Reindert Nijland from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands presented at London Calling 2022 about “Endangered European sturgeon detection through non-amplified eDNA sequencing.” They presented work on obtaining the full genome of this critically endangered big fish. The Netherlands has sturgeon species that are non-indigenous released from ponds. They have complex life cycles and are really big fish. There are reintroduction programs. The Acipenser sturio is the European sturgeon they sequenced. DNA was isolated from blood using the NEB Monarch HMW Tissue kit and sequenced the full genome (1.8 Gb) using the PromethION with R9 flowcells, the ULK-kit and the Ligation Sequencing Kit 110. They obtained read N50 lengths of ~45 kb and combined runs to obtain 50x coverage. They are now using Illumina sequencing to help with genome assembly. Two Masters students collected environmental DNA (eDNA) from a tank with this sturgeon for metabarcoding (~1 ng DNA). Nijland repeated the experiment with 100 ng of DNA, and it matched the genome. They want to extend this system to eDNA based detection without amplification of other species. They now want to examine DNA from museum species. Nijland wants to eventually extend this system and databases to other species and organisms.
