Austin Koontz

Austin Koontz

Research Consultant

Hoban Conservation Lab

Biography

I’m a Research Consultant for the Hoban Conservation Lab. Using population genetic data, I work with other members of the lab and folks from different botanic gardens and arboreta to inform the conservation of rare plant species.

Currently, I’m working on a project seeking to measure the correlation between geographic and genetic metrics of ex situ collection breadth. This is part of an IMLS grant which seeks to improve how botanic gardens utilize genetic data. I’m also conducting genetic analyses on red oaks distributed across Texas.

I received my Master’s of Science degree at Utah State University, where I worked in the Pearse Lab and the Wolf Lab. More information about the research I did in each of these labs can also be found below.

Download my CV.

Interests
  • Conservation Genetics
  • Plant Population Genetics
  • Long-distance bike touring
Education

  • MSc in Biology/Ecology, 2020

    Utah State University

  • BSc in Neuroscience, 2014

    University of Nevada, Reno

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Research Consultant
Self-employed
Nov 2023 – Present Eugene, OR
I’m currently a Research Consultant for the Hoban Lab, where I continue to support the projects I worked on in my prior role as a Research Assistant with the Morton Arboretum. I also collaborate with researchers at other botanic gardens and arboreta, and serve as the system administrator for the Hoban Lab Linux server.
 
 
 
 
 
Morton Arboretum
Research Assistant II
Morton Arboretum
Jul 2021 – Oct 2023 Lisle, IL
In my previous role with the Morton Arboretum, I conducted genetic analyses for projects focused on the conservation and management of rare trees, both in wild (in situ) and garden (ex situ) scenarios.
 
 
 
 
 
Hamilton Robotics
Applications Specialist
Hamilton Robotics
Jan 2015 – May 2018 Reno, NV
As an Applications Specialist, I wrote and supported method scripts for customers in the OEM setting and internally, for standardized laboratory protocols. I served as the primary application resource for customers from product development to launch, and worked with hardware and software engineers to design automation solutions.

Projects

Ex situ conservation of oaks using RADseq vs. microsatellite markers
Myself and others the Hoban Lab conducted a comparison of SNP and microsatellite markers from 2 rare oaks (Quercus acerifolia and Q. boyntonii) to examine how using each impacts ex situ conservation metrics. The paper can be found here! This work is part of the larger Global Conservation Consortium of Oaks, and was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Ex situ conservation of oaks using RADseq vs. microsatellite markers
Primula cusickiana species complex analysis
The four members of the Primula cusickiana species complex were each historically classified as their own species, before a 2001 review subsumed them to varieties of the same species (due to largely similar morphologies). I used RADseeq to examine the genetic separation between these varieties, and to verify past findings of large genetic distance between proximate populations of variety maguirei, the complex member found in Logan Canyon. This research was guided by Dr. Paul Wolf and Dr. Will Pearse, and has been published in Systematic Botany.
Primula cusickiana species complex analysis
SymbiotaR2 R package
The NSF-ABI project Symbiota2 updates the structure of the widely used Symbiota software platform, a biodiversity data management tool. I’ve developed an R package that allows users to access Symbiota2 function calls within the R environment. This package is now part of ROpenSci!
SymbiotaR2 R package

Publications

Austin C. Koontz, Emily K. Schumacher, Emma S. Spence, Sean M. Hoban (2024). Ex situ conservation of two rare oak species using microsatellite and SNP markers. Evol Appl.

Cite DOI

Austin Koontz, William D. Pearse, Paul Wolf (2022). Pronounced Genetic Separation Among Varieties of the Primula cusickiana Species Complex, a Great Basin Endemic. SysBot.

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Thomas P. Smith, Michael Stemkovski, Austin Koontz, William D. Pearse (2022). AREAdata: A worldwide climate dataset averaged across spatial units at different scales through time. JOSS.

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Jacob D. Stachewicz, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, Austin Koontz, Hillary Woolf, William D. Pearse, Amanda S. Gallinat (2021). Strong trait correlation and phylogenetic signal in North American ground beetle (Carabidae) morphology. Ecosphere.

Cite DOI

Austin Koontz, Benjamin Brandt, Curtis Dyreson, William D. Pearse (2020). SymbiotaR2: An R Package for Accessing Symbiota2 Data. JOSS.

Cite DOI

Jonas L. Lembrechts, et al (2020). SoilTemp: A global database of near-surface temperature. GCB.

Cite DOI

Presentations

Quantifying the Impact of Genetic Markers on Measures of ex situ Conservation
Jul 20, 2022 12:00 AM Reno, NV, USA
Resolving the systematics of an endangered primrose species complex (Primula cusickiana) to inform management in the Great Basin region of the United States
Aug 6, 2020 12:00 AM Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Awards

Margaret Williams Research Grant
Nevada Native Plant Society Apr 2019
Dr. Lawrence H. Piette Graduate Student Scholarship
Utah State University, College of Science Apr 2019
USU Biology Dr. Ivan J. Palmblad Graduate Research Award
Utah State University, Biology Department Mar 2019
Ecology Center Graduate Research Award
Utah State University, Ecology Program Mar 2019