Wales is set to become the first country to produce a DNA barcode for every species of native flowering plant, according to a BBC News report. The Barcode Wales project plans on cataloging all 1,143 species of flowering plants that occur in the country based on unique gene sequences. The DNA sequences will be identified from freshly picked samples, as well as specimens from the National Museum Wales botanical collections. The team hopes that the genetic database will be used to better understand genetic diversity in native plants and for conservation of pollinators. Their work is set to be completed by this summer.
To read the BBC News article, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9449000/9449068.stm.
Scientists Aim to DNA Barcode All Plants in Wales