity research. Representatives of museums, universities, biosphere parks, national parks, research institutions, lay researchers, federal and regional conservation departments as well as scientific societies contribute to the aims of ABOL.
DNA barcodes will be generated in projects formally assigned to group-specific ABOL clusters. These clusters are characterized by a tight cooperation among experts for a given taxonomic group. Here you find the list of clusters, along with species counts and information on coordinators and links to currently running projects. In some groups species counts are rough estimates as no recent data are available. The ABOL project will contribute substantially to a reliable data basis.
ABOL coordination team
The coordination tasks include communication and networking among ABOL projects as well as operation and maintenance of the ABOL database. The coordination team is also encouraged to recruit projects, to stay in contact with other DNA barcoding initiatives (iBOL, GBOL, CROBOL, etc.) and to negotiate participation in major international projects. It is also responsible for the organization of meetings and workshops, as well as for the maintenance of the ABOL webpage.
Priv. Doz. Dr. Elisabeth Haring (NHM Vienna)
Project leader and co-mastermind of ABOL
Mag. Christoph Hörweg (NHM Vienna) since March 2023
Project leader of ABOL coordination at the NHM
Dr. Nikolaus Szucsich (NHM Vienna)
ABOL manager – coordinates and acts as an communication interface among ABOL collaborators, national and international partners, DNA barcoding initiatives; he represents ABOL in public and among stakeholders; explores funding opportunities etc.
Dr. Michaela Sonnleitner (NHM Vienna)
Taxonomic coordination – she closely works together with the ABOL manager, the e-infrastructure manager as well as the cluster coordinators and promotes effective data production and synergies in the various ABOL projects.
Florian Ackerl, MSc. (NHM Vienna) since Febb 2024
E-infrastructure manager
Victoria Kargl, MSc. (NHM Vienna) from Jan. 2023
ABOL BioBlitz coordination
Coordination of RefDat
Markus Kappe (Dix Websolutions)
Administrative and technical support of the ABOL website
Former members of the ABOL coordination team:
Oliver Macek, MSc. (NHM Vienna; from Aug. 2018 to Dec. 2023)
E-infrastructure manager
Sabine Schoder, MSc. (NHM Vienna; from 2019 to 2022)
ABOL BioBlitz coordination
Dr. Christian Bräuchler (NHM Vienna; from March 2020 to December 2022)
Project leader of ABOL coordination at the NHM
Christoph Leeb, MSc. (NHM Vienna until July 2022)
still associated with ABOL
Dr. Daniela Lutz (NHM Vienna until April 2022)
Administrative and technical support of the ABOL website
Dr. Helmut Sattmann (NHM Vienna until Feb. 2020)
Project leader of ABOL coordination at the NHM; “mastermind” of ABOL
Denise Grau (NHM Vienna until Aug. 2018)
E-infrastructure manager
Advisory board
(names in alphabetical order)
Eberle, Jonas (Univ. Salzburg)
Eschner, Anita (NHM Vienna)
Essl, Franz (Univ. Vienna)
Fuehrer, Hans-Peter (Veterinärmed. Univ. Vienna)
Gottsberger, Richard (AGES)
Götzl, Martin (UBA)
Greilhuber-Krisai, Irmgard (Univ. Vienna)
Harl, Josef (Vetmed. Univ. Vienna)
Heinze, Berthold (Bundesforschungs- und Ausbildungszentrum für Wald, Naturgefahren und Landschaft, BFW)
Holzinger, Werner (Ökoteam Graz)
Kniha, Edwin (MedUni Vienna)
Koblmüller. Stephan (Univ. Graz)
Köck, Günter (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Kruckenhauser, Luise (NHM Vienna)
Leeb, Christoph (NHM Vienna)
Lindner, Robert (Haus der Natur, Salzburg)
Maringer, Alexander (National Park Gesäuse)
Meimberg, Harald (Univ. of Natural Resources and Life Sciences)
Paill, Wolfgang (Joanneum Graz)
Prost, Stephan (NHM)
Rabl, Dominik (UBA)
Sattmann, Helmut (NHM Vienna)
Schebeck, Martin (BOKU)
Schiemer, Friedrich (Univ. Vienna)
Schneeweiß, Gerald (Univ. Vienna)
Sturmbauer, Christian (Univ. Graz)
Thalinger, Bettina (Univ. Innsbruck)
Traugott, Michael (Univ. Innsbruck)
Tribsch, Andreas (Univ. Salzburg)
Walochnik, Julia (Meduni Vienna)
Weigl, Stephan (Oberösterr. Landesmuseum)
Zachos, Frank (NHM Vienna)
Zechmeister, Thomas (Biologische Station Illmitz)
Former members of the advisory board:
Aubrecht, Gerhard (ehem. Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum)
Blümel, Sylvia (AGES)
Doblhoff-Dier, Otto (Veterinärmed. Univ. Vienna)
Molin (ehem. Sehr), Eva-Maria (Austrian Institute of Technology, AIT)
Stauffer, Christian (BOKU)
Financing of ABOL
ABOL is a non-profit-oriented initiative, which is financed by various sources of funding. The coordination based at the Natural History Museum Vienna is financed through the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. In the current phase (2021-2023), three Austrian universities (Univ. Graz, Univ. Vienna, BOKU) are also involved in financing the ABOL coordination.
