Abstract
Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot that is facing rapid rates of deforestation, habitat destruction, and poverty. Urgent action is required to document the status of biodiversity to facilitate efficacious conservation plans. With the recent advent of portable and affordable genetic technologies, it is now possible to take genomic approaches out of the lab and into the field. Mobile genetics labs can produce scientifically reproducible data under field conditions, dramatically minimizing the time between sample collection and data analysis. Here, we show “proof of concept” by deploying miniPCR bio’s miniaturized thermal cycler alongside Oxford Nanopore’s MinION DNA sequencer in Madagascar. Specifically, we deployed this technology at Anjajavy, northwestern Madagascar for rapid biodiversity assessment. We successfully extracted mouse lemur DNA, amplified and sequenced a phylogenetically informative mitochondrial gene (cytochrome-b; cytb), and thereby confirmed the presence of Danfoss’ mouse lemur (M. danfossi) within the Anjajavy Reserve. We show that a mobile genetics lab can provide expeditious results, and allow scientists to conduct genetic analyses, potentially allowing for rapid interventions under emergency conditions in situ. Additionally, mobile labs offer powerful training opportunities for in-country scientists for whom training opportunities were previously confined to ex-situ locations. By bringing genomic technologies to Madagascar and other economically challenged and biodiverse regions of the world, the next generation of scientists and conservationists can more fully implement their leadership roles. Local laboratory and training facilities are changing the polarity of research programs in Madagascar and empowering national researchers to take charge of environmental stewardship.
Highlights
Madagascar, one of Earth’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots, is challenged to preserve its endemic wildlife in the face of rampant habitat loss and degradation, extreme poverty, and one of the fastest population growth rates worldwide (Gardner et al 2018; UNFPA 2018)
The quantification of biodiversity levels in Madagascar continues to rise, despite high deforestation rates. This is largely due to new biological surveys targeting poorly known areas, the integration of genetic analyses with more traditional morphological assessments, and DNA barcoding approaches used in species identification
Our results are consistent with the known distribution of M. danfossi, between the Sofia and Maevarano rivers, NW Madagascar (Olivieri et al 2007)
Summary
Madagascar, one of Earth’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots, is challenged to preserve its endemic wildlife in the face of rampant habitat loss and degradation, extreme poverty, and one of the fastest population growth rates worldwide (Gardner et al 2018; UNFPA 2018). Madagascar is at a scientific, academic, and technological crossroads: Malagasy researchers and professors are establishing labs and/or developing competitive research programs in-country, at a time when new DNA sequencing technologies are revolutionizing the fields of conservation genetics and genomics, and expanding applications worldwide through the creation of miniaturized devices. Sequences from new subjects can provide rapid and preliminary species assignations, rendering this gene a prime candidate for diagnostic in situ DNA barcoding via mobile technology We tested this possibility by deploying a fully equipped mobile laboratory to provide the first genetic species confirmation of the mouse lemurs in the Anjajavy forest. Consensus sequences generated in this study were stored in GenBank under accession numbers MT765748-MT765751
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
