Unlocking natural history collections to improve eDNA reference databases and biodiversity monitoring
Biodiversity changes due to human activities highlight the need for efficient biodiversity monitoring approaches. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers a noninvasive method used for biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem assessment, but its accuracy depends on comprehensive DNA reference databases. Natural history collections often contain rare or difficult-to-obtain samples that can serve as a valuable resource to fill gaps in eDNA reference databases. In the present article, we discuss the utility of specimens from natural history collections in supporting future eDNA applications. Museomics-the application of -omics techniques to museum specimens-offers a promising avenue for improving eDNA reference databases by increasing species coverage. Furthermore, museomics can provide transferable methodological advancements for extracting genetic material from samples with low and degraded DNA. The integration of natural history collections, museomics, and eDNA approaches has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of global biodiversity, highlighting the continued importance of natural history collections.
Authors
- Nadir Álvarez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0729-166X)
- Camille P. Albouy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1629-2389)
- Annamaria Nocita
- Michael Matschiner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4741-3884)
- Nicolas Straube (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7047-1084)
- Anja Palandačić (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4555-5240)
- Sarah Schmid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9520-4086)
- Lukas Rüber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0125-008X)
- Loïc Pellissier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2289-8259)
- Moritz Sonnewald (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3042-8107)
- Stéphanie Manel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8902-6052)
- Peter Rask Møller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0177-0977)
- Bo Delling
- James Maclaine
Institutions
- University of Bern (CH)
- Natural History Museum Vienna (AT)
- Museum of London (GB)
- Natural History Museum (GB)
- University of Ljubljana (SI)
- École Pratique des Hautes Études (FR)
- University of Oslo (NO)
- Institut Universitaire de France (FR)
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (CH)
- Norsk Teknisk Museum (NO)
- Swedish Museum of Natural History (SE)
- Natural History Museum of Geneva (CH)
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M (DE)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Natural History Museum of Bern (CH)
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (FR)
- Natural History Museum Aarhus (DK)
- Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (DE)
- Museo Galileo (IT)
- Natural History Museum of Denmark (DK)
- University of Bergen (NO)
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
- University of Lausanne (CH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BioScience
- Published
- 2025-08-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf140
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.72
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung