<b>Teaching Kit</b> <br>DNA Barcoding

Microalgae Barcoding Overview The identification of microalgae has traditionally been performed by the use of light and electron microscopy in combination with growth kinetics, assessment of nutritional requirements, and metabolic product characterization. These can be extremely effective tools in the hands of experienced phycologists but these methods can be time consuming and the identification of algae with relatively few morphological keys is often problematic. The proliferation of readily available and relatively inexpensive PCR and DNA sequencing technologies has made DNA barcoding an accessible means of identifying microalgae for most laboratories. What is DNA barcoding? A DNA barcode is a short genetic marker or combination of such markers that can be used to create a unique fingerprint for identification of a wide range of organisms. In order for a marker to be effective as a DNA barcode, it should, ideally, have sufficient sequence variation to distinguish between closely