Protocols for DNA barcoding of mammals

Protocols for DNA Barcoding of Mammals

We have posted detailed new protocols describing our methods to sequence key mammalian DNA barcodes. They can be found together with a growing number of field and lab protocols on the Kartzinel Lab's centralized protocol page.

You will find protocols for both the D-loop of the mitochondrial control region and the 16S marker are useful for identifying a diversity of mammals, and can be routinely amplified from degraded material such as fecal DNA. We have frequently used these protocols to confirm the identity of mammals in studies involving dietary DNA metabarcoding and/or host-microbiome interactions. They are also very useful for phylogenetic analyses. We have used various polymerases over the years, so these protocols may depart slightly from previously published versions (e.g., Kartzinel et al. 2019 PNAS). However, they reflect our current state-of-the-art strategy for routine work and should be generally more cost or time effective as a result of the changes.