We know very little about life on our planet. According to current estimates, there are eight to ten million species of animals, plants and fungi worldwide. Of these, only around ten per cent have been scientifically described to date. In Germany, too, thousands of species are still undiscovered - and unnamed.
DNA barcoding
However, without in-depth knowledge of species and their importance in the overall system, there is no basis for conservation measures. Our researchers use DNA barcoding to identify known species and recognise new ones. Thanks to a reference database, they can very reliably assign a species to a previously described species based on its genetic code.
Using DNA traces in the water, soil or even in the air, they can identify which species live there or what has swum, crawled or flown past this location. This provides scientists with important information about the habitats of species.
GBOL / Networks
Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Research