(London, UK) 3/31/21, Copyright © 2021 F.E. All rights reserved. No claim made as to direct quotes from Creative Commons license material (see Sources, infra).
A team of scientists in Britain are the first to collect and identify animal DNA from confined air spaces, calling their process “airDNA,” a subset of Environmental DNA (eDNA), hence “eDNAir.”
JK Editor is first to suggest using the acronym “aDNA,” for air-DNA, to be consistent with preexisting acronym nomenclature.
The breakthrough comes after the year-long ongoing battle against Covid-19; and, has future application in ecology (environmental) and forensics (legal use for paternity or criminal prosecution, etc.).
Dr. Elizabeth Clare and colleagues at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom, refer to the technological process as “airDNA,” a subset of eDNA in the journal, PeerJ. * [sources, infra]
Dr. Clare’s team’s paper states we “… explore the active collection and filtration of air as a source of mammalian environmental DNA which we term “airDNA” and assess: (1) whether DNA can be extracted from air, (2) whether air volume and filter methods used for aquatic eDNA can be applied directly to airDNA and (3) the source of airDNA collected.” *
She and her colleagues conclude that “Our analysis provides a first proof of concept demonstration that air samples are a viable source of DNA for the identification of species in the environment.
“We demonstrate that even short sampling times (e.g., five min) using low powered air collection can produce positive PCR and sequencing outcomes for multiple target species.
“Following the success of eDNA sampling from water, we anticipate that sampling for airDNA will become useful in a wide variety of non-invasive applications from ecological sampling to forensic analysis.” *
What is DNA?
DNA is a relatively simple double-helix structure that contains the data used by all known forms of life to produce offspring.
Each species has a DNA “fingerprint” which is the basic main string of molecules identifying each particular species.
Individuals within the species also have variations from each other that are called genetic markers unique to that individual.
Genetic markers allow forensic identification of individuals in a species, like one particular criminal suspect, identification of ones offspring, family members, viruses, etc.
JK’s Short History of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Science
1952
Dr. Linus Pauling published a triple-helix hypothesis of DNA structure, thinking it had to be complex to convey so much data about billions of species. His paper was largely hypothetical – and wrong – because he did not have access to accurate physical data like Dr. Rosalind Franklin had produced.
May, 1953
Structure of DNA, double-helix, published in Nature, May 1953 by Dr. James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins who together clandestinely ‘borrowed’ Dr. Rosalind Franklin’s crystal studies because they had key to let them in her office and look at her lab notebooks.
April, 1962
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Dr.s Watson, Crick, and Wilkins. Dr. Franklin was wrongly omitted from the Nobel Prize citation, despite other women becoming laureates of the coveted prize, like Madame Curie.
1966
Dr. Francis Crick published four mass audience books (beginning in 1966) on his scientific adventures, the last book in 1988.
1968
Dr. James Watson published his exciting read, The Double Helix, a book describing how his team actually deciphered the DNA code using Dr. Rosalind Franklin’s data which clearly proved DNA is a double-helix.
Watson openly described using Franklin’s data without her knowledge nor permission.
To this day, the Nobel Prize Committee has never amended their award to recognize Dr. Franklin’s major contribution that should have made her first author and first nominee for the prize. This snub is a major scab on the fairness of the prizes.
1970s
Dr. Herbert W. Boyer and geneticist Stanley Cohen created the field called “recombinant DNA.”
Recombinant DNA is one way new genetic material is inserted into existing gene structures, creating mutations. Some mutations, like sickle-cell anemia, actually help a species survive; other mutations create gross deformities, and sometimes are fatal.
1976
Genentech company was founded with the idea of producing insulin in the laboratory.
1978
Genentech scientists recreated the insulin gene from which insulin would be manufactured synthetically.
This short history section may be updated soon, please return often.
___ * Sources:
2021. eDNAir: proof of concept that animal DNA can be collected from air sampling. PeerJ 9:e11030 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11030
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Dr.s Watson, Crick, and Wilkins.
Dr. Francis Crick published four books regarding his discoveries and DNA.
Genentech company website. More on insulin production.
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