You can contribute to the project and help to reach the goals of ABOL with your donation! -> Donate now!
Mission statement & standards
ABOL stands for quality standards that are accepted and followed by the members of the ABOL project. DNA barcode sequences are generated from a priori determined organisms. These (legally collected) specimens are deposited in a publicly accessible scientific collection. The DNA barcodes and the corresponding meta data, which at least meet the requirements of the “International Barcode of Life”, are fed into the ABOL database. All work in the course of the DNA barcoding, from collecting/documentation to sampling, DNA analysis, data evaluation, and data entry into the database are carried out obeying highest carefulness, laboratory standards and laboratory controls. As available, remaining DNA or tissue are stored in a DNA/tissue collection. Furthermore, the DNA barcodes are incorporated into the international BOLD database. ABOL has committed itself to high standards and to provide high quality data for research and other applications.
Cooperation partners
More than 100 persons of the following institutions agreed to support ABOL, or expressed their interest to actively take part in the project:
AGES – Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology
Austrian Academy of Sciences
BOKU University
E.C.O. – Institut für Ökologie
Haus der Natur, Salzburg
inatura Dornbirn
Landesmuseum Kärnten (in German only)
Medical University of Vienna
Museum of Natural History Vienna
Museum of Nature South Tyrol (in German and Italian only)
National Parks Austria (in German only)
Natural History Museum, Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz
ÖKOTEAM – Institut für Tierökologie und Naturraumplanung
Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum, Natural Science Collections
UBA – Environment Agency Austria
University for Continuing Education Krems
University of Applied Sciences Kärnten
University of Graz
University of Innsbruck
University of Salzburg
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
University of Vienna
Upper Austrian State Museums, Biology Center Linz
Societies
AÖE – Austrian Entomologists’ Association
Austrian Association for Floristic Research
Birdlife Austria (in German only)
KFFÖ – Koordinationsstelle für Fledermausschutz und -forschung in Österreich (in German only)
MoFA – Mollusc Research Austria
Naturkundliche Gesellschaft Mostviertel (in German only)
Naturschutzbund Austria (in German only)
NOBIS Austria – Network of Biological Systematics
ÖEG – Austrian Entomological Society (in German only)
ÖGEF – Austrian Society of Entomofaunistics (in German only)
ÖGH – Austrian Society of Herpetology (in German only)
ZooBot – Zoological-Botanical Society of Austria (in German only)
International DNA barcoding initiatives
CCDB – Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding
CroBOL – Croatian Barcode of Life
FinBOL – Finnish Barcode of Life
GBOL – German Barcode of Life
iBOL – International Barcode of Life
NorBOL – Norwegian Barcode of Life
ABOL needs your participation!
Recording the entire biodiversity of Austria is an ambitious objective, which can only be achieved by active cooperation among many participants. Possibilities to contribute to ABOL are manifold. Particularly for the planned main project, which will follow the initial phase, ABOL will need an extensive network of scientists / working groups / institutions.
We are looking for…
- Scientists / working groups / institutions, which actively want to contribute to planning and implementing ABOL subprojects
- Scientists / work groups / institutions, which contribute DNA barcodes to ABOL, generated in the context of research projects
- People with sound taxonomic expertise in any group of organisms
- Volunteers for assistance in the collection / gathering of reference samples (from the field or from existing collections)
- Teachers with possibilities to provide samples and/or generate data during excursions or practical courses
- Persons versed in EDP for data management
History – how it started
ABOL pilot phase (2014-2017)
The ABOL pilot phase (2014-2017) was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The aim of this phase was primarily the planning and scheduling of the subsequent overall project including all necessary structures, secondarily the conduction of four pilot studies. In addition, so called associated projects provided DNA barcodes of selected groups of organisms in the frame of projects not funded by the pilot phase. These projects, however, made a valuable contribution to ABOL. In parallel, experts, cross-linked in clusters specific to groups of organisms, planned the overall project.
