New technology has recently allowed scientists to make
advancements in research methods out in the field. For the first time ever, researches used a
portable DNA sequencer, the MinION from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, to analyze
plant species in Snowdonia National Park.
Two innocuous white flowers were identified in the field. They sequenced random parts of the plants’
genomes rather than targeting specific pieces of DNA. This was the first time genomic sequencing of
plants has been performed in the field.
DNA sequencing has come a long way over the past years as scientists are
finding more efficient ways to sequence data in a timely matter. A process that
would have taken a scientist months to complete can now be done in a timely
fashion out in the field these days. This
is revolutionary for scientists as they can now complete projects more efficiently
and accurately as they don’t have to transport specimen samples back to the
lab. There is less risk for the samples
to be messed up as they can now collect data in the field. The field sequenced data can be used to
assemble a whole genome sequence and act as a reference database for
species. This is amazing news for the
science world as we are now able to conduct research more productively. I think this is a great step for science as
more scientists can utilize this new technology in the field. The idea of a reference database for species
is also a good idea as it is a quick thing scientists can reference when out in
the field. An article in Nature analyzes
their data and determines whether the DNA collected in the field is accurate
enough to identify the species.
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