The Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, in collaboration with National Taiwan Normal University, has developed a genomic toolkit that helps identify plant varieties with subtly different genomic characteristics.
Scientists used to identify species via DNA barcoding, a technique that works well with most animals, but poorly with plants, the institute said yesterday.
Given that plants have a slower pace of evolution than animals, different species’ gene sequences can appear alike, even if their morphological characteristics are starkly dissimilar, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute
Traditional species identification approaches such as DNA barcoding are like using blurred photographs to differentiate one object from the other, which cannot show their real differences, the institute said.
To overcome such limitations, the institute said it integrated its past studies to produce a strategic framework for plant species identification in collaboration with the university.
The framework — which it called a “genomic toolkit” — lays out different identification techniques and their applicable contexts, the institute said.
While DNA barcoding can still be applied to identifying a plant on higher taxonomic levels such as order or family, more delicate techniques are recommended when analyzing plants with similar genomes, it said..
For example, researchers differentiated Chloris pilosa, or hairy star grass, from other plants of the grass family via molecular identification techniques, successfully preventing the invasive species that originated in Africa from proliferating in Taiwan, the institute said.
Molecular identification has also helped customs and law enforcement authorities spot contraband plants, it added.
Latest genomic data can also be incorporated to identify subtle differences in plants’ genetic structures, the institute said.
A research team combined molecular data with morphological analysis methods to examine plants of the Angelica genus nationwide and in 2024 identified a new plant species, Angelica aliensis, it said.
The distribution of Angelica aliensis is limited to mountainous areas at elevations of 800m to 1,200m in southern Taiwan, the institute said, adding that it used to be wrongly identified, as it looks similar to Angelica tarokoensis.
Species identification is not only an academic challenge, but also relevant to national biosafety and conservation, the institute said.
The genomic toolkit is a significant breakthrough, as it overcomes the limitations of DNA barcoding and advanced plant species identification to the genomic level, it said.
It is expected to help protect Taiwan’s biodiversity and benefit plant research and conservation around the world, it added.
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