DNA Barcoding
DNA Extraction and barcoding
Following on from our successful involvement in the BIOSCAN Project, run in the UK by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, it was decided to take our research further. We applied for a grant that enabled us to run a course on DNA barcoding for several members of RoAM and we also acquired a BENTO LABS barcoding kit that is needed for sample preparation. This work is at the cutting edge of citizen science and is now firmly part of RoAM’s research efforts.
Fungi and lichen DNA
So far, we have concentrated on Fungi and Lichens as our main research area, as invertebrate bar-coding is adequately covered within the BIOSCAN Project. Our efforts have already produced new species for the UK and there are potentially new species to science within what we have sampled and sequenced so far. The method involves meticulous collection of samples along with their associated data, a set of morphological photographs and any chemical tests and microscopic examination and measurements. A tiny piece of the sample is then subjected to a rigorous process that releases and amplifies its DNA.
Contributing to science
The resultant sample is then sent off to Aberystwyth University where it is sequenced. The results from Aberystwyth are then compared to results from all over the world, held in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) This database is by no means complete and as we add more of our data to it, we are aiding future researchers in trying to unravel the mysteries of life on Earth.
Getting involved
If you are interested in the science of DNA extraction, then you are very welcome to join us at one of our session. Please use the enquiry form to contact us for more details.