Sequencing the DNA in a scoop of dirt can tell scientists what
creatures are living nearby, a new study using soil from safari
parks shows, and the amount of DNA present can even tell how
many individuals of each species there are, which could allow
field biologists to get preliminary surveys of species. But
though the team managed to identify nearly all the species they
had expected in the parks, from wildebeest to elephants, they
are still addressing how to take samples that accurately
represent the area’s biodiversity—one would have to avoid
elephant latrines or wildebeest sleeping areas, for instance—and
there is the additional problem that rare or small creatures,
like insects, might easily be missed. That said, it’s still an
unusual and interesting way to take a look at an area’s
inhabitants without actually tracking them down. Read more at
Scientific American. Image courtesy of malcyzk / flickr RNAs
from rice can survive digestion and make their way into
mammalian tissues, where they change the express