Environmetal DNA applications using the portable MinIon Sequencer: a new record of the Splendid ponyfish Eubleekeria splendens in Tanzania
Summary
The talk explore the application of the new sequencing technology developed by the Oxford Nanpore which uses a little small device that can fit on a hand, to sequence fish samples for support taxonomic identification using just a fish tissue. The device is tested by sequencing fish tissues in East Africa on-site during a workshop organized by ZMT, without a need to send samples abroad (the standard procedure used at this very moment). It was also used to sequence and generate a DNA reference database comprising about 132 fish species, and a small dataset of fish diversity from filtered environmental DNA of the sea water from Mafia Marine Park. Out of suprise, the study encountered a Splendid ponyfish Eubleekeria splendens that constitute a new record in Tanzania coastal waters. The potential of the method to fast generate the rapid data for monitoring, error rates and future directions were investigated and insights are provided.