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But for many biologists, it is almost impossible to track mammals that move for miles a day and are alert to humans.Enter DNA“If we want to restore the ecosystem, we need to understand how our conservation actions affect threatened and endangered species. But to do this, we need to be able to detect even the rarest, shy and mysterious species, “Michael Schwartz, a senior scientist at the National Wildlife and Fish Conservation Genomics Center of the U.S. Forest Service in Missoula, Montana, wrote in an email. To wired. “We need new technologies, such as the ability to detect environmental DNA in the air.”
Schwartz, who was not involved in the two new studies, has been using air, water and soil samples to track large brown bats.Brown planthopper), white nose syndrome is a fungus-borne disease that was introduced to the United States in 2006. Magazine Biological conservation They examined eDNA samples in the soil and water outside the cave where the bats inhabit. They also used air samplers as part of the project to see if they could capture DNA in the air from bat enclosures in Ohio. The study reported that six of the seven filtered air samples successfully detected their eDNA in the air, but the concentration was very low, even though there were 30 bats in the room.
Schwartz said his colleagues are improving their air sampling technology and are working on a way to collect small amounts of air. Snow DNAThis not only enables the USFS team to detect mammalian species that have traveled recently Exceed Snow, but digging Enter It also allows them to find evidence that a specific animal crossed the area a few months ago. Schwarz’s team published some results of the project in the journal Biological conservation 2019. He said that using snow trails to detect shy predators like lynx is cost-effective, efficient and clear.
Is air DNA sampling technology suitable for tracking an individual’s genetic material? An expert said that the hypothesis is, but in reality it is not. “It is possible, but it will be more challenging,” said Melania Cristescu, associate professor of ecogenomics at McGill University, who uses eDNA to sample aquatic habitats. Fragments of human DNA extracted from hair, saliva, blood or other genetic material left on the surface are easier to analyze than air. (Swiss researchers recently used DNA from stamps It was posted on postcards from the First World War and proved the stability of the molecule under certain conditions. ) But it takes longer to obtain a sufficiently large sample of airborne genetic material, and researchers must be very careful not to allow their own DNA to contaminate the filter.
For airborne DNA, weather is also a factor. For example, if it is raining or windy, sampling may not be effective because these conditions may clear the air from DNA-carrying particles. It is not yet clear how tolerant this molecule is to high temperatures or bright sunlight. “Can solar radiation degrade DNA? It’s possible, but we don’t know at what speed,” Claire said. “We don’t know how far the wind can blow DNA away. We don’t know how temperature affects its degradation rate. These are very interesting questions.”
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