Barcoding DNA to Identify Menacing Mosquitoes

DAKAR — For years scientists have examined DNA fragments of animals and insects for biodiversity preservation, but researchers from the University of Ghana for the first time are using DNA “barcoding” – examining a small fraction of an organism’s DNA sequence – for disease control.

Researchers have used DNA to identify mosquito species since 2003, but Boakye told IRIN that up to now sequencing had not been used for disease control. He said epidemics require that science be fast-forwarded. “It would take at least five years to examine the entire genome of a single Anopheles mosquito, which includes 278 million DNA base pairs.” Mosquito barcoding examines only a small portion of the entire DNA chain, which scientists in Canada in 2003 showed was sufficient for identifying an organism.

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Source: www.irinnews.org