BACKGROUNDER

February 18, 2008

SAFEGUARDING GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY

Ontario is investing $150,000 to support an international collaboration on a research initiative – called the International Barcode of Life project. The goal of the project is to help preserve and protect global biodiversity by cataloguing DNA records of the world’s living plant and animal species.

Ontario’s support comes from the McGuinty government’s International Strategic Opportunities Program, which encourages world-class research partnerships between Ontario research institutions and the global research community. This latest investment is in addition to $6 million the government has already invested in the project.

The investment will enable researchers at the University of Guelph to work with over 100 researchers from 25 countries to create the world’s largest reference library of DNA samples – consisting of 500,000 species. 

Through the project, Ontario researchers are partnering with scientists from around the world to develop a unique barcode method to catalogue DNA records of the world’s living species.

DNA barcoding was invented in Ontario by Dr. Paul Hebert

Dr. Paul Hebert, a researcher at the University of Guelph, invented DNA barcoding in 2003. Dr. Hebert was researching a fast and efficient method to identify plant, insect and animal life.  

Dr. Hebert leads a team of researchers at the University of Guelph’s Biodiversity Institute of Ontario. The research team is developing a technology they hope will allow for virtually instant DNA identification by simply scanning a specimen with a hand-held device, similar to how groceries are scanned at a supermarket. Currently, scientists rely on sending samples to a lab to conduct DNA sampling — a much slower process.

This made-in-Ontario barcoding system will revolutionize how biological information is accessed.

Better access to species information will impact many aspects of society including disease and pest control, food safety and resource conservation.  This technology can also be applied to help reduce the threat of global epidemics. For example, by simply scanning DNA, scientists will be able to quickly identify if a bird is carrying an infectious disease such as avian flu.

DNA contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. The growing amount of barcode data will also lead to major advances in our ability to identify and discover new species.

The health of the world’s biodiversity has many critical impacts on the economy. Today, with global trade on the rise and the increasing risk of climate change, all jurisdictions face unprecedented exposure to invasive species that threaten agriculture, forestry and fisheries. DNA barcoding will allow for faster identification of species, making it easier to take decisive action sooner and minimize the costs associated with invasive species.

Key Facts:

• In addition to Ontario’s investment, today the State Government of New South Wales in Australia announced a commitment of $1.2 million towards the International Barcode of Life project.
• DNA barcoding was invented in Ontario, by Dr. Paul Hebert -- it is the fastest, most cost effective method to identify, preserve and protect biodiversity
• Dr. Hebert has published more than 270 papers on the subject of DNA barcoding. His current efforts to establish the International Barcode of Life Project will barcode 500,000 species within five years.
• Led by Dr. Hebert’s team in Guelph, Ontario was the first province to build a specialized facility dedicated to gathering barcode records and to the creation of an informatics platform for their storage and analysis.
• As a result, Canada was the first country to establish a national research network focused on the acquisition and analysis of DNA barcode records for new and existing plant, insect and animal species.
• The project will integrate international efforts to create a comprehensive and universal system for gathering, sharing, identifying, preserving and analyzing the world’s biodiversity.
• There are currently calls for 25 nations to join the International Barcode of Life Project.

The International Strategic Opportunities Program (ISOP)

The goal of the International Strategic Opportunities Program is to improve Ontario’s long-term economic potential by attracting and retaining the best and brightest research talent. The program seeks to:

• Facilitate research of scientific importance
• Increase Ontario’s long-term economic potential
• Attract and retain top international research talent
• Enhance Ontario’s profile in the international research community.

Learn more about the International Strategic Opportunities Program

Read about the web-base Barcode of Life Data Systems 

Learn about invading species in Ontario.

For more information about the programs and funding of the Ministry of Research and Innovation, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.

 

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