Simple cheek swab could revolutionize bat research and conservation
Scientists have successfully extracted DNA from bats using non-invasive buccal swabs—a breakthrough that sidesteps the need for painful wing biopsies. The technique works across multiple species and could dramatically reduce animal stress during fieldwork, lowering costs and enabling larger-scale population studies critical for conservation policy and disease tracking.
Originaltitel: Successful DNA amplification of DNA from non-destructive buccal swabbing in Vespertilionid and Rhinolophid bats
<p>Acquiring DNA from wild bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) is typically undertaken utilizing highly invasive (but non-lethal) sampling techniques comprising wing biopsies and occasional blood samples. While non-invasive sampling is possible through the extraction of DNA from faecal samples, it is not always possible to acquire samples from individual bats whilst conducting fieldwork, and as such, this method is primarily applicable to roost occupancy identification. Similarly, wing swabbing is liable to cross-contamination from roost mates. Here we present the first use of oral (buccal) swabbing for successful, species-resolution DNA sequencing of Vespertilionidae and Rhinolophidae in 10 bat species (nine Vespertilionidae and one Rhinolophidae) from the UK.</p>