Can advances in DNA technologies provide solutions for biodiversity assessment, conservation and environmental protection?

The scientific literature identifies many opportunities for the application of DNA technologies to biodiversity assessment, conservation and environmental protection, enthusiastically advocating use of the technology. The transformation in DNA processing technologies driven by the human genome project, and the creation of DNA barcodes are identified as key enablers.

However, despite the apparent optimism, the application of DNA technologies to address environmental challenges does not seem to have fully realized its potential to date.

Having developed a particular interest in this area through my involvement in ecological consulting, I have made this topic the focus of a short research project as part of an MSc in Environmental Management. The project hypothesis is that there are barriers to the adoption of DNA technologies that are delaying or preventing deployment. The research questions that the project is seeking to address include:

• What opportunities exist for the application of DNA-based technologies to biodiversity assessment, for environmental protection, decision-making and conservation?
• What barriers exist to the adoption of DNA technologies in biodiversity assessment, for environmental protection?

The research project is using a number of approaches to investigate these questions further, including semi-structured interviews, further literature analysis, and the completion of a short on-line survey. This survey can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DNA_Applications

I would welcome your input. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, and I would be happy to share the findings.