Structure of the pilot phase (2014-2017)
The following institutions primarily lead the pilot studies: University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Natural History Museum Vienna, Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum, University of Graz.
The University of Veterinary Medicine is the main contact to the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the Museum of Natural History is leading the overall project. The progress is guided and controlled by the steering committee.
Team of the pilot phase 2014 – 2017
Project Leaders
Priv. Doz. Dr. Elisabeth Haring (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Helmut Sattmann (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Nikolaus Szucsich (NHM Vienna)
Pilot study butterflies & moths
Dr. Peter Huemer (Tyrolean State Museums)
Dr. Christian Wieser (Landesmuseum Kärnten)
Mag. Anita Eschner (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Luise Kruckenhauser (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Michael Duda (NHM Vienna)
Julia Schindelar (NHM Vienna)
Oliver Macek (NHM Vienna)
MSc. Sara Schnedl (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Helmut Sattmann (NHM Vienna)
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Elisabeth Haring (NHM Vienna)
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Stephan Koblmüller (University of Graz)
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Frank Zachos (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Sylvia Schäffer (University of Graz)
Mag. Wolfgang Gessl (University of Graz), website: http://www.pisces.at
Daniel Daill (University of Graz)
Lukas Zangl (University of Graz)
Alexander Kostmann (University of Graz)
Univ. Prof. Dr. Anja Joachim (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
Dr. Hans-Peter Führer (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
Barbara Eigner (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
Kathi Strebinger (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
David Ebmer (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
Silke Pirgmayer (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
Dr. Helmut Sattmann (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Robert Konecny (UBA Vienna)
Susanne Reier, MSc (NHM Vienna)
Administrative and technical support
Dr. Daniela Lutz (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Michaela Sonnleitner (NHM Vienna)
Denise Grau, MSc (NHM Vienna)
Mag. Katharina Naesby
ABOL overall project phase 2017-2020
After the end of the ABOL pilot phase (2014-2017) the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBFW ) commissioned the Natural History Museum Vienna to coordinate the ABOL agendas. This project includes communication and networking as well as operation and maintenance of the ABOL database. The coordination team is also encouraged to recruit projects, to stay in contact with other DNA barcoding initiatives (iBOL, GBOL, CROBOL, etc) and to negotiate participation in major international projects. It is also responsible for the organization of meetings, workshops and meetings, as well as the maintenance of the ABOL webpage.
Coordination team – phase 2017-2020
Coordination team
Priv. Doz. Dr. Elisabeth Haring (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Helmut Sattmann (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Nikolaus Szucsich (NHM Vienna)
Dr. Michaela Sonnleitner (NHM Vienna)
Oliver Macek (NHM Vienna); until Aug. 2018: Denise Grau MSc (NHM Vienna)
Administrative and technical support
Latest News
Days of Biodiversity ´25 – a review5. March, 2025 - 09:15The Days of Biodiversity ’25, which ABOL once again has co-organized, are over. Our thanks go to our co-organizers Biodiversity Hub, BOKU, ZooBot, NOBIS, University of Vienna and NHM Vienna for the smooth cooperation. First and foremost, however, we would like to thank all participants for inspiring lectures, interactive workshops and lively discussion rounds. Under […]
V. KarglABOL at the Long Night of Museums 202426. November, 2024 - 15:18Are names written in the genes? We pursued this question at the Long Night of Museums on Saturday, October 5, 2024, until late into the night! The ABOL coordination team and the DNA laboratory of the Central Research Laboratories presented DNA barcoding in different aspects and applications. Visitors were welcome to try extract DNA from […]
M. SonnleitnerABOL BioBlitz in the Hohen Tauern8. August, 2024 - 14:55The last ABOL BioBlitz 2024 during the Days of Biodiversity took place on the first weekend in August in the Hohe Tauern National Park. In almost traditionally bad weather, around 75 experts swarmed out to record biodiversity in the Habachtal in the Salzburg part of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The breaks in the rain […]