High-throughput genomic methods are increasingly used to investigate invertebrate thermal responses with greater dimensionality and resolution than previously achieved. However, corresponding methods for characterising invertebrate phenotypes are still lacking. Jacinta Kong and her co-authors propose a novel use of thermocyclers as temperature-controlled incubators for characterising invertebrate phenotypes.

Why use a thermocycler instead of current methods to characterise thermal phenotypes? In this video they outline key advantages of using a thermocycler and how a thermocycler may be used to characterise invertebrate thermal responses. When combined with existing approaches in thermal and evolutionary biology, these methods will advance our understanding of, and ability to predict, biological adaptations and responses to environmental changes.

This video is based on the article ‘Novel applications of thermocyclers for phenotyping invertebrate thermal responses‘ by Kong et al.