Invasive clams tracked by their DNA
By Ben Coxworth, New Atlas
The sooner that you know an invasive species is present in your local environment, the better the chances that you can control it before it becomes unmanageable. It was with this in mind that researchers from the University of Illinois recently detected the presence of a species of invasive freshwater clam, by looking for its cast-off DNA in lake water.
Working in collaboration with colleagues from Rice University, the University of Notre Dame and UNR, the scientists performed an eDNA assay – eDNA stands for “environmental DNA,” and refers to DNA that is passed into the environment in the form of excretions and other biomaterials.
