Dr Lori Lawson Handley
Pond biodiversity assessment with environmental DNA: laying the foundations for testing fundamental ecological hypotheses
People Involved
Dr Bernd Haenfling
Project Description
Traditional taxonomic methods are costly, time consuming and require expert knowledge and skill – particularly for lower taxonomic groups. In the last decade, molecular techniques have advanced understanding of relatedness and interactions between species and the discovery of new species. More recently, molecular techniques have been applied to the detection of species from DNA deposited in the environment by organisms (eDNA) through shedding of skin cells, mucous, and excreta. In combination with ‘metabarcoding’ this technique potentially provides the power to identify community composition from an environmental sample, but the technique is currently still in its infancy. In contrast to established DNA barcoding methods this approach does not require the use of tissue samples or whole organisms and is therefore non-invasive.
This umbrella project will seek to develop and apply eDNA based approaches for rapid, cost-effective non-invasive biodiversity monitoring. This is a core project of the Evolutionary and Environmental Genomics Group (EvoHull) and a collaborative effort from the entire group involving most current academic and student group members.
| Type of Project | Small Grant |
|---|---|
| Status | Project Complete |
| Funder(s) | British Ecological Society |
| Value | £4,990.00 |
| Project Dates | Jun 1, 2016 - Aug 31, 2017 |
| Partner Organisations | No Partners |
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