Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: Business Line
Context: Researchers at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), a part of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have developed a novel method for detecting all life forms in an ecosystem using environmental DNA (eDNA).
- This innovative approach involves collecting water, soil, or air samples and then sequencing the DNA fragments found in these samples to assess the total biodiversity of the ecosystem.
- It can identify a wide range of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, plants, insects, birds, fish, and other animals.
- This non-invasive technique is cost-effective, fast, and scalable for monitoring and conserving biodiversity in both freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Traditional biodiversity assessment methods are limited in their ability to account for all organisms and are expensive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming.
This approach offers a promising way to comprehensively monitor and conserve ecosystems without the need for extensive taxonomic expertise and direct capture or species counting.
