The ability to sequence DNA found in the environment has increased dramatically in the last few decades. Now it’s time to understand what all this data means. (Image credit: Collage by Marilyn Perkins; Images from Qweek and I Like That One via Getty Images)
In the center of Lake Erie is a spa with a sauna, steam room, and even a cabin filled with snow. At the top are luxurious lounges, an extensive library, a curated collection of works by famous artists, and a panoramic lecture hall with floor-to-ceiling windows. Passengers enjoy sommelier-supervised lunches in gourmet restaurants.
One deck below is a state-of-the-art, immaculately equipped laboratory full of high-tech equipment, and two multi-million dollar submersibles can take passengers to depths of 1,000 feet (300 meters). A team of scientists analyze water samples in real time, studying the genetic signatures of plankton as they float.
Researchers on the Viking cruise ship Octantis are studying environmental DNA (eDNA) — bits of genetic material found in water, air, or soil. Every living thing leaves behind tiny bits of its genetic material as it passes through its environment.
Scientists first discovered traces of this genetic material decades ago, but thanks to modern sequencing techniques, they are now beginning to analyze electronic DNA to characterize food webs, find long-extinct species, and figure out whether predators are lurking in places where human-wildlife conflict occurs.
There is one problem with this technology, however: it generates so much data that it becomes difficult for researchers to process it all. Scientists are now working on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with modern sequencing to quickly identify changes in the types and numbers of organisms in a given ecosystem. Ultimately, this information could provide real-time data on how the planet is functioning and help us adapt more quickly to environmental changes.
“AI will be able to extract [information] in ways that our other methods simply can’t,” said Zachary Gold, research director of the Ocean Molecular Ecology Program at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. “Having fast, high-quality data allows us to do things we never dreamed of doing before,” he told Live Science.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
