DNA Barcoding Boom

This week, 450 scientists and industry experts gather at the University of Adelaide in Australia to discuss one of the latest fads in biology—species identification with minimal DNA.

Written byJef Akst

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, TRYPHON

DNA barcoding involves the use of only a tiny snippet of DNA to identify unknown species. The technique has become so popular of late that for the last three years, researchers started a meeting dedicated to the topic—the International Barcode of Life Conference. The fourth annual gathering of DNA barcoders is now underway at the University of Adelaide in Australia, with researchers presenting the technology’s latest results, including the identification of unlisted ingredients in herbal tea bags and the detection of a camel’s diet from samples of its dung.

Currently, there are more than 167,00 species in the publically available database of DNA barcodes, and the Consortium for the Barcode of Life aims to increase that number to 500,000 by 2015. DNA barcoding has already ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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