Let's pack up and go!

Conserving biodiversity is one of the biggest challenges of our time. A crucial aspect in conservation is the ability to identify species so that we can know how to best protect them. However, we still know close to nothing about species occurring in remote and hyperdiverse areas where research and conservation efforts are still lagging behind due to the lack of well-established laboratory facilities and the high capital investments required for the setting up research centres, training of people, and purchase of expensive equipment.

Recent developments in portable sequencing technologies, such as the Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc MinION sequencing device, open to the opportunity to apply DNA metabarcoding analysis for species identification virtually everywhere, even in field-laboratory conditions. As a result, we are no longer dependent on the expensive and time-consuming export of biological material from habitat countries to sites where sequencing can be conducted. We can now bring the lab to field!

 

Molecular lab in backpacks, here there is all I need to catch bugs and analyse their DNA.

While miniaturised sequencers allow us to perform DNA testing on site, DNA extraction and amplifications still present some practical issues. With this project we intend to put together portable instruments and implement field-friendly protocols so as to develop a harmonised and standardised system for in situ DNA metabarcoding analysis.

At the University of Ferrara, we purchased all the necessary equipment to build a portable lab system that fits in a couple of backpacks with a capital investment of less than $3000. We tested the system in our molecular lab and last April we set off for the island of Stromboli where I spent two weeks in the tiny and remote village of Ginostra to test the system in the field and study the arthropod diversity and the diet of a species of lizard occurring on the island.

 

View of the volcano of Stromboli from Punta dei Corvi in Ginostra (Island of Stromboli, Aeolian Archipelago)

In my next lab notes I will share protocols and results with you all. Even though preliminary results look promising, additional testing in the field is needed to improve the protocols and the system performance. With the additional money I am raising through this crowdfunding campaign, I will be able to return to the Aeolian archipelago to optimise the laboratory system and collect important ecological data on the islands ecosystem.

 

Insects are a super diverse group of organisms that play a vital role for the functioning of ecosystems worldwide. They are often studied as a key biodiversity indicator of ecosystem health.

The lab system description will include all steps from sample collection to DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing using portable and cheap laboratory equipment. The idea is to implement a tool that could easily be scaled up! If you are curious and want to know more, please consider backing my project!

 

Portable and cost-effective lab system diagram, showing the different steps; from sample collection, to DNA extraction and sequencing.