Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Dr Rabab, Digital creator, .
19/04/2024
Contradictions Confronting Environmental DNA As a Detector for Invasive Species
EDNA is DNA left by living organisms in the environment in which they were or are still present. We can find this EDNA by taking samples from anywhere in the environment, whether it is soil, water, or anything else, without dealing with the living organism as its source, which facilitates the sampling process.
After EDNA is collected it is treated in the laboratory by conventional or quantitative/real-time PCR.
From the results, it is possible to get an idea of the presence or non-existence of a living organism in the place under study, whether in the past or present.
By comparing EDNA with traditional methods, we find that there are studies that conclude that EDNA is superior to traditional methods, studies that conclude the opposite, and studies that conclude that they are equal. Also, the analysis of DNA by polymerase chain reaction may face the same problems that face DNA taken from living organisms, such as contamination or technical errors. Also, the EDNA may dissolve in whole or in part, or it may drift due to environmental factors to a place other than the one in which the organism left it. Also, living things do not release DNA at the same rate into the environment.
EDNA may be useful to know the presence or non-existence of an organism in a given area, by giving a positive result as evidence for the existence of the organism or negative for its non-existence. If we assume that we performed the PCR efficiently without contamination, is the positive or negative result really sufficient in the absence of the organism? In any case, do we have to be satisfied with the result of EDNA analysis to know the existence or non-existence of an organism in a region, in the past or present?
Finally, EDNA may be useful, but it should not be relied upon only as a source of information. The ecosystem is a complex system that needs to be understood and its problems addr
