DNA extractions complete!

Jan 31, 2018

DNA extractions complete! 
Fronds of Mastocarpus stellatus collected from rocky shores and preserved in plastic bags with silica gel to keep dry until genomic DNA extraction protocol is used. Only a few milligrams are needed for DNA extraction, so a minimal amount of each frond is taken from natural habitats to minimize our impacts on the intertidal community. 
As of now, genomic DNA has been extracted and isolated for all 1,027 collected fronds from populations along coastlines of Maine and France. Once multiplex PCR is completed, I will be able to compare genetic distances with geographic distances between fronds among sampled populations. Stay tuned for an update about how I will be able to calculate exact geographic distances between two fronds in the next lab note!

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About This Project

Genetic diversity across the Atlantic in a red seaweed

California State University - Northridge

A major goal of ecology is to understand how organisms are distributed in nature. My research addresses the consequences of a low-dispersal red seaweed that inhabits a vast range of rocky shores across Western and Northeastern Atlantic coastlines. I will use genetic techniques to explain the relationship between short-distance dispersal and long-range distribution. This project will underscore the role of dispersal on the spatial scale of gene flow.