How to Make the Field Guide “DNA of Forests”
Authors: Kazutoshi TSUDA, Takayuki ITO, Fumie TAKAHARA, Kiyoshi SUGANUMA, Young-Ja Park
Released
6, 2019
Project
en 論文抄録
The DNA barcoding has been spreading widely as a method that makes non-professionals access to the identification of species, as the cost of DNA sequencing has decreased drastically for the last decade. However, the opportunity to learn the methods are still scarce in Japan. On the other hand, the results of DNA barcoding have archived in the online database, whereas its visualization still has room for improvement. Especially, visualizing the omics data with local geography and landscape is needed to understand the familiar environment around us. Considering the situation, we have developed the public workshop called “How to make the Field Guide ”DNA of Forests”” since 2016. At the workshop, participants collected living samples in the forests, observed it by using a microscope. And also, participants prepared the DNA samples by using extraction kit and PCR, sequenced it by using the sequencing services or portable sequencing devices, and identified the species by using bioinformatics including BLAST search, by themselves. The workshop took place three times so far and involved a wide range of citizens such as elementary school students, high school teacher, museum researcher, designers, engineers, active seniors, etc. We have also constructed the online archive presenting the results of the participants’ observations and DNA analysis. You can have a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding forest and draw out information collected by the workshop participants. The project aims to provide and cultivate multi-perspectives by collecting such latent information and compiling them into one field guide.
- https://special.ycam.jp/dna-of-forests/en/#/