Researchers improve method to identify aquatic species using environmental DNA | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Researchers improve method to identify aquatic species using environmental DNA Researchers improve method to identify aquatic species using environmental DNA Published: July 17, 2017 Author: Jessica Sieff Sampling Water Determining which fish are living in various bodies of water can be a daunting task for scientists studying those populations. Identifying invasive or endangered species, for example, has often relied on the ability to catch them. Now, according to a new study published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, researchers have improved their method of tracking species by using the biological material those organisms leave behind known as environmental DNA (eDNA). Traces of eDNA carry the same vital information as a direct DNA sample, such as a blood or tissue sample. Think of the work done by forensic scientists, who can identify individuals from a strand of hair. Until now, researchers believed that DNA shed by organisms in their watery environments was significantly degraded and low quality, making it difficult to take those fragments and match them to a specific species. It turns out that the cells fish shed into the water protect tightly coiled DNA. “We were successful in detecting and working with long, intact pieces of DNA,” said Michael E. Pfrender, director of the Genomics & Bioinformatics Core Facility and associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Environmental Change Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. “This completely changes the prevailing view that we can only work with short fragments of highly degraded eDNA. Now, we can start using the information pulled from these long chains of DNA to develop more accurate species identifications and to detect genetic variation within species.” Researchers collected water samples from area lakes, ponds and streams and used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to amplify — or copy — the entire mitochondrial genomes from the eDNA found in those environments. Through this improved method, scientists can get a more detailed picture of the biodiversity in various aquatic habitats. “There is an ongoing effort to populate databases like the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) Genbank,” said Pfrender. “We do not have genetic signatures for all the biodiversity we’d like to monitor. These databases are critical to helping us identify the various species living within these communities.” The method used in the study is not only more accurate, it is more efficient when it comes to looking for and managing invasive species. Co-authors of the study include Yiyuan Li at Notre Dame, Kristy Deiner and David M. Lodge at Cornell University and Mark A. Renshaw and Brett P. Olds at the Oceanic Institute, Hawaii Pacific University. Research was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program and was supported by the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative. Contact: Michael Pfrender, 574-631-0591, michael.pfrender.1@nd.edu Posted In: Colleges & Schools Research Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 13, 2022 Should crowdfunding be this complicated? March 31, 2022 WNIT to air Notre Dame College of Science’s “The Christmas Lecture” January 10, 2022 Advertising plays key role in satellite TV success, study shows August 25, 2021 ‘Smart sewer’ technology leads to nearly $450 million in savings for South Bend For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn