Barcoding; Field and Lab Management Information Systems

Informatics  samples

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) hosted a group of trainers from Consortium of Barcode of Life (CBOL) and fifteen scientists to learn DNA Barcode of Wildlife Informatics. The elements of this critical training were to introduce them to Geneious (a DNA alignment, assembly, and analysis software), Field Information Managements Systems (FIMS), and Laboratory Information Managements Systems (LIMS). The scientists were fetched from National Museums of Kenya (NMK), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), and Institute of Primate Research (IPR).

DNA barcoding is a technique that uses short DNA sequences from standardized positions in the genome to identify species. The overall goal of the training is to bridge the gap between conservation genetics and law enforcement. Barcode of Wildlife Project has a big part to play in protection of Kenya’s biodiversity as well as curbing illegaly harvested plant materials, poached tusks, horns, and meat sold as bushmeat.   Barcoding is a process of using DNA sequence to identify a specimen.

 

Dr Daniel Masiga, Head of the Molecular Biology Unit, ICIPE.

“It’s very difficult for wildlife authorities to determine whether a piece of meat has come from livestock or from wildlife, hence DNA barcording allows an institution like Kenya Wildlife Service to very quickly determine whether one is dealing with bushmeat or legal processed wildlife,” Dr Daniel Masiga, Senior Scientist and Head of the Molecular Biology Unit at ICIPE.

He said the project will greatly facilitate forensics in the protection of wildlife species, and in dealing with identifying cases of contamination both in wild animals and plants. Barcoding project keenly incorporates plants as well. “In Kenya today there is a growing market for ‘miti shamba’ (traditional medicine) some of which are packaged in capsules as medicinal products. Its extremely difficult for customers what is genuine from the not thus barcoding will help determine counterfeit from the originals.” Dr Masiga.

Informatics group discussions

Informatics helps to track samples as collected in the field all the way to the analysis and determination of what species have been identified. The initial stage involves building up of database of collected samples.

Informatics is really critical and is divided into two components. Field Information Managements Systems (FIMS) helps track the entire analytical flow of the entire chain of samples from the source species into the lab. Laboratory Information Managements Systems (LIMS) tracks the analytical flow within the lab generating the DNA extraction of samples all the way to sequencing and determining what the sequences. 

As the number of samples to the lab increase, tracking of samples and where they are stored is very important and the informatics takes care of that.

Video Conference with participants

Subsequently, it’s not only the issue of determining the number of specimens one has but also how that decision has been reached and linking with the specimens’ information which is held at FIMS.

Both Field Information Managements Systems and Laboratory Information Managements Systems are critical in the success of the barcode project, and enhances collaboration with other countries involved in the project.