#dna barcoding

[sun-cheyne]

A majority of shark fins and manta ray gills sold around the globe for traditional medicines come from endangered species, a University of Guelph study has revealed.

Using cutting-edge DNA barcoding technology, researchers found 71 per cent of dried fins and gills collected from markets and stores came from species listed as at-risk and therefore banned from international trade.

"Despite the controversy around shark fin soup and the fact that many of these species are threatened there is still a large market for shark fins and a growing demand for ray gill plates," said Dirk Steinke, integrative biology professor and member of the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics. "It's an area that until now has been hard to enforce because shark fins are dried and processed before they are sold making it difficult to identify the species."

Shark finning, or removing fins from live sharks, is illegal in Canada. Importing shark fins for sale is also illegal for species at-risk.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study was conducted with researchers from the Guy Harvey Research Institute and Save Our Seas Shark Research Centre at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

Researchers collected 129 market samples in Canada, China and Sri Lanka representing 20 shark and ray species. Twelve of those species, including whale sharks, are listed as protected and illegal to trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

"We were surprised to find whale shark fins and gills were being sold," said Steinke. "This magnificent animal has been on the CITES Appendices since 2003."

Developed at U of G, DNA barcoding allows scientists to identify species of organisms using genetic material.

"DNA barcoding is an ideal tool when identifying dried samples or samples that have been processed," said Steinke. "It provides enforcement agencies with a method for detecting whether the fins and gills that are being sold are legal or illegal imported species."

About half of the world's 1,200 species of sharks and rays are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature including 20 that may not be traded internationally.

"This study has shown that DNA barcoding can be a method to help prevent protected species from hitting the market."

[scienceandfood]

The Secret in Your Sushi

Dining out or shopping in a grocery store are seemingly straightforward: as the consumer, you make your selection and exchange money for goods. These interactions are based on an implicit trust that you get what you paid for. However, in recent years consumers have begun to demand more transparency with reports of mislabeled seafood at retailers and restaurants being greater than 70% in some instances [1]. Seafood is one of the most traded food items in the world, with approximately 4.5 billion people consuming fish as at least 15% of their source of animal protein [2]. The U.S. is the second largest consumer of seafood in the world behind China and with the recent health recommendations from the American Heart Association elucidating the benefits of fish consumption, sales of this commodity have reached an all-time high [3]. Increased awareness of the environmental burdens of the meat industry have further contributed to this move towards more seafood proteins [4]. The opportunities for seafood mislabeling have consequently increased. Read more...

Photo Credit: Oceana/Jenn Hueting

[newzquest]

Polymetallic Rocks Host Diverse Lichen Communities, DNA Barcoding Reveals

A new investigation has highlighted polymetallic rocks as rich reservoirs of lichen diversity. By sequencing the DNA of both the fungal (mycobiont) and algal (photobiont) components, researchers identified a wide array of species uniquely adapted to these metal‑laden substrates. Details DNA barcoding distinguished multiple lichen taxa that were previously overlooked. Polymetallic rocks support…

Polymetallic Rocks Host Diverse Lichen Communities, DNA Barcoding Reveals

[oaresearchpaper]

DNA barcoding utilizing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was employed to identify the cave-dwelling bats in Tabaco cave, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan, Philippines, an unexplored site for molecular bat research. This study integrated preliminary morphological classification with confirmatory COI barcoding to identify species within this understudied assemblage. Three species from two families were identified: Hipposideros ater and Hipposideros lekaguli (Hipposideridae), and Miniopterus australis (Miniopteridae). Molecular validation corrected initial morphological assignments for several specimens, demonstrating high sequence similarity with reference sequences in the genetic databases, thereby resolving ambiguities within cryptic species complexes. The findings underscore the limitations of relying solely on morphology for species delineation in groups with overlapping phenotypic traits, such as Hipposideros and Miniopterus. This research provides the first molecular assessment of Tabaco cave’s bat community and highlights the critical role of integrative taxonomy, combining genetic data with morphological examination, for accurate biodiversity assessment. The results establish essential baseline data for the conservation of Philippine chiropteran diversity and advocate for an integrated framework to inform evidence-based conservation strategies for these ecologically pivotal and threatened taxa.

