Flower Barcodes

Wales creates a database of DNA barcodes for all of its native flowering plants, hoping to guide conservation and drug development efforts.

Written byJef Akst

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Opposite-leaved golden saxifrage, which grow in damp ditches in Wales in early spring WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CERIDWEN

Researchers in Wales have recorded identifying DNA sequences for more than 1,100 plants and conifers, representing all of the country’s native flowering plants and 75 percent of the flowering plants in the United Kingdom. It is the first country to create such a database, according to the National Botanic Garden of Wales, which is organizing the effort, called the Barcode Wales project. All the barcodes are freely available on the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD).

Natasha de Vere, head of conservation and research from the National Botanic Garden in Carmarthenshire, and her colleagues will now turn to nonnative species introduced by humans. The whole project is expected to last 3 years.

“Wales is now in the unique position of being able to identify plant species ...

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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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