http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/2008/07/13/identifying-the-unidentifiable/ About DNA barcoding Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:51:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/2008/07/13/identifying-the-unidentifiable/#comment-69279 Pete Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:57:19 +0000 http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/?p=585#comment-69279 Interesting. I never knew that water affected DNA in such a way. Interesting. I never knew that water affected DNA in such a way.

]]> http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/2008/07/13/identifying-the-unidentifiable/#comment-68065 Lee Weigt Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:37:29 +0000 http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/?p=585#comment-68065 In these cases, the biggest natural "degrader" of DNA (outside a living organism) is water - DNA will do OK if it is in a very dry environment, or frozen, or preserved in such a way that the degradation process is slowed considerably or stopped. When a bird hits an airplane, the plane is moving very fast, and the drying process of any remains is pretty quick, therefore the DNA is usually OK to work with (an extreme case: we've successfully isolated high quality DNA from the inside of the engines after a strike - temperatures are VERY high, therefore the tissues and DNA dry instantly, and the DNA is in very good condition). A wet paper towel, while making the windscreen or wing easier to clean off, will provide conditions that will degrade the DNA much quicker. One of the things we're evaluating is better methods to collect specimens to minimize degradation, thereby optimize probability of success. In these cases, the biggest natural “degrader” of DNA (outside a living organism) is water - DNA will do OK if it is in a very dry environment, or frozen, or preserved in such a way that the degradation process is slowed considerably or stopped.
When a bird hits an airplane, the plane is moving very fast, and the drying process of any remains is pretty quick, therefore the DNA is usually OK to work with (an extreme case: we’ve successfully isolated high quality DNA from the inside of the engines after a strike - temperatures are VERY high, therefore the tissues and DNA dry instantly, and the DNA is in very good condition). A wet paper towel, while making the windscreen or wing easier to clean off, will provide conditions that will degrade the DNA much quicker. One of the things we’re evaluating is better methods to collect specimens to minimize degradation, thereby optimize probability of success.

]]> http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/2008/07/13/identifying-the-unidentifiable/#comment-68016 Wolfgang Gartner Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:19:30 +0000 http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/blog/?p=585#comment-68016 Why is it the wet paper towel samples have less chance recovering DNA ? Why is it the wet paper towel samples have less chance recovering DNA ?

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