DNA metabarcoding - A new look at organismic diversity

Abstract

Taxon identification is one of the fundamental challenges in biological research. Usually, classifications are based on specimen morphology, sometimes supported by their behaviour, ecology or biochemistry. Technological advances now allow using genomic fragments as a taxon barcode. With the latest developments of high-throughput sequencers this can go even further: identifying complete assemblages simultaneously, with various applications in ecology, conservation, forensics and health security.