Sometimes the tests show nothing, and sometimes they may reveal a deadly mushroom or exotic beetle,
which could destroy local parks, forests andfarms. So if you want to know as soon as possible what condition your plants are in, you have the opportunity to find out faster and be better prepared for negative consequences. Richard Hamelin, professor of forestry
Khamelin's research aims touse genomics to develop more effective methods for detecting and monitoring invasive pests and pathogens that threaten forests. For nearly 25 years, he has been looking for a fast, accurate, and inexpensive DNA test that could be done even in places like forests, without fast internet or constant power supplies.
Представленный метод отвечает по всем characteristics. Parts of leaves or branches, as well as insects are placed in a test tube, and the test tube itself is placed in a small battery-powered device. The device checks if these DNA fragments match the genomic material of the target species, as a result, the machine generates a signal that can be visualized on a paired smartphone.
With this system we can almostdetermine with one hundred percent accuracy whether it matches or not, whether we are looking at a threatening invasive species or one that is safe. We can analyze up to nine samples of the same or different species at the same time.
Richard Hamelin, professor of forestry
Hamelin's research was supported by GenomeCanada, Genome BC and Genome Quebec, and also published in PLOS One. The UBC team, including lead author Arno Capron, tested this approach on species such as the Asian gypsy, white pine rust and the sudden death of oak pathogen, which are among the world's most destructive invasive pests.
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