[innspubnet]

DNA barcoding of Philippine cave-dwelling bats (Chiroptera) in Tabaco cave using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene

Abstract DNA barcoding utilizing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was employed to identify the cave-dwelling bats in Tabaco cave, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan, Philippines, an unexplored site for molecular bat research. This study integrated preliminary morphological classification with confirmatory COI barcoding to identify species within this understudied assemblage. Three species from…

DNA barcoding of Philippine cave-dwelling bats (Chiroptera) in Tabaco cave using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene

[oaresearchpaper]

DNA barcoding utilizing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was employed to identify the cave-dwelling bats in Tabaco cave, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan, Philippines, an unexplored site for molecular bat research. This study integrated preliminary morphological classification with confirmatory COI barcoding to identify species within this understudied assemblage. Three species from two families were identified: Hipposideros ater and Hipposideros lekaguli (Hipposideridae), and Miniopterus australis (Miniopteridae). Molecular validation corrected initial morphological assignments for several specimens, demonstrating high sequence similarity with reference sequences in the genetic databases, thereby resolving ambiguities within cryptic species complexes. The findings underscore the limitations of relying solely on morphology for species delineation in groups with overlapping phenotypic traits, such as Hipposideros and Miniopterus. This research provides the first molecular assessment of Tabaco cave’s bat community and highlights the critical role of integrative taxonomy, combining genetic data with morphological examination, for accurate biodiversity assessment. The results establish essential baseline data for the conservation of Philippine chiropteran diversity and advocate for an integrated framework to inform evidence-based conservation strategies for these ecologically pivotal and threatened taxa.

[oaresearchpaper]

Applications of DNA barcoding and future directions

DNA barcoding help to recognize the plant based on short, gene sequences in a rapid, accurate, and cost effective manner. Current focus is on the investigation of phytomedicinals and herbal product integrity and authenticity through DNA barcoding with the goal of protecting consumers from potential health risks associated with product substitution and contamination. Recent reports reveal that DNA barcoding can be used for the assignment of unknown specimens to a taxonomic group, authentic identification of phytomedicinals, and in plant biodiversity conservation. Research indicates that there is no single universal barcode candidate for identification of all plant groups. Hence, comparative analysis of plant barcode loci is essential for choosing a best candidate for authenticating particular medicinal plant genus/families. Currently, both chloroplast/nuclear regions are used as universal barcodes for the authentication of phytomedicinals. A recent advance in genomics has further enhanced the progress in DNA barcoding of plants by the introduction of high-throughput techniques like next generation sequencing, which has paved the way for complete plastome sequencing that is now termed as super-barcodes. Hence, current focus is on the investigation of phytomedicinals and herbal product integrity and authenticity through DNA barcoding with the goal of protecting consumers from potential health risks associated with product substitution and contamination. These approaches could improve the traditional ethno-botanical and scientific knowledge of phytomedicinals and their safe use.

[oaresearchpaper]

Two specimens are from each of Pomadasys andamanensis (Mckay and Satapoomin) and Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn) were collected from Gopalpur-on-sea, Odisha coast, Bay of Bengal. A study on conventional taxonomy interestingly demonstrates not only the first record of appearance of both the species, but also their inclusion to their respective species on the Odisha coast, Bay of Bengal. It was further, strengthened by molecular analysis through DNA barcoding which showed high confidence sequence similarity in their species identification. Moreover, the congruent clustering of both the species according to their morphological identification, strongly support the species identification through DNA barcoding. Above all, the generated time tree with regards to their origin largely agrees with other recent reports based on mitochondrial loci analysis indicates middle to early Miocene sub-epoch for Pomadasys andamanensis and for Siganus fuscescens it occurred sometimes in the late Pleistocene epoch. The migration of these reef-associated fishes is probably for their specific attraction to reef region of Bay of Bengal or/and ecological disturbances in their native region. The overall outcomes confirmed the first ever extensive range of occurrence of these two marine fish species on the Odisha coast, Bay of Bengal.