Barcode of Life

DNA barcoding is the identification of species by a standardized DNA sequence, see Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding and CBOL for further resources. In itself the application of DNA sequences in species identification is not new, but the global standardization & implementation as we see it unfolding in BOLI is! Obviously, global standardization of barcode markers, data quality and databasing used, will help in building a truely effective reference infrastructure for all life.

Vertebrates and insects are barcoded using mitochondrial DNA encoded Cytochrome oxidase 1, for plants multiple plastid-encoded regions are being used (Plant Working Group), whereas for fungi and nematodes rDNA ITS and other rDNA regions are being applied respectively.

DNA barcoding is already succesfully applied for species recognition in pest control, biodiversity inventories, soil profiling, water quality monitoring, and ecological rsearch. It is also proving helpful in species discovery in some cases.

Recently, the dutch DNA barcoding community joined forces in NBOL, the platform for organising, straeamlining and generating DNA barcoding projects in The Netherlands

NBOL-News